Disney is on a mission to simplify the guest experience when it comes to planning and booking vacations at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The company has already taken steps to do that, like renaming its skip-the-line Lightning Lane products and making them purchasable before a trip begins. But more updates, to both the My Disney Experience app and the DisneyWorld.com website, are still coming.
While many of the changes Disney is making will streamline planning for those booking directly, a spokesperson noted that the number of guests using its own call center and third-party travel advisors remains consistent, and all channels will continue to be supported.
When making changes, guest feedback is one of the first and most important things the company takes into account, a spokesperson said. Business insights and metrics also play a role to determine what changes would have the biggest impact.
Recent changes a success
One recent improvement to the My Disney Experience app -- which acts as a guest's hub for their vacation, housing dining plans, Lightning Lane reservations, a digital room key and more -- was consolidating all plans under the single "My Plans" page. It enables guests to see all their plans in a single, cohesive flow, and has resulted in an eight-percentage point change in ease of use, a spokesperson said. Previously, plans were housed in multiple spots in the app.
The single "My Plans" page rolled out to the Walt Disney World app first, then Disneyland.
Disney has also made changes to its dining reservation system. It's now easier to search based on a date range and location, which has driven a five-percentage point increase in satisfaction. The new search functions on the website have driven record ratings, as well, a spokesperson said.
Renaming the Lightning Lane system and enabling guests to purchase the skip-the-line products before their trip, as opposed to each day they wanted to use it, has also driven increased satisfaction. Disney said it's resulted in double-digit gains for ease of use and overall experience among guests.
Improvements continue to roll out.
Earlier this month, Disney refreshed its online check-in option in the My Disney Experience app. For guests who wish to check in online, there are now fewer, and simpler, steps.
Disney is also running a pilot program with select resorts and airlines where luggage can be brought to and from the airport to a guest's resort. Early feedback has shown the pilot program has been well received, Disney said, so it's been expanded to more airlines.
New app look, feel coming
Guests do share that it's complicated to plan a Disney vacation, a spokesperson said, and new improvements coming to the My Disney Experience app are focused on helping.
In the coming months, an entirely new look and feel will come to the app, centering the guest's trip as the most important thing. The app will feature a countdown, trip checklist, resort reservation and park information front and center.
The app's look will also be modernized, made simpler with a softer color palette.
A spokesperson pointed to the trip checklist in particular as a feature designed to reduce anxiety about visits. It's a feature Disney Cruise Line has had for a while, and soon, it will come to My Disney Experience. It will feature action items like booking dining reservations and making Lightning Lane selections.
It's particularly designed for first-time visitors who might otherwise be overwhelmed, a spokesperson said. Action items will be surfaced by the app to help guests better plan and take some of the burden off them in terms of understanding what still needs to be done.
Disney is also making it easier to connect with friends and family who will be on a trip. Users of the app will be able to send a text message to contacts with a link to the trip, a spokesperson said. They can accept that link, and they're added to the trip and shared plans.
That feature will be particularly useful to guests who visit with multiple other families or households, a spokesperson said.
Search functionality will also get an upgrade.
Integrating AI
Consumers are increasingly asking full questions in search boxes both inside and outside of the Disney ecosystem with the ubiquity of generative AI.
Disney will now use AI in its own search functionality to provide guests with summary answers pulled from information on the Disney World website. It will surface the answer to their question more quickly, a spokesperson said, preventing them from having to click through multiple search results to find an answer.
The My Disney Experience app has historically only been available in English. Soon, it will be available in Spanish, too (the website has offered multiple languages for some time).
On the website, specifically, Disney will offer new tools to help with planning a trip. Guests will be able to search across dates for those who don't have a specific range in mind. There will also be a pricing and availability calendar, helping guests better see when reduced prices might be available. They will also be able to easily compare options like resorts, helping them determine the best fit for their family.
A spokesperson said the comparison tool, in particular, should help guests visit the website fewer times to understand the options available.
Contextualized summaries on different resorts will also be available (for instance, an entry on the Polynesian might explain how guests can get to each of the different theme parks and about how long it takes to do that). A spokesperson said it will include information guests have indicated is important to their decision-making process, and it will be provided in ways that are easy to read and understand.
A spokesperson said the changes will also be rolled out to Disneyland a few months after Walt Disney World.