Disney Plus has apparently crashed for some users on its first day. The streaming service launched Tuesday (November 12), after months of hype about its original projects, like a live-action Star Wars series called The Mandalorian and a Christmas movie starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader called Noelle, plus its vast library of movies and TV shows. Fans were super excited … then the service promptly crashed for some users, which left them frustrated and a little angry.
I think #DisneyPlus crashed already
“I was up at 1 am and downloaded the app. Started adding movies and shows to watchlist, Woke up excited to add more and this is what I got,” writes one user. “It’s been this way for an hour. I understand it just launched to a lot of people immediately downloading it but still come on.”
Users are reporting different platforms seem to be working better than others. In writer Greg Pollowitz’s Twitter thread, users have chimed in saying the web browser is working, but they’re having trouble on their Samsung TVs and Roku devices. Pollowitz also says Disney Plus was working fine for him until he exited out of the app.
Meanwhile, according to various tweets from Puerto Rican subscribers, they will have to wait a week. One user in Puerto Rico is saying it works for AT&T subscribers, but we don’t have specific details on which Puerto Rican residents can or cannot use Disney Plus.
@disneyplus meanwhile in Puerto Rico, thanks for not letting us know in time that we will not be getting the service this week, getting us excited for nothing… thanks a lot
The Disney Plus Twitter account has yet to respond to the crash complaints. We have reached out to Disney Plus for comment.
UPDATE: Per CNN’s Frank Pallotta, a Disney Plus spokesperson told him, “The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our high expectations. We are pleased by this incredible response and are working to quickly resolve the current user issue. We appreciate your patience.”
Back in August, Walt Disney Company president of streaming services Michael Paull told The Verge that they were prepared for the launch day crush of users.
“We’re thinking very much about [overload],” said Paull, who is the former CEO of BAMTech, the company that powered HBO Now for years. “Fortunately, we’ve had the experience with Game of Thrones, we’ve had the experience of ESPN+ with the big pay-per-view events that we’re doing with UFC exclusively on our platform. We’re getting big bursts. We’ve built capabilities to sustain that, both in terms of processing the transactions that all come in — in a very, very short period of time — as well as the streams. … We’re spending a lot of time planning for this launch.”
In a press release sent out at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT, Walt Disney Company CEO Robert A. Iger said that this is a “historic moment” for the company.
“The launch of Disney+ is a historic moment for our company that marks a new era of innovation and creativity,” said Iger. “Disney+ provides an exceptional entertainment experience, showcasing our library of beloved movies, TV series and exclusive original content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.”
Subscribers can access Disney+ directly at DisneyPlus.com or via in-app purchases from the following platforms: Amazon, Apple, Google, LG Smart TVs with webOS, Microsoft’s Xbox One, Samsung Smart TVs, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Roku.
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