Amazon and Disney have partnered to create an interactive experience that combines Alexa’s voice assistant features with Disney’s robust stable of characters. The appropriately-named “Hey Disney!” is now available on any Echo device and represents the very first time Amazon has allowed an assistant other than Alexa on its various speakers and tablets.
Once you purchase an annual subscription to the new voice assistant via the Alexa Skills Store, you’ll have some brand new ways to interact with your Echo gadgets. The wake word changes to “Hey Disney!” which gives you access to something called the “Disney Magical Companion.” This opens up 20 new personalities and voices to interact with across Disney’s entire corporate roster, including Pixar movies and the Star Wars franchise. Additionally, the service is being included as a perk to Amazon Kids+ at no added cost.
Once you call up your favorite character, you’ll get some extra personality when asking for the weather or setting an alarm. Amazon gives examples of Olaf from Frozen reading the weather and a themed soundscape inspired by Return of the Jedi’s moon of Endor. There’s also an emphasis here on storytelling, with Amazon touting “interactive adventures with characters” and “immersive entertainment.” Finally, there’s a new multiplayer Disney trivia game. These modes exist as voice-only experiences for Echo speakers and with visuals for Echo Show tablets.
This is not the first we’ve heard of this unique branding. The voice assistant was first revealed last year, but it was an exclusive release to Disney Resort hotels. Now it’s available to everyone, so long as you pony up for a dedicated subscription or already have a Kids+ plan.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-hey-disney-experience-comes-to-all-echo-devices-130009651.html?src=rss