Netflix has been a staple in go-to entertainment for high schoolers across the country. With the popularity of traditional television declining, big corporations have been looking to jump into the streaming services game and compete against Netflix and other prominent platforms. Recently, Disney threw their hat into the ring with Disney+, a new streaming service that offers many beloved Disney classics that will not be available on any other platform. The release seemed to be a hit, with more than 10 million registered users in little more than a day. Disney has also priced their service lower than the competition, at $6.99 a month compared to services such as Netflix clocking in at $12.99 a month.

Gabriel McGrath, a senior at CHS, decided to try the new Disney+ service and was an instant fan. McGrath felt that Disney+ had a slightly different focus than Netflix, which appealed to him.

“I was a previous Netflix subscriber,” said McGrath. “But I lost track of time. I decided that I was more of a movie person than a TV person. When I heard that Disney was coming out with their new streaming service, I was interested.”

McGrath also decided the platform put forward by Disney offered a better price for the content compared to Netflix. For him, the choice was a no-brainer.

“It’s a lot better than using Netflix because it not only costs less but because it has everything that anybody would want to watch,” McGrath said. “It has a variety of movies, TV shows, and originals; Marvel, Pixar, and Disney; it adds everything up into one bundled package and at a cheap price.”

In addition, McGrath offered another reason for why Disney+ was drawing so many users, including himself.

“A lot of the content [on the platform] truly makes up a person’s childhood,” McGrath said. “Rewatching some of the old TV shows and movies that I used to watch as a child really brought back good memories.”

Disney+ has certainly seen a positive response with its early user numbers and enthusiastic feedback. The new service is going to see stiff competition though, with many other big names hoping to attract customers. AT&T Inc. and Comcast both have their own services releasing in mid 2020 with HBO Max and Peacock. Peacock has already announced it will be free for anyone with cable and for those who do not mind watching through the advertising, in an attempt to undercut other platforms. With all the competitors, it would seem that the consumer is the winner as prices are driven lower. However, surveys seem to suggest that people might very well pay for multiple streaming services just to obtain the content they want. Regardless, Disney+ seems to be off to a good start and their unique selection will continue to draw in new customers, including high schoolers.