A man looks at his phone as he passes by a screen advertising Disney+ in New York City. (File photo: Reuters)
Walt Disney’s much-anticipated streaming service Disney+ didn’t get the debut that it expected on Monday, as it faced technical glitches due to overwhelming demand from users.
“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,” the company said in a tweet.
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
Many subscribers who tried to access the service said they came across an image of Mickey Mouse on a blue screen, along with a message asking them to exit the app and try again.
“Do you also go to restaurants on the first day and scream about long waits? They should’ve anticipated lots of customers and had more seating,” one user tweeted.
Do you also go to restaurants on the first day and scream about long waits? They should’ve anticipated lots of customers and had more seating...
— Anni Kathleen (@annikat12) November 12, 2019
“How could it possibly exceed your expectations???,” another user said in their tweet. “You guys have really dropped the ball!” the user added.
How could it possibly exceed you expectations??? This is the biggest entertainment launch of the decade!!! What have you been doing for all of the months leading up to this??? If I did this in my job I would be fired!!! You guys have really dropped the ball! #DisneyPlusfail
— Yeti Trains (@OGHalfsquatch) November 12, 2019
Disney+, which features movie franchises such as Star Wars and Avengers, costs about $7 a month and is currently showing hundreds of the studio’s movies and animations dating back decades ago.
It also includes content from Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios, among others.
Walt Disney plans to position the new streaming service to take on leader Netflix and Amazon in the streaming space. Disney’s shares closed 1.4 percent higher at $138.58 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday; Netflix was down 0.7 percent on the Nasdaq.
“We’ve spent the last few years completely transforming The Walt Disney Company to focus the resources… on delivering an extraordinary direct-to-consumer experience,” the company said in its fourth quarter earnings report last week.
