Disney + is Built off Nostalgia, and That’s OK [OPINION]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks you know that Disney’s new streaming service has launched and everyone is getting it. On the first day alone the streaming service surpassed 10 million subscribers which were far beyond what Disney was expecting on day one. Despite having some technical minor technical flaws, which is to be expected of any big online launch, the service has proved to be a worthy contender in the current streaming wars. There has not been much in terms of negative criticism towards the content of the service but a select few critics have pointed out that most of the content is more than 10 years old. Yes, there are the newest Marvel and Star Wars movies and we are getting a plethora of original content in the future. However, is the current state of Disney plus enough to maintain an audience until the original content is in full swing?

The short answer to this question is yes there is plenty but the deeper answer is hidden in the categories of Disney plus. First, there’s no denying how important Disney is to the entertainment industry, and they’re just one purchase away from basically owning everything. Unlike random streaming services like Peacock and CBS all access which seem more based on hopping on the bandwagon rather than being a serious service, Disney has the content to garner an entire platform. Since Disney has covered everything from film, tv, animation along with all genres including action, drama, animation, teen drama, and sports to name a few, there is already a guaranteed variety for the service. Compare that to a service like NBC’s Peacock which has solely built itself on the fact that they will have the Office and not much else. Disney has created and owns so much that it made sense for them to bring it all into one package for fans to enjoy. 

At first glance, it can be overwhelming at how much Disney plus has and of course the first thing I noticed was all of the old Disney content from years and years ago. There are two categories simply called “throwbacks” and “nostalgia” so it’s safe to say Disney is well aware of how old a lot of their content is. But the thing is that is perfectly fine and the majority of critics have praised Disney for bringing so many classics people have fond memories of. Not only that but Disney has plans to release revivals of old shows such as Lizzie Mcguire and have already released a new version of High School Musical. So along with all of the new Marvel and Star Wars shows we are also getting more Disney originals which adds to the value of Disney plus. 

But, right now, we want to focus on the state of Disney plus at the time of this writing which has its vault of series and films from seemingly every era of entertainment. At the moment Disney Plus has a couple of original series and movies most notably the Mandalorian and the live-action Lady and the Tramp. To many, this doesn’t seem like a lot but again all of the nostalgic content is more than worth the monthly cost once you see how much is actually on the streaming service. Even the most obscure shows and movies that you likely forgot even existed are on there, such as the Disney channel original movie Luck of the Irish, which has a special place in the hearts of many people in my generation. 

It’s fair to say Disney is fully aware of the fact that their streaming service is currently built on nostalgia until their original content starts rolling out next year. But that’s ok because if any company has the content to create an entire service dedicated to their properties, it’s Disney. There is just such a large variety of things to watch that I’m watching the old X-men animated series as I write this. There seems to be something for every age group in every genre and again this is only the beginning as Disney has plans for the next two years. So anybody worried about the longevity of the service should be put at ease as Disney has clearly thought this whole thing through and it’s safe to say they are now a real contender in these ongoing streaming wars.