Disney+ tips and tricks: Get the most from your subscription

Disney's new streaming service, Disney+ (also called Disney Plus), is finally launching in the UK.

We've been playing with the service since it premiered in the US a few months ago and have rounded up a good number of tips and tricks to help you get started. It's a fairly simple platform, however, without too many hidden hacks or secret workarounds, which means there isn't much of a learning curve. Nevertheless, here's a few ways you can get the most out of your monthly Disney+ subscription.

The very best Disney+ tips and tricks

Bookmark this page, as we plan to update with more tips over time.

How to access Disney+

You can access the Disney+ site from a desktop web browser, or you can download the app on a device, such as a mobile device, game console, set-top box, and smart TV. Basically, if you have a streaming media player or a device with access to the internet, then you should be able to access Disney+. Check out our Disney+ guide for a list of supported devices and more information.

How to sign up for Disney+

Once you figure out how you want to watch Disney+, you can easily sign up for the service from here. In the UK, Disney+ costs £5.99, but there's also an introductory subscription of 12 months for £50, versus the eventual-regular price of £60 for an annual subscription.

Set up Disney+ profiles

After you’ve signed up for and logged in to Disney+, you’ll be able to set up user profiles for everyone in your household who has access to your subscription. It’ll make sure you don’t lose your place in The Mandalorian if someone else in your house starts watching.

In the Disney+ app, go to the left of the Disney+ home screen to access the sidebar menu. At the top is the profile you’re currently using. Click on the profile, and you’ll be taken to a menu where you can select which profile you’d like to use, or you can add a new profile or edit an existing profile. Disney+ allows up to seven user profiles on a single account and up to four simultaneous streams.

Cancel your Disney+ subscription

To cancel your subscription, it depends on how you signed up for Disney+. Here's Disney+'s explanation, but allow us to break it down further.

If you signed up through the Disney+ website, you can cancel your subscription by logging in from a desktop, going to your account, selecting billing details, and there, you’ll find the cancel your subscription option. Just make sure you click to confirm. But, if you signed up through Google, Apple, or Amazon instead, you'll need to go to the relevant link below and follow their steps to cancel:

• Google Play Store
• Apple
• Amazon

Download content to watch offline

Disney+ allows you to download as much content as you want to watch offline. The only condition is that you must sign in to Disney+ every 30 days. Other than that though, you’re allowed to download as much content as you want to 10 different phones or tablets. To download content, simply click on the movie or show you want to download, and you’ll see the option to play, save, or download.

Click the download option, and you’ll be free to watch it at any time even without the internet.

1. Install the Disney+ app for iPhone or Android.
2. Open the app and sign in to or register for your Disney+ account.
3. Select the title you'd like to watch offline. The app has you download over Wi-Fi by default, but you can go to settings and choose to download over data (this will count against your monthly data cap).
4. Tap the Download icon (it's the. down-facing arrow).

Add content to your watchlist

Disney+ can be daunting at first, with access to content from Marvel, Star Wars, and so much more. That’s why it’s helpful to set up a watchlist so you don’t forget anything. It’s done the same way on desktop or streaming media player - just click the title you want, and on the next screen, click the + icon next to the Play button. If the + icon becomes a checkmark, then it's been added to your watchlist.

You can access your watchlist via the sidebar menu on the right of the Disney+ app home screen. On a desktop, the watchlist icon is listed at the top of the Disney+ website. Easy!

Turn on parental controls

Disney+ is very child friendly, but if you want to make sure your younger children can’t access any of the PG or PG-13 titles available (like Marvel or Star Wars movies), then Disney has made it super easy. Simply set your kids up with their own profile using the steps we’ve already covered. From there, it differs slightly depending on whether you’re on a desktop or a streaming media player.

On the Disney+ website on a desktop, scroll your mouse over the profile icon on the top right to access the drop-down menu and choose edit profiles from the list of options. Select the profile you want to add the protections to and turn on Kids Profile on the next page.

On the Disney+ app from a streaming media player, access the Profile menu on the top of the sidebar menu and to the right of the home screen. Choose edit profiles on the bottom of the next page, and then pick the profile. On the next screen, turn on Kids profile, and from that point on, they won’t be shown any content with a rating above PG. You can learn more about parental controls here.

Turn off autoplay

Want to stop Disney+ from automatically playing the next episode? Just turn off autoplay. You can find the controls for autoplay hidden in the options of your profile. Follow the directions above to edit your profile page from a desktop, then scroll your mouse over the profile icon on the top right to access the drop-down menu, and choose edit profiles from the list of options.

Or, from a streaming media player, access the Profile menu on the top of the sidebar menu and to the right of the home screen, and then choose edit profiles on the bottom of the next page. From there, just make sure you choose your own profile, and then you can turn autoplay off.

Browse collections

One of the main draws to Disney+ is the various collections of content from several cinematic universes. Disney tries to put those connections front and centre on Disney+. Right on the home screen, for instance, it gives you options to choose Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney collections. Each one shows the entire catalogue that Disney+ has to offer - amazing, right?

If you scroll down your home screen, there are smaller collections. For instance, there is a Darth Vader Collection that has everything associated with the iconic villain, and there's another that has every Disney Channel original movie.

Request what you want

Disney is the owner of a gigantic catalogue of content, but, unfortunately for us, not all of it is currently available on Disney+. There’s a host of reasons for why different films aren’t on Disney+, such as existing deals with other streaming platforms getting in the way, or perhaps Disney might not want some films (like Deadpool) on a streaming platform marketed toward children.

Either way, Disney offers a way for you to request content. Go to the Disney+ help page, and select Give Feedback underneath the question bar. It opens a smaller window asking what you would like to see on Disney+. You can add up to three suggestions.

Create a watch order playlist

Say you found this really awesome website that has great watch orders for all the Marvel or Star Wars or Pixar films. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could just set up a playlist to watch the movies those recommended orders? Well, you can do this with your watchlist.

Just follow along and add the movies in order. Some films are missing from the Marvel universe, but all the Pixar and Star Wars films are there (minus the most recent films to hit theatres).

Find special features

Special features might seem like a relic from the days of renting DVDs at Blockbuster, but Disney+ has become one of the first streaming services to offer special features like "how it’s made" featurettes, deleted scenes, and director’s commentary. Simply click a title you’re interested in, and if it has any special features, you’ll find them all listed under Extras.

Watch in 4K with Dolby Atmos

If you’ve become addicted to using every pixel your TV has to offer like we have, then you’ll be pleased to know that Disney+ offers 4K quality streaming for much of the content on its platform. Some of the most recent films added to Disney+ are also compatible with Dolby Atmos.

Of course, you need TVs and equipment that are compatible with these formats to use them, but Disney has made it easy to see what works with your sound system or 4K TV. Simply click on a title that you’re interested in, and beneath the Play button, you’ll see the best possible picture and audio formats for streaming. The latest The Lion King, for instance, shows 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, and HDR10.

Stream new theatre releases early

Disney has shown a willingness to change due to the coronavirus pandemic, by releasing Frozen 2 to Disney+ months ahead of when it originally planned. The company also announced that Pixar’s latest film, Onward, which hit theatres 6 March, is coming to Disney+ early, too.

Disney + users are therefore getting access to major feature films way sooner than expected. Perhaps Black Widow will be next?

Want to know more?

Check out some of our Disney+ guides below:

• The cheapest way to get Disney+ on your TV
• Disney+ price, offers, TV shows, features, devices
• Disney+ UK: Movies and TV show lineup

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