Is Disney+ leaving its family-friendly roots behind?

[Nayan]

I thought this was an interesting read. I don't necessarily think they are leaving their roots behind, I think they are trying to attract a more diverse audience to keep themselves near the top of the streaming game and with so many other places to get content from, it's not a bad move to offer something for everyone.

https://thestreamable.com/disney-abandoned-family-friendly-one-app-disney-plus

 

[BrianL]

I thought this was an interesting read. I don't necessarily think they are leaving their roots behind, I think they are trying to attract a more diverse audience to keep themselves near the top of the streaming game and with so many other places to get content from, it's not a bad move to offer something for everyone.

https://thestreamable.com/disney-abandoned-family-friendly-one-app-disney-plus

They are still making family friendly content, but they are mising in more mature things. I do kind of wish they kept that stuff seperate, even if just on it's own tab. It would make the interface cleaner. Like, keep the Hulu stuff under Hulu. Honestly, I think shows like Daredevil would have been better served branded as Hulu too.

 

[eticketplease]

They are still making family friendly content, but they are mising in more mature things. I do kind of wish they kept that stuff seperate, even if just on it's own tab. It would make the interface cleaner. Like, keep the Hulu stuff under Hulu. Honestly, I think shows like Daredevil would have been better served branded as Hulu too.

I agree. I also wish that top banner would only highlight new things for the tab you are on. i.e. don't scroll across HULU/Nat Geo content if on the Disney+ tab. Right now everything they want to promote will show so you could have Sophie the First and then it rotates to DareDevil and then NatGeo and then the Simpsons. Just maddening to me.

 

[BrianL]

I agree. I also wish that top banner would only highlight new things for the tab you are on. i.e. don't scroll across HULU/Nat Geo content if on the Disney+ tab. Right now everything they want to promote will show so you could have Sophie the First and then it rotates to DareDevil and then NatGeo and then the Simpsons. Just maddening to me.

Really, they need to let you customize your home screen. Streaming services are so bad about that!

 

[WinterSolider]

I agree. I also wish that top banner would only highlight new things for the tab you are on. i.e. don't scroll across HULU/Nat Geo content if on the Disney+ tab. Right now everything they want to promote will show so you could have Sophie the First and then it rotates to DareDevil and then NatGeo and then the Simpsons. Just maddening to me.

You're supposed to use different profiles for your different family members, so your kids aren't seeing the same content that you see.

 

[BrianL]

You're supposed to use different profiles for your different family members, so your kids aren't seeing the same content that you see.

Yeah, you can use the parental controls and kids accounts to help, but it's still a mess. More customization would be better, or even a like/dislike option to refine your home-page suggestions.

 

[eticketplease]

You're supposed to use different profiles for your different family members, so your kids aren't seeing the same content that you see.

I do but that doesn't stop it from things I don't want showing up on DS profile. There is really no way to fine tune it.

It is certainly better than when it launched however. When originally launched and the profile was in "Kids" mode DS could never watch the cars movies because they were rated G.

I have it set it to TV-14 to allow certain shows but there are certain movies that are in the PG-13 category that aren't necessarily appropriate. You have to remember the ratings systems have changed over the years. What once was PG could be considered PG-13 or a PG-13 now a R film in this day and age.

 

[BrianL]

I do but that doesn't stop it from things I don't want showing up on DS profile. There is really no way to fine tune it.

It is certainly better than when it launched however. When originally launched and the profile was in "Kids" mode DS could never watch the cars movies because they were rated G.

I have it set it to TV-14 to allow certain shows but there are certain movies that are in the PG-13 category that aren't necessarily appropriate. You have to remember the ratings systems have changed over the years. What once was PG could be considered PG-13 or a PG-13 now a R film in this day and age.

Yeah, there's such a wide range of things that can be rated the same. Like, newer Star Wars movies are PG-13, but the older ones were PG. There isn't a significant shift in the content though - there is violence, but mostly not graphic. Heads do get chopped off by lightsabers in both the originals and the newer ones, so it depends on whether one finds that appropriate or not.

More controls and customization options would always be an improvement, and those who don't want or need them don't have to use them.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I dont get the outrage, as to me its people deliberately spreading mis information and fear mongering.

Since Disney + started in Europe in March 2020, we have had the HULU content. It was branded as STAR. This is what it looks like for me, I have 2 adults and 1 child profile.


The childs profile has different age levels. The child can not access any content which is not in their pre set age range. Only the main adult account holder can change the age range on the child and it needs the main account log in details.

Both the adult accounts have different access codes.

 

[BrianL]

I dont get the outrage, as to me its people deliberately spreading mis information and fear mongering.

Since Disney + started in Europe in March 2020, we have had the HULU content. It was branded as STAR. This is what it looks like for me, I have 2 adults and 1 child profile.
View attachment 951162

The childs profile has different age levels. The child can not access any content which is not in their pre set age range. Only the main adult account holder can change the age range on the child and it needs the main account log in details.

Both the adult accounts have different access codes.

I don't think anyone's "outraged", but it would be nice to have more customization options in general.

 

[eticketplease]

I dont get the outrage, as to me its people deliberately spreading mis information and fear mongering.

Since Disney + started in Europe in March 2020, we have had the HULU content. It was branded as STAR. This is what it looks like for me, I have 2 adults and 1 child profile.
View attachment 951162

The childs profile has different age levels. The child can not access any content which is not in their pre set age range. Only the main adult account holder can change the age range on the child and it needs the main account log in details.

Both the adult accounts have different access codes.

I'm not sure outrage is a term I would use.

It is much more of a frustration.

You can certainly set Parental controls and they are much better then they were when they initially rolled out when they had a "Kids" profile that was really geared more towards infants and then an everybody else setting.

Now you can set based on the content rating TV-Y, PG-13 etc but you as a parent can't say I allow my child to watch this PG-13 film but find this PG film to be inappropriate for them. If you select PG-13 it allows everything below it which is generally fine. You do however run into some abnormalities like I mentioned where it just isn't appropriate for my child even though it is rated at a level under what the max is set at.

It is never going to happen but for instance Apple has an "approve" that gets sent to parents when children are looking to get an app/game on a case by case basis.
There are just too many elements involved to make everyone happy unfortunately.


Correct Hulu content is shown as Star when out of the US

 

[Kit Jackson]

I understand what Disney is trying to do, but I'm not sure it makes sense. As long as they have two separate streaming services, keep the Disney+ homepage family friendly. Make it super easy for parents to know there is one streaming site they probably do not have to worry about the homepage. Make Disney+ a place where parents know the odds of their children stumbling across something they probably don't want them to find is pretty low on Disney+ compared to other streaming services.

Have the Hulu content on Disney+, but keep the more mature/adult content on/under the Hulu tab and off the homepage.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Disney+ has always had an appeal to everyone but ever since they got the chance to add the Hulu and ABC shows and the Touchstone Pictures movie library and the FOX movie library as well as the FOX shows Disney+ not only wanted to attract the kids and family image but attracted the adult and teen audience to Disney+. And so that's why they have started adding action movies like Deadpool X-Men Independence Day and other movies and in the ABC shows they have dramas like Grey's Anatomy and comedies like Fresh Off The Boat and many others and this content is really made for the adults to watch while the kids were asleep in bed. But you do see family-oriented ABC sitcoms like Family Matters on Disney+. But starting with the shows Echo and Daredevil Born Again which are labeled TV-MA this proved that Disney+ was debuting a new image but while most of the Marvel Disney+ shows either have TV-14 or TV-PG ratings they still keep the teen image. But I think in a few years Disney+ will become ABC+ and Hulu will no longer exist and they will also buy Tubi from FOX and make themselves a free streaming service like Tubi. Because Disney+ is the second popular streaming service next to Netflix and Paramount+ they always are experimenting with new ways to get people to subscribe to them and adding other content besides family and kids oriented content is one of the reasons why Disney+ also attracts the adult and teen audience to them and also by having ESPN+ they attract sports fans too

 

[Nayan]

Disney+ has always had an appeal to everyone but ever since they got the chance to add the Hulu and ABC shows and the Touchstone Pictures movie library and the FOX movie library as well as the FOX shows Disney+ not only wanted to attract the kids and family image but attracted the adult and teen audience to Disney+'

It wasn't long ago (2019) that Disney started having more stake in the company and in 2023 took full ownership of Hulu, which has now merged with Fubo TV and will be under the Hulu brand.

. And so that's why they have started adding action movies like Deadpool X-Men Independence Day and other movies and in the ABC shows they have dramas like Grey's Anatomy and comedies like Fresh Off The Boat and many others and this content is really made for the adults to watch while the kids were asleep in bed. But you do see family-oriented ABC sitcoms like Family Matters on Disney+.

Well since Disney owns ABC of course they're going to put those shows on their platform. And yes, while there are adult offerings there's plenty of kid-friendly stuff too. The problem is people think Disney needs to keep everything kid-friendly. While it's a nice thought, they would go under pretty quick if all they offered was kids shows (my friends have kids, NONE of them watch Disney anything).

But I think in a few years Disney+ will become ABC+ and Hulu will no longer exist and they will also buy Tubi from FOX and make themselves a free streaming service like Tubi. Because Disney+ is the second popular streaming service next to Netflix and Paramount+ they always are experimenting with new ways to get people to subscribe to them and adding other content besides family and kids oriented content is one of the reasons why Disney+ also attracts the adult and teen audience to them and also by having ESPN+ they attract sports fans too

Hulu will be around for awhile. I doubt Disney will buy Tubi, as they have the means to have a free service or hub on their site already but don't. Disney doesn't give their content for free and you have to remember the price of streaming services keep rising. A buck might not mean a lot to one family but it could be the tipping point to another. Add up services and it's just as much a month for cable.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I think in a few years Disney+ will become ABC+ and Hulu will no longer exist and they will also buy Tubi from FOX and make themselves a free streaming service like Tubi.

I can't see them changing the name of the streaming service. Disney+ has a stronger brand identity and stronger brand recognition than ABC.

They might merge Hulu into Disney+ and make it one giant streaming service instead of two separate streaming services.

I highly doubt Disney+ and Hulu would give up subscription dollars and adopt the Tubi model of being ad supported only.

Also, Disney always owned Touchstone Pictures. They created Touchstone Pictures so the company could release more adult oriented movies without damaging the family-friendly Disney brand. It also allowed them to reach an audience that might be turned off by a Disney branded movie thinking it was for kids.