I almost canceled Disney+, until it launched its new Playlists feature now I cant get enough of its approach to lean-back viewing

Date:
Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:43:52 +0000

Description:
No matter whether you're looking for comedy movies or can't decide on which Modern Family episode to re-watch next, this new Disney+ feature can do the hard work for you.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Disney+ has rolled out a new Playlists feature The feature groups movies and series by genres, franchises, characters, or moods, providing a continuous, 'lean-back' viewing experience You can also pause, rewind, and skip to the next title Disney+ just rolled
out a feature that could help put an end to incessantly browsing for a movie or TV show to watch and its made one of the best streaming services even better.

The new Playlists feature, which has rolled out to Disney+ subscribers globally, is a collection of titles grouped by a specific genre, franchise, character, or mood. It's designed to give you an even more relaxed way to browse for movies and shows, allowing you to as Disney puts it enjoy a "lean-back viewing experience". So, if youre after an action blockbuster or cant decide on which Pixar movie to reminisce in, Playlists have your back. I know what youre thinking, Disney+ already has themed Collections and youre right, it certainly does. But these new Playlists have a more of an edge over those standard Collections. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

While Collections are mini hubs that group titles around a character, franchise, or theme, Playlists builds on this by offering a continuous
viewing experience with playback controls to ensure youre still the boss. For example, if youre feeling a comedy movie, hit Play on the Comedy Movies playlist and a title will start playing at random removing the time you wouldve spent searching individual categories.

That said, it doesnt mean youll be forced to watch the first movie the playlist decides to show. Each playlist has its own controls allowing you to pause, rewind, and skip to the next title in the sequence. Additionally, Disney says that seasonal Playlists will become available throughout the
year, so expect to see Halloween- and festive-themed collections. You may
like Spotify updates its song-mixing feature with new customization tools Disney's new TikTok partnership proves real fans beat AI every time Disney+ free trial: is there one I can use in 2026, how to try before you buy, and more explained

However, Playlists aren't just about moods, theres already a fair few collections dedicated to TV shows, including Modern Family, The Simpsons,
Bobs Burgers , and my personal favorite, Family Guy . Essentially, these Playlists are like non-stop, 24-hour live channels dedicated to individual shows, except you have more freedom to skip. (Image credit: Disney+) I have severe indecisiveness issues just as much as the next person, and though Im subscribed to Disney+, its definitely not my most-used streaming service and that's largely due to how its search hub is designed. I was one click away from canceling, but Playlists could be the one feature that makes me stick around for a bit longer. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Ive been playing around with Playlists just to get a feel for it, and from what Ive seen so far, Im quite impressed, especially with the TV show-themed ones. Hitting Play on the Family Guy playlist starts a continuous run of random episodes, and you dont have to do anything as much as lift the remote to stream an episode after another finishes its literally my dream feature.

Disney+ could really be onto something here, and I hope that as time passes more themed Playlists are added (please, just give me the Glee and Desperate Housewives Playlists Im urgently yearning for).

But Disney+ cant get all the credit. Netflix released a similar feature years ago called Play Something , which was basically a shuffle feature that played a random movie or TV episode when you couldnt decide on what to watch. However, low user engagement resulted in its short lifespan.

On paper it was a solid idea, but I think one of the reasons why it didnt
last very long was because Play Something didnt divide titles into
categories, and you got what you were given. Whereas with Disney+, narrowing down titles by genre, show, and character at least gives you some kind of a starting point.

I think Disney already has the edge over Netflix for this very reason, and there are plenty of choices at hand. I just hope that Disney+ continues to invest in this tool so it doesnt join Play Something in the graveyard of streaming features. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/disney-plus/i-almost-canceled-disney-until -it-launched-its-new-playlists-feature-now-i-cant-get-enough-of-its-approach-t o-lean-back-viewing


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)