Private Internet Access Not Working With Disney Plus

Disney+ is available to stream in an increasing number of countries. However, if you travel to a country where it’s not yet offered (such as China), you’ll find you won’t be able to access your account. Instead, you’ll see a message that says something like, “Sorry, Disney+ is not available in your region.”. In order to bypass this geographic restriction and access their Disney+ account while on vacation, many people choose to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

With a VPN, you can spoof your location, making it appear as if you’re still streaming from home. This is achieved by connecting to a server in your home country. You’re then assigned a different IP address for unblocking Disney+. Private Internet Access (PIA) is one such VPN service. However, PIA doesn’t always work with Disney+. In this post, we’ll explain why this might be the case and what you can do in order to get streaming again.

Why isn’t Private Internet Access working with Disney Plus?

Content on Disney+ is much the same from country to country. However, there are still some variations because Disney doesn’t own exclusive worldwide streaming rights to every single TV show and movie on its platform. It’s also not yet available in some countries. To respect existing licensing agreements, Disney+ ensures content is geo-blocked in certain locations.

You should be able to use a VPN to access Disney+ regardless of your physical location. Unfortunately, not every VPN works well with Disney+, including PIA. The good news is that this won’t necessarily always be the case. Furthermore, there are some potential fixes worth trying if you already have a PIA subscription. First, here are some reasons why it may not be working:

  • You’re not connected to a server in the appropriate location (i.e. a server in a country where Disney+ is available).
  • Disney+ still remembers your previous IP address and location due to a cookie that’s still stored on your streaming device’s browser.
  • The VPN IP address you’ve been assigned has already been blacklisted by Disney+.

How to fix PIA not working with Disney Plus

The cause of PIA not working with Disney+ might not always be apparent. That’s why it’s important you know what to do in order to test it out for yourself. Follow these steps to solve the problem and get back to streaming your favorite Disney+ content.

Here’s how to fix PIA not working with Disney Plus:

  1. Check the country of the VPN server to which you’re connected. You can even check you’ve got an IP address for the appropriate country via our IP address check tool.
  2. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then refresh your browser. This is to help Disney+ forget your previous IP address and acknowledge the new one from your VPN.
  3. Now you can access Disney+ and see if it’s now accessible. Still, blocked? We recommend you try multiple servers, clearing cookies between each new attempt.

If you try all of the above and PIA still doesn’t work with Disney+, you can always get in touch with PIA’s customer support. You may be able to find out if a specific server works with the streaming service.

How to sign in to Disney Plus with NordVPN

While PIA is inconsistent with Disney+, NordVPN is the opposite. This makes it one of the best VPNs for Disney Plus. Whichever VPN you use, the process of signing in to Disney+ is the same.

Here’s how you can sign in to Disney Plus using NordVPN:

  1. Start by signing up with NordVPN. This is risk-free because it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You could also try PureVPN.
  2. Download and install the NordVPN app that’s compatible with your streaming device. You can connect multiple devices simultaneously (up to six).
  3. Open NordVPN and connect to a server in your home country. For example, a server in the US for gaining a US IP address and accessing the US version of Disney+.
  4. Go to Disney+ via the website or official app. You should no longer encounter error messages as you access the site or when streaming content.
  5. You may need to clear your browser’s cache and cookies for the change in your IP address to take effect. It’s also worth trying more than one server.

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Private Internet Access (PIA) testing and conclusion

As VPN and privacy experts, we put PIA through its paces. The results were a mixed bag. On numerous servers, it effortlessly skirted around geo-restrictions, yet on others, it faltered. The connection speed remained largely steady, hovering around the 50 Mbps mark on a 100 Mbps connection. However, we did notice sporadic dips, particularly during high-traffic periods.

Private Internet Access (PIA) stands out with its formidable range of security features and a vast network of servers. Yet, its ability to reliably sidestep Disney+’s geographical limitations falls short compared to its peers like NordVPN. These competitors employ more reliable cloaking methodologies, offering a more steadfast streaming experience for Disney+ content.

We can conclude that PIA (Private Internet Access) notably excels with its robust security measures and expansive global server locations. However, we found that its performance fluctuates when it comes to circumventing Disney+’s regional content blocks, which is a discernible shortcoming.

While rivals such as NordVPN demonstrate more consistent results in accessing Disney+, PIA’s blend of pricing and staunch dedication to user privacy undeniably sets it apart as a valuable choice in the VPN market.

Private Internet Access with Disney Plus: FAQs

What can I watch on Disney Plus?

Disney+ has a rapidly growing selection of TV shows and movies, many of which can’t be found anywhere else. You can also bundle Disney+ with ESPN+ and Hulu for even more live and on-demand streaming options. Here are some of the most popular titles available on Disney+:

TV shows

  • Star Wars: Andor
  • Dancing with the Stars
  • She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
  • Bluey
  • The Orville
  • High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
  • America the Beautiful
  • Glee
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi
  • Hawkeye

Movies

  • Black Widow
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Free Guy
  • Pinocchio
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Fantasia
  • The Princess Bride
  • Lightyear
  • Cruella
  • The Greatest Showman

How does Disney Plus know if I’m using a VPN?

Disney+ and other popular streaming services, such as Netflix, look at your IP address in order to determine your location. While a VPN lets you change your IP address and spoof that location, it’s still possible for Disney+ to know you’re using a VPN. This becomes apparent when multiple users all access the service via the same IP address, indicating the traffic is coming from a VPN IP address.

Are there any free VPNs that work with Disney+?

When you consider that many paid VPNs can’t always unblock Disney+ (PIA included), it’s highly unlikely you’ll find a free VPN that works.

Free VPNs don’t typically have many IP addresses. With a lot of users assigned to each, they’re quickly identified and blacklisted by Disney+. Furthermore, free VPNs usually throttle your connection. The slow speeds may result in lower-resolution streams with performance problems such as buffering and lag.