Amazon and Disney are officially teaming up to bring something new to US Echo device users. The new addition would allow users to get the "Hey Disney!" voice support and even pick out the voices of popular Disney characters.
Amazon and Disney are Working Together to Bring 'Hey Disney' to Echo Devices
It's important to note that this comes with an additional price which would cost users $5.99 annually. This means that users would be paying less than $0.50 a month to get access to some premium Disney character voices.
According to the story by The Verge, the new Hey Disney was announced by both Amazon and Disney, which launches a custom voice assistant that was specifically created for Walt Disney resort locations.
Although initially created for resorts, the feature is launching to the public, and now, users will be able to gain access to it in the comforts of their own home. It's important to note that the feature is also known as the "Disney Magical Companion.
The Feature is Still Limited to 'Select Amazon Echo Devices'
However, it was also noted that the feature would only be available for "select Amazon Echo devices," which means that not all Echo owners might be able to use this feature. There could be a bigger chance of the feature being enabled for the newest Echo devices.
As per the announcement, subscribers will be able to gain access to some of the most famous voices from characters spanning a wide range of Disney-owned IP. This means being able to pick from Pixar and Star Wars as well.
Users can choose from popular characters like Minnie Mouse or BB-8 among some others. These character voices can be used to report certain things like weather, timers, and even alarms, as also noted in an article by Tech Crunch.
Amazon Kids Plus Subscription Plan Gets 'Hey Disney' Included
It was noted that the feature would automatically be available on the Amazon Kids Plus subscription plan but could also be added individually for $5.99 monthly. This fee would auto-renew from the user's Alexa skills store.
For users to check out their options, they can say the magic words "Alexa, introduce me to Hey Disney." This will then allow the device to acknowledge the Hey Disney wake word, which would then give users character choices to choose from.
The report by The Verge also specifies that the feature doesn't replace Alexa completely and will be reverting the use of any Alexa for queries that Disney characters won't be able to address.
Users Can Change the voices When They Want
Users can experiment with different characters and, once subscribed, can choose to switch from one voice to another whenever they want to hear something new. This feature could also be useful for those that get tired of the plain Alexa voice and want something more unique.
Users can easily shift from one voice to another when trying out different Disney characters or voices from characters under different Disney-owned IPs.
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