Major changes are on the way for the My Disney Experience app and the Disney World website that might make it even easier for you to plan your next trip!

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This optional new feature is an AI assistant you can speak with conversationally that will use what you say to help match you with your perfect Disney World vacation. You can tell it about your likes and preferences, and it will be able to generate suggestions for your upcoming trip — down to the lowest price for your hotel stay, if that’s what you ask it to do. We’ve got more details, so let’s get into everything you need to know.

This new Disney World vacation planning feature is a combination of a user experience that guests would expect — including guiding them along, booking the resort, purchasing park tickets, purchasing potential dining plans or packages — combined with AI designed to simplify the experience and “transform how they plan to book their Disney vacation.”

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For example, you can say you want to visit Disney World in the fall for a child’s 7th birthday. The birthday kiddo happens to be obsessed with The Lion King, and you’re looking for a hotel with easy access to the parks, a nice pool, and a discount offer if any are available. You’ll also be able to input basic things like the number of guests, etc. The AI assistant will then be able to suggest something based on what you’ve said, and in the example we were shown, it did just that — and suggested a Lion King suite at the Art of Animation, or a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge. From there, you could compare the two rooms to see which would fit your needs best, while being shown the lowest prices or best deals for each.

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In the example, the AI was also asked about convenience when it came to getting to the parks, and it said that the Art of Animation featured the Skyliner, which is connected to two parks. Then, the example family was able to check their preferred travel dates, and that sealed the deal on the Art of Animation. The AI tool also double-checked that the example family was getting the best rates on their selected dates.

When the AI tool is first introduced, it won’t be able to provide you with super specific information, but Disney said that is coming down the line. So, if you said you wanted to stay in a Deluxe hotel suite on a day when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is going on and has availability, it wouldn’t be able to immediately provide you with that information, but it could help you narrow down your search. Additionally, at this time, it will not include things like Lightning Lane or dining reservations. Eventually, Disney plans on making those specific requests possible.

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Another example we were shown involved a mom wanting to take her daughter back to Disney World, and after having stayed in a Value Resort previously, wanted to stay in a Moderate Resort this time. She told the AI tool that her daughter is very into princesses, and then it suggested the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.

Essentially, you can tell the AI tool what is most important to you on your Disney World trip, and it will prioritize and make suggestions based on what you’ve said, in addition to making sure you’ve gotten the best price, if that’s something that matters to you. Disney will also notify you if the rate changes and a better price becomes available.

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This new system will be beta-tested by select app and website users before eventually being rolled out fully. Again, this is all optional as well, so if you prefer to plan your Disney World trips the old-fashioned way, you’ll still be able to do that.

According to Disney, they know that — particularly for first-time guests — the scale of Disney World and everything that goes along with that can make planning a trip daunting and complicated. This new tool seeks to simplify that.

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There will also be a new map that will help planners understand where everything is in relation to each other, whether it’s the hotels, parks, or any other part of Disney World property. The map looks similar to the wait times view, but instead of showing wait times, it can show you the prices of resorts all over the property, so you can immediately visualize where the cheapest — or most appropriately priced — resort is for you and your party.

And, once you’ve selected your reservation, the AI tool will do a final search to make sure you’re getting the best rate on your hotel, tickets, and dining. It can also show you a date range for the best rates, similarly to how airlines do it. That way, you can plan your trip around the best prices instead of specific dates.

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In addition, there will be an itinerary sharing option that allows you to directly send your Disney World itinerary to a friend or family member, making it easier to collaborate on vacation planning.  This shareable link can also be sent to your travel agent to have them actually do the booking once you’ve got everything planned.

Disney said their use of this AI planning tool was conservative, and they applied it only where there was no other option for achieving their specific goals.

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We’ll be on the lookout for even more updates you need to know about for the My Disney Experience app and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more.

What do you think of these changes to the Disney World app? Let us know in the comments below.