If you click on the links in this post, we may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post, at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclaimer here.
If you have an Alexa at home, you might find yourself asking Alexa questions, even when you’re not around an Amazon Echo device. (Or maybe I’m the only one who does that.)
Well, what if you could have a special Amazon Echo device – with a Disney twist?
The next time you stay at Walt Disney World, you might find a Disney Magical Companion inside your hotel room. Except instead of addressing Alexa, you can access the voice assistant by saying “Hey Disney!” Today, we’re going to go over just what this device is, how it works, and how you can even enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
What is the Disney Magical Companion?
The Disney Magical Companion is actually an Amazon Echo with a special Hey Disney feature and themed stand.
In our Little Mermaid room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort during our last Disney trip, we had an Amazon Echo Show with a Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary inspired stand:
You can actually order it and other Disney themed Amazon Echo Show stands here. (And yes, seeing it absolutely made me want to get one for my home!)
A short booklet was next to our Amazon Echo Show, explaining how it works and listing some of the possible uses.
And how does it work? Let’s go over that!
How to Use the Disney Magical Companion
When you come into your room, the microphone should be turned off. How do you know it’s turned off? The microphone button will be lit up in a red color.
If you’d like use the Disney Magical Companion with voice commands, then you’ll need to turn the microphone on. Simply press the red button, and the button will go from red to black.
Now you’re ready to go! You can say “Hey Disney!” to make requests. (You can also say “Alexa” to interact with the device.) Once the blue bar is lit on the screen, you can keep speaking to make your request.
Some of the special Disney features and commands include:
- Set an alarm – “Hey Disney, set an alarm”
- Get a weather forecast – “Hey Disney, what’s the weather?”
- Listen to themed background music – “Hey Disney, play a Soundscape”
- Play a trivia game – “Hey Disney, let’s play Trivia”
- Hear a joke – “Hey Disney, tell me a joke”
- Hear a story – “Hey Disney, read me a story”
- Hear a morning character greeting – “Hey Disney, good morning!”
- Hear a nighttime character greeting – “Hey Disney, goodnight!”
- Have an adventure with a Disney character – “Hey Disney, let’s go on an adventure!”
- Learn more about the special features – “Hey Disney, what can you do?”
- Stop your current Disney Magical Companion activity – “Hey Disney, exit”
And you can also consult the short booklet we mentioned earlier if you need any help using the Disney Magical Companion.
And for those of us who didn’t like it when Disney stopped having clocks in their hotel rooms, you’ll be happy to know that the Disney Magical Companion also conveniently displays the time.
Hey Disney at Home
If you love the Hey Disney features, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to be staying at a Disney World resort to enjoy it! You can take advantage of the “Hey Disney” experience at home with your Alexa device. That’s because it’s available as a skill you can purchase through Amazon.