How to Block Out Time

Blocking out time in the BCE system prevents Users from booking sessions during periods when your Attraction is unavailable.

This is useful for staff training, maintenance, private events, or any time your programs cannot run.

Follow the steps below to create a blockout time period using a Custom Booking.

Go to the Manage Bookings tab and click Custom Booking.
Select a Program.
- Many attractions create a dedicated custom program named Administration, Maintenance or Staff Training for this purpose.
Choose the date you want to block out.
Enter the start and end time for the Blockout period.
Set the Group Type to Social Group / Other.
Add a name or descriptor to identify the purpose of the Blockout (e.g. 'Staff Training', 'Private Event').
Ensure Retain Ownership is selected.
- This keeps the Booking associated with your Attraction only.
Enter 0 in the Student and Teacher fields.
Tick the Block Out Space checkbox.
- This is essential — it prevents all Bookings from being made during the Blockout window.
Add an optional comment if you want to provide additional context.
Click Create Custom Booking to finalise.

The Blockout will appear on your Dashboard and in Manage Bookings.
To quickly locate it later, use the Filter tool (e.g. filter by Program Type).