#notmydisneyplus: Content & Configuration on the Most Magical Streaming Service on Earth

When Disney+ was first announced, I felt a collective response amongst the full spectrum of Disney fans. We all thought the same thing: Disney+ was “for us.” That us, could be the parent of a child, eager to show them the magical collection of Disney films that has shaped everything from their childhood to their lifelong interests. That us, personally speaking, was also those who spent way more time watching Disney Channel than playing outside, even if we managed to fit plenty of both into endless summer days. 

With Disney+, my first thought never concerned new content. Aside from the hardcore Star Wars fans who have been following Mandalorian since its concept art, many of us had only existing content in mind with the initial news of Disney+. I, personally, would have been perfectly elated at being able to watch the Disney Channel content of the past, considering that it has been significantly less accessible than Disney’s theatrical releases, vault be dammed. Finding a DCOM on DVD was like finding an Easter Egg on a Disney/Pixar film: incredibly difficult, with answers only coming from YouTube. In that vein, not only was Disney Channel programming specifically sought after on YouTube, so were Disney Channel commercials. That’s right, COMMERCIALS. Countless hours of Disney Channel commercial blocks have racked up millions of views on YouTube. If there is any indication of our desire for previously existing content, it is the fact that we have actively sought out watching these commercials online to just get one small taste of excitement that came with waiting for the premiere of a new DCOM (“Friday at 8/7c, only on Disney Channel.”).

I imagined that, like everything else they do, Disney+ would just be… different. Their theme parks, for example, just stand out amongst their competition. When I was at an unnamed theme park this summer, I watched as people waited in line for 2+ hours to get on roller coaster cars that had empty seats, and my first thought was, Disney would never leave an empty seat on a ride car. That has certainly been the prevailing fan impression of Disney: they just do it better. I thought Disney+ would not only stand out due solely to its existing content, but in how it executed its form.

I dreamed Disney+ would accomplish this by simply looking different from other streaming services, and I believe the possibilities were endless. The ability to pick your own Disney character as your profile photo is certainly within this vein, but I did not think they would stop there. Disney spans such vast time periods, markets, and genres that they have the ability, with existing content, to give their viewers an immersive and ranging experience. Could they convert the all-encompassing experience of Disney Channel, where, as a child, you watch a show, and with just as much excitement, watch a commercial? Could they have utilized old Disney Channel theming options, or possibly, even commercials, to give my generation their ‘old Disney back’ like so many YouTube comments from 30 year olds demand? They arguably hold the strongest tool of nostalgia than any other company: Disney channel. Their theatrical releases from across their history hold a similar nostalgic power, but with less contention, as viewers seem more welcoming of new theatrical releases and almost threated by new children’s programming (Hey, we’re nearly 30. It isn’t for us anymore).

Rather than bring viewers, happy to re-watch old content, into an immersive or nostalgic streaming kingdom, I feel we have received the opposite message. With editing of material, from Splash to Toy Story, they are sending a message. We can edit our history, from something as seemingly harmless as editing your childhood experiences to as severe as editing our mistakes.

I recognize that there are two different types of editing occurring: the kind Disney can control and the kind they cannot. Ten seconds into Motocrossed, I threw the remote down, yelled, “Nope, not doing that!” and turned off the TV because I was greeted not by Fastball’s You’re an Ocean, but by some generic, electronic music for the opening song. I recognize that is an issue of rights and far more complicated than I wish to get into, but I would almost rather not have access to this material than to see it in anything else but its original form.

Which brings us to the edits Disney can control. Leaving a scene out of the credits of Toy Story or covering a sea-faring rumpus seems small, but under the context of the expectations of the Disney+ experience, I find it disappointing at best. So, what do these edits signify? Yes, they can edit my childhood and their history. But that has meaning.

Spanning almost a century of popular entertainment, Disney encompasses so much to so many people. When you are that big and have that much history, you are bound to make a mistake: Song of the South being one of them; Daryl Hannah’s tushy, not so much.

If the majority of fans, primarily adults, thought that Disney+ would be for us, and that content we so eagerly awaited to rewatch was then, (gulp), changed, there is a disconnect between consumer and brand values.

What would have set Disney+ apart would have been doing what they do best: doing the platform like no one had done before, just like their theme parks. Through a streaming service with the Disney touch, they would give the user the opportunity to immerse themselves in every era of a company that has been most significantly responsible for shaping childhoods for 100 years. Further, Disney has the power to lead the discussion on the history and context of their previous mistakes, without losing their position in the marketplace. I commend Disney for showing their older content with the disclaimer, “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdate cultural depictions.” That simple sentence can give families the entrance they need into difficult conversations with the newest generation of viewers, as they, too, need to know the history of prejudice in popular media. What I don’t understand, however, is that they can so easily recognize that a disclaimer is enough for The Big Bad Wolf , but that, despite a rating change, still feel the need to cover their butts.

Even with a less than ideal streaming service experience (Why is it all dark blue? Where is the castle imagery? How can you edit a film I watched on repeat during my most formative years!?), Disney+ still hit their target subscribership four years early. Millions, including myself, are literally watching as Disney attempts to give us the nostalgic experience that will appease the Disney-produced child within. Largely, they are succeeding, and I am grateful for this platform. I believe that, in order to love something, you have to respect it enough to be critical, and love Disney I do. But, while they have us and the next generation they are carefully shaping hooked, I hope they use their power in our society to demonstrate how to communicate your history, especially when it is flawed.