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The release of the brand new Disney+ streaming service has been hit by technical issues on its first day.
Some users report they are unable to watch shows and are instead seeing a Mickey Mouse image on a blue screen. An error message asks them to shut the app and start again.
The first day of the service also marks the release date for new shows including The Mandalorian, the latest in the Star Wars franchise.
The problems do not appear to be affecting all users, and it is unclear how many people are affected or whether specific hardware is running into particular problems.
Such teething problems are not rare for the launch of a new service, as huge numbers of fans rush on to explore it for the first time. Apple TV+, which launched at the beginning of the month, was also hit by technical issues in its first days.
Show all 25 1 /25The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Star Wars: The Mandalorian (2019) This $100m series created by Jon Favreau is one of six originals teased by Disney for the launch of the streaming platform (with more to come in the future). It’s set between the fall of the Empire and the emergence of the First Order and follows the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic”.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Lady and the Tramp (2019) Disney is banking on the nostalgic pull of the likes of Lady and the Tramp – and the buzz of a live-action reboot – to attract subscribers. Tessa Thompson, Justin Theroux, Sam Elliott, Ashley Jensen, Janelle Monáe and Benedict Wong voice the canines while Kiersey Clemons, Thomas Mann, Yvette Nicole Brown, Adrian Martinez and Ken Jeong all appear in human form.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Encore! (2019) Another original, Encore! is led by host and executive producer Kristen Bell. In this reality series, high school students are tasked with re-creating a performance of a musical they all performed together back in the day.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019) Speaking of high schools and musicals, Disney is reviving the franchise that propelled Zac Efron to global fame in 2006. This scripted mockumentary series is set in a fictionalised version of the (real) East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, which served as a filming location for the original films. A (fictional) former cast member begins work as a drama teacher at the (fictional) school and decides to stage a performance of – you guessed it – High School Musical: The Musical.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Almost all the Star Wars films you could possibly want Disney’s making the most out of its 2012 $4bn purchase of LucasFilm by including The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens on its launch catalogue. More Star Wars offerings will follow at a later date.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) The first Disney film ever created is surprisingly hard to stream in the US . While it’s not unusual for pop culture classics to be available to rent at a low price on various platforms, for example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is only available for purchase at $14.99 – about the same price as a DVD (remember DVDs?). This makes the 1937 classic a desirable component of Disney’s back catalogue, which might help bring new subscribers to Disney+.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Pinocchio (1940) The situation for Pinocchio is the same as for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: this Disney classic isn’t available to stream cheaply on other platforms, meaning it’s a strong pick from Disney’s back catalogue. Besides, it’s November and people need something to do between the end of Spooky Season and the official start of the holiday period – and rewatching Disney classics is as good an option as any.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Fantasia (1940) This classic – Disney’s third-ever animated feature film – isn’t available to stream legally on any other platform in the US, making it another desirable addition to the Disney+ catalogue.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Both Dumbos (1941, 2019) If you’ve ever wanted to do a deep dive into the heartbreaking tale of the circus elephant born with too-big ears, now’s the time: the 1941 animated film and Tim Burton’s 2019 live-action remake are both featured on Disney+’s launch catalogue.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Some Marvel films – including Endgame If you’re trying to watch all of Marvel’s films in the order of release, Disney+ has your back – partly. Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Thord: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame have all joined the platform.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Frozen (2013) Ahead of the release of Frozen 2 on 22 November, viewers will be able to brush up on Arandelle’s history by revisiting the first installment in Elsa and Anna’s adventures.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Ducktales (1987, 2016) Both the 1987 series and the first season of the 2016 reboot will be available on launch day. Did someone say “woo-ooh”?
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Lady and the Tramp (1955) Before you watch the live-action reboot, you can revisit the love story of perhaps the most famous Cocker Spaniel and Schnauzer mix in animated form.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Bambi (1942) The fifth animated feature film released by Disney was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011 – in case you needed an excuse to rewatch it.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Inside Out (2015) There’s never a bad time to rewatch Pixar’s poetic 2015 release in which Amy Poehler voiced Joy, Bill Hader voiced Fear, Lewis Black brought Anger to life, and Mindy Kaling stole the show as Disgust.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ The Princess Diaries (2001) Meg Cabot’s young adult novel of the same name was so great that it’s nothing short of a miracle that the 2001 film adaptation, starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, did it justice. Eighteen years after its release, it has become a certified classic.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Cinderella (1950) Another Disney classic that’s hard to stream elsewhere, Cinderella has been added to the treasure trove of vintage films supporting the Disney+ launch.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ A comprehensive visit to Wonderland (1951, 2010) Both the 1951 animated Alice in Wonderland and the 2010 live-action version directed by Tim Burton have been added to the platform.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Peter Pan (1953) Yes, the Lost Boys are set to support the Disney+ launch on 12 November. It’s been 66 years since the film – Disney’s 14th animated feature – was released, and its nostalgic appeal remains intact.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ WALL-E (2008) A moving animated film featuring one of the most adorable robots in the history of cinema AND delivering a much-needed warning about environmental neglect? WALL-E has all the makings of an instant classic.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Aladdin (1992) The 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin wasn’t the monumental success it could have been (“This Is Not What You Wished For”, read one New York Times headline), so why not revisit the 1992 version with Robin Williams as the Genie?
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) Kuzco was selfish, narcissistic, spoiled… and hilarious. The Emperor’s New Groove lives on as one of Disney’s most quotable animated films.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Mulan (1998) While Mulan wasn’t born into royalty (nor does she marry into a royal family), the character has long been part of the official princesses line-up flaunted by Disney. She’s just that heroic.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ Lizzie McGuire (2001) Disney is giving the iconic sitcom starring Hilary Duff as a shy middle-schooler a second life – which makes sense, given that Duff is reprising the role in an upcoming reboot of the franchise that will be featured on Disney+.
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The 25 most anticipated movies and TV shows on Disney+ World’s Greatest Dogs (2016) This documentary unveiled by National Geographic focuses not just on dogs, but on extraordinary dogs. Enough said.
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"Not too surprised but @disneyplus looks like it's already falling over. On FireTV Stick can't load main page (Unable to connect to Disney+) and couldn't play The Mandalorian (some account issue)," user @pmhesse tweeted.
"Hopefully it's worked out by tomorrow's treadmill time."
"The Mandalorian," next adventure in the "Star Wars" movie and TV franchise, is an eight-episode live-action series which stars "Game of Thrones" actor Pedro Pascal as a helmeted bounty hunter.
Users who were able to access the service, however, gave rave reviews.
"Today is the perfect day to just stay home all day on my couch in my PJ's binging all of my favorite Disney movies on #DisneyPlus," tweeted @JulieDwoskin.
Disney's streaming service will offer a slate of new and classic TV shows and movies and feature programming from the Marvel superhero universe, the "Star Wars" galaxy, "Toy Story" creator Pixar Animation and the National Geographic.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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