Review: Disney+ is now available in S'pore & here's what you need to know

Latest streaming service.

Fasiha Nazren | February 23, 2021, 06:29 PM

As if you've not heard this a thousand times over, here's one more reminder: Disney+ has launched in Singapore today (Feb. 23).

What you need to know

If you're thinking of subscribing to the latest streaming service in town, here are some things you need to know:

How much?

A monthly subscription will cost S$11.98 while a yearly subscription will cost S$119.98 a year.

What am I paying for?

Disney+ streams in HD and 4K Ultra HD.

An account can have:

  • Up to seven different profiles
  • Up to four concurrent streams
  • Unlimited downloads of content across 10 devices.

Unfortunately, unlike other streaming services, there are no free trials for Disney+.

Where to watch?

Like most streaming services, there are a variety of devices and platforms that support Disney+ including the website itself.

Smartphone/tablet apps

Smart televisions

  • Android TV devices: Install the Disney+ Android App via Google Play Store.
  • LG WebOS Smart TVs: Download the Disney+ app via the LG Content Store. Find out if your LG TV supports Disney+ here.
  • Samsung Tizen Smart TVs: Only Samsung televisions from 2016 or later that use the Tizen operating system.

Connected televisions, game consoles and streaming devices

  • Amazon FireTV
  • Apple AirPlay
  • Apple TV
  • Chromebook
  • Chromecast
  • Sony PS4 and PS5
  • Xbox

StarHub is also the official distributor in Singapore.

What can I watch?

The current catalogue has over 500 films and 15,000 episodes from six content brands.

The content brands are:

  • Disney
  • Marvel
  • Pixar
  • National Geographic
  • Star Wars
  • Star

Basically, all the Avengers movies, Disney classics, the numerous Star Wars movies, Pixar's short films and more.

There are highly-anticipated Disney+ original series like The Mandalorian, WandaVision, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

There are also series like The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy and more.

Not just Disney shows even though it's called Disney+.

What to expect

Signing up for Disney+ via the app was pretty seamless but I have to point out that it got a little wonky while I was setting up my own profile.

As the app was a little unresponsive, I accidentally made three of the same profiles at first until it prompted me that I've already made a profile using the same name.

But it's relatively easy to delete the duplicated profiles — just requires a little more patience.

The best part of making the profile is probably choosing an avatar from the wide array of characters including Baby Yoda, a cheetah and Elsa.

Cute.

After creating a profile, a prompt will appear, asking if the user wishes to access the full catalogue including R21-rated content.

If yes, one will have to set up a four-digit pin.

If no, one can only access PG13 content.

Is it user-friendly?

The platform is pretty intuitive, just like a lot of other streaming services.

Clicking on the different pillars will only show content from that particular pillar.

Screenshot from Disney+.

Scrolling down a little further will also show the different categories and recommendations from the streaming service.

Photo screenshot from Disney+.

What sets it apart from other streaming services?

You probably can't find Disney+ content on Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.

Likewise, you can't find Amazon Prime Video ("Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" was quite epic) or Netflix ("Bling Empire" and "Don't F*** With Cats" are solid Netflix Originals) content on Disney+.

And then there's Premier Access.

In case you didn't know, Disney+'s Premier Access is a feature that lets you watch the latest releases on the platform for a one-off fee.

"Raya The Last Dragon" will be the first movie that can be watched via Premier Access in Singapore however, not much details have been released yet.

Though, it probably won't be as cheap as buying a movie ticket over the cinema counter.

For context, the Premier Access fee in the U.S. costs USD$30, which is about S$39.60.

Probably only worth it if you're going to watch a Premier Access show with your family or friends at home or if you're going to watch the show at least four times.

Alternatively, you can wait for a little while before it is available for free.

 

Is it worth it?

For context, Disney+ is not the cheapest streaming service in Singapore.

Here's a table comparing three popular streaming services:

Amazon Prime Video Netflix Disney Plus
Subscription fee S$2.99 per month S$11.98 to S$19.98 per month S$11.98 per month  or S$119.98 per year
Number of profiles 6 profiles 5 profiles 7 profiles
Number of concurrent screens 3 screens S$11.98: 1 screen

S$15.98: 2 screens

S$19.98 4 screens

4 screens
Number of devices that can download content 2 devices S$11.98: 1 device

S$15.98: 2 devices

S$19.98 4 devices

10 devices
HD? Yes Only with plans from S$15.98 per month Yes
Ultra HD? Yes Only with S$19.98 plan Yes
Free trial? 30-day free trial 30-day free trial No

If you're a fan of the content pillars on Disney+ or just enjoy timeless Pixar, Disney and Marvel classics, then it's definitely worth it.

However, if you're just curious or suffering from FOMO, perhaps you can share an account with a few friends for a couple of months and see if you'll continue watching Disney+ after that.

Top image screenshot from Disney+.