Disney Plus has some parents upset after it added Hulu content

Even if parents create a separate profile for kids and filter out more adult content, some are still frustrated by the new Hulu shows added — shows based on YouTubers or reality shows like “Dance Moms” — that they think that the standards are not up to Disney.

“I was really excited that they were integrating Hulu so I didn’t have to switch apps,” Corey Doiron, a parent of two teenagers and a toddler, told Business Insider. He’s frustrated that when he goes to set up Bluey for the youngest using his son’s profile, he’ll watch thumbnails and suggestions for horror movies like Smile, even though his watch history is mostly shows for young kids.

Part of this is user error. The Disney+ app has two ways to filter adult content for kids, and if the parent doesn’t use either option, that’s up to them.

A kind.

Until recently, there were no R-rated movies on the Disney+ app. (“Deadpool” and “Logan” were added in 2022.) Many families never bothered to bother with age-rating options because all Disney content — even PG-13 fare like “Hamilton” or the movies Marvel – felt quite family friendly and high quality.

A Disney+ user profile can still be set to Junior Mode, which will call up a collection of shows and movies for young children. It has a slightly different interface, easier to navigate. Content is aimed at a younger audience, with shows like “Bluey” and “Muppet Babies” and only G-rated movies.

However, most of Disney’s more recent films, such as “Encanto,” “Inside Out” and “Moana,” are rated PG, which excludes them from Junior Mode. For many families (including mine, which has an Elsa-obsessed 4-year-old), no “Frozen” is a deal breaker. Junior Mode does not suit our needs.

Netflix has a better way of handling this: Parents can customize content ratings for kids’ profiles, allowing up to PG and PG-TV content.

In addition, Netflix allows you to block certain titles from a child account – because you either find it inappropriate for your child or you are simply bored of watching it 20 times. You can’t block by title in the Disney+ app.

With Disney+, if you don’t want Junior Mode, your next option is to choose the granular level of content ratings. This isn’t hard to find or do in the settings – you can create separate profiles for each family member with personalized content ratings.

You can block anything above PG or TV-PG. But not all PG or TV-PG content is suitable or interesting for children.

Parental guidance it is, annoyingly, exactly what is still needed.

For example, allowing PG movies so your 4-year-old can watch “Moana” will also show you recommendations for a true-crime show called “Murder in-Law,” along with the legal drama of the 80s “LA Law” or the iconic 70s classic “M*A*S*H”.

James Bulliard, a parent of two children (ages 4 and 6) and Disney+ subscriber, says the streamer’s settings don’t match his family’s needs.

“The reason we have PG is that when it’s set to a lower rating, it only offers extremely childish options that are more appropriate for 3- or 4-year-olds,” he said. “It’s like there isn’t an appropriate assessment option for 5-8 year olds.”

Bulliard said he noticed a documentary about the Gambino crime family mixed in with recommendations for movies like “Rio” and “Rio 2” — cartoons.

“I’m surprised they haven’t figured out the sweet spot of kids wanting to watch ‘Frozen’ and ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ but not true crime shows about bayou murders,” he said.

Taylor Swift’s film Eras Tour – popular with young children – has been rated at TV-14 due to curse words in some of her songs. But adjusting your settings to allow up to TV-14 means you’ll now also be recommended true crime shows like Cold Case Files and Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery.

That’s the crux of the problem: Disney’s entire reputation is for providing high-quality, family-friendly content. To some, a PG-13 Disney movie is not the same as any PG-13 content.

Hulu’s newly added TV content presents a slightly different problem than just maturity; here, there is a difference in quality. Hulu offers more reality TV series like Dance Moms and Swamp People (both rated TV-PG).

Disney declined to comment for this story.

Then there are the YouTube imports to Hulu that are now also on Disney+.

Hulu brings a number of shows that have been developed from popular YouTube Kids channels, such as Love, Diana and Blippi, aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, though some parents may raise an eyebrow: The man who created and starred in the character Blippi also made viral videos galore like Steezy Grossman and went viral for a video where he jumped on his nude friend in the “Harlem Shake” meme. There are also gaming and Roblox shows from YouTube creators.

Recently, Business Insider reported that Disney+ was losing the battle with YouTube for the attention of Gen Alpha. Bringing these native YouTube shows to the Disney+ app could get more of their attention.

But for a parent who wants to avoid YouTube or Roblox content for their child, Disney is no longer a safe place.

Ultimately, parents and guardians are responsible for what their children watch, and Disney has provided a few tools to adjust content ratings. But for some parents, until recently, Disney+ was something they could put on and not worry about. Now they say they feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them.

“It’s been a place where I feel comfortable letting my child drive,” Emily Johnson, parent of a 4-year-old, told Business Insider. “Sure, it may not be model parents, but my kid enjoys the sense of control being able to switch from ‘Bluey’ to ‘Spidey Friends.’ Now I can’t even find my episodes easily, the content is all double and, in my opinion, is diluting the Disney brand.