How to Fix Disney Plus Error Code 73

Evan Gower December 4, 2019

The recent launch of Disney’s brand-new streaming platform, Disney Plus, received extensive media and online coverage. We got to see a lot of exclusive content, announcements, and added compatible platforms. Unfortunately, we also got to see a lot of problems and errors that may still be troubling some Disney Plus users.

From error code 73 to day-one sign-in issues, Disney Plus’ release hasn’t been a walk in the park. That said, with a platform release that huge, problems are to be expected. Here’s how to deal with various Disney Plus errors.

Error 73

Disney Plus was released in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands on November 12, and subsequently in Australia and New Zealand on November 19. The rest of the world is definitely looking at 2020 launches. However, despite it being supposed to work in the mentioned countries, there are still some location-based issues that are incredibly annoying.

Error code 73 is a location availability issue. But it’s important that you realize that this issue might actually be a content availability issue, meaning that certain content won’t be available in certain countries, despite Disney Plus being fully released and otherwise functioning there. This puts somewhat of a question mark over Disney’s claim that all Disney Plus content will be available to everyone (where it’s released) at any time.

The first step in order to tackle this error should be, of course, resetting your internet connection and the device in question. First, turn off your router, unplug it from the power source, and detach all Ethernet cables. Then, turn off your device (TV, computer, smartphone, tablet) and switch it back on. Now, plug all the Ethernet cables into your router and start it up. If this doesn’t solve the error 73, the content you’re trying to play is likely to be content-restricted.

The only way around this is by using a VPN service to make your location appear as if you’re in a country where the particular content is actually available. Of course, a simple google will help you see whether the particular piece of content is available in your location.

Error 42

What’s cool about this error is that it’s essentially an answer to the ultimate question of life in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. What makes this error weird is that nobody is apparently able to find an ideal solution to this particular error that bears the same number as featured in the sci-fi novel – 42.

Now, error 42 is essentially an issue with connecting to Disney Plus. Whether this is an error on the user’s side or Disney Plus’, still remains unclear.

What is a solid possibility, however, is the fact that Disney Plus is simply having a hard time meeting everyone’s demands – during the day-one release of the platform, many users reported sign-in issues, on account of the fact that Disney Plus didn’t dream that the numbers of enthusiastic new users would be that huge. In fact, within the first 24 hours, Disney Plus had around 10 million subscribers – whilst HBO had around five million during its first two years!

It might be the case that the error is popping up due to a problem on your side – you need a strong internet connection in order to stream 4K. Go to Speedtest.net, run a test and see if your connection is slower than 5Mbps. If it isn’t, error 42 isn’t likely to be on your end. Otherwise, consider getting a better subscription.

Therefore, it’s entirely possible that Disney Plus is still struggling with record-breaking numbers of subscribers, thus contributing to the connectivity issues. That said, other than performing a device and router restart and hoping for the best, there isn’t much you can do about this error. Well, other than waiting for the service to be fixed, that is.

Error 83

Error 83 is, unfortunately, one of the most common issues with many Disney Plus subscribers. To make things even more frustrating, it’s a compatibility issue, meaning that your device is probably incompatible with Disney Plus. But, if that’s the case, how did you manage to download the app in the first place? Well, there’s no definitive answer here. However, there are a few solutions that you can try and hope for the best.

First of all, restart your device. Yes. It may be a very tired piece of advice but you’d be amazed at how many people just blatantly forget to do so.

If the error is still present, use Google to see if your exact device model is compatible with Disney Plus.

If it is, that’s good news, as you’ll likely be able to use Disney Plus. Check whether your firmware is updated, update the actual Disney Plus app, and try and find all updates for the device in question. If you aren’t sure how to update firmware on your device, visit the manufacturer’s website and carefully follow the instructions. You’ll find many useful tutorials on YouTube, as well.

Disney Plus Errors

These three errors are definitely among the most common. However, there’s a variety of potential additional errors that are easier to solve. In any case, if you aren’t sure about tackling a problem on your own, Disney Plus’ customer service stands at the ready to help you out.

Have you experienced any of the three mentioned errors while using Disney Plus? Did you solve it/them? How did you manage to do it? Hit the comments section below if you have any questions or tips that can help future Disney Plus users.