Q. I read your article about watching Netflix without using the Internet. Can this be done with Disney Plus? We have kids at home because of the Coronavirus and it would be great to have some Disney shows ready in case we have Internet problems.– Samantha, Evanston, Illinois.
Samantha, you’re right. Netflix allows you to watch many shows without having to connect to the Internet, which is a very good thing these days. With so many family members at home now due to the virus, our home WiFi networks are getting taxed to the max. It’s a nice backup to be able to watch some of your favorite shows and movies without the Internet in case you lose it, or simply want to take a family member or two off the network.
But what about Disney+, you ask? Does the new $6.99-a-month streaming service offer the capacity to watch shows sans Internet as well?
Answer: Yes! And here’s how:
First, you can only download (watching titles offline) on mobile devices: Apple and Android phone and tablets as well as on the Amazon Fire tablet apps. But if you’re using one of those, then:
1. Open the Disney+ app
2. Tap the movie, episode, or season you would like to download
3. Tap DOWNLOAD (It’s to the right of the PLAY button.)
After a minute or so, the downloaded title will then appear in your download icon, which looks like an arrow pointing down at a straight line. (It’s usually next to the Search and Home icons.)
Once there, you can watch the title without being connected to the Internet. The title will stay in your download file for as long as you remain a subscriber. So long, that is, if you connect your Disney+-compatible device (with the download) to the Internet at least once every 30 days.
Disney says you can download the same title on up to 10 different devices, assuming you have the storage space available on each device, which brings up an important point. Some downloads can require a large amount of space so you’ll want to keep an eye on your storage limits in your phone or tablet.
A quick scan of the Disney+ lineup shows that most titles are available for download. Frozen (pictured above), Frozen II, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Avengers: Endgame, The Little Mermaid…All available for download. And many,, many more.
Disney notes that some titles are occasionally removed from Disney+ due to rights restrictions. If your downloaded title is removed, you won’t be available to stream it or download it.
But the company says that’s a rare occurrence.
Samantha, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
