How to watch Disney Plus anywhere with a VPN

Disney Plus has been slowly rolling out across additional countries over the last couple of years, but it’s still not available in a lot of places (most of Africa, for instance). Trying to access the service from one of these locations simply results in an error reading, “Sorry, Disney+ is not available in your region.”

To complicate things further, Disney+ changes its content based on your location. This means that when you’re on vacation or working abroad, you may not be able to continue streaming the shows you started back home. The good news is that you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to spoof your location and make the service think you’re in another country entirely. This will help you regain access to Disney Plus no matter where you are in the world, and it’s surprisingly easy to do.

Now, every VPN is different. That’s why our team has personally tested dozens of leading providers, checking their speeds, unblocking capabilities, and privacy tools to make sure you end up with a well-rounded (and, more importantly, secure) VPN capable of streaming Disney+ abroad. We’ll go into more detail shortly, but for now, here’s a quick look at our top picks:

Best VPNs for Disney Plus

1. NordVPN: Our top recommendation for watching Disney+ abroad. Boasts a large network, exceptional streaming ability, and a powerful set of security features. Also offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for streaming.
2. Surfshark: The best budget VPN for Disney Plus. High speeds and a total lack of connection limits make this service ideal for families. Doesn’t compromise on privacy.
3. IPVanish: A no-logs provider with some of the fastest speeds around. Has worked hard to improve its streaming ability lately. Offers a balance between security and ease of use.
4. ExpressVPN: Well-known service that works in high-censorship countries. A great choice for people who don’t need a ton of advanced settings. Proven zero-logs policy.
5. CyberGhost: Can access multiple Disney+ libraries abroad and has task-specific servers to make this as easy as possible. Very fast, secure, and beginner-friendly.
6. PureVPN: Simple, speedy, and ideal for accessing geo-blocked streaming platforms while abroad. Offers a high degree of privacy and 24/7 support via live chat.
7. ProtonVPN: A quick, versatile service boasting great streaming ability. It offers all of the tools you’ll need to watch Disney Plus securely, plus around-the-clock support.
8. PrivateVPN: This zero-logs VPN is one of the best we’ve seen at unblocking stubborn streaming services. Lots of security features, reliable performance, and a 10-device limit.

How we chose the best VPNs for unblocking Disney+

Even though your main goal is to watch Disney Plus abroad, you shouldn’t just settle for the first VPN you find that’s suitable. That’s because some providers deliver underwhelming security, while others are too slow to actually be useful for anything but standard-definition streaming. To find the best VPNs for Disney+, our experts evaluated candidates in five key categories, each of which had several subcategories. Our testing was exhaustive, but that’s because you deserve nothing less than the best! Here’s a quick look at our main areas of concern:

• Streaming ability: Naturally, our recommendations have to work with Disney+. The more libraries they can access, the better, though. Additionally, you’ll probably want to watch something else sooner or later. That’s why we also tested VPNs against other popular platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.
• Speed: This is tricky because, in our experience, the further you are from your chosen server, the slower your connection will be. To get a more representative idea of the speeds you can expect, we used a home broadband connection to test servers in four countries where Disney+ is available, then averaged the results.
• Security and privacy: A VPN’s main job is to hide your activities from hackers, hotspot owners, and the government. Our team checks for uncrackable encryption, safeguards like leak protection, and any advanced tools (such as a stealth mode). We also make sure that the provider doesn’t log details of your browsing habits and dig into their audit histories to see if their claims have been verified by independent professionals.
• Ease of use: You shouldn’t have to be a tech expert to use these VPNs. We prioritize providers that go out of their way to be novice-friendly. They might include task-specific servers, allow unlimited simultaneous connections, or just provide 24/7 assistance in case anything goes wrong.
• Value for money: Our experts evaluate services based on what they offer compared to similarly-priced rivals to make sure that they aren’t overcharging. We also hunt down free trials and student discounts, check to see if you can save by signing up for longer, and check out how often each VPN goes on sale. Plus, every VPN we recommend has to offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can try it without any risk or obligation.
• Our expert reviewer’s rating: Finally, one of our resident experts assigns each service a score that reflects their experience using the VPN. This is combined with the results from the categories above to create a single overall rating for each provider.

Best VPNs for changing Disney Plus regions: an overview

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Disney+.

Top VPNs for streaming Disney+ abroad

Let’s get to the good part: in-depth reviews of our top-scoring services.

Here’s a detailed look at the best VPNs for watching Disney+ while traveling:

1. NordVPN

Nov 2024 Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

NordVPN is our top pick for unblocking Disney Plus in countries where it’s not available. It boasts an expansive network, with 6,000+ servers across 111 countries, with many of these optimized for tasks like torrenting, beating censorship, or browsing the dark web. Having tested numerous similar products, I was impressed by how consistently NordVPN was able to access stubborn streaming platforms – most of the time, the first server I tried worked perfectly. You’re not limited to Disney+ either; it’s also suitable for watching Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.

The apps themselves are very easy to navigate. The main panel shows some key info about your connection and lets you quickly change server location. You can also turn on the Threat Protection feature from here, which saves you a few clicks. All of the settings are in one place and separated into several tabs, making it as easy as possible to find what you need. There are a few icons on the left-hand panel that are for accessing features exclusive to Plus and Ultimate subscribers, but that’s a very minor complaint given how uncluttered the rest of the interface is.

This service has long been praised for its commitment to security. In addition to unbreakable encryption, it boasts an app-specific kill switch and an independently-audited no-logs policy. It prevents IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS leaks (something we personally verified), blocks ads and trackers, and even works in high-censorship countries like China, provided you use the obfuscated servers. What makes this VPN particularly special is its Meshnet feature: this routes data from multiple devices through a single IP address, allowing you to securely share files between systems on multiple networks with minimal fuss.

Speed is a tricky thing to measure accurately since it’s impacted by your location, server location, time of day, and many other factors. Still, NordVPN delivered impressive performance, even on a standard home broadband connection. Across four locations, it averaged 43.34 Mbps, the second-highest result we saw. This is significantly higher than the 25 Mbps needed for flawless 4K streaming, so it’s very unlikely you’ll notice any issues when watching Disney+.

This provider has monthly, yearly, and two-yearly plans. As you might expect, the price gets lower the longer you sign up for. That’s great news because NordVPN’s single-month subscriptions aren’t the cheapest, at around $13. There are also two enhanced subscription options named Plus and Ultimate, which offer a password manager, cloud storage, and cyber insurance for a small additional fee.

Apps are available for Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire Stick. The website’s support section also explains how to manually install NordVPN on most routers. Need help? No problem: staff are on-hand 24 hours per day over live chat.

BEST DISNEY+ VPN:NordVPN is the best choice for Disney+. It’s quick, reliable, and refuses to compromise where privacy is concerned. All plans include a risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our detailed review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

Surfshark is the best budget VPN for Disney Plus. Despite its low price, it stands shoulder to shoulder with more expensive providers, boasting a network spanning 100 countries and allowing you to connect any number of devices simultaneously. Not only that, it works with tons of popular streaming platforms, including Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. In our experience, you’ll usually find a server that works within a couple of attempts. If not, though, staff are always happy to recommend one suitable for accessing your preferred service.

Even if you’ve never used a VPN before, you should have an easy time getting to grips with Surfshark. It has a simple two-panel design, with server selection on the left half and details about your connection on the right. Various options can be accessed using the icons on the left, though unless you’re a Surfshark One subscriber, only the gear icon (general settings) will be of any use. Most features are controlled with a toggle button and include a brief description of what they do, which means you’re unlikely to change something important without realizing.

The key question is whether this VPN can keep your activities private. We’re pleased to announce that it can, thanks to its uncrackable encryption, kill switch, automatic ad and tracker-blocking, and proven no-logging policy. It passed our DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak tests with flying colors too. Surfshark includes a couple of more advanced features for users who want even greater privacy, namely its Rotating IP feature (which changes your IP address periodically) and NoBorders mode (designed to help you browse freely in countries with extreme digital censorship).

When it comes to speed, Surfshark is one of the best. It put in a strong showing across all four of our tested locations, with an average speed of 43.11 Mbps. That’s quick enough to watch Disney Plus, video call, and play an online game at the same time. It was the third-fastest service we saw, but not by much, just 0.32 Mbps slower than our top performer and 0.23 slower than NordVPN. Long story short, it’ll be able to handle just about anything you throw at it.

While its monthly plans aren’t noticeably cheaper than its rivals, Surfshark offers extremely steep discounts on annual and two-year subscriptions. In fact, on a multi-year plan, you’ll pay just over $2 per month on average. For a little more, you can sign up to Surfshark One or One+. These plans include extras such as a personal data generator called Alternative ID, breach alerts, a private search engine, and personal data removal tool. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive security package, Surfshark is well worth considering.

Surfshark has its own iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, and Linux apps. It can also be configured to work with most router firmware in case you need to secure devices without full VPN support (games consoles or Smart TVs, for instance).

BEST BUDGET OPTION:Surfshark is inexpensive, has a ton of security features, and doesn’t impose a connection limit. It includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Surfshark.

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3. IPVanish

Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

IPVanish has a network spanning 60+ countries which means you’ll never be too far away from a high-speed server capable of unblocking Disney+. This VPN has really focused on providing a better streaming experience recently and now works with a ton of popular apps, including Hulu, ITVX, and Paramount+. Further, it’s one of the few providers around that allows you to protect every device you own at the same time, so it’s a perfect choice for families.

This provider’s apps have the now-familiar two-panel layout. There’s a map on the right that’ll let you quickly change location and some useful connection info (plus a kill switch toggle) on the left. Users can search for a specific location, tweak settings, or get help with any issues using the bar at the side of the screen. Staff are available via live chat 24 hours per day, and unlike most other providers, IPVanish allows you to call and speak to them on the phone if you’d prefer.

This VPN all but guarantees your privacy by using high-end encryption, a zero-logs policy, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. It also includes a kill switch (which stops sending data if your connection drops unexpectedly) as well as automatic reconnection functionality to get you back up and running as soon as possible after an outage. If you’re looking to stay safe on public wifi, IPVanish can even activate on its own whenever you use an unfamiliar network. Believe it or not, we’re still not done: this provider recently introduced Threat Protection, a toggleable setting that blocks ads, trackers, and sketchy websites before they become a problem.

Readers often mention that they’re worried a VPN will slow down to their speeds to the point of being unusable but luckily, IPVanish is no slouch where performance is concerned. It averaged 42.17 Mbps across four locations, with minimal variation from one country to another. As such, this service is a strong option for anyone hoping to watch 4K video, torrent, or play online games securely during a trip abroad. Here are the results of our speed testing:

Even its pricing structure is straightforward. There are just three terms: one month, one year, or two years, and no addons, enhanced plans, or extra charges. We’d suggest thinking about a longer subscription since at almost $13 per month, IPVanish is at the top end of the pricing spectrum. By choosing an annual or multi-year plan though, you’ll save at least 74 percent, bringing the cost down to just a few dollars per month (payable upfront). These long-term options also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, while the monthly plan doesn’t.

IPVanish has its own iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, and Fire TV apps. If you’d like to use it on Linux systems or routers, you’ll have to follow manual configuration instructions – these are available from the website’s support section.

NO-LOGS PROVIDER:IPVanish is fast, secure, and great for streaming Disney+ during trips abroad. There’s no connection limit, plus annual plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of IPVanish.

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4. ExpressVPN

Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

ExpressVPN users have access to servers in a staggering 105 countries, including some which aren’t covered by most other VPNs. As such, it’s a great way to access lesser-known Disney+ catalogs from abroad. Of course, if you fancy a change, you can also tune into Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, or most other streaming services. This provider permits up to eight simultaneous connections, which should be plenty for most families.  We would prefer to see a slightly higher limit but all things considered, that’s a fairly minor complaint.

While some VPNs bombard the user with information, ExpressVPN takes a different approach. Its main panel is exclusively devoted to getting you connected to a suitable server as quickly as possible. There’s no wasted space in the menu, either, just options and quick access to customer support. The settings menu has a few different tabs, each with a handful of options to play with. To be honest, the “shortcuts”, “browsers”, and “other” tabs could probably be removed entirely without much impact on your experience but overall, we were impressed by how clutter-free this VPN’s apps are.

The best thing about this service is that it takes care of a lot of things without needing any input from the user. For instance, it can automatically detect if you’re in a country with extreme digital censorship and will obfuscate your traffic as needed. There’s also an Advanced Protection feature capable of blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites, plus a custom protocol (named Lightway) that ensures your data is secure even when switching networks. ExpressVPN has been repeatedly audited to prove it doesn’t keep logs and our thorough testing revealed that it stops IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks outright.

Another great thing about ExpressVPN is that it’s fast enough for any day-to-day task. Overall, it delivered average speeds of 41.12 Mbps, placing it firmly in the middle of the pack. There was a fair degree of slowdown when using servers that were very far away, and if this issue was rectified, it likely would have ranked higher. Still, the European and American servers were among the fastest we saw. Here’s a breakdown of ExpressVPN’s speeds by location:

While this used to be one of the more expensive VPNs for monthly coverage, other providers’ prices have crept up to the point that ExpressVPN’s $12.95 fee is now considered about average. There’s no denying that it could offer steeper discounts on long-term coverage, though: its six-month plan works out at $9.99 per month, and even with three months extra thrown in, the annual plan costs $6.67 monthly. That said, ExpressVPN is a capable service with a great reputation, so we feel it more than justifies the expense.

ExpressVPN has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, MacOS, and Amazon Fire TV. It’s one of the only providers with custom router firmware too. As such, you can protect every device you own without losing access to key features like the kill switch and malicious site blocking.

GREAT FOR STREAMING:ExpressVPN is another reliable option for watching Disney+ while traveling. Boasts steady speeds, powerful security features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

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5. CyberGhost

Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

CyberGhost actually has dozens of servers specifically optimized to help you access geo-blocked streaming apps while traveling. For instance, there’s one in the US designed to unblock Disney+. However, we were also able to access the British library using one of the general-purpose servers, and these also work with many other platforms that aren’t listed. Live chat is available 24 hours per day in case you’re struggling, and up to seven devices can be secured with a single account.

This VPN’s main page is pretty standard, but click the arrow icon and it expands to a three-panel interface. You simply choose a category on the left and options will be displayed in the center of the screen. The apps could benefit from a little reorganization since having a separate settings menu in addition to “privacy settings” and “smart rules” tabs make it a little tricky to find a specific option in a hurry. However, we’re big fans of the server list; it’s quick and easy to find a suitable server, no matter what task you have in mind.

As you might expect, this VPN offers powerful encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and a proven zero-logs policy. There are DNS-based ad, tracker, and malware blocking, which help deal with some of the web’s biggest annoyances. Additionally, it boasts a unique smart rules feature that allows you to specify what happens and when. For instance, you could connect to a specific server and launch individual apps whenever CyberGhost opens. This VPN has been professionally audited on multiple occasions, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work in China.

CyberGhost delivered the highest speeds we saw on European servers but did suffer from quite a steep dropoff when using the Australian servers. Regardless, its overall average was 41.69 Mbps, which is still fast enough for 4K streaming, torrenting, and video calls. It ranked fifth out of all the providers we tested, and given the standard of the competition, that’s actually quite impressive. Here are the full results:

There are three plans to choose from: one month, six months, or two years. The monthly subscription costs around $13, which is fairly standard, but signing up for longer unlocks significant discounts. For instance, the six-month term drops the average monthly price to under $7, while the two-year plan works out at just over $2 per month. You can also add a dedicated IP address or Windows antivirus app for a couple of dollars more if you’d like.

CyberGhost apps are available for Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, and MacOS. This service can be manually configured to work with most home routers – the website’s support section is exhaustive and will walk you through the process step-by-step.

BEGINNER-FRIENDLY:CyberGhost has easy-to-use apps and will have you watching your favorite Disney movies in no time thanks to its speedy task-specific servers. Includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Learn more in our in-depth CyberGhost review.

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6. PureVPN

PureVPN has one of the larger networks of any major provider, with over 6,000 servers. These are spread across around 65 countries, including the UK, the US, and other locations where Disney+ is available. Our team was able to reliably access plenty of popular streaming services abroad, even notoriously tricky ones like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. As if that wasn’t enough, this VPN also offers 24/7 customer support and a generous 10-connection limit.

Like CyberGhost, PureVPN has a three-panel interface. However, the rightmost panel is dedicated to funneling users toward its Plus and Max plans (more on these shortly). Navigating the apps is simple, thanks to their beginner-friendly design, and we were pleased to see brief descriptions of what each setting in the options menu does. Something that sets this service apart is that it lets you filter servers to quickly see which support torrenting, port forwarding, or both. You can also see only virtual servers, giving you a better idea of locations to avoid if you’re concerned about which country’s data-protection legislation applies to your traffic.

This is one of the only providers boasting an “always-on” audit policy. As such, auditors are free to show up and verify PureVPN’s privacy claims at any time (so far, it has been audited on four separate occasions). The apps themselves secure your connection using unbreakable encryption, a kill switch, and automatic tracker blocking, plus our testing showed that it stopped DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks outright. Thanks to its automatic obfuscation, you’ll even be able to browse freely in places like China, the UAE, or Russia without changing any settings.

Previously, we’ve seen PureVPN outpace the competition on ultra-fast test connections. However, to get a better view of the speeds the average user can expect, we decided to test it on standard home broadband. Once again, it excelled, beating top contenders like NordVPN and Surfshark. Its overall average speed was 43.43 Mbps, largely due to a fantastic result from the Australian servers (most other providers struggled to minimize speed loss on these). Take a look at the full results below:

PureVPN has four subscription lengths, allowing you to sign up for anywhere from one month to five years. Prices start at just under $13 and get progressively lower the longer you sign up for. In fact, on a five-year plan, your bill works out at a little over $2 monthly. If you’d like, you can upgrade to a Plus (which includes a password manager and file encryption tool) or Max (all of the Plus benefits, as well as a social privacy manager and personal data deletion service) plan for a little more each month.

Apps are available for MacOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. Further, PureVPN is one of the few services offering a full graphical Linux app. Manual setup is required for routers, but the company’s website explains the process pretty thoroughly.

LOW-COST DISNEY+ ACCESS:PureVPN can unblock Disney Plus, Max, Prime Video, and more. Takes your privacy seriously and offers a slightly longer than average 31-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our PureVPN review.

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7. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN was created by the company behind Proton Mail, the service beloved by journalists for its strong privacy focus. As such, it’s safe to say it has a strong pedigree. It’s free too, though you’ll have to upgrade if you want to stream anything. Paid users can choose from servers in 110+ countries, connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, and speak directly with support staff, so in our professional opinion, it’s well worth considering. Needless to say, ProtonVPN works flawlessly with Disney Plus, Peacock, Max, and many other popular platforms.

The app’s main screen looks a little complicated, but in essence, there are three main components: a map, server list, and quick-connect button. Once connected, a graph will appear at the bottom of the page, showing your speed alongside your total data usage and session length. It’s also possible to toggle a handful of security features without moving to the full settings menu, which is a nice touch (though we question the value of having a kill switch toggle on the main screen since you’re unlikely to want to turn this off).

First off, ProtonVPN has been repeatedly audited to prove that it doesn’t log details of your activities. It uses top-tier encryption to keep you safe from data interception and backs this up with DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and automatic ad and tracker-blocking. It does offer a Stealth protocol and alternative DNS routing, which should help you get around some forms of VPN detection, though unfortunately, this won’t work in high-censorship countries. Experienced users will appreciate the split tunneling, port forwarding, and profile functionality, though, since these give you greater freedom in terms of how you connect to the VPN.

If we had to find a complaint, it’d be that ProtonVPN’s speed test results were a bit of a mixed bag. It delivered impressive performance using the European and American servers but suffered from a fairly steep dropoff when using those further away. Unfortunately, this led to our second-lowest average speed (40.16 Mbps), though it’s worth mentioning that this is still fast enough for uninterrupted streaming, calling, or gaming. Here’s how ProtonVPN fared overall:

As we mentioned before, ProtonVPN has a free plan that you can use indefinitely (though it has quite a few restrictions). You can upgrade for a month, a year, or two years at a time, with discounts of around 50 percent on long-term plans. To its credit, one-month subscriptions are around $10, quite a bit below the market rate, though it could offer more substantial savings for people willing to sign up for longer. Enhanced subscriptions are available too but these effectively just bundle your VPN with Proton’s other services: a calendar, password manager, file storage, and secure email.

ProtonVPN offers apps for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Fire Stick, and Android. It can be manually installed on a wide range of routers too – check the website’s help & support section for more details.

ADVANCED VPN:ProtonVPN has plenty of advanced privacy tools and a network spanning 100+ countries. Ideal for watching Disney Plus on vacation abroad. Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our ProtonVPN review.

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8. PrivateVPN

Works with disney +Tested Nov 2024

PrivateVPN does things its own way. Instead of accumulating thousands of servers, it has spent its time carefully acquiring, hosting, and configuring around 200 (throughout 60+ countries). This affords it full control over who can access the data passing through its hardware and means that it can quickly roll out fixes if, for instance, Disney+ begins blocking its servers. On that note, PrivateVPN works well with most major streaming platforms, lets you protect 10 devices at a time, and provides near 24/7 support. In short, it’s a great choice for any task.

An interesting feature of this VPN is that it actually has two different interfaces. The default simple view just has a location selection menu and quick-connection button. However, switching to the advanced view reveals info about your connection, allows you to change protocols, and unlocks the settings menu. This is remarkably to the point, with just a handful of toggleable settings (each featuring a short description of what it does) and a few that let you swap between options via dropdown lists. Whether you’re a total novice or an experienced pro, you’ll find PrivateVPN very easy to use.

It puts in a strong showing on security too. There’s adjustable encryption so that you can focus on speed or security as needed, automatic connection, a customizable kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. PrivateVPN also boasts a Stealth mode capable of beating the world’s most restrictive online censorship. Our only issues are that it hasn’t proven its no-logging claims with an independent audit and that WireGuard connections have to be manually configured. Still, the apps support several secure protocols as is, including L2TP and OpenVPN.

While PrivateVPN did technically deliver the lowest average speed of any provider in this list (39.11 Mbps), it actually performed very well in most of our tests. For instance, its European servers were among the quickest we saw. However, its lower-than-average speeds on the Australian server dragged the overall average down considerably. We’d like to stress that even its worst result (25.89 Mbps) was still fast enough to stream 4K video, though. Let’s see the full test results:

Subscribers can choose the one-month, three-month, or annual plan (which currently comes with a whopping two years extra for free). A single month of coverage costs around $10, which is a few dollars less than most of its rivals charge, and thanks to the generous offer on the annual plan, you can actually get this VPN for as little as $2 per month (payable upfront). Best of all, there are no optional add-ons or enhanced plans: you can simply get a solid VPN for a single price.

PrivateVPN has Windows, Android, MacOS, and iOS apps. It supports routers and Linux systems too but has to be manually configured.

PRIVATE AND SECURE:PrivateVPN is a solid everyday service. Delivers reliable speeds and works with a ton of streaming platforms including Disney+. Plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our PrivateVPN review.

How to watch Disney+ from abroad using a VPN

Despite Disney’s best efforts, it’s surprisingly easy to regain access to your usual content while traveling. Below, we’ll explain how to continue streaming your favorite shows regardless of whether they’re available in your current location.

Here’s how to use a VPN for Disney Plus:

1. Begin by signing up for a VPN that works with Disney+. We recommend NordVPN, but any of the services above would be an excellent choice.
2. Download and install the VPN app, and then log in using the account details created during registration.
3. Choose one of the available servers in your home country. This will change your IP address, preventing Disney Plus from realizing that you’re actually somewhere else. If in doubt, you’re usually best using a server in a major city.
4. Log into Disney Plus and find something you’d like to watch.
5. In most cases, your video should play without any issues. If you’re still seeing errors or experiencing playback problems, we’d suggest clearing your cache and cookies and then trying again. If that doesn’t help, try another server or ask your VPN’s support team for their advice.

Methodology: How we found the best VPNs for Disney Plus

Over the last few years, VPNs have gone from being fairly niche products to something that most people have heard of. What many fail to realize, however, is that every VPN has a different level of security, streaming ability, and performance. To ensure we only recommend the best VPNs for your needs, we first made sure that they were able to access Disney+ reliably, then had our team evaluate each candidate in five key areas. Here’s a breakdown of our process:

Streaming ability

Our very first test was checking to see if providers were able to access Disney Plus from countries where it isn’t usually available and, if so, whether it worked with multiple regional catalogs. After all, it’s no use being able to browse the American library if the show you want to watch is only available in Australia. To account for this, we assigned a score out of 10 based on the number of international server locations each VPN had.

That’s just the beginning, though. We know that roughly 95 percent of people pay for several streaming services, which is why we also test VPNs against platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. Each provider was assigned a rating out of 10 based on its performance in this regard – the more services it worked with, the higher its score. We then weighted, normalized, and added these three scores together in order to create a single overall rating for each provider. Take a look below to see how our top contenders stacked up:

NordVPN was our top performer here, with a staggering 9.6 out of 10. Our other providers performed admirably, though PrivateVPN clearly struggled to keep up. It scored just 5.2 out of 10, partially due to its smaller number of server locations and partially because it was unable to access quite as many streaming platforms as its competitors.

Speed in countries where Disney+ is available

As we’ve mentioned above, a VPN’s speed can vary pretty considerably depending on which server you choose, the time of day, and many other factors. Despite this, it’s not unusual to see VPNs claim to be the fastest provider on the market. Given the variation possible, that’s hardly enough evidence to make an informed decision, which is why Comparitech’s experts take speed testing very seriously.

We decided that the best way to get an overall idea of each VPN’s speed was to test multiple servers and then average the results. We chose four locations where Disney+ was available across Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Asia-Pacific and ran these tests using a standard home broadband connection before working out the average overall speed. Let’s see how our candidates compared:

Once again, NordVPN delivered the highest results, outpacing every contender in Latin America and North America. Its European and Asia-Pacific speeds were slightly lower but still very competitive, leading to the second-fastest average speed we saw, just 0.11Mbps slower than first-place PureVPN.

To make these results easier to digest, we also normalized them to get a rating out of 10 for every provider. As you can see, PureVPN and NordVPN tied for the top spot with an impressive 10 out of 10, while Surfshark came a close second with 9.8 out of 10. Conversely, PrivateVPN scored the lowest (still an admirable 7.5 out of 10) due to the poor result on its Asia-Pacific server but strong performance across the other locations.

Security and privacy

Your primary objective might be to stream Disney Plus abroad, but VPNs are, first and foremost, designed to keep your online activities private. We evaluate our top providers on over a dozen key security criteria to make sure that we never recommend services that aren’t capable of keeping you safe. This involves researching each VPN’s logging policy, encryption strength, and country of operation. Here’s a full breakdown:

Points were assigned based on what each VPN offered in each category, then the scores were weighted and normalized, delivering an overall rating out of 10 for each. The results are shown below:

We actually have a two-way tie, with NordVPN and Surfshark both scoring 9.5 out of 10. NordVPN lost out due to its rivals offering slightly stronger authentication technology, whereas Surfshark lost points for being based in a Nine Eyes country and not offering a kill switch on all platforms. PrivateVPN achieved a score of 8.6, which is still admirable, though it has room for improvement, namely by offering additional security tools and enhancing its key strength.

Ease of use

The right VPN can make accessing region-locked platforms a breeze. However, not every service puts the same emphasis on user-friendliness, and some can be a real nuisance to use, especially if you’re new to the world of VPNs. Frankly, we don’t think that’s good enough. Our testing involves hands-on testing of each service, monitoring how easy the signup and cancellation processes are, and checking how many devices you can connect, among other things. The table below shows how we assign ease of use scores here at Comparitech:

All of our top providers scored extremely well in this category. That’s because they all offer a seamless cancellation experience, good level of feature parity across platforms, and beginner-friendly apps for desktop and mobile devices. NordVPN and IPVanish went a step further, boasting task-specific servers and unlimited connections, respectively. PrivateVPN fell slightly short with an overall score of 8.6 out of 10, though it does offer some tools that weren’t accounted for in this category, like a Stealth mode that makes it easy to beat country-wide censorship.

Value for money

In a perfect world, nobody would have to pay for privacy tools. Unfortunately, most consumer VPNs do cost money, and the ones that don’t often come with several major limitations. The good news is that you can get a high-quality VPN without spending a ton. Our experts hunted down attractively priced providers with generous discounts, frequently running promotions, and high connection limits to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Further, to even be considered for a spot in our list, providers must offer a money-back guarantee so that you can try it without risking anything.

Surfshark was our top scorer in this category, delivering an impressive 9.7 points out of 10. IPVanish took second place, with NordVPN and CyberGhost tied for third. ProtonVPN delivered the lowest score (7.4 out of 10) due to its higher-than-average long-term pricing and lack of student discounts. That said, it does offer a free plan that you can use indefinitely, which is a huge bonus. Here are our full test results:

Using a free VPN with Disney+

While shopping around for a VPN, you’ll no doubt come across a vast number of free options. These can seem attractive, but there are several reasons you should avoid them. First, free VPNs probably won’t work to bypass Disney+’s geo-restriction measures. These providers simply don’t have the resources needed to tackle a giant like Disney, so you’ll likely still end up being faced with an error and unable to view the content you want.

Even if a free VPN can unblock Disney+, you’ll need to be prepared for a poor overall experience. The business models of free VPNs mean you’ll likely be bombarded with ads served by the VPN itself or third-party advertisers. Plus, these services typically have lots of users clamoring to use a small number of servers, leading to wait times to connect and low-quality, buffering video.

If you’re at all concerned about online privacy and security, free VPNs are a no-no. These providers often track user activity and sell profiles to third parties. While reputable paid providers secure your information with the toughest encryption protocols, free providers typically use weak encryption or none at all. Some VPN apps have even been found to carry malware, and one was involved in stealing users’ bandwidth to use in a botnet.

Watching Disney Plus abroad with a VPN: FAQ