Welcome Home Week Direct Incentives 7/22/26-8/26/26

[Brian Noble]

And yes, in case there was any ambiguity, just picture me saying “night” people with air quotes and the sleaziest wink imaginable.

You can have easy access to the kitchen, or you can pay the nookie tax. Your choice.

Or you can do what I did and hold out for 2BRs, so you can have both.

 

[Cfabar1]

Well, YC seems just about the only thing left on the list…

The waterway idea could have been cool…

 

[Patmcpsu]

Well, YC seems just about the only thing left on the list…

The waterway idea could have been cool…

It seems like they chose to go with the Skyliner in lieu of waterway. At first, I thought boats/canals would be the better business decision but:

1. Skyliner Pros:
   1. Probably more capacity and shorter wait times
   2. Smaller environmental footprint. I imagine the land beneath the route is still considered undeveloped.
   3. Only has to pay for attendants at stations, whereas boats require attendants and drivers.
   4. Risk of guests getting hurt/killed is probably lower on Skyliner. Less water also = less snake/alligator/mosquito potential.
2. Skyliner Cons:
   1. More susceptible to weather.
   2. Boats probably require less energy consumption.
   3. Boats/canals would allow for easier route changes as new resorts/parks are added.
3. Unsure:
   1. Installation and Maintenance costs for Skyliner and boats/canals are probably comparable. Do they have to dredge the canals on boat routes?
   2. Guests probably prefer a variety of transportation types, but variety adds an additional layer of complexity for transportation department's operations and maintenance.

 

[maui22]

Everything Tikiman shared from his sources in 2016 happened except YC. I guess the Riviera waterway also became the Skyliner.

View attachment 1088561

So many people didn’t believe his list back then.
It has been cool to watch how accurate he was.

There have been reports Disney (at least with WDW land) has 10+ year plans already. Plans change, but Disney has a tendency to keep them around and may revive them at a later date. (Walt’s Polynesian had a tower. Only took 30+ years to happen).

 

[Choppers]

edit: I’m a day early

 

[cruisehopeful]

edit: I’m a day early

The current incentives say through July 21. I don't think we'll hear anything today.

 

[Choppers]

The current incentives say through July 21. I don't think we'll hear anything today.

I had it in my head today was the 22nd. I am not a smart man.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Boats probably require less energy consumption.

Really? Boats all have gas powered motors. Skyliner is electricity turning a gear. I’m not so sure that it uses more energy than multiple boats, and what energy it does use is probably cleaner/cheaper.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Definitely…and I believe it can actually sleep 6, which is probably a game changer for big families on a budget.

Have you been in one? The layout is terrible. There is no way I could stumble to the bathroom at night past 5 other people without stubbing a toe.

 

[disneylandtour]

Occupancy is typically in the very high 80s on the hotel side, so even if a resort is doing well, it will not necessarily be sold out.

A more reliable indicator might be how many dates still have discounted inventory available (if the Cabins are even eligible for the current wave of discounts---they might not be.)

Disney's target is in the mid-90% in terms of occupancy. But in practice, it depends on where you stay on property. Coronado has the biggest swings because it was built for convention business and post-Covid, some of that convention business has shifted over to Zoom. When there are big conventions, it's mostly full. When there are no conventions it can be a ghost town. I've been in Coronado when it's in the mid-50%. After that, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans-Riverside, whenever tourism is down, also typically have significant vacancies....they are, essentially, too large for their market niche. Beyond that, all of the MK area resorts, including WL, tend to have higher occupancy rates. Essentially, if reservations are low, Disney can tinker with price and "extras" to fill those rooms--same for Boardwalk. The nicer values tend to fill quickly, particularly POP. And in terms of lower occupancies on the values, All Stars can be somewhat empty at times.

 

[disneylandtour]

edit: I’m a day early

Me, too. I was checking. Didn't new incentives, in the past, tend to drop on a Tuesday? Or am I misremembering that?

 

[airjay75]

Me, too. I was checking. Didn't new incentives, in the past, tend to drop on a Tuesday? Or am I misremembering that?

That has been the recent trend and even when I started this thread, I thought they were coming out today since it is a Tuesday. This time, the new incentives drop tomorrow, a Wednesday.

 

[MyKindOfDisney]

Definitely…and I believe it can actually sleep 6, which is probably a game changer for big families on a budget.

For our family of 6 its by far the most economical use of our points

 

[Patmcpsu]

Really? Boats all have gas powered motors. Skyliner is electricity turning a gear. I’m not so sure that it uses more energy than multiple boats, and what energy it does use is probably cleaner/cheaper.

I want to say that the Skyliner motors are hundreds of horsepower each, and probably at least six motors (one at each terminus). Easily over 1000HP in total (Google AI estimates 1200-1500HP total).

According to Google AI, the Friendship Boats have two 115HP motors (230HP/boat), but it's not like they're going nonstop at 100% throttle like the Skyliner would.

Electricity should be cheaper than diesel, especially at today's rates. And there is obviously the scale of how many Friendship Boats equal one skyliner system. There is a lot of fuzzy math but the result is probably closer than you think. I should have put this in the "unsure" category.

 

[walt34]

I want to say that the Skyliner motors are hundreds of horsepower each, and probably at least six motors (one at each terminus). Easily over 1000HP in total (Google AI estimates 1200-1500HP total).

According to Google AI, the Friendship Boats have two 115HP motors (230HP/boat), but it's not like they're going nonstop at 100% throttle like the Skyliner would.

Electricity should be cheaper than diesel, especially at today's rates. And there is obviously the scale of how many Friendship Boats equal one skyliner system. There is a lot of fuzzy math but the result is probably closer than you think. I should have put this in the "unsure" category.

I think that estimate is too high. The motors need to be strong enough to start a fully loaded lift but don't need this much power while it is running. A regular ski gondola lift needs between 200 and 800 kW, depending on vertical height. As everything is flat in Florida, I'd guess we are at the lower end.

I have read somewhere, that WDW produces about 200 mW of electricity with solar on a sunny day.

 

[muppets3d]

I think that estimate is too high. The motors need to be strong enough to start a fully loaded lift but don't need this much power while it is running. A regular ski gondola lift needs between 200 and 800 kW, depending on vertical height. As everything is flat in Florida, I'd guess we are at the lower end.

I have read somewhere, that WDW produces about 200 mW of electricity with solar on a sunny day.

It was reported not long ago that WDW produces all the energy it needs via solar during sunny conditions. So the skyliner and monorail's electricity costs are rather low, even taking into account the fact that they run at night. Most of the operating day they run off of "free" solar.

 

[PolyRob]

So many people didn’t believe his list back then.
It has been cool to watch how accurate he was.

There have been reports Disney (at least with WDW land) has 10+ year plans already. Plans change, but Disney has a tendency to keep them around and may revive them at a later date. (Walt’s Polynesian had a tower. Only took 30+ years to happen).

It's unfortunate that people didn't believe him! He's still a great resource and clearly does it out of a genuine passion for Disney and the Polynesian rather than for clicks. I miss his old website too!

 

[PolyRob]

Disney's target is in the mid-90% in terms of occupancy. But in practice, it depends on where you stay on property. Coronado has the biggest swings because it was built for convention business and post-Covid, some of that convention business has shifted over to Zoom. When there are big conventions, it's mostly full. When there are no conventions it can be a ghost town. I've been in Coronado when it's in the mid-50%. After that, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans-Riverside, whenever tourism is down, also typically have significant vacancies....they are, essentially, too large for their market niche. Beyond that, all of the MK area resorts, including WL, tend to have higher occupancy rates. Essentially, if reservations are low, Disney can tinker with price and "extras" to fill those rooms--same for Boardwalk. The nicer values tend to fill quickly, particularly POP. And in terms of lower occupancies on the values, All Stars can be somewhat empty at times.

Maybe we'll get a DVC tower at every moderate resort

 

[LittleBitGoofy]

Oh boy! It's like Christmas Eve, but for DVC. Can't wait to be disappointed again in the next round of incentives! (Keeping my expectations low, and frankly I'd rather not be tempted into buying anything anyways.)

 

[jolynne28]

Oh boy! It's like Christmas Eve, but for DVC. Can't wait to be disappointed again in the next round of incentives! (Keeping my expectations low, and frankly I'd rather not be tempted into buying anything anyways.)

if that doesn't exemplify the general vibe right now I don't know what does