If you’re looking for a century’s worth of legacy movies to make your children and the whole family gasp in excitement, then Disney+ on your FireStick is a treasure trove. Well, that’s until the app stops working on your streaming device, giving your kids heartache.
Disney Plus not working on FireStick may happen due to an ongoing server outage or a minor system error. It may also occur if your WiFi network doesn’t provide a fast internet connection or the FireStick device is outdated.
But it’s not something you can’t get over with. In this post, we’ll walk you through the top eight proven fixes to deal with a faulty Disney Plus app on your FireStick device, showing you the most common reasons this app misbehaves to troubleshoot quickly.
Why is the Disney Plus app not working on my FireStick?
Below is a quick rundown of the most common reasons why Disney Plus won’t work on your FireStick device. Understanding these root causes should give you an idea of the apt solution your FireStick device needs to fix its faulty Disney Plus app.
- An ongoing server outage causes the Disney Plus service to be down in your region.
- The Disney Plus app is misbehaving due to minor software errors.
- Your FireStick device is connecting to a sluggish WiFi network.
- The Disney Plus app is incompatible with your FireStick device’s outdated software version.
- The Disney Plus app is on a controlled profile (e.g., child settings), limiting your choices.
- The cache is being used by other apps, making your Disney Plus app to crash.
How to Fix Disney Plus Not Working on Your Fire Stick
The solutions below are the most effective troubleshooting methods to fix the issue with Disney Plus not working on your FireStick device. These should work on FireSticks and Fire TVs, so we urge you to apply them in the order presented.
FIX 1. Power cycle your FireStick device and TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 7 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 40 seconds |
| Things Needed | A TV FireStick or Fire TV A Fire TV Stick remote |
The first step in fixing the issue with Disney Plus not working on FireStick is to perform a power cycle. You must complete this action on the FireStick device and the TV it connects to, draining their residual electrical charges simultaneously.
This residual electrical charge is often the cause of minor system errors and app malfunctions, which is why we recommend power cycling both devices. Doing so should make your FireStick’s Disney Plus app work again without issues.
Furthermore, you can expect the power cycle to significantly improve the performance and speed of your FireStick device and TV. This extra benefit should help with FireStick apps that often misbehave due to performance-related problems.
In other words, you can address multiple issues with this solution alone. As such, using this method as your opening solution will likely fix the problem immediately and save you much time.
Step 1: Unplug your FireStick from the TV. Note: Skip this step if your TV has a built-in Fire OS instead of a streaming stick. |
Step 2: Turn off your TV and unplug it from the power outlet. |
| Step 3: Wait 60 seconds to let both devices shut down their systems completely. |
Step 4: Hold the power button on the TV for 30 seconds. |
| Step 5: Plug the FireStick back into the TV. |
Step 6: Plug your TV into the power outlet to turn it on. |
Step 7: Try using the Disney Plus app once your FireStick reboots. |
FIX 2. Clear its cache
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | A FireStick or Fire TV A Fire TV Stick remote |
The cached memory that your FireStick’s Disney Plus app stores is excellent for improving its overall performance. This way, you don’t have to redownload essential files whenever you use the app again, speeding up its load times.
Unfortunately, temporary files on the app cache are prone to getting corrupted over time, resulting in Disney Plus not working on FireStick devices. Thus, your Disney Plus app may instead suffer from terrible performance and sluggish load times.
It may even stop opening when selected on your FireStick device in some cases. It’s even more tricky because there’s no way to prevent cache data from getting corrupted when using a FireStick app.
Thus, all you can do is clear the cache data whenever it gets troublesome and causes problems for your Disney Plus app. After you delete the app cache, your Disney Plus will store new temporary files once you use it again.
Step 1: Press Home on your Fire TV Stick remote to return to its home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll to the cog icon and move down to access the FireStick settings menu. |
Step 3: Go to Applications. |
Step 4: Go to the Manage Installed Applications menu. |
Step 5: Scroll down and click the Disney Plus app. Note: In some regions, the Disney Plus app might appear as the Hotstar app. Disney integrated their service into the Hotstar app after acquiring 21st Century Fox, who owns Hotstar. |
Step 6: Scroll down and select Clear Cache. |
FIX 3. Check if there’s a Disney Plus server outage
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | A PC or smartphone A working internet connection |
Believe it or not, gathering information is an integral part of the troubleshooting process. This action helps determine the cause of the issue and the appropriate solutions you must use to resolve it permanently.
However, there are times when knowing whether or not you can troubleshoot your current problem is invaluable. After all, there’s no reason to waste time and effort on an app issue without a clear solution you can use.
For example, you can’t fix the problem with Disney Plus not working on FireStick if it’s due to a server outage. Your only recourse is to gather information about the server issue from official Disney+ channels like their X (formerly Twitter) account.
This way, you’ll know if the Disney Plus team is already working on solutions to fix the server outage. Their online accounts will also post updates about when you can expect their servers to run again.
Additionally, you can visit downdetector.com if other Disney Plus users suffer from the same server issues as you. You can share your experience with the app or read other user reports to learn more about the Disney Plus server outage.
FIX 4. Reinstall Disney Plus on your FireStick
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 8 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
| Things Needed | A FireStick or Fire TV A FireStick remote A working internet connection |
Regarding the problem with Disney Plus not working on FireStick devices, installation issues are likely culprits you must look into. After all, the Disney Plus app won’t work as intended if it lacks essential files due to an error during its installation.
As a result, you can only use the Disney Plus app after deleting and reinstalling it on your FireStick device. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a defective app you can’t use or stream content on.
By reinstalling the Disney Plus app, you’ll eliminate the faulty version installed on your FireStick device and replace it with another one. Also, update the app using this method if its old version is what you have on your FireStick device.
Step 1: Press Home on your Fire TV Stick remote to return to its home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll to the blocks icon and click it to access the Apps and Channels page. |
Step 3: Click App Library to view all apps. |
| Step 4: Highlight the Disney Plus app and press Menu on the Fire TV Stick remote to reveal more options. |
Step 5: Click Uninstall under more options to remove the highlighted app. |
Step 6: Return to the home screen and select the Find option to start a search. |
| Step 7: Hold the Fire TV Stick remote’s voice search button and tell Alexa to search for the Disney Plus app.  Note: Use the on-screen keyboard to manually search if you have a basic remote without Alexa Voice. |
Step 8: Select the Disney Plus app from the search results and click Download to install it. |
FIX 5. Test your WiFi’s speed
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | A PC or smartphone A working internet connection |
We also recommend testing your WiFi network’s internet speed to gather information on the issue. This action helps determine if your WiFi network’s current data plan is enough to supply your FireStick device and play the Disney Plus app.
In particular, Disney Plus support recommends connecting to a WiFi network with at least 5 Mbps for standard and 720p HD video. This speed requirement can reach at least 25 Mbps when streaming content at 4K Ultra HD resolutions.
You can test your WiFi network’s internet speed by visiting a speed-testing website like “speedtest.net.” We recommend using a phone or PC that connects to the same WiFi network to measure the internet speed.
With the speed test result, you can determine whether or not you need to upgrade your data plan to load the content you want without issues. After all, a slow internet connection is one of the most common reasons Disney Plus won’t load on Fire TV.
FIX 6. Restart your WiFi
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes and 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | A WiFi modem and router A PC or smartphone A working internet connection |
Sometimes, your internet speed will be slow for reasons other than a terrible data plan. It’s often because the WiFi router or modem frequently suffers from software-related connectivity issues.
Therefore, we suggest restarting your WiFi network whenever Disney Plus isn’t loading on your FireStick. This way, you can refresh the system memories of your WiFi router or modem, allowing them to correct the minor errors around them.
A simple restart procedure should refresh the connection between your FireStick device and the WiFi network without removing their previous connection. We consider this method the fastest, easiest, and safest way to fix connectivity issues.
Step 1: Unplug your router’s cables |
Step 2: Unplug your modem’s cables |
| Step 3: Wait 2 minutes to let both devices shut down their systems completely |
| Step 4: Plug in your router’s cables |
| Step 5: Plug in your modem’s cables. |
Step 6: Check if the LED lights of both devices are working. Note: Your FireStick should automatically reconnect to the WiFi network, so you can try using the Disney Plus app again. |
Reset your router/modem
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
| Things Needed | A WiFi modem and router A toothpick or paperclip A PC or smartphone A working internet connection |
Unfortunately, restarting your WiFi devices isn’t enough to fix most connectivity issues on your FireStick device.
Therefore, we recommend factory resetting your WiFi router or modem if the issue persists after the restart sequence.
This action is an alternative option to troubleshooting when the Disney Plus won’t load on Fire TV. Unlike the restart procedure, the factory reset will wipe the configurations and previous connections stored on your WiFi router and modem.
It means you must reconnect your FireStick device to the WiFi network after the factory reset is complete.
Remember that your WiFi network should use the default SSID and password on the sticker label of the router or modem after performing the factory reset.
| Step 1: Use a paperclip or toothpick to access the reset button inside the pinhole of the WiFi router or modem.  |
Step 2: Hold the reset button inside the pinhole for 10 seconds to begin the factory reset. Note: Your router or modem should have a blinking orange light to indicate the factory reset is in progress. |
| Step 3: Wait for the router or modem to reboot. |
| Step 4: Reconnect your FireStick to the WiFi network using the SSID and password on the router or modem’s sticker label.  Note: Try using Disney Plus again once your FireStick connects to the WiFi network. |
FIX 7. Update your FireStick
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 minutes |
| Things Needed | A FireStick or Fire TV A FireStick remote A working internet connection |
After trying the previous solutions, you can also try updating your FireStick device’s software version. This update should work if you’re dealing with a compatibility problem.
With the latest version of Fire TV OS and its software performance upgrades, your FireStick device should be able to run most apps without issues.
As mentioned in the first troubleshooting solution, any improvements to performance are helpful since they can potentially help with misbehaving apps.
Step 1: Press Home on your Fire TV Stick remote to return to its home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll to the cog icon and move down to access the FireStick settings menu. |
Step 3: Go to My Fire TV. |
Step 4: Go to About. |
Step 5: Click Install Update. |
Step 6: Wait while your FireStick device completes the update process. |
FIX 8. Reset your FireStick
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 7 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 3 minutes |
| Things Needed | A FireStick or Fire TV A FireStick remote A working internet connection |
Aside from the software update, your other recourse is to conduct a factory reset on your FireStick device. Doing so will delete all data stored on your FireStick device, making this method excellent only as a last resort after exhausting all your options.
Therefore, we don’t recommend factory resetting your FireStick device unless you’ve tried all the abovementioned solutions. After all, you can’t restore your lost data after completing the factory reset process on your FireStick device.
WARNING: A factory reset erases all your saved data and TV preferences. It’s best to have a copy of these files before proceeding.
Undoubtedly, the success rate of this solution makes losing your FireStick device’s data worth it.
Step 1: Press Home on your Fire TV Stick remote to return to its home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll to the cog icon and move down to access the FireStick settings menu. |
Step 3: Go to My Fire TV. |
Step 4: Go to “Reset to Factory Defaults.” |
Step 5: Click Reset to confirm. |
Step 6: Wait while your FireStick completes the factory reset sequence. |
Step 7: Press Play on the Fire TV Stick remote to set up your FireStick device. |
Why is my Disney Plus app not loading anything when I’m offline?
Watching downloaded shows and movies for offline viewing isn’t supported on the Disney Plus app for FireStick devices. Unfortunately, you can only use this feature on the iOS and Android versions of the Disney Plus.
There isn’t any news about Disney Plus bringing this feature over the FireStick version of their app. In the meantime, you’re stuck with using your mobile devices to catch up with your favorite shows and movies via the offline viewing feature.
So, if you’re watching Disney Plus on your PC, you won’t be able to download movies and play them offline on the device. You can do so only on your mobile.
