After much delay and deliberation, Disney+ and Hotstar collaboration is finally going live on April 3. The merger was earlier postponed indefinitely, but now with the whole world in lockdown, both Disney+ and Hotstar have decided to cash in on it and make several exciting Disney movies and series available to the Indian users.
What does this mean?
This means you’ll get unlimited access to all Disney movies which you can watch anytime you feel like it. But it’ll will come at a price. Hotstar has announced a revised rate for availing the new entrants. There will three options to choose from for users: Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Disney+ Hotstar Premium and A basic ad-supported option.
So, what are the charges?
Disney+ Hotstar VIP will cost Rs 399 a year (earlier the Hotstar VIP membership was Rs 365), Disney+ Hotstar Premium has been priced at Rs 1499 for a year (previous Premium membership was 999)
What do I get?
After selecting your preferred membership you’ll get access to the whole Disney content. In the Disney+ Hotstar VIP membership users will get access to the entire collection is Marvel movies (like Avengers, Iron Man, to name a few). Along with this, you can also watch Bollywood and regional movies, a whole lot of shows and movies for children, various sport tournaments and more.
But, if you want to watch Disney+ originals like The Mandalorian, the Star Wars series or The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Pixar movies and 29+ other shows and movies, you’ll have to opt for the Premium subscription. This will not only give you access to content available under the VIP plan, but will also open cinematic doors to wonders like shows studios like HBO, FOX, Showtime and more.
With such exhaustive content being made available and to make the app more user friendly there will be a separate Disney+ section in the app.
Ahead of the official launch of Disney+ Hotstar, there is a unique virtual red carpet planned on April 2 with screenings of two movies: The Lion King (the live-action remake) at 6 pm and The Mandalorian at 8 pm. To bring users together amidst the coronavirus lockdown, there are a lot of fun, virtual activities planned. This includes a chance to interact with other users of the app, sharing messages, photos and more...
What happens to my existing subscription?
Fret not. I’ve you already have VIP and Premium subscriptions you will be automatically upgraded. But, when you renew, you will have to pay according to the revised rates.
“With the success of Hotstar, we ushered in a new era for premium video streaming in India,” Disney APAC president and Star & Disney India chairman, Uday Shankar, said in a statement. And this is true. Indeed the ones who’ve been missing going to to theatres or want to relive their childhood with Disney again, this is a good opportunity.
I’m going to red carpet ready, putting on my dancing shoes, and singing: ‘I’m a Barbie girl, in my Barbie world...’
