Some of us treat trip planning like a sport. We have spreadsheets, alarms set for dining windows, and strong opinions about the little cartoon face that sits next to our name in the My Disney Experience app. If you're in that camp, you'll be happy to hear the app just got a fresh lineup of profile characters, and they're finally organized into categories.
That's the lighthearted news. There's also a much bigger story brewing behind the scenes, with Disney preparing a major overhaul of its app and website that leans heavily on artificial intelligence. Here's the full picture on both.
Why the Little Icon Matters
Picking a profile character is the first step before you book dining, grab Lightning Lanes, or finish online check-in. It's also a quick way to show a bit of your Disney personality. Over the years, the collection has grown to dozens of options featuring characters from Disney films, Star Wars, and the Marvel Universe, and this update adds even more.
The new setup sorts everything into groups, which makes browsing far less of a scroll marathon.
Theme Park Scope shared a video of all the selections on X stating, “NEW in My Disney Experience! Disney has updated the profile character selection in the app, giving guests a refreshed lineup of Disney favorites to choose from! 👀✨
The options are now organized into categories like Disney Princesses, Disney Villains, Mickey & Friends, Modern Favorites and more.
Who are you picking for your profile?”
NEW in My Disney Experience! Disney has updated the profile character selection in the app, giving guests a refreshed lineup of Disney favorites to choose from! 👀✨
The options are now organized into categories like Disney Princesses, Disney Villains, Mickey & Friends, Modern Favorites and more.
Who are you picking for your profile?
— Theme Park Scope (@tpscopeofficial) October 5, 2026
Who's New in the Lineup
The “Disney Favorites” category now includes Oswald, Launchpad, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Simba, and Genie, along with Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Hercules, and Meg. If you like a little villainy, there's a new collection with Scar, Ursula, Jafar, and Maleficent.
“Mickey & Friends” and “Disney Princesses” are still there for traditional picks. For the spooky season, the “Paranormal Pals” group offers the Hitchhiking Ghosts and Jack Skellington. Pixar and Star Wars both have strong showings, and the “Modern Favorites” category brings in Orange Bird, Hei Hei, and Pua.
Disney Is Planning a Much Bigger Change
Beyond the icons, Disney has revealed a ground-up redesign of the app and the Walt Disney World website. The plan includes a new look, a Trip Checklist, group planning tools, and an AI-powered search engine. The goal is to take some of the stress out of planning, which can feel like a part-time job.
Disney points to early wins as proof the approach works. Combining daily schedules into a single “My Plans” flow improved ease of use by 8%, and refining the dining reservation interface lifted guest satisfaction by 5%.
A Search Bar That Finally Understands You
Right now, the “Ask a Question” feature is known for missing the mark. During a media panel, Disney executives showed a clear example. Type “Chicken tenders in Magic Kingdom,” and the app serves up Chicken Guy! first. It's a fine restaurant, but it's at Disney Springs, far from a hungry family in Fantasyland.
The AI search is designed to do better. It will read information from the Walt Disney World website and put a concise summary at the top of your results. In a demo, a search for “ride in space” returned a tidy overview of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space Mountain, Mission: SPACE, and Star Tours, with a direct way to book a Lightning Lane or view standby waits.
A Home Screen That Moves With Your Trip
The new design adapts to your timeline. Well before you travel, it highlights countdowns, hotel check-in tasks, and packing tips. When you arrive, it transforms into a real-time companion that shows wait times and virtual queue return windows.
The Trip Checklist will track milestones, such as the date your 60-day dining window opens. A feature called Trip Party should simplify group coordination, giving everyone a shared space to see and adjust park plans and Lightning Lane selections. Native Spanish-language support is also on the way.
The Rough Edges
Not everything is smooth sailing. A notice titled “AI Overview” was mistakenly posted on the Walt Disney World website, according to BlogMickey. It described a “Cast Preview” phase limited to “most food and beverage questions,” but insider reports say it was published in error and the actual search wasn't yet AI powered.
There are deeper concerns too. Disney hasn't named the language models it plans to use, and AI can deliver confident but incorrect answers. A wrong dining location or a made-up Lightning Lane time could cause real frustration on an expensive trip. Fast changing conditions, like a storm closing an outdoor attraction, will also test the system.
Timing and Takeaways
Disney hasn't set a launch date, but executives say updates will arrive over the coming months. In the meantime, use any AI generated answers with caution and double check important details on official pages.
The profile characters are a nice reminder that planning can be fun. Which icon did you choose, a villain, a ghost, or a classic favorite? Tell us in the comments, and let us know if you're excited or a bit wary about the new AI search.
