What was Disney Plus Premier Access and what could you watch with it?
Walt Disney Studios' answer to an international health crisis
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Disney PlusPremier Access arrived on the House of Mouse’s very own streaming platform back in September 2020. It allowed those eager to watch the latest cinematic release from Walt Disney Studios from the comfort of their own home at a premium during the the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw movie theaters around the world shut their doors for months on end.
Initially rolled out with the release of the live action version of Mulan, we thereafter saw the same treatment for a number of titles including Emma Stone’s portrayal inCruella, and the highly-anticipated arrival ofMarvel’sBlack Widow.
The last Premier Access title to land on the service was The Rock’sJungle Cruiseon July 30, before its subsequent arrival on the main Disney Plus platform forDisney Plus Daymonths later.
With movie theaters back open, while there’s been no official word from Disney, it seems as though the potential for watching the latest andbest Disney Plus moviesfrom the comfort of your own home through Disney Plus Premier Access is a thing of the past.
What was Disney Plus Premier access?
Disney Plus Premier Access went some way towards recreating the cinema experience. Brand new titles fresh from Walt Disney Studios were made available on Disney Plus day-and-date with their theatrical release, meaning you could enjoy them from the comfort of your home for an additional one-off fee.
Not only could you share the excitement of the latest big-budget film with family or friends for $30 (the price of two movie theater tickets), but Premier titles were available to watch in stunning UHD orHDRquality and with Dolby Audio sound.
Subscribers could also watch the movie time and time again. That in addition to enjoying the latest Disney extravaganza months before it was made available to regular Disney Plus subscribers.
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What could I watch on Disney Plus Premier Access?
Jungle Cruise was the fifth and final title to arrive on Disney Plus Premier Access on July 30, 2021, not long after Black Widow on July 9, where subscribers could finally learn more about the enigmatic Natasha Romanoff and her making as a lethal spy.
Previously to that, Cruella dropped on Disney Plus' PVOD on May 28, arriving on August 28 to watch with a regular Disney Plus subscription.
Animated fantasy-adventure Raya and the Last Dragon was the platform’s second Disney Plus Premier Access title, released on March 5, with the advanced viewing window ending on May 4. The film arrived for all Disney Plus subscribers to watch on June 4.
Disney Plus Premier Access films in full
How much was Disney Plus Premier Access?
Depending on where you were around the world, Disney Plus Premier Access titles costUSD $29.99 / GBP £19.99 / AUD $34.99 / EUR €21.99.
TheDisney Plus pricewas something worth factoring in. A monthly subscription at the time was USD $7.99 / GBP £7.99 / AUD $11.99 / EUR €8.99.
Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.
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