Summary
- Disney+ offers extensive extras like DVD, making it a joy for collectors.
- Its layout is easy to navigate like DVD menus, simplifying the viewing experience.
- Disney+ provides special perks akin to exclusive content found in special DVDs.
Keeping tabs on when movies released on DVD and Blu-ray used to be a major passion of mine. Tuesdays used to be sacred — I’d head to Best Buy or Target like clockwork, on the hunt for the newest addition to my collection. Movie collecting was my weekly ritual. At one point, I had over 200 titles proudly displayed: a mix of favorites, impulse buys, and films I’d always meant to watch.
Most of my spare income would go into building out that collection. I would search for deals and pick up ones that I either loved, liked but thought the price was good, or had never seen and always wanted to. I still remember the bittersweet day my local Blockbuster shut down —sad to see it go, but thrilled to snag four seasons of The Sopranos for next to nothing. Unfortunately, streaming’s more or less put an end to DVDs and Blu-rays.
You can still buy them, but I haven’t in quite some time. My priorities in life have shifted and many of the movies I want to watch now or own are available in a few clicks. But there is a streaming service that still gives me the same joy I felt when I used to buy a new DVD. Here’s why Disney+ brings back a ton of memories as a movie collector.
Disney+
number of users 2-4 Subscription with ads $9.99/month Premium Subscription $15.99/month # of profiles 6+ Originals Yes Live TV No Expand
The extras are what I came for
Give me more from behind the scenes
When you buy a DVD, it isn’t just about the movie. You also get the special features that come with bringing home the DVD. With VHS, you were lucky if you got a deleted scene or a few grainy previews before the feature started. But when DVDs took over, studios leaned into bonus content. Suddenly, you had options: standard edition or a loaded collector’s cut with commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes docs, bloopers, interviews, and more. For movie fans, it was a goldmine. And — let’s be honest — it was also a smart way for studios to charge a little more.
Not every title on Disney+ offers extras. Also, some of the special extras have their own title that you need to search for on the platform.
Disney+ offers you extras for many of the titles on the platform. Some are simple, like a trailer for the movie or TV series, but many offer all kinds of short films — like the making of documentaries or cast interviews and highlights. While watching Andor, you can follow up each episode with a companion breakdown from the people who created it. It’s not quite the same as pulling a disc off the shelf, but for fans who still crave that extra context, Disney+ gets it right.
It's easy to navigate
Disney+ is consistent in how it's laid out
Navigating the Disney+ menu almost feels like a modern throwback to DVD and Blu-ray menus. Remember digging around those old menus to find hidden features or Easter eggs? Some studios even hid secret clips that only popped up if you clicked the right icon. It was like a mini treasure hunt for fans. Luckily for those of us who don’t want to do that anymore, Disney+ just keeps it simple.
When you open a title, the layout is pretty straightforward. For TV shows, you’ll usually land on the Episodes tab first. For movies, it’s Suggested — a carousel of similar picks you might want to queue up next. Scroll over to Extras to see where all the bonus content lives: cast interviews, featurettes, behind-the-scenes clips, and more.
Finally, the Details tab gives you all the technical info — cast, crew, rating, and a more detailed description of what you’re watching. And every now and then, Disney+ throws in a little surprise… just enough to keep things interesting.
There are perks that might surprise you
This isn't common, but it can happen
Some of the special edition DVDs had fun covers. I remember the Major League: Wild Thing edition had a kind of astroturf portion on the cover. Showing these off to friends felt like a badge of honor. If you managed to snag one of these unique DVDs, it was a gem in your collection.
It feels like being part of an exclusive club — kind of like owning one of those rare DVDs that only the real fans managed to grab.
Disney+ has its own version of that collector’s thrill. If you’re watching the right title at the right time, you might spot a Perks tab in the menu. For example, when Mufasa: The Lion King was featured, Disney+ offered a special Walt Disney World Resort room discount through that tab. It feels like being part of an exclusive club — kind of like owning one of those rare DVDs that only the real fans managed to grab.
Get special content that you can't find anywhere else
This was the joy of owning a DVD
If you ever popped in a DVD only to find there were no special features, you probably felt a little ripped off. Not every edition came with the good stuff — and usually, you had to scan the back of the case to see if there were extras included. Sometimes, the special features came on a completely separate disc. One of the best things about the Extras section on Disney+ is that everything is just… there. No guessing or bonus discs needed.
For instance, choosing the original version of Mulan on Disney+ gives you access to what you would have gotten from owning the DVD when it came out. There are deleted scenes, alternate endings and openings, music videos that weren’t released, and more. While many of these things are on the internet in other places these days, if you didn’t know about them existing, you’d find them easily on Disney+.
Collections are like raiding the bargain bin
Disney+ does the thinking for me
Everybody knows Disney doesn’t stop at just one movie — they’re the kings of sequels, spinoffs, and cinematic universes. Thankfully, on Disney+, all of those follow-ups and franchises are neatly sorted into Collections. Whether you’re in the mood for a Cars marathon or want to deep-dive into the Air Bud saga (no judgment), it’s all organized and easy to browse.
It honestly reminds me of those movie bundle DVDs you’d find at stores back in the day. You know the ones — three movies in one case, sometimes all starring the same actor or grouped by theme. Those were a steal compared to buying them all separately. It made it simpler to acquire multiple movies at once, just as Collections makes it easier to find and watch movies in the same franchise.
