Disney Plus brings over a century of iconic Disney entertainment to your TV with endless movies, shows, and shorts for just $7.99 a month.
In this extensive guide, I‘ll cover everything Roku owners need to know to get Disney‘s magical streaming service set up in minutes.
You‘ll learn:
- What is Disney Plus and what‘s included?
- Step-by-step instructions for installing on Roku
- Activating your account and profile setup
- Using Disney Plus features like downloads and parental controls
- Streaming 4K, HDR, and surround sound – which Roku models support it
- Roku vs Firestick for Disney Plus – how do they compare?
- Fixing Disney Plus problems on Roku
- And much more!
Let‘s start by looking at what Disney Plus offers…
What Exactly is Disney Plus?
Disney Plus (stylized as Disney+) is the streaming home of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. It offers unlimited access to thousands of movies, shows, shorts, and documentaries from their iconic franchises and brands.
Some major titles available on Disney Plus include:
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Marvel: Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor – basically every Marvel movie along with original series like WandaVision and Hawkeye
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Star Wars: All 11 live-action Skywalker saga films, The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and much more
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Disney classics: Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Frozen – the vault of legendary animated films we all grew up with
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Pixar: Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Cars, Inside Out, Up – Pixar‘s entire collection in one place
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The Simpsons: Every episode from the iconic show‘s 30+ season run – over 650 episodes!
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National Geographic: Amazing docs like Free Solo, series like The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and more to explore our world
And much more! Disney Plus is continually expanding with new releases as well.
For just $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year, Disney Plus offers unlimited streaming access to all this content with no ads.
It‘s one of the best values in streaming for the amount of top titles in one service.
You can watch Disney Plus on virtually any device that connects to the internet – smart TVs, streaming sticks, game consoles, phones, and more.
Roku makes it easy to get Disney Plus up and running, which I‘ll explain next…
Compatible Roku Devices for Disney Plus
The great news is Disney Plus is compatible with all current Roku devices:
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Roku streaming sticks – Express, Express+, Premiere, Streaming Stick, Streaming Stick+, Streaming Stick 4K
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Roku streaming players – Roku Express, Express+ HD, Premiere, Premiere+, Ultra, Ultra LT
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Roku smart TVs – Any Roku TV made from brands like TCL, Hisense, Sharp, RCA, Hitachi, Sanyo, and more
Basically if you have a Roku model made within the last 5 years that connects to the internet, you can install and watch Disney Plus.
Roku streaming sticks plug into the HDMI port on your TV…
While Roku players and Roku TVs have the software built directly into the television.
But all options work great for streaming Disney Plus!
Now let‘s walk through how to install Disney Plus on any Roku model…
Step-by-Step: How to Install Disney Plus on Roku
Installing the Disney Plus Roku channel takes less than 2 minutes. Follow these simple steps:
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From the Roku home screen, go to Streaming Channels on the left sidebar.
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Select Search Channels to search for new channels to add.
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Type in "Disney Plus" into the search bar.
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Select Disney Plus from the search results.
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Choose Add Channel to install Disney Plus on your Roku.
See Disney Plus installation in action:
Once installed, just look for the Disney Plus tile on your home screen. Easy!
Activating Your Disney Plus Account
After installing, selecting the Disney Plus tile will prompt you to activate your account.
If you‘re an existing subscriber, simply sign in with your Disney Plus email and password.
If you‘re new to Disney Plus, choose Start 7-Day Free Trial or Sign Up Now to create your account.
Disney Plus costs just $7.99 per month or $79.99 for a full year. There are also no ads and you can download to watch offline.
You can cancel anytime if not satisfied. But with the vast Disney/Pixar/Marvel selection, I‘m sure you‘ll want to keep watching!
Once signed up, the app will walk you through setting up streamer profiles so each family member can have their own watchlist and recommendations tailored just for them.
And that‘s it – you can now browse and stream everything Disney Plus offers through your Roku device.
Using Disney Plus Features on Roku
The Disney Plus app layout is simple and easy to use on Roku. Here are key features at your fingertips:
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Browse – Scroll through Disney Plus sections like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.
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Search – Search for movies, shows, series to find what you want.
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My List – Your custom watchlist to bookmark favorites and save for later.
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Downloads – Download select movies/shows to watch offline.
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Profiles – Personal profiles for each streamer with their own watch history and recommendations.
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Settings – Control streaming quality, parental controls, account details and more.
It has everything you need for an amazing streaming experience!
For example, turning on parental controls lets you set age ratings and PIN lock certain profiles to prevent kids from accessing mature content.
Downloads allow you to watch Disney Plus titles offline on the go – like on car rides or flights with no wi-fi.
And the watchlist helps you keep track and bookmark Disney Plus content to stream later when you have time.
So handy!
Enjoying Disney Plus in 4K HDR on Roku
Disney Plus offers select titles in glorious 4K Ultra HD picture quality and HDR (high dynamic range) colors.
This includes most Marvel and Star Wars films, as well as newer originals like The Mandalorian. The visuals really pop off the screen!
But which Roku devices actually support 4K streaming?
The following Roku models can play Disney Plus in 4K HDR quality:
- Roku Premiere
- Roku Streaming Stick+
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- Roku Ultra LT
- Roku Ultra
You‘ll also need:
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A 4K TV to view content in Ultra HD resolution
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High speed internet 25Mbps+ for smooth 4K streaming
For the best 4K HDR Disney Plus experience, I recommend the Roku Ultra or Streaming Stick+ with their faster processing and advanced wireless reception.
The Roku Ultra also conveniently has an Ethernet port so you can directly connect to your modem/router for more stable 4K streams.
Tip: Make sure to go into Disney Plus settings on supported Roku models and change your Video Quality preference to High for 4K/HDR! It typically defaults to Auto which will only stream HD.
And most Disney Plus content also supports surround sound audio like 5.1 Dolby on compatible Roku devices connected properly.
So you can enjoy both stunning visuals and immersive sound for a true cinematic experience.
How Does Roku vs Firestick Compare for Disney Plus?
Both Roku and Amazon‘s Fire TV streaming sticks/boxes support installing and streaming Disney Plus.
But there are some key differences to consider:
Roku Pros
- Simple interface great for beginners
- Roku TVs integrate streaming into the television
- Has Apple TV, Google Play Movies channels
Firestick Pros
- More options for advanced users
- Can sideload extra apps not in Amazon‘s appstore
- Alexa voice assistant built-in
- Often cheaper device pricing
For Disney Plus, in my experience both platforms work excellent. I watch Disney movies and shows on my Roku Streaming Stick+ and Firestick 4K all the time without issues.
However, Firestick may have a performance advantage with their typically faster processing chips and more RAM depending on the model. But Roku still streams Disney Plus very smoothly.
Ultimately, it comes down to your budget and preferences. Both make it super easy to start streaming Disney Plus.
You really can‘t go wrong either way!
Fixing Disney Plus Problems on Roku
Generally Disney Plus works great on all Roku devices. But occasionally issues can come up.
Here are some common Disney Plus problems on Roku and how to fix them:
Buffering/Lagging Video
This is typically caused by a slow internet connection. Try restarting your modem/router and connect Roku via Ethernet if possible. Minimum 10Mbps speeds are recommended for HD streaming. Close any other online apps and ensure your Roku has a strong wi-fi signal.
Disney Plus App Won‘t Load
Sometimes the app crashes/freezes on loading. Force close Disney Plus from the Roku menu, restart your device, and try launching again. Reinstalling the app can also help. Check Disney‘s status page for any known technical issues during that time.
Error Codes
Error codes like 83 or 39 on Disney Plus usually indicate an outage on Disney‘s end. Check @DisneyPlusHelp on Twitter or try again later.
Unable to Sign In
If unable to login to Disney Plus on your Roku, verify your credentials at DisneyPlus.com and re-enter them slowly. Typos happen!
Missing Movies/Shows
Content disappears from Disney Plus if it expires from their catalog rights. Check Disney‘s hub pages to see if it was removed.
And Disney‘s @DisneyPlusHelp support team on Twitter can further assist with troubleshooting.
But generally, Disney Plus runs smoothly on all the latest Roku devices. Just be sure your streaming sticks/TVs have the latest Roku OS and Disney Plus app updates for maximum performance.
Is Disney Plus Worth It on Roku?
With unlimited streaming access to hundreds of top Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar films – plus hit originals like The Mandalorian – Disney Plus offers tremendous value on Roku at just $7.99 a month.
Compared to purchasing these movies individually, you‘d probably spend thousands to own the entire Disney vault!
Having it all available to binge on-demand with your Roku is an absolute steal. Easy to see why Disney Plus now has over 150 million subscribers globally.
For families especially, Disney Plus is a must thanks to:
- Ad-free and unlimited viewing
- The ability to download for offline viewing
- Kids profiles with parental controls
- New releases like Frozen 2, Onward, and live-action remakes
Even for adults, it‘s a goldmine of entertainment with the Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic libraries, not to mention nostalgic Disney classics we know and love.
So in summary – Disney Plus offers subscribers unlimited streaming access to virtually all Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars films, series, documentaries, shorts, and shows both new and old.
It‘s an incredible value – especially with the low monthly price. And Roku makes it easy to get Disney Plus set up and streaming in minutes.
I highly recommend all Roku owners add Disney Plus to start enjoying magical entertainment hassle-free.
It provides endless, timeless entertainment options the whole family will love.
More Disney Plus Tips and Tricks
Here are extra Disney Plus tips to maximize your viewing pleasure:
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Take advantage of your one free account profile switch per month. Go on your kids‘ profile and discover new Disney shows and movies tailored for them!
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Connect Disney Plus to Movies Anywhere and merge it with your other digital retailers like iTunes and Vudu. Then all your Disney/Marvel films will be in one place no matter where you purchased them.
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Utilize the GroupWatch mode to synchronize Disney Plus viewing remotely with family and friends. You can react together in real-time!
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Download movies and shows to take Disney Plus on the go. Ideal for keeping kids occupied in the car or on flights with no wifi.
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Follow Disney Plus on social media for updates on new releases, promotions and more.
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Still have DVDs? Many come with Disney Movie Rewards points you can redeem for free Disney Plus swag.
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Get the most out of your subscription by creating a watchlist to bookmark content and track what you want to see.
So don‘t wait – unlock a universe of streaming magic and memories today with Disney Plus on your Roku device. It‘s like your own Disney park at home filled with all your favorite movies, shows, characters and more from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and beyond.
The process only takes a couple minutes to add Disney Plus to your Roku. Follow the steps in this guide, create your account, and start streaming your Disney favorites now!
