Disney Plus is, right now, the world's hottest streaming service. As we noted in our Disney+ review it delivers "out of this world content" and offers "fantastic value for money" with an "incredible content library" to choose from and next-gen viewing options like "4K HDR with Dolby Vision".
Well, now Disney+ just got even better, with Disney adding a new GroupWatch feature. GroupWatch does what its name implies and allows groups of Disney+ subscribers to watch any of its content in a group – it's like going to the cinema while staying at home.
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As can be seen in the image below, the new Disney Plus GroupWatch feature can be accessed RIGHT NOW in both the US and the UK by simply clicking on a piece of content and then selecting the GroupWatch icon, which is now alongside play and watchlist add.
Check the where the red arrow points below to see the Disney+ GroupWatch icon.
The new Disney Plus GroupWatch button.
Press the GroupWatch button and you are then taken to a hub page where you can then proceed to invite up to six people to watch the piece of content with you, with each person viewing the content in sync and having access to its controls.
Invitations are handled by a unique code being generated, which can then be shared with the other viewers however you want. Email it, WhatsApp it, txt it – as long as the other person has a Disney+ account then they just click the link and start watching with you.
You share the GroupWatch code with friends and family. Up to six people can watch at any one time.
We think this is a great new addition to Disney+ here at T3, and it means the streaming service keeps pace with Amazon Prime Video, which recently introduced its own version of GroupWatch called Watch Party.
If you're not already a Disney+ subscriber then right now would be a great time to get involved, as an entire year's access can be bagged for just $69.99/£59.99 and, with cinemas remaining off limits for many, GroupWatch could be a great way to socialise with friends over the winter holiday season.
In other Disney+ news yesterday is was confirmed that Geoge Lucas' Willow series will be revisited soon and shown on the streaming service. Excitingly for fans the original director of the 1988 movie, Ron Howard, is returning as Executive Producer, while star of the film Warwick Davis is also reprising his role as Willow Ufgood.
The new director of the Disney+ Willow content, which will be a TV series rather than another film, is John M. Chu, who was such a big fan of the film that he even named his real-live daughter Willow as a nod to it. Speaking on the announcement, Chu said that:
“Growing up in the ’80s, Willow has had a profound effect on me. The story of the bravest heroes in the least likely places allowed me, an Asian-American kid growing up in a Chinese restaurant looking to go to Hollywood, to believe in the power of our own will, determination and of course, inner magic. So the fact that I get to work with my heroes from Kathleen Kennedy to Ron Howard is bigger than a dream come-true. It’s a bucket-list moment for me.”
