The Walt Disney World website will be adapting AI search results as part of a concerted effort to make the website more helpful for guests planning their vacations. Previously, Walt Disney World had announced that AI search was coming to the My Disney Experience app. While it was assumed that AI-powered search results would be coming to the website too, it can now be confirmed that AI search is coming. That said, recently surfaced screenshots of an AI overview notice should not be seen as an example of what’s to come. Here’s what we know and what you should know about AI search coming to the Walt Disney World website.
AI Search Coming to Disney World Website
BlogMickey.com has confirmed that AI search results are coming to the Walt Disney World website. The confirmation comes after a notice was visible on the Walt Disney World website referencing “AI Overview”. The notice, seen in our screenshot below, was visible when searching a limited scope of terms. It was published in error, and the actual results themselves are not AI-powered and are not representative of what the feature will look like when it rolls out to the public at a later date.
As you can see in the screenshot below, a notice says that AI Overview is currently in a Cast Preview phase. From our understanding, that is not the case. The notice goes on to describe a limited scope of results, saying that the feature is available for “most food and beverage questions”. Again, we understand that the notice and the text of the notice are an error on the site. Again, the results are not being powered by AI yet, and the AI-powered search results are still in an early phase of backend testing. In fact, the errant notice should end up being removed from the Walt Disney World website shortly.
Really, the new news here is that AI Overview for search results is coming to the Walt Disney World website. We’ve previously covered the AI search planned for the My Disney Experience app. While unconfirmed, we expect there will be some feature parity between the website and the app. Here’s what we wrote about the confirmed details for the app, with the assumption that there will be some overlap with the website whenever the AI-powered search results go live.
What Will AI Search Do In The My Disney Experience App?
The upgraded search will allow guests to type questions, short or long, and receive a concise, AI-generated summary at the top of the results. Rather than surfacing a long list of links or pages, the app will look at all of the data from across the Walt Disney World website and deliver a simple summary.
Disney confirmed the feature during a recent media briefing, where executives demonstrated example queries, including how to find a ride that features outer space travel. In the example shown to attendees, the query was “ride in space”, and the results included Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space Mountain, Mission: SPACE, Star Tours, and more. The new AI-powered version returns relevant and correct answers with a clear summary.
The capability is being built to handle both short, specific queries and longer, more conversational ones, reflecting how guests increasingly search across the web. Disney executives did not expand on the nuts and bolts of the AI system being used.
Disney is not sharing any screenshots of the app at this time, but they did show screenshots during the media preview panel that showcased results similar to what you might find on Google. The name of the attraction, experience, or offering is followed by a short summary. The concept shown to media is subject to change.
How It Differs From Current Search
The current My Disney Experience search is, frankly, terrible. While the current version of the app prompts guests to “Ask a Question” in the search bar, the underlying results are nowhere near accurate a large chunk of the time. The search experience in the My Disney Experience app has quietly been one of my greatest frustrations.
Not to belabor the point too much, but an example of the current search functionality given by executives during the panel was for the term “Chicken tenders in Magic Kingdom”. The top result, currently, is Chicken Guy at Disney Springs. Not great.
The new AI experience changes that. The summarized, more accurate answer will appear immediately at the top of the search results, with the option to explore further if the guest wants more detail. The goal, according to Disney, is to eliminate the need to cross-reference multiple FAQs or detail pages, getting guests to an answer in a single step.
When Will AI Search Debut?
Disney confirmed the AI-powered search is part of a broader set of app improvements rolling out over the coming months to the My Diseny Experience app. Walt Disney World will receive the updates first, with Disneyland to follow later in the year. No specific launch date has been announced.
It’s unclear when the AI-powered search will roll out to the Walt Disney World website.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!