This month on Dispodopolis, we discuss Disney+. We are starting with how the Disney Corporation arrived at creating Disney+. Then we take a look at the original content and what is available from the Disney vault. We also review the search features and how to find what you want to watch. During our talk about the features, we look at the options in setting up an account, including the kid restrictions.
We begin by discussing how the Disney Corporation decided to pursue a streaming service. They definitely needed to get in the game if they wanted to continue as an entertainment superpower. The search for the answer started with a partial acquisition of BAMTech. This was an attempt to regain their loses of viewership from ESPN. They additionally learned that with all the entertainment acquisitions that Disney has been completing in the last two decades, they needed an end game beyond the Marvel Universe.
Starting with Ryan getting up like a kid at Christmas and losing it at 6 am on Tuesday, November 12th, and he begins his initial search. Next, we take a deep dive into all the original content that was available day one from Disney+. We are starting with Encore, which is narrated by Kristen Bell. We discuss the concept and whether or not this is what we are looking for in our Disney + experience. After Encore, we talk about some of the fantastic original shorts from Pixar that feature Forky from Toy Story and the new division of Pixar shorts titled Spark Shorts. Everyone should take a moment to view Float.
After we dip our toes in the shorts, we continue our experience by viewing the original movies. We are pleasantly surprised by Noelle with Anna Kendrick. It was a fun twist on a Santa story that is full of fun and silly humor for the whole family. Anna has a way of showing naïveté that is believable. Don’t look too deep into a film that is supposed to be light-hearted entertainment and answers the question that no one was asking. Do we really need another family-friendly made for television Christmas movie? But it is a surprisingly fun journey with Anna Kendrick, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Julie Hagerty.
Following our discussion of Noelle, we take a look at the Disney Cult-Classic, the Black Hole. I never saw this movie because I thought it looked terrifying when I was a kid, and then it looked a little silly as an adult. It was fun to finally watch this movie with fresh eyes and experience it with Fiona. She loved the robots, Vincent and Bob, but who doesn’t.
Next up was The Mandalorian, a feature we were looking forward to since it was announced to be on Disney+. Who doesn’t like a great new introduction into the storyline of Star Wars universe? It had amazing cinematography, and the illustrations during the end credits goes above and beyond and warrants a comic book version of The Mandalorian. It is dark and layered and begs so many questions that remain unanswered after the first two episodes. I appreciate the way they are slow in releasing the individual chapters to drag you into the story and keep you guessing. Hopefully, we will learn the correct term for the race and name of the baby Yoda. Yes, we know it isn’t actually baby Yoda, but what do you call the baby Yoda? It is a must watch for any Star Wars fan and worth introducing into the cannon. It rekindles the vibes of the seventies and eighties Star Wars that first captured our imagination. The music is unique and works well if you understand the history of the franchise.
One more feature presentation that we review is the live-action Lady and the Tramp. This is also a great Christmas movie that was recreated by Walt Disney Productions, and this was a well thought out way to release it. It would not have worked well in the theaters. The movie is good, but not an action-packed thriller. It is a quite simple story that the whole family will enjoy, and all signs of inappropriate stereotypes and innuendos have been replaced with fun new songs and the rewriting of lyrics.
We finish our discussion by reviewing some of the unexpected originals for Disney+, Pixar In Real Life, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and The Imagineering Story. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of searching what you would like to view in Disney+. One thing to keep in mind is all the hidden shorts and features under the feature presentations. For example, when viewing The Sword in the Stone, they have extra tabs that hold shorts, hidden treasures, and behind the scenes clips. The releases are equivalent to what you receive with a Blue-Ray or DVD release. You can’t access these through the traditional search features and have to go through the movie homepage.
Before we jump into our discussion of Disney+, we ask ourselves the question, were we looking forward to the release of Frozen 2? We run the gamut from we can’t wait to see it, to I didn’t want it to happen. Let us know if you were looking forward to the release of Frozen 2.
We would love to hear from you and your family. If you have any comments, questions, or fun and fancy-free thoughts for us, email us at comments@dispodopolis.com. Please enjoy our latest podcast, Dispodopolis.
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