You’ll soon be able to experience the magic of Disney in a new way—both at home and in select Disney Resort hotel rooms. The Hey Disney! experience launches later this year, but Amazon offered the public the first sneak peek during a live demonstration at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Hey Disney! is a first-of-its-kind voice assistant that will give customers access to a wide range of Disney magic through Echo devices at home and as a complimentary service at select Disney Resorts hotels. Disney built the experience using the Alexa Custom Assistant, a voice AI foundation upon which the company could easily create its own custom voice assistant that coexists with Alexa. This new voice assistant, termed the “Disney Magical Companion,” is the voice of Hey Disney!
The service will be available for purchase in the U.S. in the coming months. Customers who have purchased and enabled it can say, “Hey Disney!”—a new wake word Amazon created—to enjoy experiences featuring more than 20 Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. Customers can interact with these fan-favorites—like Mickey Mouse, Dory from Finding Nemo, and Olaf from Frozen—to hear an array of jokes, play trivia, listen to soundscapes, and more.
How does Hey Disney! work?
Customers will access the service through Echo smart speakers at home and Disney Resort hotel rooms. Guests staying in select Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort hotels will be able to ask questions about park hours, request fresh towels, and access other helpful features.
Hey Disney! will also feature support for Disney’s MagicBand+, the smart and interactive wearable device that visitors use at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort to interact with shows, enter the park, redeem Lightning Lane access, and more. For example, when you answer trivia questions, MagicBand+ transforms into a game show-style buzzer and reacts with lights and vibrations. It will even light up and buzz when your alarm or timer goes off.
