I almost canceled Disney+, until it launched its new Playlists feature — now I can’t get enough of its approach to ‘lean-back’ viewing

Playlists on Disney+ are essentially random movie generators

by · TechRadar

News By Rowan Davies Published 17 September 2026

(Image credit: Getty Images / Disney+)

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  • Disney+ has rolled out a new Playlists feature
  • The feature groups movies and series by genres, franchises, characters, or moods, providing a continuous, 'lean-back' viewing experience
  • You can also pause, rewind, and skip to the next title

Disney+ just rolled out a feature that could help put an end to incessantly browsing for a movie or TV show to watch — and it’s made one of the best streaming services even better.

The new Playlists feature, which has rolled out to Disney+ subscribers globally, is a collection of titles grouped by a specific genre, franchise, character, or mood. It's designed to give you an even more relaxed way to browse for movies and shows, allowing you to — as Disney puts it — enjoy a "lean-back viewing experience". So, if you’re after an action blockbuster or can’t decide on which Pixar movie to reminisce in, Playlists have your back.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘Disney+ already has themed Collections’ — and you’re right, it certainly does. But these new Playlists have a more of an edge over those standard Collections.

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While Collections are mini hubs that group titles around a character, franchise, or theme, Playlists builds on this by offering a continuous viewing experience with playback controls to ensure you’re still the boss. For example, if you’re feeling a comedy movie, hit ‘Play’ on the ‘Comedy Movies’ playlist and a title will start playing at random — removing the time you would’ve spent searching individual categories.

That said, it doesn’t mean you’ll be forced to watch the first movie the playlist decides to show. Each playlist has its own controls allowing you to pause, rewind, and skip to the next title in the sequence. Additionally, Disney says that seasonal Playlists will become available throughout the year, so expect to see Halloween- and festive-themed collections.

However, Playlists aren't just about moods, there’s already a fair few collections dedicated to TV shows, including Modern Family, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and my personal favorite, Family Guy. Essentially, these Playlists are like non-stop, 24-hour live channels dedicated to individual shows, except you have more freedom to skip.

(Image credit: Disney+)

I have severe indecisiveness issues just as much as the next person, and though I’m subscribed to Disney+, it’s definitely not my most-used streaming service — and that's largely due to how its search hub is designed. I was one click away from canceling, but Playlists could be the one feature that makes me stick around for a bit longer.

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