Families around the world want to know when "Encanto" is coming to Disney Plus The story of a madrigal family living in Colombia, all of whom have magical powers The story of a madrigal family living in Colombia, all of whom have magical powers

But when her family's powers are at stake, Mirabelle is the one who might actually save them all Perhaps because she is the one person without magic, she discovers the truth about where her family's magical power came from and tries to save them all

The only problem, however, is that "Encanto" was not a Disney Plus Premiere Access film Disney's method of releasing films in theaters and on Disney Plus (a $30 paid service) was skipped again; it hasn't been used since "Jungle Cruise" on July 30, so it may appear to be dead

But let's break down everything we know about Encanto's appearance on Disney Plus and Disney's plans for the blockbuster film and its streaming service

Encanto is the only exception to the traditional pattern of films being released on Disney Plus after their theatrical release Whereas Shang-Chi took 70 days from its theatrical release to reach Disney Plus, Encanto took 30 days, arriving at Disney Plus on December 24, a full 30 days after its November 24 theatrical release

Disney made this official in a press release this past September

All of the other major films listed by Disney (The Last Duel, Ron's Gone Wrong, Eternals, West Side Story, and The King's Man) will be released theatrically and streamed (The Last Duel is Disney Plus), with at least 45 days between the dates; Ron's Gone Wrong will take less than two months, arriving on Disney Plus and HBO Max (after its October 22 release) on December 15

And as of now, there is no word yet on when "Eternals" will arrive If it follows "Shang - CHI", we would expect an early January release However, a Christmas Eve release makes sense, so I would not be surprised if Eternals arrives sooner Encanto and Eternals are aimed at different audiences, which would give more reason to launch Disney Plus on Christmas Eve; Hawkeye ends on December 22, and Book of Boba Fett hits on December 29

The less proven Streaming Guider claims that Disney Plus told them that "Eternals" will be available on Disney Plus on January 12, 2022 The reason to believe this is because it is a 68-day gap, close to the 70-day window for Shangri-La This is because January 12 is a Wednesday, and Disney likes to release its big movies (including Jungle Cruise, Shang Chi, and Encanto) on Fridays

Disney did not explicitly explain this decision, but it is the culmination of a series of decisions beginning with Shang-Chi's surprising opening weekend A few days later, Disney confirmed its plans by announcing Encanto's Disney Plus launch date in the aforementioned press release

The release quoted Kareem Daniel, Disney's Chairman of Media & Entertainment Distribution, as saying, "While we look forward to entertaining audiences in theaters as their confidence in moviegoing continues to grow, we are also excited about the We also maintain the flexibility to give Disney+ subscribers Encanto during the holiday season"

In short, Disney thinks the box office is enough for now Who knows if Omicron's variant will change that calculation or change the interest of movie-going audiences