Today, Amazon and Disney announced ‘Hey, Disney!’, an entirely new kind of voice assistant that will work alongside Alexa at home and across Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms. Expected next year, ‘Hey, Disney!’ will let fans and guests interact with some of their most beloved Disney characters, simply by saying “Hey, Disney!” on supported Echo devices at home and at Disney Resort hotels.
Introducing ‘Hey, Disney!’
With ‘Hey, Disney!’, you’ll get access to interactive Disney storytelling experiences and entertainment, as well as fun and delightful content like jokes, fun facts, and special surprises featuring Disney characters. Go on interactive adventures with Mickey, Dory, and Olaf, or sit back and listen to your favorite Disney stories. Transport yourself to the worlds of your favorite characters with unique Soundscapes or test your Disney knowledge with trivia. ‘Hey, Disney!’ will even make everyday tasks more magical, such as setting timers and alarms, and checking the weather or time of day.
Making Your Disney Resort Stay More Magical
In addition to delighting customers at home, ‘Hey, Disney!’ and Alexa will also be available in Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms as part of an upcoming integration using Amazon’s Alexa for Hospitality service. ‘Hey, Disney!’ and Alexa will work side-by-side to simplify your stay and make it a bit more delightful by answering questions, fulfilling special requests, and more. You can ask ‘Hey, Disney!’ for more blankets and towels, the fastest way to get to the park in the morning, and where to get your favorite food. With Alexa, you can hear the news, ask for sports scores, play music, and more. Alexa for Hospitality makes it easier for hotel and hospitality properties to deploy Amazon Echo devices at scale, as well as create unique voice experiences and features such as customized screens on Echo devices tailored to their property and customer needs.
A ‘First-of-its-kind’ Voice Assistant, Developed by Disney, Built on Alexa Technology
The ‘Hey, Disney!’ voice assistant was developed from the ground up by Disney, featuring original character voice recordings and audio, with over 1,000 magical interactions to discover, as well as a brand-new character created as a guide—the Disney Magical Companion. ‘Hey, Disney!’ will mark the first time an Alexa Custom Assistant will be available on Echo devices. Alexa Custom Assistant is a comprehensive solution that made it easy for Disney to create their own custom voice assistant tailored to Disney’s personality and customer needs, built on Alexa technology. Alexa Custom Assistants have unique wake words, voices, personalities, and capabilities, and can coexist and cooperate with Alexa.
‘Hey, Disney!’ is expected to be available for purchase in the U.S. in the Alexa Skills Store for use on all supported Echo devices beginning in 2022. To learn more and be notified when ‘Hey, Disney!’ launches, visit amazon.com/HeyDisney to sign up.
‘Hey, Disney!’ will work alongside Alexa and can be accessed complimentary on Amazon Echo devices in Disney Resort hotel rooms at Walt Disney World Resort.
Customers in the U.S. can bring even more Disney magic to their homes with a new Mickey-inspired OtterBox Den Series stand for Echo Show 5, available for pre-order today for $24.99 by visiting amazon.com/MickeyMouseStand.
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83