Experiencing a frustrating black screen when trying to access Disney Plus? This comprehensive guide will help you resolve the issue for good.
As a long-time Disney Plus user and streaming tech specialist, I’ve fixed this problem for countless readers by using the 12 proven methods outlined below.
Whether it’s a black, blue, or green screen on the Disney Plus login page, when launching a video, or during streaming, this guide has you covered.
What Causes the Disney Plus Black Screen?
Before jumping into the step-by-step solutions, it helps to understand what’s behind the ominous black screen that blocks you from your favorite Disney shows.
Here are the most common culprits:
- Slow internet speeds – Disney Plus requires at least 5 Mbps for HD streaming. Buffering and black screens can occur if speeds drop below this threshold.
- DNS server issues – An incorrect DNS setup prevents your device from reaching Disney Plus servers.
- VPN connections – VPNs often block streaming services. Disney Plus black screens are common for VPN users.
- Ad blockers / browser extensions – Extensions like ad blockers often interfere with streaming video platforms.
- Corrupted browser cache – Outdated cache/cookie files accumulate over time, causing Disney Plus access issues.
- Disney Plus server outages – Though rare, overloaded Disney Plus servers go down entirely in some regions.
- Software bugs – The Disney Plus app can suffer corrupted files over time leading to black screen errors.
- Incompatible browsers – Certain browsers have compatibility issues loading the Disney Plus platform.
- Error Code 41 – Learn how to troubleshoot Disney Plus error code 41 messages popping up.
Now let’s get into the step-by-step solutions, starting with the basics.
Method 1: Check Internet Speed and Connection
Since Disney Plus is a streaming video platform, having a sufficiently fast and stable internet connection is crucial.
Here are 6 steps to get your network up to speed:
- Test your internet speed at Fast.com or Speedtest.net. You need at least 5 Mbps for HD Disney Plus streaming.
- Restart your router and devices to refresh the WiFi connections. For routers, unplug them for 1 minute before reconnecting power.
- Upgrade to faster home internet, if available. Call your ISP about plans offering 100 Mbps or higher speeds.
- Use Ethernet instead of WiFi to eliminate wireless interference. Ethernet cables plug directly from your router to device.
- Toggle Airplane mode on and off on your phones/tablets to force a fresh network connection.
- Disconnect other devices using your internet to prevent congestion and lagging speeds.
Once your network hits the 5 Mbps threshold, head to DisneyPlus.com to see if the black screen got fixed.
Method 2: Change DNS Server Settings
DNS (Domain Name System) servers act as the “phone books” of the internet by translating websites like DisneyPlus.com into the proper IP addresses.
Sometimes ISPs provide ineffective DNS servers that fail to route Disney Plus traffic, causing black screens.
Switching to public DNS servers like Google’s (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) often fixes this.
Follow these steps:
On your network router:
- Login to your router dashboard by visiting its IP address (192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, etc.)
- Navigate to DNS settings and enter 8.8.8.8 as the primary server and 8.8.4.4 as secondary.
- Save settings and reconnect devices.
On Windows PCs:
- Go to Control Panel > Network & Internet > Network Connections
- Right click your WiFi network > Properties
- Select TCP/IPv4 > Properties > Use Following DNS and enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
On Macs:
- Go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced > DNS
- Click + and add 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 then click OK and Apply
For other devices like iPhones, Android, Smart TVs, etc., Google has the steps for changing DNS as well. This fixes Disney Plus black screens for countless users.
Method 3: Disable VPN and Proxy Connections
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) route your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel. Proxy connections work similarly.
While great for privacy and unlocking geo-restricted content, VPNs often interfere with streaming platforms like Disney Plus.
If you use NordVPN, ExpressVPN, IPVanish or others, temporarily disabling them is an easy way to fix Disney Plus black screens.
Once logged out of the VPN app, head to Disney Plus to see if the content starts streaming. You can re-enable the VPN afterwards.
For browser-based proxy extensions like Hola, disable them specifically on Disney Plus using the steps below:
Disable Extensions on Chrome
- Click 3-dot menu > More Tools > Extensions
- Toggle off any proxies like Hola
Safari Extensions
- Safari > Preferences > Extensions
- Remove proxy plugins
This gives Disney Plus unfettered access without fully disabling your VPN or proxies.
Method 4: Turn Off Ad Blocking Browser Extensions
Alongside VPN services, ad and tracker blocking browser extensions also disrupt Disney Plus functionality leading to black screens.
Popular culprits include:
- uBlock Origin
- AdBlock Plus
- Privacy Badger
- Ghostery
To fix Disney Plus, you have two options:
- Completely disable the extension altogether
- Whitelist Disney Plus so that the extension ignores that site only
Here are quick steps for both:
Full Disable
Chrome: 3-dot menu > More tools > Extensions (toggle off)
Firefox: Menu > Add-ons > Extensions (toggle off)
Whitelist Disney Plus
- uBlock Origin – Click extension icon > click element picker > select picker > click whitespace on DisneyPlus.com
- AdBlock Plus – Click extension icon > Don’t run on this domain
- Privacy Badger – Click extension icon > disable slider for DisneyPlus.com
Either method allows full functionality on Disney Plus once again.
Method 5: Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
When using Disney Plus through Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc., cached files and cookies get stored locally over time. Some of these files eventually become outdated or corrupted leading to site loading errors.
Clearing this browser data forces your browser to rebuild the Disney Plus files fresh. Here are the universal steps:
- Get to your browser’s History section (CTRL/CMD+SHIFT+Delete is a handy shortcut)
- Set date range to “All time“
- Check boxes for Cookies, Site Cache, etc.
- Click Clear Data
Once deleted, head to DisneyPlus.com to trigger a rebuild of the browser cache without any corrupt data this time. Enjoy your uninterrupted Disney movie night again!
Method 6: Check if Disney Plus Server is Down
Despite being rare, Disney Plus servers do occasionally face outages. Unplanned crashes or scheduled maintenance both shut down access entirely.
Since these are widespread platform issues (not your local network), a black screen displays regardless of the troubleshooting steps you try.
Before wasting hours fixing your home equipment, check the Disney Plus server status at Downdetector.com.
See if users around the globe report the same sudden login and streaming problems matching your experience.
If so, it’s an outage you just need to wait out until Disney Plus engineers get things back online. Monitor social feeds like @DisneyPlusHelp for updates.
https://downdetector.com/status/disney-plus/
Method 7: Log Out and Log Back Into Disney Plus Account
For several users facing account-specific Disney Plus black screens (rather than sitewide outages), simply re-authenticating the login session did the trick.
Follow these steps on whichever device you stream Disney Plus from:
- Force quit the Disney Plus app if open (completely shut it down via task manager or swipe it away on phones).
- Visit disneyplus.com/login on a browser
- Log out of your Disney account
- Log back in with your credentials
- Launch a video you previously had issues with
Many have found the Disney Plus black screen got resolved just by freshly signing in.
This refreshes all temporary access tokens and profile permissions that may have become non-functional if accounts switch locations, tabs idle too long, etc. Similar to an app restart, but for just Disney account sessions specifically.
Check your Disney Plus viewing history and find out what shows you’ve watched previously.
Method 8: Reset Your Web Browser
In a similar vein to the previous step, resetting your entire browser often acts as an effective “clean slate” solution.
Important: Resetting wipes all browser data like bookmarks, history, passwords, etc. You’ll have to reconfigure things afterwards.
If you sync settings with a Google/Apple account, defaults easily restore. Otherwise, screenshots your bookmarks first.
Here’s how to safely reset back to factory settings:
Google Chrome
- Click 3-Dot Menu > Settings > Advanced > Reset Settings
- Click Restore Settings to Original Defaults > Reset
Mozilla Firefox
- Click Menu > Help > Troubleshooting Information > Refresh Firefox
Apple Safari
- Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Check “Show Develop menu”
- Develop > Empty Caches
Starting your browser fresh helps eliminate any corrupt Disney Plus files caching locally that lead to black screens or other video errors. Worth a shot before more drastic app reinstall steps.
Method 9: Try Streaming on Another Device
In your quest to fix this one device with Disney Plus issues, don’t forget the quick solution of simply switching to another screen nearby.
Grab your smartphone, another computer, tablet, smart TV, etc. and attempt to login to Disney Plus and play the same titles giving you trouble on the original machine.
If the videos stream fine on the other devices, the black screen points to an isolated issue with the original hardware, network connectivity, app file corruption, outdated OS, or other faults locking only that product.
However, if alternate devices also face Disney Plus black screens:
- Update router firmware, toggle modem power cycles, double check account credentials, etc. to resolve the network-wide services before drilling down device-by-device.
- Consider ISP plan upgrades for boosted speeds if Disney Plus struggles across all screens.
If you face Disney Plus issues on your Samsung TV, check out this guide on fixing Disney Plus not working on Samsung TVs.
Having problems with Disney Plus on your LG TV? See these fixes for Disney Plus not working on LG TVs.
Method 10: Update or Reinstall Disney Plus App
Corrupted installation files within the Disney Plus app itself can prevent proper video streaming. Usually a quick update or clean reinstall fixes things.
- Update the Disney Plus app from your device’s app store
- Or uninstall and then fresh install the latest app version
This refreshes the core software powering Disney Plus access sometimes more effectively than browser tweaks on desktop interfaces.
Be sure to grab the latest Disney Plus release from official stores like:
- Google Play Store (Android)
- Microsoft Store (Windows 10)
- Apple App Store (iOS)
Learn how to enable subtitles and closed captions on Disney Plus for your shows.
Method 11: Delete Disney Plus App Data and Cache
If the latest Disney Plus app still has issues, removing its temporary data and caches can get your videos streaming once again:
On Android
- Settings > Apps > Disney Plus > Storage > Clear Data & Cache
On iOS
- Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Delete Disney Plus File
This clears out stale Disney Plus user data, viewing history, error logs etc. on your device profile that sometimes turn troublesome. The app rebuilds the caches fresh after deletion.
Method 12: Contact Disney Plus Support
I sincerely hope my decade of Disney+ and home theater troubleshooting advice has already fixed your black screen free of charge.
However, if NONE of these 12 fixes bring back Mickey and friends, please do contact official Disney Plus support for additional one-on-one assistance tailored to your unique situation.
- Live chat agents available
- Phone support
- Email/web tickets
Explain your platform, OS details, error patterns and the many suggested remedies attempted above. Their software log access often resolves or cascades complex issues beyond DIY paygrades.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
- Slow speeds under 5 Mbps frequently cause Disney Plus black screens
- Flaky WiFi and congestion make hardwired Ethernet the best networking option
- Outdated DNS servers should be overridden with public options like Google DNS
- VPNs/Proxies are leading causes of streaming disruptions – whitelist or disable
- Browser extensions and account credentials refreshing fixes one-off hiccups
- Uninstall/reinstall the Disney Plus app to eliminate corrupted files
- Check @DisneyPlusHelp for server outage updates during sitewide disruptions
Bookmark this page as your one-stop resource whenever Disney Plus starts displaying the dreaded black screen again.
No more helplessly refreshing pages hoping videos reappear. With this complete troubleshooting blueprint, winning back access takes just minutes.
Now get out there and start streaming! I wish you minimal buffering and lots more Disney magic.
