On Tuesday, a major new chapter in the ongoing Streaming Wars begins in earnest with the launch of Disney’s hotly anticipated new Netflix rival, Disney+. The service launches in the US for $6.99/month or $69.99 for an annual subscription (for those of you who haven’t signed up early or taken advantage of the myriad discounts in advance), and the streamer will be the exclusive home for content from beloved brands like Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Disney itself. In addition to the hundreds of movies, users will also get to enjoy all-new TV series created just for the service, like the one I’m especially eager to dive into on Tuesday — the Star Wars-themed series The Mandalorian about the escapades of a wandering bounty hunter.
If you’re already eager to check out the service, it’s likely you already know the answers to most of the questions that interest you. Except, perhaps, for one — What time can you start streaming Disney+ content on launch day?
Based on countdown clocks on the websites of Star Wars, Marvel and, of course, Disney+ itself, as of mid-day on Monday, the answer to that question seems to be 6 a.m. Eastern Time (or, unfortunately, 3 a.m. Pacific time if you happen to be on the West Coast).
Here’s what the timer countdown on the Disney+ preview website was showing as of 1:44 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, counting down to 6 a.m. Eastern:
Be aware: If you do a quick Google search for the exact time the service launches, don’t be surprised if you turn up conflicting information. That’s because some previous reporting noted countdown clocks showing a 9 a.m. Eastern Time start, and still more reporting has mentioned the launch happening at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday. Just to reiterate, again — the most current information we have as of the time of this writing, using the countdown timers from the Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney+ websites, is that the launch appears to be set for 6 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you’re wanting to use Disney’s new app for the service, also be aware that Disney is pushing it out to several different app platforms in addition to iOS and Google Play Store. Meaning, the app isn’t likely to show up in those places at the same time for everyone.
A few useful sources to check out if you want to know more, in addition to coming back to BGR throughout the day on Tuesday as we’ll have multiple updates about the launch:
- Reddit thread focused on the Disney+ launch
- Our deep-dive guide on all things Disney+
- The full list of more than 600 titles available on Disney+ at launch
- Our rundown on the exclusives coming to Disney+ this month
- Disney+ News on Twitter (@DPlusNews)
