‘Hey Disney’ Custom Alexa Assistant Arrives
Disney’s custom Alexa assistant Hey Disney!, has arrived on the Alexa Skill Store a little over two years after Amazon and Disney announced their partnership. The more than 20 Disney Magical Companions from across the corporation’s brands offer purchasers and Amazon Kids+ subscribers more than 1,0000 conversations, stories, games, jokes, and other interactions.
Alexa Disney
The Disney Magical Companion acts as a host and MC for the voice AI, introducing the user to a collection of more than 25 Disney characters, including Disney-owned brands like Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and the Muppets. The alarms, weather reports, and other Alexa features replace the standard voice with a relevant character; Olaf the Snowman gives weather reports, for instance. The custom-built version of Alexa has already begun appearing at Walt Disney World in a select number of rooms at the Polynesian Village ahead of a wider rollout at the theme park. The role of the voice at Disney resorts has since grown to include access through the MagicBand+ wearable device for those exploring Disney’s theme parks.
Amazon created the Alexa Custom Assistant to simplify building custom, branded voice assistants supported by Alexa’s AI. The idea is to make it cheaper and faster for companies wanting to deploy a custom voice experience with their own voice, wake word, and more. The platform eliminates the need to design, build, and update natural language engines and other necessities. This is the first time an Alexa Custom Assistant has been made available at home or on an Echo device. All of the previous custom Alexa assistants have operated on the brand’s own hardware, including Chrysler, Qualcomm, Garmin, and Verizon, which built it into a branded smart display. Hey Disney costs $6 a year on its own, while Amazon Kids+ costs $5 a month or $3 a month for Amazon Prime members.
“Hey Disney! represents the art of what’s possible when two major companies marry their creative and technical expertise,” Alexa Skills director and general manager Mark Yoshitake said. “This is a whole new way to bring Disney storytelling to life for fans of all ages and we are thrilled to offer a magical, new experience for customers to enjoy on their Echo devices.”
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