Despite only launching two months ago, Disney+ has already seen the loss of some of its most recognizable films. Among these include Dr. Doolittle, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Home Alone and Home Alone 2, and The Sandlot. Subscribers noticed the absences starting Jan. 1, with the titles disappearing without warning or comment from Disney.
While titles tend to disappear frequently on services like Netflix or HBO, Disney+ aimed to stand less as a streaming platform of rotating titles, but rather as a digital version of the Disney vault. It’s common for services to put out a list of titles exiting the site at the beginning or end of each month, but Disney has strayed from any official announcement or acknowledgment of the departing films.
Since its launch, Disney has only highlighted new additions to its new platform, staying silent regarding departures. However, the company never promised any of its titles would stay indefinitely. Disney vault classics like Beauty and The Beast, Snow White, and The Lion King aren’t likely to exit anytime soon, but other films in the Disney realm already have set expiration dates, like Black Panther in 2026. Bloomberg reported the 2018 Marvel film will return to Netflix due to licensing, and its expected other titles will experience the same fate.
To stream Disney+’s current offerings, fans can continue to purchase a subscription for $5.99/ month.