Fun With Numbers: MK Maingate Blackout Edition

[ford91exploder]

I think part of the problem is that many of them are college-in-name-only. They might be enrolled in some general studies courses at East West State Community College but many live at home and were never "college students" in the traditional sense of being away from home, living in dorms, etc. Thus, they haven't had the opportunity to grow out of the lunatic "FREE AT LAST!!! PAAAAAARTAAAY!!!" mentality that most people get out of their system in a normal four-year college track.

Obviously most of the CP's never went to college for engineering where like the SEALS the only easy day in college was yesterday and one does not have time to party until one graduates. Vacation time - well that was spent in the lab or unpaid internships. (which paid off AFTER college).

 

[ford91exploder]

And honestly - do we want CPers who would make the decision to do it or not based on a Maingate pass? I shudder.

It's clear they did it because they have to keep the CP factory full. It's been years since I have heard numbers but at one point wasn't it like 43% or something of FOTL CM's were CP?

Those who really want to be there are so few and far between - so many just see it as a "semester off at WDW" - get there, realize they are going to work you to death and not pay you crap, and are just marking time.

I know some folks have had wonderful experiences - and that's great - but in general, of all the "evil" (corporate) things Disney does, the CP is really the one that really bad to me - it is so clearly just a sham to get underpaid labor. It's not best for the guest experience, whatsoever, except for that rare CPer who actually loves Disney - but they are so few and far between these days.

At ONE time the CP really was a career enhancer because the CP members worked with the professionals who ran Disney, What's left of the ORIGINAL CP is the 'Professional Internship'. The 'new' CP is all about cheap labor.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

At ONE time the CP really was a career enhancer because the CP members worked with the professionals who ran Disney, What's left of the ORIGINAL CP is the 'Professional Internship'. The 'new' CP is all about cheap labor.

Which I don't really understand. Minimum wage workers imported from colleges across the country are no cheaper than the minimum wage workers they could bring in from the area.

 

[ford91exploder]

They spend more though. They go for the once in a lifetime experience and end up putting most of their paycheck right back into the Parks Revenue.

^^^ THIS ^^^ PLUS Disney takes rent directly out of the CP'er paycheck, A real 'company town' mentality Disney maintains towards their CP'ers.

Someone please correct me but I believe rent is between 2-300/month and sleep 4 to a room. So Disney is profiting nicely from single room apartments as well.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

^^^ THIS ^^^ PLUS Disney takes rent directly out of the CP'er paycheck, A real 'company town' mentality Disney maintains towards their CP'ers.

Someone please correct me but I believe rent is between 2-300/month and sleep 4 to a room. So Disney is profiting nicely from single room apartments as well.

That's incorrect. Housing is a "pass through" from Disney to the management companies. They're not profiting from it.

Also, when I rented in Orlando I paid $1,200 for a one bedroom apartment by Universal so it sounds like those CM rates are a steal.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Here is what the rental rates were last summer (2014) for the CP housing complexes. As far as the number of people per room, prior to the 2014 Fall Advantage season Disney only put two people per room. However, right before I started, they added bunk beds in many rooms and had three people living in one room.

Spoiler: DCP Rent (2014)

Chatham Square
1 BR: 2 Person - $105
1 BR: 3 Person - $85
2 BR: 6 Person - $78
3 BR: 6 Person - $92
4 BR: 8 Person - $91

The Commons
1 BR: 2 Person - $109
1 BR: 3 Person - $89
2 BR: 4 Person - $107
2 BR: 5 Person - $82
3 BR: 6 Person - $95
4 BR: 8 Person - $94

Patterson Court
1 BR: 2 Person - $105
1 BR: 3 Person - $85
2 BR: 4 Person - $103
2 BR: 5 Person - $80
3 BR: 6 Person - $92

Vista Way
2 BR: 4 Person - $98
3 BR: 6 Person - $89

Those are really, really ridiculously cheap.

 

[PhotoDave219]

That's incorrect. Housing is a "pass through" from Disney to the management companies. They're not profiting from it.

Also, when I rented in Orlando I paid $1,200 for a one bedroom apartment by Universal so it sounds like those CM rates are a steal.

My one bedroom over by Chatham was $750.... But that was 10 years ago. Crap.

 

[Nemo14]

Are those just bedrooms or is it more like an apartment?

 

[Slugger]

Here is what the rental rates were last summer (2014) for the CP housing complexes. As far as the number of people per room, prior to the 2014 Fall Advantage season Disney only put two people per room. However, right before I started, they added bunk beds in many rooms and had three people living in one room.

Spoiler: DCP Rent (2014)

Chatham Square
1 BR: 2 Person - $105
1 BR: 3 Person - $85
2 BR: 6 Person - $78
3 BR: 6 Person - $92
4 BR: 8 Person - $91

The Commons
1 BR: 2 Person - $109
1 BR: 3 Person - $89
2 BR: 4 Person - $107
2 BR: 5 Person - $82
3 BR: 6 Person - $95
4 BR: 8 Person - $94

Patterson Court
1 BR: 2 Person - $105
1 BR: 3 Person - $85
2 BR: 4 Person - $103
2 BR: 5 Person - $80
3 BR: 6 Person - $92

Vista Way
2 BR: 4 Person - $98
3 BR: 6 Person - $89

This is also per person per week. So the 3 BR 6 Person at Vista Way is $534 per week and $2136 per month. Over 2100 dollars for a 3 bedroom with everything included is still really high.

 

[mahnamahna101]

July 5-12 Main Entrance/Guest pass blackout dates lifted.

 

[AEfx]

Those are really, really ridiculously cheap.

You can't really compare dorm-like accommodations to actual apartments. It would be like comparing a hostel to a hotel.

 

[AEfx]

Which I don't really understand. Minimum wage workers imported from colleges across the country are no cheaper than the minimum wage workers they could bring in from the area.

They end up with less than minimum wage after all the deductions, and then turn around and spend their money on property much of the time because they don't have personal transportation. They get discounts on food but still end up spending what they make just eating on property because it's most convenient.

Most folks I know who have done the CP end up having to supplement the income from somewhere else (parents, savings, etc.) to just stay and do the thing unless they eat nothing but Ramen noodles and stay home every night. It certainly isn't the type of job where you can save any significant money for school, etc.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Hey, Its the end of the Quarter! Lets drop some numbers..... obviously, I'm not including today as we're not done to see what the crowd level at MK was but we'll post anyways.

55%.

55% of this year, Cast Members have not been able to use their maingate benefit at MK.

99 days out of 181, Cast members were not able to exercise one of their employee benefits. WOW.

Lets break the numbers down:

• They've gotten much better at not blocking out an off-peak crowd, only doing that 3 times. (A crowd level 2 once and a crowd level 3 twice)

• 47 times they blacked out a peak crowd (8+).
• 48 times they blacked out an average crowd (4-7). Out of those, 15 were either a 4 or a 5.
• 18 times the crowd was Average or below.
• 80 times the crowd was Above Average.

There's the numbers for the first six months.

 

[Figment2005]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but cast members are limited already on how many times they can get others in on their main gate passes. However cast members themselves so far have only been blacked out twice. First was the 24 hour event, and the second week be July 4. However, we are still able to use another benefit which is our comp tickets that are obtained twice a year. Regardless of how many days our guest passes are blocked out, we still are limited on how many times we can get others in.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but cast members are limited already on how many times they can get others in on their main gate passes. However cast members themselves so far have only been blacked out twice. First was the 24 hour event, and the second week be July 4. However, we are still able to use another benefit which is our comp tickets that are obtained twice a year. Regardless of how many days our guest passes are blocked out, we still are limited on how many times we can get others in.

Yeah, it's mentioned in here somewhere.

Regular Blue Maingates are either 12 or 16 times a quarter.

Silver Passes (management) are unlimited.

Yes, Cast ID is blocked out twice (24 hour day & July 4)

The other point is that Cast Attendance makes up about 3-5% of daily attendance.

 

[wogwog]

Yeah, it's mentioned in here somewhere.

Regular Blue Maingates are either 12 or 16 times a quarter.

Silver Passes (management) are unlimited.

Yes, Cast ID is blocked out twice (24 hour day & July 4)

The other point is that Cast Attendance makes up about 3-5% of daily attendance.

Disney is not that generous. "Regular Maingates are 16 times a year", not a quarter, for full time and part time cast. Seasonal and ICP/CP have 6 per year. Source MK GSM neighbor.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Disney is not that generous. "Regular Maingates are 16 times a year", not a quarter, for full time and part time cast. Seasonal and ICP/CP have 6 per year. Source MK GSM neighbor.

It's been awhile. I don't have Hub access.

Yes 16 times a year. Didn't know about the 6/year for CP/ICP.

Can you ask your neighbor what they're limited to per quarter? Back in the day it was a total of 12 and 3 times a quarter....

 

[wogwog]

It's been awhile. I don't have Hub access.

Yes 16 times a year. Didn't know about the 6/year for CP/ICP.

Can you ask your neighbor what they're limited to per quarter? Back in the day it was a total of 12 and 3 times a quarter....

No longer a quarter limit. Use them all in one month or spread out. I also recall a quarter policy at Disneyland when I lived in California.

 

[wogwog]

@PhotoDave219 Added note about the passes @Figment2005 mentioned. I hear those are a not very generous total of four annually.

 

[PhotoDave219]

No longer a quarter limit. Use them all in one month or spread out. I also recall a quarter policy at Disneyland when I lived in California.

Appreciate the info.

I admit to fully having an agenda here. I think it's completely wrong to black out MK for the cast (outside of holidays, Christmas, spring break) when we're looking at maybe 3000 extra people at most.

Despite an agenda, I will just lay out tHe data as it is.