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Disney+: The (Un)Offical Nerd Kung Fu Watch List

Posted by Maggie May on 13th Nov 2019

If you’re like me, you’ve had your credit card ready since Disney first announced its upcoming streaming service. Disney+ launched on November 12, and brings a major catalogue of fan favorites you can’t get anywhere else.

The Basics

Available as a standalone streaming service for $6.99/month, or bundled with platforms like Hulu, Disney+ brings movies, TV shows, and exclusive offerings to your phone, laptop, tablet, or smart TV.

What’s exciting about the service is that it’s not just a platform for Disney movies (although it has, like, ALL of them). Disney+ earns the plus in its name with additions from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.

The Deets

Disney released the full catalogue on Twitter in mid-October. Starting November 12, you’ll be able to stream:

  • Classic Disney movies, never before streamed on other platforms
  • A TV show that’s just Jeff Goldblum exploring the world with National Geographic
  • Reruns of your favorite Disney Channel shows
  • Jeff Goldblum being mildly impressed by things
  • A whole bunch of new Disney shows, including options in the MCU and Star Wars universe
  • Oh yeah — the entire MCU and Star Wars movie franchises
  • Practically every Pixar movie ever made
  • AND DID WE MENTION JEFF GOLDBLUM?!

It’s important to note that a few things won’t be on Disney+ right at kickoff, including the newest live-action movies that are still making their way from theaters to Blu Ray, some of the lower-budget TV show offshoots, and Song of the South. For a longer (yet incomplete, and frequently updated) list, check out this post from Reddit user u/LordVader3000.

The Official Watch List

After some significant nerding out, the team at Nerd Kung Fu decided on our official “must watch” list when Disney+ starts streaming. These are the top ten shows, movies, or exclusives we’re the most hype about watching. There’s something here for everyone, but we hope you’ll pop some popcorn and kick up your feet with us on the big day!

(PS: We kept the obvious ones off this list, like the entire Avengers saga and the original Star Wars trilogy. Some of these are highly talked-about, but we hope you’ll enjoy the deep cuts, too!)

  1. The World According to Jeff Goldblum:The basic premise of this National Geographic show is that Jeff Goldblum, uhh, finds a way to different places around the world, learning about “things we all love, like sneakers or ice cream.” Basically, it’s just Jeff Goldblum walking around being mildly impressed by stuff, and I could not be more on board.
  2. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: This is one of those Disney movies that probably shouldn’t leave the vault, but it was instrumental during my childhood. Mr. Toad’s ridiculous narcissism, Ichabod Crane’s...well, everything, and the jolly music of this movie make it one of the greats. If it doesn’t have you saying “MOTORCAR” in an incredulous voice every ten minutes, get your money back.
  3. Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet: Arguably the two most underrated animated Disney movies of all time. Where are their live-action movies?!
  4. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: This is one of those “hidden gem” animated TV shows that sounds like it’s going to be Cat Wars terrible, and then somehow manages to take over your life. Trust me--it’s a slippery slope from putting it on for the kids you’re babysitting to making them go to bed early so you can binge-watch the whole thing by yourself.
  5. The Mandalorian: Speaking of Star Wars, the highly-anticipated TV show is bound to be a hit. Set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy.
  6. Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: Rhapsody in Blue, a steamy affair between two fancy hats, ballet-dancing hippos--what’s not to love? Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 encapsulate some of the best short films in Disney’s history. Also, there are space whales. Don’t tell me that’s not exciting.
  7. Pete’s Dragon (the good one): Let’s just pretend the new version doesn’t exist for a second, okay? If you were a kid, down on your luck, befriending a prank-loving invisible dragon would transform your life, too!
  8. The Black Cauldron: This movie scared the crap out of me when I was a kid (and honestly, it still does). Kick-butt animation, a wild story based on the Lloyd Alexander books, and a badass princess with a name no one can spell (sorry, Eilonwy) makes for a great film. Throw in a pig that can see the future (yes, really) and you’ve got a great date night movie that will leave you asking, “...What?”
  9. X-Men Evolution:Words cannot describe how good this one-off X-Men TV show is. It takes some liberties with the original comics (namely making just about all of our favorite heroes high school age and appropriately angsty, like Cyclops and Jean Grey), but it captures the true heart of the X-Men comics and characters we know and love. Four seasons of glory weren’t enough, but given that Season 5 never made it off the cutting room floor, I’ll have to be happy with rewatching this a thousand times anyway.
  10. The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars: Not because it’s good, but specifically because it isn’t. If you’re a young Millennial or an old Gen Z, you probably remember the preview for this movie because it was on EVERY SINGLE DISNEY VAULT VHS. Go to Mars, Little Toaster. And never come back.

In all honesty, the first thing I watch once Disney+ comes out will probably be my bank account, as it dwindles by $6.99 every month.

What are you watching first on Disney+?!

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