Unless you’ve been living under Pride Rock (ahem, Lion King), chances are you've heard of Disney+. Priced at just $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, the subscription video-on-demand streaming service has America hooked. Indeed, in a little over a day, the program garnered more than 10 million sign-ups worldwide. Disney+ features some of the most iconic Disney films and television shows for consumers to binge (i.e. The Little Mermaid; Hannah Montana; Phineas and Ferb; Wizards of Waverly Place), as well as other Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar hits. The service even includes a slew of original series and movies, including a Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and a live-action version of Lady & The Tramp. 

The Nostalgia Factor

So why are people so obsessed? According to experts, the reason why people are drawn to the magic is fundamentally rooted in nostalgia. ‘For most people, Disney possesses poignant memories that evoke strong feelings,” asserts Dr. Emily Balcetis, Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World. “When we saw Disney movies as children, the feelings we had at those moments implanted scenes and characters in our minds in ways lots of other things don’t.” Hence why people find it easy to recall those emotions later in life as they indulge in a collection of films from their childhood. “Emotions act like a permanent marker, penning images in our brains that, in some cases, can last forever,” says Dr. Balcetis. “So when we see Disney characters later in life, we can quickly bring back up those same feelings we felt as kids that made us feel good back then.” Indeed, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Amy Boyers believes that Disney movies and TV shows are integrated into ourselves, therefore “providing a common experience with all of our peers and giving everyone a similar frame of reference.” The result is not just an increased sense of camaraderie and inclusion among others, but also a strengthened sense of self. “It’s soothing that on a deeper level, your life experiences and perspective on the world is shared or valued by others,” Dr. Boyers explains.

Comfort in Familiarity

Increased anxiety is a natural part of growing up, but that doesn’t mean people don’t try to escape it. “Watching Disney shows brings teenagers and young adults back to a time when life was simpler for them,” says Dr. Boyers. “Disney content tends to be positive, fantastical, and relatively innocent, so it can feel like a nice way to stray away from the pressures of everyday life.” Indeed, Disney+ seems to place blinders on its viewers, allowing them to temporarily engage in an alternate universe that overshadows real-life adversity; the positive memories triggered by watching the program have the potential to obliterate painful ones from the present. “Vision is the most important sense we have. More of our brain’s ‘real-estate,’ or cortical surface area, is devoted to vision over any other sense, and we prioritize what we see over everything else,” Dr. Balcetis explains. “Couple our dependency on sight with the importance of emotion in memory, and we see why watching Disney is such a significant source of comfort.”

Is the Obsession Healthy? 

Disney+ was practically invented to cater to childhood obsessions, so it’s no surprise that binge time has become an epidemic of sorts worldwide. “There is definitely a subset of people who seem to be in love with anything and everything Disney,” declares Dr. Boyers. “It seems that Disney is very effective at marketing their products. They know how to appeal to our sense of being a child, as well as our desire for fantasy. When it comes to Disney+, we are combining all that marketing genius with the ability to stream.” However, although the service can provide an instant boost of positivity and comfort, the fact that it is always available can serve as a danger if it starts to serve as a replacement for reality. “Sometimes, when people spend too much time bingeing a show, they can lose touch with their actual lives. They almost forget that the things they’re watching are not actually happening to them,” says Dr. Boyers. “I’ve seen young people who spend hours watching series on a streaming service experience real emotional distress because they get so caught up in the lives of the characters in the shows.” If you find yourself spending excessive periods of time streaming shows, Dr. Boyers suggests asking yourself a series of questions: “Is there something I’m avoiding by doing this? What would I be doing or thinking about if I wasn't spending so much time on here?” Sometimes, support from a parent or professional is needed to help answer these inquiries if they are too difficult to face. In the meantime, try to remember that moderation is key: set streaming guidelines for yourself and secure time to socialize away from the screen. Disney+ is there for your enjoyment, but keep in mind that there’s more to life than channeling your favorite Disney princess--although it wouldn’t hurt to tap into Mulan’s strength and courage once in a while.