Scrolling through my TV streaming app the other day, I realized that I hadn't opened, or even thought about, Disney Plus in over two weeks. Specifically, I hadn't touched Disney Plus since the finale of "The Book of Boba Fett" on February 9.
In that time, I've watched a lot of stuff on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Peacock, Paramount Plus, and Showtime. However, I always look through Disney Plus.
Why? Because there are no new Marvel or Star Wars series to follow Boba Fett. The next big Marvel series is Moon Knight (March 30).
I wish I could cancel for a month or so and then sign up for Disney Plus again when there is something I want to watch. In fact, I have been thinking that for some time. In the streaming industry, this kind of cancellation and re-subscription behavior is called "churning. People do it all the time to save money on ever-increasing streaming fees.
Disney Plus, I wish I could cancel; I'm locked into the last nine months of a three-year contract. Yes, the contract I got to save money is actually costing me cash.
In August 2019, before Disney Plus launched a few months later, the company offered members of its official fan club D23 a killer discount on its new streaming service: sign up for a three-year subscription and get 33% off.
Excited about launch-day titles like "The Mandalorian" and upcoming Marvel series, as well as access to Disney's vast back catalog, I became a D23 member (with a free tier) and accepted the deal: $140.97 for three years, or $46.99 per year. I paid $0.00 (at the time, the annual subscription fee was $69.99).
Baby Yoda memes piled up, and I patted myself on the back for taking the plunge and paying upfront. But it didn't take long for me to begin to become disillusioned with Disney Plus. After the first season of The Mandalorian ended at the end of 2019, there were months when I didn't watch Disney Plus at all. And it wasn't for lack of trying.
Still, tied to a three-year subscription, I continued to search for appealing movies and shows. When Disney Plus gave me an early streaming gift to the pandemic-stricken world, I rewatched a couple of Marvel movies and "Anna and the Snow Queen II". In general, however, I did not take advantage of Disney Plus for most of the rest of 2020.
It wasn't until the January 2021 premiere of Wander Vision that Disney Plus became available again. Falcon and The Winter Soldier, followed by Loki, kept the service in the spotlight for the first half of the year.
But then it was not used again for several months until the premiere of Hawkeye. Now, as we wait for Moon Knight, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, we are doing it all over again.
I know that Disney Plus is an essential service for my family. I have several friends whose families would fall apart without Disney Plus. However, as an adult without children, Disney Plus is not a necessity. It's just "handy to have once in a while.
It will not become a necessity unless there is more content for adults, and unless it surpasses Marvel and Star Wars. The "Mighty Ducks" reboot was OK, but still a bit juvenile. But Disney Plus seems to have ceded even YA territory to Netflix; why can't shows like "Cobra Kai" and "Never Have I Ever" be on Disney Plus?
To me, they are in the same boat as Peacock and Paramount Plus. Both services offer deep libraries and great original productions, but not so many or often that you have to subscribe every month.
Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Disney Plus - at least until November; after three years, I plan to cancel.
Comments