Disney+ Removing Content “Not Meant For Children”

Disney+, a powerhouse of The Walt Disney Company, this streaming service has experienced a surge in popularity since its launch, positioning itself as a go-to platform for all things Disney.

Disney+ is the brainchild of CEO Bob Iger. With Disney+ competing with major streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney expanded into producing exclusive content, marking a significant surge in content creation.

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Recently, Bob Iger acknowledged the rise in Disney+ prices, with 40% of users opting for ad-supported Disney+ subscription services. The US now offers ad-free bundles for Disney+ and Hulu at a higher cost, contributing to increased Disney+ revenue. However, this move has drawn criticism as it adds expenses without introducing additional content, and in fact, the service has been removing existing content.

Disney+ has produced original shows such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, WandaVision, and more, Disney+ offers a diverse array of content catering to various preferences.  Disney+ subscribers can watch classic Disney movies like The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), The Little Mermaid (1989), Jungle Book (1967), Peter Pan (1953), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Mary Poppins (1964), and many more similar Disney movies. Despite this, the removal of content and the increasing subscription prices have raised concerns among subscribers.

Disney+ recently upped prices and talked about following in Netflix’s footsteps and cracking down on password sharing. While this crackdown on password sharing has not come to Disney+ subscribers quite yet, fans fear it is coming soon.

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Disney has also recently added warnings to certain films, acknowledging their racial undertones. The placement of these warnings has evolved, now appearing after the movie starts and before it commences. Some films, such as The Aristocats, have been entirely removed from the platform due to these concerns.

Some of the changes in content availability have been observed in the child settings on Disney+. Some children’s shows have been removed but remain available for adults, prompting questions about the appropriateness of content ratings. It appears that this shift is related to the launch of ad-supported tiers, with popular G-rated movies being removed from kids’ profiles to prevent adults on ad-supported plans from accessing them without ads.

In a social media post, a Disney+ subscriber talked about changes they noticed on the child’s account. This subscriber was wondering if these movie removals were a glitch or why they were removed. Several shows which were on the kid profile is now rated MA. While Disney has removed content for several reasons subscribers are wondering why children’s films are just now being rated for adults.

“So my 2.5 year old is obsessed with Monsters University and Bear in the Big Blue House. I noticed one day it was gone from my son’s kids account. But I could watch them on my account. I contacted support and they said it was rated MA and that’s why. I asked her if she was familiar with them because they are clearly kids content and they were on his account before. She said she’d never seen them and insisted it was MA. So I asked again why it would be on his kids account for so long and suddenly be rated MA. In the end she said it might be a glitch. Is anyone experiencing this glitch? Or did my son somehow block the video and I need to figure out how to get it back?”

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It was revealed that these were removed from the “Kids Profile” on Disney+, but neither of the content selections talked about above were listed as “MA.” There’s no doubt that concerns have arisen among subscribers regarding the removal of content, increasing subscription prices, and changes in content availability for different age groups.

Do you think more subscribers will leave Disney+ due to content changes?