I just spent the last few minutes signing up for Disney+ and downloading apps for iOS, Android, and Apple TV. I then spent a few more minutes, several actually, streaming titles like Avengers Infinity War, Star Wars The Last Jedi, Incredibles 2, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, and Free Solo. No, I’m not a decorated general fighting at the front lines of the streaming wars, I’m just a dude who happens to live in The Netherlands where the Disney+ service has gone live. It’s a free pilot that runs until November 12th, after which time it’ll cost €6.99/mth.
I have to agree with my colleague Julia Alexander who described the Disney+ experience as “empty but elegant.” Compared to Netflix, there just isn’t much content here. Compared to Apple TV+ however, there’s a ton, and it’s very easy to find. A top row selection lets you quickly jump into Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, or National Geographic titles. Those inviting boxes sit directly below a full-width carousel showing the top promoted hits from each section. More than once I caught myself thinking, “oh, right, that’s a Disney movie” as I scrolled through hundreds of titles.
It was previously reported that only four Marvel movies would be available at launch on November 12th: Captain Marvel, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man, and Iron Man 3; with Avengers: Endgame available later in December. The Dutch pilot — perhaps due to different licensing agreements — has 18 Marvel titles, but it’s currently missing Endgame and Captain Marvel:
- Avengers
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Iron Man 3
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2
- Black Panther
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Captain America: Civil War
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- Thor: Rangnarok
- Ant-Man
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Doctor Strange
The pilot also has the entire Star Wars franchise available to stream, from Episode I to VIII, including Star Wars specials, series, and Lego shorts. Sadly, there’s no sign of the The Mandalorianyet.
Learn more about: Free Disney+ pilot launches in the Netherlands, here’s what it’s like