How to Get Disney Plus on TV

By Jim Kimble / Published May 26, 2023

You can watch Disney Plus on any Smart TV, or non-Smart TV. 

In this how-to guide, I cover signing up for Disney Plus, and adding your subscription to streaming devices, Smart TVs and older TVs lacking HDMI ports. 

You can also cast Disney Plus from an iPhone or smartphone to a TV. Gamers can watch Disney Plus on any TV once you install the Disney Plus app on an Xbox, PlayStation game console. 

How to Watch Disney Plus on a Smart TV

Smart TVs from Samsung, Vizio, and LG have the Disney+ app within their app stores. 

So you can simply go to the Samsung Smart Hub or LG content store to search for and download the Disney+ app. Current Vizio Smart TVs have Disney Plus available on SmartCast.

get disney plus on tv
(Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Smart TVs that run on Android TV, Google TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV software also support the Disney+ app.  

Any new Smart TV, including an LG TV or Samsung Smart TV (with the Tizen operating system), and Sony (with Android TV or Google TV) all have the Disney+ app.

Just head over to the TV’s app icon or store. Search for Disney Plus and add it to your home screen. Once you launch the Disney+ app, you will just need to enter your email (username) and password to begin watching movies and shows.

How to Get Disney Plus on an older Smart TVs

If you have an older Smart TV from Samsung, LG, Vizio or Sony, it’s best to update your software first and see if the Disney+ app is available through the app store. If it’s not available, use a streaming device. 

Any Roku device, Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV (4th Generation), Chromecast supports watching Disney Plus. 

With a Chromecast, you can use an iPhone (with current iOS) or Android smartphone to cast the mobile app to an older Smart TV or non-Smart TV. An iPhone will typically use Apple Airplay to share an app on a TV.

(Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PlayStation game consoles all have software that supports the Disney+ app. You just need to plug your streaming hardware into the port in the back or side of your TV set. 

You may need to switch inputs on your TV to see the home screen of a streaming device or game console. From the TV home screen, navigate to settings, then inputs, and select the HDMI port that connects with your game console or streaming device.

More on non-Smart TVs without and HDMI port

If you own an older TV that doesn’t have a HDMI port, you can pick up a Roku Express+ for about $30 or less.

(Note: Roku stopped making these models, but there is a second-hand market of refurbished units out there. Just make sure the model you buy has composite cables.) 

With a Roku Express+, you will be able to stream Disney Plus, Netflix and any other app that is featured on modern televisions.

For Smart TVs with no Disney Plus app

One frustration among Smart TV owners is that the Disney+ app is unavailable. Imagine having a nice 4K TV that you recently paid a tidy sum for, and now you can’t add the one streaming service that you really want.

Why does this happen? Unfortunately, there are a number of Smart TVs that are beyond a few years old that do not have very good software updates. The Disney+ app was launched in late 2019, so it’s not designed for an older operating system.

Instead of writing an angry email to the manufacturer, you’re better off adding an inexpensive RokuGoogle Chromecast with Google TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick to your TV. These inexpensive streaming devices get updates throughout the year. Your 2015 television? It might, or it might not.

For as little as $30 — the price of a tank of gas — you can move off of outdated Smart TV software. With a decent Internet connection, a Roku or Fire TV will broaden the number of streaming services that you can watch.

My parents television is about 8 years old and still delivers a stellar picture. When I helped them cut the cord last year, I added a Roku Ultra, ported their landline with an Obihai 200 and hardwired both devices to their router. (Real talk: My Mom loves streaming Disney Plus.)

How to get Disney Plus on a Roku or Roku TV

disney plus on TV
(Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

The Disney+ app is among the library of Roku Channels. If you’re new to Roku or just bought a Roku TV, here’s how to quickly add Disney Plus and start watching in 7 steps.

  1. Turn on your Roku or Roku TV
  2. Select Streaming Channels from the left column menu
  3. Select Search Channels
  4. Type in ‘Disney Plus’ then select the Disney+ app
  5. Choose Add Channel 
  6. Select the Disney+ app from the Home Screen
  7. Login with email under Username and Password

How do I get Disney Plus on Fire TV or Fire Stick?

All Amazon Fire TV devices, including Fire TV Edition televisions, get apps from the Apps & Games section.

Fire TVs that have a voice search button on the remote control have a short cut for hunting down apps. You can say “Disney Plus app” and select it for download.

If that doesn’t work for some reason, then the traditional method is short and simple:

  1. Hold down the Home button on the Fire TV remote
  2. Select “apps” under the menu
  3. Then select Disney Plus under streaming apps

How to add Disney Plus to Apple TV

Apple TV (4th generation or later) supports the Disney Plus app. Adding apps can easily be done with the remote control.

  1. Launch app store from home screen
  2. Navigate to Disney Plus app
  3. Click on app, then again on “Get” to confirm

Adding Disney Plus to Xbox One

Getting the Disney+ app on Xbox One takes a few simple steps:

  1. Go to “Store” tab at the top of the home screen
  2. Once within the Microsoft Store, scroll down to Search
  3. Type in “Disney Plus”

Then just confirm you want to download the Disney+ app. You can sign in to the Disney Plus app with your email and password.

Watching Disney Plus on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5

You can add the Disney+ app to PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 just like any other app or game:

  1. Go to PlayStation Store
  2. Select the search bar
  3. Type in Disney Plus
  4. Download the Disney+ app
  5. Login with email and password

Is Disney Plus on Nintendo Switch?

Nintendo Switch does not support the Disney+ app.

For game consoles, Disney Plus only supports PlayStation 4, XBox One and NVIDIA Shield. It’s unclear whether that will change in the months ahead.

Microsoft and Sony will launch new generations of Xbox and PlayStation consoles later this year, and I expect the Disney+ app will be fully supported on both consoles.

How to Get Disney Plus on Any TV FAQs

These are questions readers ask when they are searching for how to add Disney’s streaming platform to their TV.

How to get a Disney Plus subscription

Disney Plus can be added to just about any TV that’s on the market. Even if you own an old Smart TV or non-Smart TV, you won’t be left out.

You can stream every Star Wars and Pixar film from the start to finish. The same goes for any Disney Plus original series, TV shows or Marvel movies such as “Avengers: Endgame.”

But first, you should decide what kind of Disney Plus subscription you want. Here are the latest choices for 2023. 

Disney Plus (ad-supported) costs $7.99 per month. Subscribers get the full catalog from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. You can watch up to four screens at once. Picture resolution up to 4K with Dolby Atmos audio.

Disney Plus (no ads) costs $10.99 per month. Subscribers can watch up to four screens at once. Picture resolution up to 4K with Dolby Atmos audio.

Disney Bundle Duo Basic subscription includes Disney Plus (with Ads) and Hulu (with Ads) for $9.99 per month.

Disney Bundle Trio Basic subscription has Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN+ (all with ads) for $12.99 per month.

Disney Bundle Trio Premium subscription has Disney Plus and Hulu (no ads) with ESPN+ (with ads) for $19.99 per month.

What if my Smart TV doesn’t have Disney Plus?

If you have a Panasonic Smart TV or another brand that does not support the Disney Plus app, use a streaming device. 

An inexpensive Roku streaming stick, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or Google Chromecast all support watching the Disney+ app. Plug the streaming device, or its HDMI cord into the HDMI port on your TV.

Make sure the streaming device is connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and download the Disney+ app from the streaming device’s app store.

Do old smart TVs have Disney Plus?

Disney Plus debuted in 2019. Any LG Smart TV or Samsung Smart TV prior to 2016 won’t support the Disney+ app from its app store. 

If you have a Smart TV older released before 2016, chances are you might not have Disney Plus as an option within a Smart TV’s app store. You can still use a web browser to sign up for Disney Plus, then plug in a streaming device into your old Smart TV to start watching. 

How do I get Disney Plus on my TV that doesn’t have it?

You have two options for watching Disney Plus on a Smart TV that doesn’t support the app. You can use a streaming stick, or see if your TV has a built-in Chromecast or Apple AirPlay option to cast the app from a smartphone.

Can you add Disney Plus to an old LG Smart TV?

You can check exact models of LG Smart TVs that support Disney Plus. LG says their line of Smart TVs that were released 2016 or later support downloading the Disney Plus app.

For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.

Note: This article was originally published on November 16, 2021, and has been updated.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.