Walt Disney World is preparing to test a redesigned hotel-selection experience on its official website. The new system was developed in partnership with Google Cloud and includes several tools powered by artificial intelligence. It is intended to help travellers compare prices, check availability and find accommodation matching their needs. The beta version, which is a test released before a wider launch, will initially become available to selected users in the United States and Canada.
Planning a Walt Disney World holiday can involve much more than choosing a hotel room. Visitors may also need to consider the distance from the theme parks, available transport, restaurants, swimming pools and facilities for children. Disney’s research found that some guests visited and revisited the website between 20 and 30 times before completing a booking. The company says the redesigned experience should reduce those repeated searches and help travellers make decisions with greater confidence.
One of the main additions will be a guided search tool that allows travellers to describe their plans in ordinary language. Guests could enter information about their group, budget, interests and reason for visiting instead of selecting options from several separate menus. Disney gave the example of two adults attending the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival who want easy access to the park. The system could recommend a nearby resort and explain why its location and transport connections match their plans.
The recommendations can also take a guest’s favourite Disney characters and preferred facilities into account. A family organising a seventh birthday for a child who likes The Lion King, for example, could be directed towards Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The property has family suites based on the film, while Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge could be suggested because of its savannah area. Search results will contain a summary of each property and an explanation of why it may suit the information provided.
Travellers with flexible dates will be able to search for accommodation by season or individual month. A new calendar is designed to display hotel availability and room prices across different dates. According to Disney, the results will include the best available offers and rates that apply to the selected stay. This could make it easier to identify a less expensive travel period without repeatedly changing dates and carrying out new searches.
However, price will be only one part of the comparison. A new map will show where each resort is situated in relation to Walt Disney World’s theme parks. Comparison pages will set out differences in dining, transport, facilities and other services, while resort pages will contain additional photographs and videos. This information could help travellers decide whether a cheaper hotel remains good value once journey times and their daily plans are considered.
A new transport section will explain how visitors can travel from each resort to the parks and approximately how long the journey should take. Guests will also be able to ask follow-up questions based on the accommodation they are considering. A question about walking from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to EPCOT would not receive only a response saying that the journey is not possible on foot. The tool would instead present the available transport alternatives and place the answer within the context of the guest’s plans.
Disney says the answers generated by the system will use information from official Walt Disney World resources. Restricting the source material may reduce the risk of receiving unrelated information from elsewhere online, but it cannot guarantee that every answer will always be complete or current. The limited beta test will therefore allow Disney to collect feedback and examine how the tools perform in real booking situations. The company has not yet announced when the updated experience will become available to all visitors.
Using the guided search and its AI functions will remain optional. Travellers who do not want personalised automated recommendations will still be able to use the existing search and booking tools on DisneyWorld.com. Independent travel agents and employees at Disney’s call centre will also continue helping guests organise their visits. The new system will therefore provide an additional planning method rather than replacing the human and conventional booking options already available.
