A new vacation-planning experience coming to the Disney World website will help guests compare resorts, find the best available rates, and receive personalized answers based on their travel preferences.

For the Disney novice, planning a Disney World vacation can feel like a full-time job. Before booking, guests must choose from dozens of hotels, compare transportation options, search for available discounts, and decide when to visit…all while trying to stay within a budget.

Disney is now introducing new technology designed to simplify that process and help guests book their vacations with greater confidence. Developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, a new vacation-planning experience will soon begin beta testing on the Disney World website.

The new tools will combine flexible searches, personalized results, pricing comparisons, and AI-powered summaries using information from official Disney sources. Here’s what guests can expect.

Search for a Disney World Vacation Without Choosing Exact Dates

Currently, searching for a Disney World hotel generally requires guests to enter specific travel dates. That can make it difficult for travelers who know they want to visit during a particular month or season but haven’t committed to an exact week.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

The new planning experience will allow guests to search by exact dates, a specific month, or even a broader season. For example, guests could indicate that they want to visit during September, rather than entering one specific set of September dates. Disney’s system can then search across that wider period to identify available resorts and rates.

Travelers can also share additional preferences, such as wanting to visit during EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, stay near the parks, or find a resort with a great pool.

Find the Best Available Disney World Hotel Rate

One of the most useful additions may be the system’s ability to search for the best available rate.

Finding the lowest price for a Disney World hotel can currently involve entering several combinations of dates, checking multiple room categories, and searching through Disney’s special offers. The new experience will handle more of that work in the background.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

Search results will automatically account for eligible offers and display the lowest available rate found for each option. The technology can also recognize eligible offers connected to a guest’s Disney profile, including applicable Annual Passholder discounts, as long as you’re logged in to the site.

A new pricing and availability calendar will make it easier to see how shifting a trip by a few days could affect the price. This should be particularly helpful for travelers with flexible schedules or those struggling to find availability during a busy season.

Receive Personalized Disney Resort Recommendations

The new Disney World vacation planner will also provide personalized resort results based on the preferences a guest enters.

If a family says that their child loves The Lion King, for example, the search could highlight the Lion King-themed Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. A traveler prioritizing easy access to EPCOT might see recommendations for resorts connected to the Disney Skyliner or located within walking distance of the park.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

AI-powered summaries will explain why each recommended resort may fit the guest’s needs. Rather than simply producing a list of hotels, the experience will connect a traveler’s stated priorities with relevant resort features.

The information used to produce these summaries will come from official Disney sources. Disney is taking a measured approach to using AI within the experience, applying it primarily where it can help interpret preferences and answer vacation-specific questions.

Compare Disney World Resorts in One Place

Anyone who has tried to compare Disney World hotels knows how quickly browser tabs can multiply. The new experience will place resort comparisons directly within the booking process.

Guests will be able to select different hotels and compare important details, including:

• Resort themes and categories
• Nearby theme parks
• Transportation options
• Dining choices
• Amenities
• Resort benefits

The experience will also feature a map showing the locations of each hotel relative to the theme parks and other Disney resorts.

Individual resort pages will provide estimated travel times and available transportation methods for reaching each park. This information will be displayed for every guest, even if transportation wasn’t included among their original preferences.

Disney is also adding more video to resort pages, giving travelers another way to understand the atmosphere and features of a hotel before booking.

Ask Questions About Your Disney Vacation

Guests participating in the test will be able to ask follow-up questions without leaving the booking experience.

For example, a traveler comparing Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn could ask whether either resort is within walking distance of EPCOT, which hotel has more dining options, or how the pools compare.

Answers will take the guest’s travel plans and preferences into account while drawing information from Disney sources. If the tool cannot help with a particular request, it may direct the guest to a Cast Member or the Disney reservation call center for additional assistance.

Once a traveler chooses a resort, they’ll be able to select a room, add it to their cart, and continue through the existing checkout process.

Guests will also be able to save a vacation option and share it through a link, making it easier for families or groups to review a potential trip together. Saved options can alert travelers if a rate changes or a better-priced offer becomes available.

Who Will Be Able to Test the New Disney Vacation Planner?

The beta will be available to a limited number of randomly selected guests visiting DisneyWorld.com fromin the United States and Canada.

Selected guests will see a “Guided Search Beta” tab on the Disney World homepage. That label describes the test and is not necessarily the final name of the planning experience.

The experience has been designed with mobile users in mind, so its search, map, comparison and question-and-answer features will also be available on mobile devices.

Disney will use feedback and information about how guests interact with the beta to refine the tools before gradually expanding availability.

However, importantly, the vacationa planner is providing a new option, but guests can still use the existing resort and ticket searches on the Disney World website if they prefer.

Disney Is Making Other Planning Updates

The upcoming beta is part of a broader effort to make Disney’s websites and apps easier to use.

Disney recently redesigned the website homepage and reduced its navigation links by 40%. The updated page places resort and ticket booking tools more prominently while personalizing some content based on where a guest is in the vacation-planning process.

Spanish translations were also introduced in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort apps. Disney says hundreds of thousands of unique users have engaged with the translated experiences so far.

Additionally, Disney is testing new search summaries for its websites and apps. These summaries will pull information from official Disney sources, helping guests find answers without navigating through multiple FAQs and individual pages. The feature is currently being tested by Cast Members and is expected to begin rolling out to guests in the coming months.