Disney Plus Premier Access Australia - Everything You Need to Know

When it became clear in September 2020 that movie theatres around the world would be closed indefinitely, some studios sold movie rights to streaming services. However, now armed with their very own streaming service and millions of subscribers, Disney is offering their latest movies to you direct – without the need for a trip to the cinema!

What is Disney Plus Premier Access?

The name of this “service within a service” is Disney Plus Premier Access – and it’s turned out to be a huge success for the studio. The live-action version of Mulan in September 2020 was the first Premier Access Disney Plus title, followed up with Raya and the Last Dragon.

The idea behind Premier Access is simple – rather than sending a movie out into cinemas at a premium price, Disney Premier Access diverts it to the streaming service instead, where anyone with a current Disney Plus subscription can pay a one-off extra charge to gain access to the movie in pristine digital quality (4K and Dolby Vision included). Or, stream it as much as they like as long as they maintain a Disney Plus subscription.

Pay for Disney Premier Access – Or Watch Later

Those who don’t want to pay the Premier Access price can simply wait. Disney has been completely open about the fact that all Premier Access movies will eventually stream for no extra cost as part of a Disney Plus subscription. It usually takes around three months from a film’s Disney release to it joining the regular Disney Plus line-up. That’s been the case with both Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon, which are both now available to all Disney Plus subscribers at no extra cost (Raya and the Last Dragon hit the service on June 4, while Mulan was made available December of last year). Jungle Cruise is this year’s latest release to arrive on Disney Plus for all subscribers on November 12.

New Films Available on Disney Plus Premier Access

The latest brand new movies to get the Disney Plus Premier Access treatment are biggies – kicking off with Cruella, the origin story behind the legendary villain from 101 Dalmatians which was released early, bypassing the cinema and instead hitting Premier Access on May 28. Cruella is played by Emma Stone, who has a terrific time playing Cruella De Vil in a film set in the late 1970s punk era in London. It’s definitely a modern film reboot that suggests some sequels might be in the works if it does well – and so far, it’s been a hit.

The next movie release announced for Premier Access Disney Plus is great news – a certified blockbuster and a favourite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow. It was completed before the pandemic and was simultaneously released in theatres and through Disney Plus Premier Access on July 9. Disney changed its mind about trying to get Black Widow a traditional theatrical release – instead, it became also available for streaming via Premier Access as well.

As a Disney Plus subscriber, you can watch Cruella and Black Widow right now with Premier Access for a one-time extra fee. If you’re a subscriber of Disney Plus, you’ll also be able to watch a huge range of TV shows from the likes of Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic. Disney Plus is constantly updating their library so stay tuned with our Best shows to watch on Disney Plus article.

Released Next on Disney Premier Access

The latest Disney movie on Premier Access is Jungle Cruise. With Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt front and centre as the stars of the film, it looks like a great action-adventure flick that’s sure to please audiences. Jungle Cruise is based on Walt Disney’s theme park attraction of the same name. Again, there’ll be a window between when the film is released on Disney Premier Access, and when it will be available with a standard Disney Plus offer – which, in this case, will become widely available on November 12 to all subscribers, over three months after its Disney Premier release date (July 30).

Disney Premier Access cost

Films on this premium service are priced to reflect their first-run status. With Disney Plus Premier Access Australia, you’re looking at a payment of $34.99 to purchase access and start streaming the film. It’s a reasonable price if you take into account what it costs to see the film with your family or friends in the cinema, and having the film available from launch day to watch as many times as you like is worth the cost. Note that for a subscriber in the US, the Disney Premier Access cost is $29.99 USD for the same purchase, so Australians are actually getting a better deal!

Subscribing to Disney Plus

To be eligible for the option to buy movies via Premier Access, Disney Plus requires users to have Disney Plus accounts first. For those without an active Disney Plus subscription, the cost to gain access to watch Disney Premier Access new releases, as well as thousands of hours of films and TV shows, is $13.99 per month. Once you’re signed up, you’ll be eligible for the Premier Access service and watch Disney+ Shows and Movies Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella, Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise right away as part of your Disney Plus subscription. Then, via Disney Plus Premier Access Australia, stay tuned for Disney’s upcoming movies in the country.