From Korea To Japan To A Galaxy Far, Far Away, 16 Disney+ Shows That Will Take You On A Virtual Vacation

It's December! You know what they means.

With the holiday season just around the corner, people are jetting across the globe. But, travelling can be a luxury that not everyone can afford. Fortunately, you can have your own trips right from the comfort of your couch with the air-conditioning on.

How, you ask? Well, all you need (for Christmas) is a simple Disney+ subscription.

 ● These shows are good for the S(e)oul

Take a trip down to the Light Shop, a place that draws in a group of strangers, each struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event in their past. This mystery series is based off the webtoon of the same name, which is written by the creator of Moving – Kang Full. The show stars Bae Seong-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Park Bo-young and Lee Jung-eun. Elsewhere, in Gangnam B-Side, a detective (Jo Woo-jin), a prosecutor (Ha Yoon-kyung), and a broker (Ji Chang-wook) investigate a string of disappearances in the seedy underbelly of the titular trendy district.  

Not everyone can belt like Cynthia Erivo, but you don’t have to feel judged in the privacy of your own home as you sing and dance along to Seventeen Tour ‘Follow’ Again. This might also be a good opportunity to warm up your vocals for their concert next year. Speaking of singing, catch Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born to watch a talented young female singer (Kim Tae-ri) pursue her dream of being a Korean traditional opera actress. Guess nobody’s going to bring her down.

 ● Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun…and Monsters

Are you a kaiju fan? Then Kaiju No. 8 is up your alley. In this series, humans regularly fight and kill these giant monsters, until an intelligent kaiju appears and turns the tides against them. For the old-school anime fans, popular shounen anime series Bleach returns for its final arc, the Thousand-Year Blood War. The anime adaptation is expanding on the manga, including never-been-seen fights and powers. If you want more action, then watch demigods duke it out in Ishura. (Psst, season 2 is coming on Jan 3, 2025!)

Gannibal is a folk horror series that will also have a sequel in 2025 too. Follow a police officer as he slowly discovers the dark secrets of an idyllic village he has been posted to — it’s full of cannibals. To change up the mood, get a little philosophical about the meaning of life and our future with Cafe Funiculi Funicula. In this peculiar cafe, one can travel back in time and seek closure. What happens when people start confronting the ghosts of their past? Take a seat, have a cuppa and find out.

● Party in the USA (Disney+’s Version)

Taylor Swift is wrapping up her record-breaking Eras Tour but you can relive the once-in-a-lifetime experience with The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), which includes extra acoustic songs.

If you fancy a laugh during trying times, the action-comedy series Interior Chinatown — starring familiar comedians Jimmy O. Yang and Ronnie Chieng, and former Power Ranger Archie Kao — will bring some cheer. Yang plays a struggling background actor who uncovers family secrets and the criminal underground of Chinatown after witnessing a crime.

Sweet dreams are made of this and at Dream Productions, you get to see how it all comes to life. This four-part mockumentary-style series is set between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2 and follows director Paula Persimmon (voiced by Paula Pell) as she tries to create Riley’s new hit dream with Xeni (voiced by Richard Ayoade).

● To the stars and beyond

Are you feeling the Jude Law flirtation season yet? If not, there’s a show on Disney+ to get you in the mood. No, it’s not The Holiday, but Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, where Law plays Jod Na Nawood, a mysterious Force user who charms his way out of situations. He crosses path with four kids who are lost in the galaxy and are trying to find their way home. Plenty of heart, action, and of course, Jude Law.

For more adventures taking place in a galaxy far, far away — check out Star Wars’ Andor and its titular character Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Serving as the prequel to 2016’s Rogue One, the series tells the story of how the charming, roguish thief eventually joins the Rebellion. If you haven’t watched it, there’s still time because season 2 drops on April 22, 2025.

Jumping through time and alternate realities has become increasingly popular in, well, popular culture so here are two shows for you. First, we have one of this year’s biggest hits Deadpool & Wolverine — bringing together the triple threat of Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy who slayed in weaving together a story that bids farewell to the Fox era of Marvel, and integrates them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Secondly, the MCU has its own reality-jumping shenanigans in the animated series What If…? season 3, premiering Dec 22 . A new episode will be released daily, counting down to Dec 29. Featuring the likes of Shang-Chi, Red Guardian, Monica Rambeau, and Kate Bishop, the final season will conclude the Watcher’s arc and the multiversal stories.

Subscribe to Disney+, with standard plans starting from S$15.98 per month, or, for a better deal, S$189.98 annually for the premium plan, and save over 16 per cent (compared to a monthly subscription price). With the premium plan, you’ll get up to 4K UHD & HDR video, up to Dolby Atmos audio, four concurrent streams, and multiple downloads. Parental controls are also available to adjust what kind of content your lil’ ones can watch so you can keep their viewing experience family-friendly.

Full subscription details available on disneyplus.com.

Photos courtesy of Disney+