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Disney+: The Top 5 Shows You Didn’t Know You Needed

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Disney+ has been around for just under a week. And I’ve already told you just how incredibly worthwhile I think it is…and why. But now I want to dig in and talk content. Not the Marvel library and the Mandalorian and the Vault. Because we all knew that would be amazing. But some of the more surprising content that’s managed to steal our imagination in the last few days.

The top 5 shows, movies, and series that we didn’t know we needed in our lives…until now.

  • Encore!

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If you were ever a theater nerd, you’ll know just how much this show makes sense. With the support of Kristen Bell, the show brings together old high school theater casts a decade or more later for one final encore performance. They’re adults now with a lot more perspective than back then…but they always seem still to share that old bond that many of us know so well. Over the course of a week they’re coached back into their old roles…usually with the help of some pretty amazing talent. It’s just a very heart warming journey to watch. It’s a simple show with every day folks…and I think that’s why I love it so much. 

  • The World According to Jeff Goldblum

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If you love Jeff Goldblum and share his curiosity about the world around us, you’ll love this show. If you find him a little much…maybe not so much. But I get a kick out of him and share his inquisitive ways, so this is right up my alley. The first two shows dove into the world of sneakers (or tennis shoes…depending on where you’re from) and ice cream. I really enjoyed both and left with a new appreciation for both topics. And at around 30 minutes each, they’re delightfully easy to consume. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he’s got up his sleeve next. (And I’m guessing there are some hints in the backdrop of the above picture….)

  • Float

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If you haven’t seen this short yet, I implore you to go check it out right now. It’s a deceptively short and simple piece about parenthood and acceptance of the things that make us different. Like so many of Disney’s recent shorts, it will grab your heart and leave you thinking – and maybe a little better for both. 

  • Lady and the Tramp

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I’m not one to jump on board with every live action Disney flick. I appreciated The Lion King but had my very open issues with Aladdin. And to be honest I haven’t fallen head over heels with one since Lily James’ 2015 portrayal of Cinderella. This film changed that. It’s up there with my favorites and had me crying happy tears at the end. If you’re a dog lover, your heart will be stolen all the more. I knew I would enjoy this – but I didn’t realize that I would truly love it this much.

  • Steamboat Willie

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This addition to the list won’t surprise anyone who follows me on any of my social media – as I’ve shared this particular picture a number of times…

One of the great joys of Disney+ in my household has been witnessing my kids’ falling in love with the classics. Especially this original – which my six year old has now asked for more than any other thing on the service. 

Steamboat Willie touches my heart like Disneyland does. I can feel Walt’s hands on it. With every twitch and flicker of the film reel. Every imperfection. Every sound. The hands that made it are right there. Tangibly present the way that they just aren’t anymore in newer films. For all of the CGI and special effects and lifelike quality of today’s animation – sometimes we’re just happiest when the input is simple and we can fill in the details with our own imaginations. It’s like spending a fortune on a gift only to have your kids spend the day playing with the box. And that’s a beautiful reminder of how our minds work. 

  • The Imagineering Story

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But for all I’ve already written…this is the one. This is the series that I dove into first when I downloaded the app early Tuesday morning and the one that I’ve had playing on repeat in the background as I go on about my day around the house ever since. While I’m cleaning and pouring candles and cooking dinner – I’m watching these stories unfold again. 

So much of it isn’t new information – but watching the stories told by the original Imagineers who worked with Walt is. And seeing the footage of Marty Sklar – who was taken from us just days after seeing him at D23 in 2017, I’m reminded of just how limited our time with any of them might be. Seeing Bob Gurr sign the wall above The Matterhorn – and cry as he talks about Walt’s death all these years later. Well…I question you if you aren’t crying a bit, too.

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It’s been less than a week and I’ll say, with all honesty, that the more I dig into the content on Disney+ the more excited I am for more. It has me excited about what’s playing on my television for the first time in a very long while – and if that isn’t worth it I don’t know what is. 

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