On the November 12 launch day for Disney+, many people had problems accessing the streaming service, resulting in messages about being unable to connect in order to watch shows like The Mandalorian. However, there is a good reason for that. Everyone was trying to get on, and it seemed too much for Disney to handle.
In the 24 hours after the initial launch, 3.2 million people downloaded the Disney+ app according to research firm Apptopia (via Variety). The US represented the bulk of the downloads, coming in at 89%, with Canada at 9% and the Netherlands with 2%. Comparatively, Appotopia estimated that Netflix’s app received 662,000 downloads–globally–with the US, Canada, and the Netherlands accounting for 140,000 for its opening 24-hour period. At the time of this writing, Disney has not disclosed subscriber numbers, but there is a free one-week trial available, and Verizon is giving away one-year memberships.
Launch day for Disney+ was a rough one. Many people reported not being able to access the content on the new service. Some people even ran numerous devices at the same time in order to try and access the service’s most-anticipated original series, The Mandalorian.
However, on day two, Disney+ seems to be working fine. While Disney anticipated a big opening day, they didn’t anticipate what could have been a day with the most-downloaded streaming service app in history.
The demand for #DisneyPlus has exceeded our highest expectations. We are so pleased you’re excited to watch all your favorites and are working quickly to resolve any current issues. We appreciate your patience.
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) November 12, 2019
And many people who have already been surfing the content waves of Disney+ have checked out the first episode of The Mandalorian. In GameSpot’s review, Chris E. Hayner said, “With its first episode, The Mandalorian has made a statement about what a live-action Star Wars TV show looks like. Now, with the remaining seven episodes in Season 1, it needs to make a statement about how a Star Wars plot should unfold over a longer form of storytelling.”
Disney+ is available now.