Hackers are locking Disney+ subscribers out of their accounts

Last Tuesday, Disney+ was launched in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands; 24 hours later, the streaming video service had 10 million subscribers. Of course, Disney offers a seven-day free trial, so the number of paid subscribers remains unknown. Still, it was a great start for the entertainment giant's Netflix competitor. Speaking of Netflix, those who have visited one of Disney's parks know that it is highly unusual for Disney to undercut any rival on price, but for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year, subscribers can sign up to 10 devices on a single account with up to four able to access it at one time. In addition, for that price, Disney also offers 4K streaming on compatible content. A similar plan on Netflix costs nearly $15 a month.

Besides attracting millions of Disney fans, Disney+ also has attracted several hackers who are now selling legitimate users' usernames and passwords, according to ZDNet. The report says that the information for breaking into Disney+ accounts can be found for free on some hacking sites, or priced anywhere from $3 to $11. While Disney+ experienced some glitches on its launch date, it appears that some subscribers lost control over their accounts. On sites like Twitter and Reddit, several complaints were posted and some included images of notifications they received stating that their account information had been changed. Those who purchased or used stolen account information immediately change the password in order to keep the legitimate account owner locked out. So far, Disney has yet to issue a statement.

You might be wondering how these hackers broke into Disney+ subscribers' accounts. The easiest way would be for them to guess at users' passwords. How many victims of this hack decided to use "MickeyMouse" or some other Disney related name for their password? Because the entertainment giant owns so many famous properties, hackers might have opened accounts by typing in theme park names, Marvel movie titles, Star Wars characters and even names related to The Simpsons. If this is how you selected your Disney+ password, you might want to change it before it is too late.

While Disney+ certainly has many of the classic animated movies (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White to name a few), Disney Channel hits (Hannah Montana, DuckTales, Lizzy McGuire) and Pixar favorites (Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc.), it also contains content related to Star Wars and Marvel. And because Disney purchased Twenty-First Century Fox, subscribers can watch all but one episode from the first 30 years of The Simpsons. Sure, it helps to be a Disney fan, but there is content for everybody.

Earlier this year, LoupVentures analysts Gene Munster and Pat Bocchicchio explained why the success of Disney+ doesn't rely on the classics. As their report asks, how many times can someone watch The Lion King? Instead, the pair says that subscribers are more interested in viewing the characters they know and love as they get involved in new situations and adventures. Disney might have an understanding of this too since it is producing new episodes of shows starring the Monsters, Inc. gang, Lizzie McGuire (starring a grown-up Hilary Duff) and Star Wars.

If you're a Verizon subscriber with an unlimited plan and somehow you have missed the news, the nation's largest carrier is offering you one free year of Disney+. You can take advantage of Big Red's largesse by following the directions listed in this story. Just make sure that you don't get cute and use "MagicKingdom" or even "DarthVader" as your password or else you'll quickly learn what it is like to be on the Dark Side.