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Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Disney Plus can be a great resource for parents, especially during a long road trip or flight with fidgety kids. Use this comprehensive look at each service and a breakdown of pricing and content library to help you choose the right one for your family.
When we prepare to travel with kids, we have a list of things we don’t want to forget. My list now includes a streaming service! Whether we’re trying to entertain kids on a plane or on a long car ride, having their favorite movies and TV shows at our fingertips has been a real lifesaver.
But there are so many options out there! You might be asking yourself which streaming service is best for your family. We’ve done a breakdown of each streaming service for you to choose the one that’s right for you.
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Disney’s Streaming Service
We’re a Disney-loving family, so we were thrilled about the Disney streaming service! Disney Plus is our kids’ favorite streaming service. No surprise there. Disney has produced some of the best family-friendly movies and TV series.
Stream or download Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Marvel movies and series. Teenagers can watch their favorite superheroes from Marvel Cinematic Universe while younger kids can watch classics like Toy Story and Bambi.
Verizon Wireless Customer? Your Disney+ May Be FREE for 1 Year
If you have Verizon Unlimited or switch to Fios Home Internet your Disney+ subscription might be FREE for the first year.
Have you already signed up for a Disney+ paid account? Don’t worry. You can still take advantage of Verizon’s free offer for the first year and pause your paid subscription until your free year is up. Check your status here.
Disney+ Original Series
Photo Credit: Disney+
Disney Plus is home to several original series and movies.
The Mandalorian – The first-ever live-action “Star Wars” series. This is a fan favorite!
Loki – Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role as Loki in the new Marvel Studios series. (Scheduled to release in 2021.)
Forky Asks a Question – Forky from “Toy Story 4” has important questions about how the world works. He asks questions such as: What is love? What is time? And of course, the deepest question of all, What is cheese? He explores all of these questions and more in a series of 10 shorts.
Monsters at Work – This series picks up six months after the events of “Monsters, Inc.”
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Emmy award-winning animated series appears exclusively on Disney+.
Untitled Cassian Andor Series – Diego Luna will reprise his role of rebel spy Cassian Andor in this series set during the formative years of the Rebellion prior to the events of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” (Scheduled to release in 2021.)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – The 10-episode scripted series is set at the real-life East High, where the original movie was filmed. It follows a group of students as they count down to opening night of their school’s first-ever production of “High School Musical.”
Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios opens its doors, allowing cameras to capture in intimate detail how the voice cast, directors, and team of artists came together to create “Frozen 2.”
WandaVision – Elizabeth Olsen will return as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany will reprise his role as The Vision in the new Marvel Studios series. (Scheduled to start in December 2020.)
Marvel’s What If…? – Marvel Studios’ first animated series, taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name.
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Disney+ Original Movies
Lady and the Tramp – A timeless re-telling of the 1955 animated classic.
Togo – Based on a true-life adventure in the Alaskan tundra, this story takes place in 1925, when an epidemic of diphtheria breaks out in a remote Alaskan town, causing countless children to fall gravely ill.
Secret Society of Second Born Royals – “Secret Society of Second Born Royals” introduces Sam (Peyton Lee), a rebellious princess second in line to the throne of the kingdom of Illyria.
What Movies Can We Watch on Disney+?
In addition to all the new movies and series, Disney’s streaming service offers a large collection of Disney movies that we already love:
- Frozen 2
- Captain Marvel
- Dumbo
- Avengers: Endgame
- Aladdin
- Toy Story 4
- The Lion King
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
- Frozen 2
- Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker
- 101 Dalmatians
- A Bug’s Life
- A Goofy Movie
- Bambi
- Big Hero 6
- Cars
- Finding Nemo
- Finding Dory
- Mary Poppins
- Iron Man
- Inside Out
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
- Frozen
- Free Solo
- Lady and the Tramp
- Bao
- Fantasia
- The Princess Diaries
- Remember the Titans
- Sleeping Beauty
- Monsters University
- Moana
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Ratatouille
- Wall-E
You’ll also get the chance to watch your favorite television series over again such as “Boy Meets World,” “Brain Games,” “One Strange Rock,” “The Simpsons,” “Kim Possible,” “Amazing Planet,” “Goof Troop,” Marvel shows and so much more!
How Much Does Disney Plus Streaming Service Cost?
Disney Plus costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year. You can also purchase the bundle package which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
Can You Stream Disney+ Outside of the U.S?
The best way to do that is to download and use a VPN.
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The Other Streaming Services
Hulu
Hulu is a great streaming service if you’ve decided to cut the cable. This streaming service has the newest TV shows available 24 hours after they air.
I can still enjoy my favorite shows while they are currently running! Hulu offers several different plans and upgrades. Hulu Live allows you to stream live TV right through the streaming service. Hulu ALSO has a library of older videos.
It does seem to me that Hulu is geared more towards adults. There are some kid/family content but it’s not as focused on kids as much as Netflix or Prime Video is.
How Much Does Hulu Cost?
It’s $5.99/month (with ads), $11.99/month (no ads), Hulu + Live TV: $44.99/month
Can You Stream Hulu Outside of the U.S?
No, you cannot access Hulu when traveling outside of the U.S.
Netflix
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Netflix is the best known of all the streaming services. Remember the days when we had to order a Netflix DVD and wait for it to arrive in the mail? Those days are long gone.
My favorite feature of Netflix is the different user profiles. You can create a profile for your kids that will only show kid-friendly content to them and you can even choose their age range to have age-appropriate videos shown to them.
Netflix offers a wide range of movies, TV series, and original content. The library is always growing and Netflix has produced some of the top-performing original content.
How Much Does Netflix Cost?
There are three different plans; Basic $8.99/month (1 screen), Standard $12.99/month (2 screens), Premium $15.99/month (3 screens)
Can You Stream Netflix Outside of the U.S?
The short answer is yes, however, there are some things you need to know.
Netflix has streaming services in more than 190 countries around the world (see the full list here). If you are accessing Netflix outside of the U.S., Netflix will notify you in the app of changes you may experience such as movie and TV show selections and parental control changes.
Prime Video
Prime Video is an added bonus that came with my Amazon Prime Membership.
My favorite thing about our Prime Video streaming service: It offers some older classics that other streaming services don’t. My kids have recently enjoyed watching the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series.
How Much Does Prime Video Cost?
Prime Video requires that you have an Amazon Prime membership which is $119/year or $59/year for students. You can also choose a monthly membership rate which is $12.99/month or $6.49/month for students. Click here for a 30-day FREE trial of Amazon Prime.
Can You Stream Prime Video Outside of the U.S?
Yes but only the “Amazon Originals” will be available. Prime Video will display a “Watch While Abroad” carousel in the app. Those are the only titles you will be able to access while outside of the U.S.
TravelingMom Tip: Before you leave the US, download the movies and TV shows you want to be able to watch overseas. That way they will be on your device and ready for viewing while you’re away, including during the long plane ride there.
How to Access These Streaming Services
You can access these streaming services through your devices — tablets, phones, game consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation 4), Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Smart TVs.
We download the streaming service directly to our phone and tablets to make it easier to access them while traveling. We also download the movies and TV shows we want ahead of time to ensure we have access to them offline. This is especially valuable when we are traveling by plane or car to places where we won’t have access to Wifi for streaming.
Our favorite way to access these streaming services all in one place is by using our Roku. We take our Roku Streaming Stick with us when we travel. The stick easily plugs into an HDMI port on the TV and once it’s connected to WiFi we have access to all of our favorite streaming services.
We also use the Roku to stream from other sources such as ESPN and FOX. You can also use a Chromecast and/or an Amazon Fire Stick to access streaming services including Disney+.
TravelingMom Tip: Each one of these streaming services comes with parental controls so you can limit what content your children can access.
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