Fans are usually in for a treat when Goosebumps, Fear Street or any other story from horror lord R.L. Stine is adapted for the small screen. His books — and Slappy — have scared young audiences for decades, and the newest TV series aims to do the same just in time for Halloween season.
This version of Goosebumps is dark and centers on a group of five high schoolers: Isaiah, Margot, Lucas, James and Isabella. Their troubles begin when they party at a haunted house inhabited by a vengeful spirit. Demons, a possessed English teacher (Justin Long) and a slimy combustion make things frightening, but there’s some humor too. Why all these eerie occurrences? They’re tied to 1993 and the late Harold Biddle, someone who may have been connected to the kids’ parents.
Stine fans will recognize storylines from some of the author’s most popular books as the story unfolds over 10 episodes. But there’s a core mystery to be solved in the PG-13 rated show.
To get your Goosebumps fill this month, keep reading to see where to stream season 1 of the creepy series and why a VPN could be a useful tool.
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Release date and where to watch Goosebumps
Viewers can watch the show on two different streaming services: Hulu and Disney Plus. Goosebumps will arrive on Friday, Oct. 13 with the first five episodes dropping on both platforms. The remaining five episodes will be released each week.
Disney just implemented price increases on its ad-free plans for Disney Plus and Hulu, but you can save if you stream with ads or choose a Disney Bundle, including a new, $20 ad-free package. Read more on how we tested Disney Plus’ ad-supported tier and what to expect with the price hike.
If you want to rewatch the ’90s Goosebumps show or the more recent Fear Street, check Netflix.
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Sign up for a standalone Disney Plus subscription with or without ads, or choose one of its bundle options. Disney packages its streaming services together — Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN — at a discount, letting you bundle two or three platforms in a single subscription. There are four bundles available now: Duo Basic, Duo Premium, Trio Basic and Trio Premium.
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Hulu is available in the US as a standalone subscription or as part of the Disney Bundle. Prices start at $8 per month to stream with ads and there is a free trial available. Students may qualify for a discount that grants access for $2 a month. Read our Hulu review.
How to watch Goosebumps from anywhere with a VPN
Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Disney Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the Goosebumps series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.
A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic and stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.
You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.
If you’re looking for a secure and dependable VPN, our Editors’ Choice is ExpressVPN. It’s fast, works on multiple devices and provides stable streams. It’s normally $13 per month, but you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation and choose a country where Goosebumps will be streaming on Disney Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the TV show on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Disney Plus to stream.
If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and you’ve picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.