A couple weeks ago, an email showed up in my inbox notifying me that my Disney+ subscription was about to expire and asking me if I wanted to renew.
When Disney+ was first announced, it was big news. For better or worse, Disney is one of the most powerful entertainment companies in the world, and it was inevitable that one day they’d want to get in on the streaming game.
Of course, as a diehard Star Wars fan, I knew I’d be signing up for Disney+ as soon as I heard that new Star Wars TV series were going to be part of the package. While movies are and likely always will be my favorite storytelling medium, I’m never gonna say no to new Star Wars.
“The Mandalorian” launched last fall and immediately became a hit with critics and fans. The second season just premiered with an episode called “The Marshal,” and it might be my favorite episode yet, really leaning into Star Wars’ Western influences.
Yet even though I love “The Mandalorian,” I’m actually leaning towards not renewing my Disney+ subscription. I’ll keep it through the end of “The Mandalorian” season 2, and then leave my account inactive until the Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi or “Rogue One” spinoff series drop.
It’s not that I’m unhappy with Disney+. “The Mandalorian” is a fantastic show, and at first I was super excited about having access to the entire Disney catalogue with one click. However, I’m still a DVD buyer, and I own all the Star Wars movies and most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ones, so I’m not needing Disney+ to watch those. I also own a number of my other favorite Disney movies — like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and some of the animated and Pixar content — on DVD as well.
At least for me, Disney+ doesn’t have enough new content that speaks to me to really justify keeping the streaming service around all year long. I almost feel a little ungrateful for saying that, because I know that “The Mandalorian” was undoubtedly expensive to produce, and without funds from subscribers, we’re not going to keep getting high-quality content.
Yet as I look back over the year, I haven’t watched Disney+ hardly at all this summer or fall. I loved “The Clone Wars” revival and had a blast watching the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton,” but otherwise I watch Netflix and my home DVD collection a lot more.
This is not to say that Disney+ and I are breaking up for good. You know I’ll be back the second more Star Wars content arrives, and I’m also excited to see some of the Marvel streaming series. Instead of watching those week by week, I might wait until a full season is completed, and then sign up for a month to binge-watch it.
Another reason I’m interested in going on a Disney+ hiatus is that I really want to try some off the beaten path streaming services. The big streaming services are, of course, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, but I’ve been eyeing some British streaming services like BritBox and Acorn. Lately I’ve been in the mood for some period dramas and mysteries, and I’d love to try out some services targeted to these interests. I’m also excited about some of the recent and upcoming Netflix series, like “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Bridgerton.”
So, what are your thoughts on the first year of Disney+? Is it becoming a permanent part of your streaming library? How much have you watched it over the past year? How does it compare to the other services you use?
