Instance limit details

I did a bunch of testing today, below are some things you probably already know about the instance limit and potentially some things you didn't.

• Limit is 10 instances per hour
• They expire individually
• Raid instances count too
• They are realm specific.
• They are specific to the wow account.
• All characters on the same account and same realm share lockout limits
• Cross-realm have a lockout limit per individual realm.
• You can always enter a first occurrence of an instance.

Things I don't know

• Is a counted instance removed an hour from first entry or last exit or other? (test - afk in an instance for a while, then get locked out for too many instances, compare timestamp of when instances start unlocking)
• Does Alliance on the same realm count different than Horde? (test - lock out instances on one side, try the other)

Specific tests, coding is realm-character, MG=Mal'Ganis, Ill=Illidan, AzM=Azuremist and Stag=Staghelm (connected with AzM)

• MG-DO - (12:48 - 12:53) Enter RFC 10x, couldn't enter 11th time
• MG-DO - (12:57) - Enter Wailing Caverns 1x [11th instance]
• MG-DO - (1:02) Enter RFK 1x [12th instance]
• MG-DO - (1:04) Enter RFD 1x [13th instance]
• MG-DY - (1:06) Couldn't enter RFC
• MG-DY - (1:12) Enter Onyxia's Lair 1x [14th instance]
• MG-DY - (1:15) Enter ZF 1x [15th instance] did not reset/fail
• MG-DO - (1:30) Could not enter ZF
• MG-DO - (1:51 - 1:53) Enter RFC 5x, couldn't enter 6 th time [10 expired, 5 still exist, so limit 5]
• MG-DO - (1:56) Enter RFC 1x [WC instance expired, could enter 1 more]
• MG-DO - (2:03) Enter RFC 1x [RFK instance expired]
• MG-DO - (2:04) Enter RFC 1x [RFD instance expired]
• Ill-DB - (2:07 - 2:10) Enter RFC 10x, 11th failed. [different realm, 10 more instances!]
• MG-DO - (2:12) Enter RFC 1x [Onyxia expired]
• MG-DO - (2:15) Enter RFC 1x [ZF expired]
• AzM-T - (3:30-3:33) Enter RFC 10x
• Stag-DOB - (3:35-3:38) Enter RFC 10x [Connected realms count separately!]
• MG-T - (7:40-7:45) Enter RFC 10x on trial account
• MG-DO (7:47) Enter RFC 2x on main account (same bnet)

Edit: Added test of accounts on same bnet - result, different instance limits.

So with boosting, it's possible to do more than 10 instances/hour in two useful fashions

1. Different realms, stagger things. Half characters on a connected realm on one realm, half on another, two different boosters, or just level up two realms. Note: I think, but have not confirmed that you can't grant levels cross realm, even for merged realms.
2. After hitting the limit, you can still enter new instances 1x. So start traveling then. For instance do Hellfire Ramparts 10x, then do Blood Furnace/Shattered Halls each once. This still pushes up your instance count, but the first time you enter works even if at the limit.