A brand new FREE perk is coming to Disney World and Disneyland hotels! “Hey Disney!” marks a new partnership between Amazon and Disney that will bring “custom voice assistance” to guests staying at any Disney World or Disneyland Resort hotel.
Each Disney hotel room will soon come equipped with an Amazon Echo device (a.k.a. a smart speaker like the one you can get at home), but instead of Alexa helping you out with your basic needs, the “Disney Magical Companion” or even a Disney character will respond. You’ll be able to order extra towels, check the weather, see when the parks are open, and more. PLUS, there will be new ways to interact with your favorite Disney characters!
“Hey Disney!” NEWS — The “Hey Disney” Voice Assistant is currently in its testing phase in select rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort at Walt Disney World.
What does “Hey Disney!” do?
Resort Guest Assistance and Information
Trying to decide what to wear based on the weather forecast? Not sure when the parks open? What about when the next bus comes to get you to Magic Kingdom? No matter what question you have, all you need to do is say “Hey Disney!” and ask away!
The “Hey Disney” devices will help to streamline your Disney hotel stay with the ability to:
- Set an alarm and wake you for the day with a message from Mickey and his pals.
- Tell you the forecast (though, Olaf might butt in and tell you what he thinks of the sunny summer weather).
- Order amenities like towels or extra toiletries.
- Answer park and resort questions like when the next bus leaves for EPCOT.
- Share information about dining.
Disney Characters and More
Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, won’t be joining you during your hotel stay — instead, all your favorite Disney characters will help you along the way! The “Hey Disney” device will feature a HUGE character roster with favorites from all of Disney’s different franchises including Disney animation, Pixar, Star Wars, the Muppets, and Marvel.
And, there are so many new ways to interact with these characters during your stay. You’ll be able to:
- Hear a joke from a Disney character like Goofy.
- Be transported to the world of your favorite characters with ambient sounds and music with the Soundscapes feature.
- Compete with your friends and family in Disney Trivia to see who the real Disney expert is in the room.
- Listen to your favorite Disney story before bedtime. Just say “Hey Disney, read me a story.”
- Go on adventures with some of your favorite Disney characters through the Magic Moments feature.
- Get personalized daily messages from Disney characters. You never know who will stop by or what they’ll say — just say “Hey Disney, get my messages.” You might hear a special message if you’re visiting over a holiday like Christmas or May The 4th, be welcomed to your hotel on the first day of your visit, or get a warm farewell when your stay has come to an end.
In total, “Hey Disney!” is equipped with THOUSANDS of “magical interactions” that you can discover throughout your stay. So, you’ll always have something to do while you wait for your family to get ready for the day.
Here’s a sneak peek shared by Disney of all the features:
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Getting started
So, when can you start using “Hey Disney!” after you check in? Pretty much immediately!
When you first arrive in your room, “Hey Disney!” will be muted. All you need to do is click the red ⊘ button on the top of the Amazon Echo device and say “Hey Disney, start the magic.” You can also click the “Start” button on the screen after unmuting the device if you’d prefer.
From then on, the device will start listening anytime you say “Hey Disney!” or “Alexa” and respond.
At any point during your stay (or even for the length of your stay), you can choose to mute the device and turn off its listening features. To do this, just click the ⊘ button. You can confirm that it is muted when the ⊘ button lights up red.
Helpful “Hey Disney!” Prompts To Know
There’s a lot that “Hey Disney!” can do for you during your Disney hotel stay. Here are a few prompts to help you along the way:
- “Hey Disney, what can you do?”
- “Hey Disney, let’s play trivia”
- “Hey Disney, meet up with a character”
- “Hey Disney, read me a story”
- “Hey Disney, play a soundscape”
- “Hey Disney, play my messages”
- “Hey Disney, set an alarm”
- “Hey Disney, when are the fireworks tonight?”
- “Hey Disney, when is the next bus to Magic Kingdom?”
- “Hey Disney, what’s the weather like today?”
- “Hey Disney, order amenities”
MagicBand+ Integration
Disney’s new MagicBand+ will connect with “Hey Disney!” and make your interactions even more special!
For example, if you’re playing Disney trivia, your MagicBand+ will become the time buzzer and will vibrate and light up when your time to answer the question is up. Plus, your MagicBand+ will even be able to help you stay on time by buzzing on your wrist if you’ve set an alarm or timer through “Hey Disney!”
Note that these features are only available with MagicBand+, not the original MagicBand.
“Hey Disney!” At Home
Soon you won’t have to leave “Hey Disney!” behind in your Disney hotel room! Disney and Amazon have announced that the Disney Magical Companion will go on sale sometime in 2023. Initially, the device will roll out for purchase in the U.S. only and an exact launch date has yet to be revealed.
Plus, if you already have an Echo Show 5 device from Amazon, you can deck it out Disney-style! Select Disney World stores are now selling two exclusive Mickey-inspired stands or you can choose from three exclusive styles on Amazon. One features Mickey’s classic ears and red short design, another is inspired by Mickey’s 50th Anniversary celebration outfit, and the third features a Steamboat Willie-inspired design.
CLICK HERE to purchase the Mickey Mouse Echo Show 5 Stand on Amazon!
Privacy Concerns
One of the biggest concerns that Disney fans have had since Disney announced that “Hey Disney!” was coming to Disney World and Disneyland hotels is how the device will handle your privacy.
Is it always listening? Does it know my personal information? Will I start getting Disney Genie recommendations based on what I say behind closed doors in my hotel room?
According to Disney, the “Hey Disney!” device will NOT be linked to your Disney account — just your hotel room. So, it won’t be able to charge anything to your Disney account, like Disney Genie+ or room service, for example. Really, the only piece of information that your “Hey Disney!” device will know about you is your room number, and that’s how you’ll be able to order things like towels or room service.
Disney has further addressed guest privacy concerns by saying:
“When the device detects that someone has said “Hey Disney” or “Alexa” (the “wake words”), it will listen to your request and send it to Amazon for processing in the cloud. Use of certain features through the device’s touch screen will also wake the device and cause it to listen for your request. You’ll know the device is listening to your request when the blue bar lights up.
You can always turn the microphone off by pushing the button on the top of the device, which will turn on a red ring to indicate it’s muted.”
When “Hey Disney” will be available in Disney hotels
Disney originally announced that the “Hey Disney!” devices would be released in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort hotels in 2022. However, it seems that the rollout timeline has shifted.
“Hey Disney!” is currently in the testing phase at select Disney World Resort hotel rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
FAQ
Is “Hey Disney” always listening?
No! The device is programmed to listen when it detects the wake words” — in this case, it is “Hey Disney” or “Alexa.”
You’ll know that it is listening if you see the blue bar light up at the bottom of the screen.
Can I turn “Hey Disney!” off?
Yes! Using “Hey Disney!” is totally optional during your stay. You can choose to mute the device, unplug it, or contact the front desk to have it removed from your room.
CLICK HERE for a guide on how to turn off “Hey Disney!” in your Disney World or Disneyland hotel room!
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