Want To Watch Disney+ From Outside of the USA? You Might Have a Problem
When Disney+ launched, experts were expecting it to take the streaming world by storm but few would have predicted it would secure a massive 10 million subscribers within the first 24 hours, but that’s exactly what it did. Certainly, bundling Disney+ together with ESPN+ and Hulu has helped, but either way, it seems Disney+ is the one to watch.
Unfortunately, not everyone is invited to join in the fun. In fact, if you don’t have an American credit card, attached to an American bank account, you will not be allowed to successfully purchase a subscription to Disney+.
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Which Countries Offer Disney+
Even with the best Disney Plus VPN, anyone who is not a member of one of Disney’s “chosen countries” will not be able to purchase a subscription to the sought-after streaming service.
Up until now, only people that have a credit count attacked to a bank account from countries such as the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand were able to access Disney+.
Thankfully, Disney+ has now broadened its offer to include countries like:
- The UK
- Ireland
- Germany
- Austria
- Italy
- Spain
- France
- Switzerland (as of April 9th)
When it comes to pricing, you can access the Disney+ app in the UK for a monthly subscription of £5.99 or choose to go with the annual subscription, which will see you cash out £59.99.
For those in Ireland, you can tune into Disney+ for 6.99€ or an annual fee of 69.99€.
Those living in Germany, Australia, Italy, Spain, and France are looking at paying 6,99€ monthly or an annual subscription of 69,99€.
On April 9, Disney+ will be coming to Switzerland, with the prices being 9.90 CHF monthly and 99.00 CHF annually.
If you do not have access to a credit card form one of the above countries, unfortunately, you will not be able to watch all of the content that Disney+ has to offer…at least not yet.
Even with a VPN, which can change your IP address to one of the countries that streams Disney+ to its citizens, you will find yourself at a hard-stop when you go to purchase the subscription with your own country’s credit card.
Luckily, Disney+ has announced that in March 2020, it will be opening up subscriptions to other countries around the world. the schedule is as follows:
- Western Europe in the first half of 2020
- Eastern Europe in the first half of 2021
- Latin America in the first half of 2021
- Asia and Pacific country launches throughout 2020 and 2021
So, all hope is not lost to be a part of the Disney magic, you just might have to wait a while to get there.
How to Watch with a Disney Plus VPN…If You Can Get a Subscription
Before you start thinking about how to watch Disney+ abroad with a VPN, you must clear the first hurdle of finding out the answer to, “How do I sign up for Disney+?” To be fair, the answer’s both simple and obvious – head over to the Disney streaming platform, select a subscription, create an account, and away you go.
While the Disney plus sign-up process is straightforward, the laws governing where you’re allowed to watch the content are not. Although we like to believe that in the digital world, there are no physical boundaries, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like any other streaming site, Disney plus is subject to licensing regulations that prevent it from showing the same content to viewers in different countries that subscribers in the US enjoy.
Every site you visit can detect your geographical location simply from your IP address. This set of numbers won’t reveal your exact address, but it will show the region you’re located in, which means, if Disney plus detects that you’re trying to access content from Morocco or Paris, rather than the US, it will block your access.
If you visit Disney plus from South Africa, for example, you’ll get nothing more than the option of clicking on a button that will mean you’ll be the first to know when Disney plus extends its streaming service to your country. Visiting the same page using a US IP address, however, will give you the option of signing up for a monthly or yearly subscription which will subsequently unlock Disney’s entire library.
Those of you who are planning a Christmas overseas but don’t want to miss out on the next episode of The Mandalorian need a VPN that is capable of bypassing geographical restrictions. To watch Disney+ with a VPN, all you need to do, once you’ve signed up for and downloaded the VPN of your choice, is to select a US server or preconfigured streaming profile for Disney+, and the doors to the House of Mouse will miraculously open.
A VPN performs this piece of magic by masking your original IP address with that of the server you’ve connected to, thereby giving you a fake US IP address that gives you the freedom to access content that is licensed for distribution in the US only. A VPN is one of the most sophisticated encryption tools available, giving users the freedom to access the content they want while enjoying a private and anonymous browsing experience.
If you don’t want to read the rest of the article, here’s our list of the best VPNs for streaming Disney plus:
- ExpressVPN offers fast speeds, military-grade security and an unrivaled commitment to user privacy.
- CyberGhost has a user-friendly interface, extensive server network and competitive prices
- Surfshark is a cost-effective VPN of unlimited simultaneous devices and high-speed connections.
Our pick for Best VPN For Disney+: ExpressVPN
Why you Need a VPN to Watch Disney Plus
If you’re not thinking of leaving the US any time soon, you might consider a VPN is an unnecessary expense, after all, you’ve already got a US IP address, so you don’t need a fake one. The thing is, however, without a VPN, your ISP, or internet service provider, can see everything you do online and everywhere you go. That might not sound like a big deal, especially if you’re not in the habit of visiting risky sites or delving into the Dark Web, but ISPs have a few tricks up their sleeves that might make you think otherwise.
ISPs have a sneaky tendency to throttle a user’s bandwidth when they realize you’re streaming. Research indicates that different ISPs also target different sites. AT&T, for instance, targets Netflix 70% of the time, while T-Mobile, which has a deal with Netflix, focuses on throttling Amazon Prime.
Throttling causes irritating lag times which disrupt your streaming experience and is also responsible for substandard quality so, even if you’ve paid for a premium Netflix subscription, you could end up watching low-resolution content – unless you get a VPN, that is.
The best VPNs are capable of hiding all your online activity from prying eyes and, better still, from your ISP as well, which means it won’t notice that you’re streaming Alice in Wonderland on Disney+, for instance, and therefore won’t throttle your bandwidth, giving you a seamless streaming experience, high speeds, and high definition content.
The Best VPNs for Disney+
#1 ExpressVPN
Getting ExpressVPN on your side is like emerging from the Dark Side with all the powers of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi combined. Fast speeds, reliable connections and an uncanny ability to bypass geographical restrictions make ExpressVPN tough to beat.
Although all VPNs can, in theory, bypass geographical restrictions, streaming sites fight back, blocking IP addresses that it suspects belong to a VPN server rather than an individual user. With over 3,000 servers worldwide and 20 in the US, ExpressVPN is in the perfect position to get you full access to the Disney plus movie list and anything else you might want to watch on Disney plus this Christmas.
ExpressVPN’s one of the pricier VPNs but its agility, speed, and security make it good value for money anyway, so why not sign up with ExpressVPN today and start enjoying all its benefits.
If that’s not enough to convince you that ExpressVPN is the best way to bypass Disney+ with a VPN, check out our full review here and see if that does the trick.
#2 CyberGhost
While ExpressVPN’s user interface looks rather staid, CyberGhost has a lighter, brighter approach, making it ideal for those new to the world of VPNs. A colorful interface and pre-configured streaming profiles make it easy for users to access content on Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and other streaming sites. There is also a host of friendly ghosts waiting to make your online life easier.
With a server network even more extensive than ExpressVPN’s, CyberGhost has got you covered whether you’re in Kazakhstan or Pakistan. Its network of 5,600 servers covers a total of 89 different countries, giving users worldwide access to whatever content they want. Although CyberGhost occasionally experiences a few problems accessing BBC iPlayer, these are quickly resolved, so we don’t anticipate it having any problems maintaining access to Disney+.
Competitively priced plans and the ability to connect seven different devices at any one time make CyberGhost VPN an attractive choice for streaming Disney+ so why not sign up with CyberGhost today.
Still not convinced? Read our full CyberGhost VPN review here and find out what makes being a Ghostie such a rewarding experience.
#3 Surfshark
Are you one of those people whose home is filled with the latest gadgets and smart appliances? Then Surfshark VPN has the perfect cybersecurity solution for you – offering cutting-edge protection for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.
While that’s one thing that makes Surfshark stand out from the crowd, its impressive security, high speeds, and strict privacy policy make it ideal for anyone looking for competitively priced online protection.
Surfshark’s server network isn’t quite as extensive as either CyberGhost’s or ExpressVPN’s, but it’s constantly growing and at 1040 servers in 61 countries, it’s catching up pretty fast. Surfshark also has a cluster of advanced features few other VPNs offer. Its Multi-Hop feature is great for those wanting an extra layer of encryption and security, while its CleanWeb feature will keep annoying adverts at bay, saving your data for the content you actually want to see instead.
Bundle Up for Winter with the Disney Streaming Service Package
There’s no doubt that Disney+ has some great content, from old favorites like the original Mary Poppins with the unforgettable Julie Andrews to new releases like the festive fantasy adventure, Noelle. But your Christmas streaming experience doesn’t need to stop there – Disney has got its mouse paws in a few other pies as well.
In 1996, Disney started branching out into the world of streaming, buying up 80% of the sports streaming site, ESPN. Last year, it stretched its paws even further, acquiring a one-third stake in Hulu – that thorn in the side of Netflix that offers a combination of old favorites and pioneering original content like the popular dystopian drama series, The Handmaid’s Tale.
Opting for this competitively priced bundle will give you the best of both worlds. Not only will you get to watch all the action on ESPN as the 2019 Pop Warner Super Bowl gets underway, but you’ll also be one of the lucky ones that get to see Martin Scorsese’s latest offering, The Aviator, on Hulu.
This bumper bundle is available at the discounted price of $12.99 per month as Disney seeks to boost its subscription numbers with this cost-effective introductory offer. If you consider that ESPN+ would usually cost $4.99 per month and an ad-supported Hulu subscription, $5.99, that means you basically get Disney+ thrown in for just $2 per month!
Signing up for all three services won’t just save you money either – it will also save you the headache of managing three separate subscriptions which, if you’re anything like the average American, is even more of a bonus.
Disney+ launched itself into a world where viewers are getting bogged down by multiple subscriptions and a recent study revealed that “67 percent of consumers already find toggling between multiple services frustrating. 58 percent of consumers found managing numerous logins annoying. And 45 percent say it’s already too difficult to find what they’re looking for”.
That’s not particularly good news for new streaming sites, although Disney plus’s subscription numbers speak for themselves, suggesting that the content is, for the 10 million or so Disney+ subscribers, worth a bout of “subscription fatigue”.
Inevitably, there are some limitations on the bundle, the main one being that it’s only available to US viewers, so if you’re in Canada or the Netherlands, you’re out of luck. There are a few other restrictions as well, including the fact that your Hulu subscription will be limited to just one device and, instead of being able to stream ESPN+ on five devices simultaneously, you’ll be restricted to just two.
On the other hand, with the three-way bundle, you’ll be able to stream Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu all at the same time on different devices, making it ideal for households struggling to accommodate the needs of a toddler with a Frozen fixation and a sport-mad daughter.
Disney plus – The Launch and the Learning Curve
Despite all the hype, preparation and the billions of dollars that have been thrown at the Disney streaming service, the launch was far from perfect. Disney managed to accumulate so many viewers that its brand-new streaming site couldn’t cope with the demand.
Disney+ responded timeously to the problem, however, quickly releasing a statement that explained, “The consumer demand for Disney plus has exceeded our high expectations. We are pleased by this incredible response and are working to quickly resolve the current user issue”.
Technical issues aren’t the only things bugging Disney+, however, and hackers are having a field day. Within hours of the Disney+ launch, the cyber criminals moved in, hijacking accounts, logging users out of all their devices, and then taking control of the account by changing the username and password.
Thousands of Disney+ subscriptions are now available in the deep, dark recesses of the web, causing some to wonder about the security of the Disney streaming service. At present, there’s little cause for concern, although making sure you use a unique password for each account is something we should all get into the habit of doing.
Disney+ – the Silver Lining
Disney plus may not have had the smoothest of starts, but it’s certain to burst out of the technological clouds soon and reveal its silver lining of great content. With the Disney plus release date set for March 2020 for France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, they’ll be working hard behind the scenes to make sure the glitches are all ironed out before then.
That means US viewers should start to enjoy a more seamless streaming experience, reveling in the best live-action movies of years gone by, like Treasure Island, or newer offerings such as the 2011 hit, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
In addition to movies, Disney+ is churning out the first content it’s developed specifically for streaming. It will be hoping that The Mandalorian for one will capture the imaginations of its viewers, hauling them away from Orange is the New Black on Netflix and Game of Thrones on HBO.
Of course, those opting for the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle will get even more silver linings and other shiny stuff, including Kill Bill and some highlights from the Fast and Furious franchise.
Conclusion
There’s tough competition between streaming sites and the battle will only become more ferocious. The question is, will subscription-fatigued streamers be willing to shell out the Disney plus price for a service that’s got just a percentage of Netflix’s huge library?
So far, it seems the answer is a resounding yes. 10 million viewers in the first 24 hours is impressive to say the least, arguably reinforcing the opinion that Disney subscribers have a closer bond with the streaming site because of the familiarity and family-friendly nature of its content. There are no unpleasant surprises on this site – not even an accidental nipple exposure gets past the guys at Disney+, making it an ideal service for those with young children.
Before you run out and complete the Disney plus sign up process, however, bear in mind that a VPN will not only give you access to your favorite content when overseas, but will also mean you can stream without interruption and without any irritating bandwidth throttling.
Given the security concerns surrounding the Disney streaming service, using a VPN can also keep hackers at bay, protecting your Disney+ account and meaning that you, and only you, get the benefits of this latest streaming option. If you ask anyone here at Secure Thoughts, they’ll be sure to tell you that ExpressVPN and the latest Disney content make for a winning combination.
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