Smart Speakers Currently Being Tested in Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort Rooms

Jessica Figueroa

Private Dining at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

Smart Speakers Currently Being Tested in Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort Rooms

“Alexa, when’s the next bus to Magic Kingdom?” Imagine having your own virtual personal assistant versed in Walt Disney World park hours, bus information, and weather, right in your resort room.

Well, at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club resorts, it appears they are testing out smart speakers (like the Google Home or the Amazon Alexa systems) in select rooms at the sister resorts. The speakers are just like the ones many use in their own smart homes, except they will have access to internal information stored in My Disney Experience, like wait times, bus arrival times, and park hours. The speakers can also play music on demand as well as answer questions about the weather. Guests can opt in or out of this test, depending on their preferences.

While Disney is making an effort to increase assistive technology in all aspects of the guest experience, like using one’s phone to unlock a resort door (via Bluetooth), location tracking via the My Disney Experience app, and even automated PhotoPass cameras, one still has to wonder whether the over-optimization is backfiring. (What’s the use in being relayed bus times if they’re ultimately late anyway?)

What do you think about the testing of smart speakers in resort rooms? Sound off in the comments below.