If you’ve been watching Disney+ with ExpressVPN and it’s no longer working, then Disney has managed to block all of the IP addresses ExpressVPN has available.
This has happened because ExpressVPN is no longer staying one step ahead of Disney+’s blocking techniques.
You may feel helpless, but there’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve.
This article will explain how you can fix ExpressVPN not working with Disney+ so you can watch your favourite Disney movies and shows anywhere in the world again.
See also:
- ExpressVPN not working on Firestick? Try these EASY fixes! (Updated August 2021)
- The best way to put a VPN on your router! It’s EASY! (August 2021)
- The best VPNs for ITV Hub: Updated August 2021
ExpressVPN not working with Disney+: Simple Fixes
Try these fixes in order. As you go through them, check to see if ExpressVPN is working with Disney+ and if it isn’t, move onto the next fix.
Delete Cookies
Cookies are small files used by websites and apps that strive to make your online experience better.
You may have seen websites asking you to accept Cookies.
These aren’t malicious files, but to make your online experience better, they sometimes contain information about your location.
If you’re outside Disney+’s broadcast zone and are using ExpressVPN, Disney may be accessing the information stored on these Cookies to find out you aren’t in a region where you can watch Disney+.
To stop this from happening, delete your Cookies.
Change to a different server
If Disney+ was working with ExpressVPN and it suddenly stopped working, the IP address ExpressVPN has given you has been identified and blocked by Disney.
The good news is Disney doesn’t have the ability to block ExpressVPN completely. It can only block the IP addresses it provides.
Changing to a different server will give you a different IP address. If Disney hasn’t blocked this IP, then you’ll be able to watch Disney+ again.
Reinstall ExpressVPN
If ExpressVPN has suddenly stopped working with Disney+, you may have inadvertently downloaded an error that’s interrupting the software.
A good way to get rid of these issues is to reinstall ExpressVPN.
This ensures you have the latest version of the software, including any bug-fixing updates that ExpressVPN may have released.
It also means you’ll have a fresh installation of the software, so any errors or bugs you may have picked up will be erased.
Upgrade to a better VPN
If neither of the first two fixes works, Disney has managed to block all of the IP addresses ExpressVPN can currently give you.
You can wait for more IPs to be released, however, there’s no telling how long this will take and also, seeing as you’ve run into this problem already, it’s clear that ExpressVPN doesn’t have measures in place to stay ahead of Disney’s blocks and the new IP addresses will inevitably be blocked as well.
To fix the issue properly, you need to upgrade to a VPN that has measures in place to stay ahead of Disney’s VPN blocks. You need Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
Why does Disney+ block ExpressVPN?
The reason Disney blocks ExpressVPN is all to do with broadcast rights. Disney+ does not have the rights to broadcast its content everywhere.
These rights are laid out in the copyright and licensing agreements that Disney has with its content partners. And if Disney breached these agreements and broadcast its content in a country where it didn’t have the rights, it could face severe financial repercussions.
Using ExpressVPN to watch Disney+ could result in Disney breaching its agreements. To prevent that from happening, Disney+ attempts to stop VPNs from connecting to its service.
How does Disney+ block ExpressVPN?
Disney blocks ExpressVPN using three techniques:
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than the number of IP addresses they can provide; this means that customers can use the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When Disney sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN and it blocks it.
- Disney monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- Disney teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, Disney will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from and it will block you.
These techniques are hard to get around, and VPNs are constantly battling with Disney to stay ahead of these VPN blocks. Unfortunately, ExpressVPN is no longer winning these battles, and that’s why you’re running into problems watching Disney+ with ExpressVPN.
Does Disney+ still work with VPNs?
Yes, Disney+ definitely still works with VPNs. I’ve been comfortably watching Disney+ with a VPN for years.
The trick is to use a VPN with powerful measures to stay ahead of Disney’s blocks.
The best VPN for getting around Disney’s blocks is Private Internet Access ($2.03/month). This is because it plays a game of cat and mouse with Disney+
When an IP address provided by this VPN is blocked, Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP and open a new one. This will allow you to reliably watch Disney+ anywhere in the world without issues.
The best VPNs to watch Disney+
1. Private Internet Access 🥇
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. NordVPN 🥈
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. Ivacy 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
