Fun With Numbers: MK Maingate Blackout Edition

[mrmonka]

One thing that I think would be smart would be for cast members with resort reservations to be exempt from blockouts. I'm picturing an ESPN, ABC, Marvel, or Disney Store family traveling from far away and booking their trip months and months in advance just to find out they can't go the the Magic Kingdom. Florida site cast members should be handled a bit differently than other DIS employees, who function much more like "regular" guests.

This is whats happening for me. I work in CT and am coming down in a couple weeks for my wedding/honeymoon. I am just trying to figure out how exactly the blockouts work. Will I be able to get in to MK with my Silver Main Gate, but my fiancee will have to use comp tickets? Please help me if this is incorrect.

 

[PhotoDave219]

It was indeed much higher than we'd seen. The stats guys are looking at why, including the theory that a Monday Rosh Hashanah (which we'd not seen before) contributed. We should have something on this in our regular weekly wrap-up of crowd levels (on the blog on Tuesday).

Oh I've given up trying to figure out the why its happened. Drove me nuts.

I just look at what has happened and compare the trend over the past two years.

 

[StageFrenzy]

Oh I've given up trying to figure out the why its happened. Drove me nuts.

I just look at what has happened and compare the trend over the past two years.

Much easier to just observe!

 

[lentesta]

Oh I've given up trying to figure out the why its happened. Drove me nuts.

I just look at what has happened and compare the trend over the past two years.

So here's some interesting stuff we're looking at:

Last week's numbers for Epcot, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida are about what we predicted, and low.

If this is "the new normal" then people are deciding this month not to visit Epcot, USF and IOA in the same proportion they did lover the past 60 days. That might be possible, but it would be sudden and unusual, and probably need an explanation. Any ideas, let me know.

 

[PhotoDave219]

So here's some interesting stuff we're looking at:

Last week's numbers for Epcot, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida are about what we predicted, and low.

If this is "the new normal" then people are deciding this month not to visit Epcot, USF and IOA in the same proportion they did lover the past 60 days. That might be possible, but it would be sudden and unusual, and probably need an explanation. Any ideas, let me know.

The trend I've picked up (and this is just using your data from 10/2012 onwards) is that DHS seems unusually high while Epcot and DAK seem lower.

My supposition is that DHS is siphoning the crowd from those parks. Whether thats because of Frozen or that Frozen is the only new stuff they've opened recently, IDK.

 

[RSoxNo1]

So here's some interesting stuff we're looking at:

Last week's numbers for Epcot, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida are about what we predicted, and low.

If this is "the new normal" then people are deciding this month not to visit Epcot, USF and IOA in the same proportion they did lover the past 60 days. That might be possible, but it would be sudden and unusual, and probably need an explanation. Any ideas, let me know.

I think Disney Springs' new dining is hurting Epcot. I can't explain USF and IoA other than people waiting for Kong.

 

[hopemax]

Oh finally! I've been checking every day, and the website doesn't seem to have it yet. So we can get signed into AK and Epcot during our holiday trip (starts the 19th), but not DHS and MK. That's better than I feared.

 

[wogwog]

I wouldn't want to go on any of the blocked out dates as that is a signal of mob level crowds of course. I have local friends here in Florida who work at MK and they are not happy as one of their "benefits" they have had in the past was to take family to MK around Christmas. No more. Last year they were permitted in with Main Gate or Family Holiday passes on eleven days in December. This year nothing. They are also blocked the entire month of October at the MK.

 

[stini228]

The ruthless blocking out of the main gate pass is getting ridiculous. There is absolutely NO reason why all of this month should be blocked at MK, nor all of December. The week of and after Christmas, sure. My parents truly lucked out because they're coming the week before Thanksgiving this year and I'll be able to get them into all four parks.

Totally bonkers. Remember when the first week of december was dead?

 

[Mike C]

A few cast member friends of mine are hearily that they can't even bring their own kids to MK basically the entire fall.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm a little out of the loop lately… But holy crap.

 

[wdisney9000]

A few cast member friends of mine are ******** hearily that they can't even bring their own kids to MK basically the entire fall.

Thats just sad. For a company that has made several versions of A Christmas Carol, they sure dont get the meaning of the movie. Bah Humbug...

 

[TiggersPooh]

Many cm have a tradition of going to Epcot for nye :/

 

[Zummi Gummi]

If you're a seasonal cast member you got a sad surprise regarding admissions when you logged in to the Hub yesterday. You'd think they'd at least do you the courtesy of an email announcing this change.

 

[ford91exploder]

The ruthless blocking out of the main gate pass is getting ridiculous. There is absolutely NO reason why all of this month should be blocked at MK, nor all of December. The week of and after Christmas, sure. My parents truly lucked out because they're coming the week before Thanksgiving this year and I'll be able to get them into all four parks.

Once again this is all to juke the stats eliminating CM's helps the PCGS and PRGS. Figure a 3% boost in each for NO cost other than CM morale.

 

[ford91exploder]

Many cm have a tradition of going to Epcot for nye :/

No longer

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm a little out of the loop lately… But holy crap.

Yes holy crap indeed, The question is WHY is Disney so desperate to boost PCGS and PRGS at WDW which is really what the blackouts do, A couple thousand CM's at each of the parks don't really affect the crowd levels but they do dilute the PCGS and PRGS numbers.

 

[Katie G]

I don't really have a problem with them tiering park benefit levels. People who put in more hours should get more park benefits than people who only work seasonally. It isn't stopping the CM themselves from entering on CM ID.

Edit: Especially if it means fewer blockout dates (which may be optimistic)

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't really have a problem with them tiering park benefit levels. People who put in more hours should get more park benefits than people who only work seasonally. It isn't stopping the CM themselves from entering on CM ID.

Edit: Especially if it means fewer blockout dates (which may be optimistic)

Um yes it is during much of the month see @AJH219's post.

 

[Katie G]

Um yes it is during much of the month see @AJH219's post.

Not sure what that has to do with my comment.... I was responding to Nick A's comments above about Seasonal CM announcement on admissions. I made the assumption that the "sad surprise" is a reference to taking away or reducing benefits for seasonal CM.

If they are tiering admissions based on hours worked, I think its a good thing. Perhaps less CM getting into the parks free will allow them to reduce the number of blockout dates. Or even better, maybe they tier blockout dates so some CM who work a lot could get their families into MK once in a blue moon.