How to Fix Disney+ Stream Keeps Buffering

Wondering why your Disney+ stream keeps on buffering?

There’s nothing more annoying than a movie that keeps on pausing or buffering. Sadly, this is the case for some Disney+ users who can’t enjoy their favorite shows due to buffering issues on the streaming service. 

If you are reading this, we can assume that you are also experiencing buffering issues on Disney+. 

Disney Plus

Usually, slow network connections and server-related issues are the cause of this problem on Disney+. However, it can also be due to corrupted caches, improper configurations, or third-party apps. 

Today, we will show you how to fix Disney+ if your stream keeps on buffering. 

Let’s jump right in!

1. Restart Your Device. 

Whenever you encounter buffering issues on Disney+ or any streaming service, the first thing you should do is restart your device. This should reload your resources and eliminate problems that may have occurred during use. 

Android: 

  1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
  2. Press and hold it until the options menu appears. 
  3. Tap on Restart to reboot it. 
Restart Android

 iPhone X, 11, 12, or later: 

  1. Hold the Volume Down and Side buttons until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears. 
  2. Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds. 
  3. Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device. 
disney+ stream keeps buffering

iPhone 6, 7, 8, or SE: 

  1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
  2. Hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears.
  3. Drag the slider to the right and wait 30 seconds before turning on your device. 
disney+ stream keeps buffering

Windows: 

  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open Start Menu
  2. Now, click on the Power Options tab. 
  3. Choose Restart
Restart PC

Mac: 

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen. 
  2. Next, choose Restart from the drop-down menu. 
  3. Confirm your action by clicking Restart once more. 
Restart Mac

Once done, try streaming another movie or TV show to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Disney+ Servers. 

Server-related issues are one of the most common culprits why your Disney+ stream keeps on buffering. Since you are using an online platform, it relies on its servers to deliver content and features. 

To confirm this, you can use third-party websites like Downdetector to view the status of Disney+. 

Disney Plus Server Status

If there are problems with the servers, the best thing to do is wait since server-related issues can’t be resolved on your end. On the other hand, you can head to the next solution if there’s nothing wrong with Disney+. 

3. Check Your Network Connection. 

Streaming quality on Disney+ is automatically set based on your internet speed. However, you might encounter buffering issues if your internet doesn’t meet the minimum speed requirement to play HD content. 

To confirm this, run a speed test on your network using Fast.com to measure its current bandwidth. 

disney+ stream keeps buffering

If your network speed is below the minimum requirement, try restarting your router to refresh the connection with your ISP. Unplug your router from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before reconnecting it. 

disney+ stream keeps buffering

Once done, perform another test to check if the problem is solved. Report the issue to your provider if your connection continues to run slow. 

If you know that your current plan is below 5 Mbps, consider upgrading your subscription to enjoy HD shows on Disney+. 

4. Update Disney+. 

There might be an issue with the version of Disney+ you are using, causing streams to slow down and buffer. To fix this, update your application to the latest version available. 

For Android: 

  1. Go to Google Play Store and tap on your Profile
  2. Next, tap on Manage Apps & Device
  3. Access the Updates Available tab. 
  4. Look for Disney+ and tap the Update button beside it. 
Update Android

For iOS: 

  1. Launch the App Store on your iOS device. 
  2. Now, tap on your Profile and look for Disney+ on the list of apps with available updates. 
  3. Finally, tap the Update button to install the latest version. 
Update iOS

Once done, try streaming another movie or TV show to check if the problem is solved. 

Related: How to Fix Error Code 83 on Disney Plus

5. Relaunch Disney+ (Mobile). 

If you are using a mobile device to watch on Disney+, try restarting the app. This should reload its resources and eliminate temporary issues that occurred while you are watching. 

To do this, swipe upwards from the bottom of your screen to access the application switcher. Look for Disney+ on the list and flick it upwards until it’s removed. Go back to your home screen and relaunch the app. 

Try streaming a few shows afterward to check if your stream will still buffer. 

6. Clear Cached Data (Android). 

For Android users, we recommend clearing your cached data if your Disney+ stream still keeps on buffering. This should refresh your data and eliminate corrupted and broken files from your storage. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. Unlock your phone and go to the app drawer. 
  2. Find Disney+ and press its icon until the options menu appears. 
  3. Tap on App Info
  4. Go to the Storage tab and tap on Clear Cache
Clear Disney Plus Cache

Relaunch Disney+ and check if the problem is solved. 

7. Clear Browsing Data. 

If you use a web browser to stream on Disney+, try clearing your browsing data to solve the buffering issue. This solution is similar to clearing the cached data on Android devices. 

Check out the steps below to clear your browsing data: 

  1. Launch your browser and go to Settings
  2. Next, look for Privacy and Security
  3. Click on Clear Browsing Data
  4. On the next window, change the Time Range to All Time
  5. Check all the boxes to include cookies and caches. 
  6. Hit the Clear Data button to start. 
disney+ stream keeps buffering

Re-login to your Disney+ account afterward and see if your stream will still keep buffering. 

Related: How to Fix Disney+ Website Not Working

8. Wait It Out. 

There are instances when some movies or shows on Disney+ become unavailable due to internal issues. To confirm this, try playing random shows on the platform to see if it will also buffer. 

If you can watch other shows without problems, then the issue is isolated to the movie or show you initially played. 

In this case, the only thing you need to do is wait it out and try again after a few hours.

 

9. Disable Browser Extensions. 

You can also try turning off your browser extensions if your Disney+ stream keeps on buffering. Some of your extensions could be interfering with Disney+, causing it to run slow and encounter problems. 

See the steps below to disable your extensions: 

  1. Open your browser and go to Settings
  2. Next, click on the Extensions tab in the side menu. 
  3. Disable your extensions and reboot your browser. 
Disable Browser Extensions

Once done, go back to Disney+ website and see if your stream will still buffer. 

10. Turn Off VPN. 

Virtual private networks could also be the reason your Disney+ stream keeps on buffering. While VPNs are great for keeping your online data safe, they can also cause issues on your network and slow it down. 

To avoid problems, try turning off your VPN before using Disney+. 

Some VPNs are not compatible with Disney+ as well, which can lock you out of the service. If you prefer using a VPN while streaming, go ahead and check out PureVPN. It is one of the leading VPN providers with over 7000 servers worldwide. 

disney+ stream keeps buffering

It works well with Disney+ and other streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and more. 

11. Flush Your DNS. 

Flushing your DNS might also help resolve the issue with Disney+ stream that keeps buffering. This should clear your DNS cache and eliminate corrupted data on your system. 

Here’s how you can flush your DNS: 

  1. Open the Start Menu by clicking the Windows key on your keyboard. 
  2. Next, look for CMD and click on Run as an Administrator
  3. Inside CMD, type ‘ipconfig /flushdns’ and hit Enter
disney+ stream keeps buffering

Once done, try streaming on Disney+ to check if your stream will still buffer. 

12. Contact Disney+. 

If none of the solutions above worked, it’s time that you let the professionals handle the situation. 

Go to Disney+ support page and contact their team to report the issue you’re experiencing while watching a movie or show. Provide a screenshot of the error, the title of the show, and your region to make it easier for Disney+ to assess the situation. 

disney+ stream keeps buffering

You can also browse the guides on their page and see if you can find other solutions not mentioned above. 

That brings us to the end of our guide for fixing Disney+ stream that keeps buffering. If you have questions, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to respond. 

If this guide helped you, please share it.

Author

  • Jake Kovoor

    Jake is the Editor-in-Chief of Saint and an independent software developer, with a Bachelors in Computer Science from Lancaster University, UK. He loves trying out various tech from the Flipper Zero to coding Raspberry Pis for automation. He started Saint back in 2016, having written over 100 posts, with the sole purpose of creating guides for software that had yet to exist back then to help users navigate around their technical problems.

1 comment
  1. Disney plus sucks. I tried all these things still have problems going back to Netflix at least their service does not have issues every ten minutes.

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