Return of the Ticket Books...is it just a matter of time?

[sleepyjeff]

Good point..

I think Disney would be better off with discounted admissions rather then ticket books... take away full time APs and give you 'ticket books' for the front gate. Buy in packs of 10, 20 admissions, etc.

I like that idea.

[sleepyjeff]

And the competition that forced Disney to ditch the ticket books? -- Knott's.

Oddly enough, the Knotts in Minnesota suffered, and was forced to sell. The company that took over decided ticket books(or something that resembles them anyway) might be a good idea....although they still offer the unlimited option too.

Nickelodeon Universe :: Ticket Selection

Don't tell Bob Cutless, but I guess no one at Nickelodeon has ever attended a decent economics course /

[RetroMousie]

One benefit of a 'ticket book' system is that there is less use of attractions as 'filler'. In the present system there is no downside to obtaining your Space Mountain fastpass, and while waiting for the window to open, going on Buzz. Now, maybe you don't love Buzz, but it fills the time and keeps you close to Space Mountain, maybe you have time to do Buzz and Nemo.

If you were PAYING to go one each ride you might only go on the rides and attractions that you really enjoy, not just to fill a waiting time period. And you might to buy something to eat while you wait or peruse the gift shop--which was what the fastpass was supposed to encourage.

[Bob Weaver]

The way it is now, you pay twice for every ride. First you pay with your money, when you purchase the expensive ticket to get into the park. Then you pay again with your time, which is much more valuable, when you wait in line for a ride. (FastPass merely shifts the burden of watiing from some guests to others.) I would much rather have a ride ticket and be able to walk on, or just a 5-minute wait at most, than spend half of my time at the park standing in lines. I hope they do go back to ride tickets, as the long lines are what keep me away from Disneyland.

[Theoretical]

We've been through these discussions many times before. It's never going to happen. Ticket books are a thing of the past. Gone. Poof!

[sleepyjeff]

We've been through these discussions many times before .

Which proves that many still believe that the ticket books are a possibility....otherwise why would so many discuss it? You don't see too many discussions about whether or not the world is round or if man indeed landed on the moon; why, because these are settled arguments.

Frankly, I can't think of any reason someone would bother to even open this thread, let alone post something if they were sure it could never happen.......I think many are afraid that it actually will and that is why they post things like this:

It's never going to happen. Ticket books are a thing of the past. Gone. Poof!

[Bob Weaver]

Ticket books are a thing of the past. Gone. Poof!

And with them, line-free rides.

[mickdaddy]

the simple fact is lines did not come with the all day pass they came with the increased popularity of the park! ticket system would not reduce lines in fact it would probably increase many lines with the need to collect tickets or scan cards to enter the attraction! Also if anyone actually thinks this would reduce the cost of a day at the park then they have not done the simple math on what there usual day looks like and what it may cost as a pay per ride situation. If say you pay $20.00 for admistion to the park then have to pay for each additional ride you go on it is not long before you have paid more then the average day pass especially if it is a multi day pass. what would you pay for an e ticket? $5.00? how many times do you ride pirates or haunted mansion in a day? how many BTMRR or SM rides do you take for me for me I would be paying $60.00 just for those rides even on busy days! There is a reason it is gone let it be gone!

[sleepyjeff]

... ticket system would not reduce lines in fact it would probably increase many lines with the need to collect tickets or scan cards to enter the attraction!

Think about that for a second......the only way collecting tickets or scanning a card could possibly increase your wait is if the wait was very, very short to begin with.....otherwise you are only delaying someone from standing at the end of the line....absolutely no change in total wait time.

[Grinning Ghost]

I would much rather have a ride ticket and be able to walk on, or just a 5-minute wait at most, than spend half of my time at the park standing in lines. I hope they do go back to ride tickets, as the long lines are what keep me away from Disneyland.

I remember the ticket books (and still have some). There were still long lines.

[sleepyjeff]

I remember the ticket books (and still have some). There were still long lines.

I too remember the ticket books....in 1979 my family and I visited the park for a few days in late July....supposedly the busiest time of the year back then.

There were lines, yes, but I remember walking on to attractions such as Mansion, Pirates, and Innerspace......we did have to wait to ride Space Mountain for about 40 minutes----but it was a Brand New Super Attraction, so 40 minutes shouldn't be considered that big a deal. We also had to wait about a half an hour for the Submarine Voyage and The Jungle Cruise.

My little sister wanted to ride Dumbo 3 times in a row....she did all 3 trips inside of an hour...try that today

[Grinning Ghost]

I too remember the ticket books....in 1979 my family and I visited the park for a few days in late July....supposedly the busiest time of the year back then.

There were lines, yes, but I remember walking on to attractions such as Mansion, Pirates, and Innerspace......we did have to wait to ride Space Mountain for about 40 minutes----but it was a Brand New Super Attraction, so 40 minutes shouldn't be considered that big a deal. We also had to wait about a half an hour for the Submarine Voyage and The Jungle Cruise.

My little sister wanted to ride Dumbo 3 times in a row....she did all 3 trips inside of an hour...try that today

You walked onto HM and POTC? In July??? Amazing. I waited about 30 minutes for HM, and about 45 minutes for POTC (that line was all the way out into the plaza). Space Mountain was also about 40 minutes or so. (That was very deceptive, as you don't see the queue until well into the building. Had I been able to see the queue line, I probably would have skipped it and gone at some other time.)

That was in mid-July of 1978 at WDW. The heat and humidity was unreal that day, too - but it didn't seem to deter the crowds. However, when I went again in March of 1997, the lines weren't long at all. Maybe a 15 minute wait at most, and no wait during the parades. Seems needing tickets in '78 made no difference. Time of year made a bigger difference, even though by '97 the entrance fee was only $35 and included all the attractions.

[RetroMousie]

You walked onto HM and POTC? In July??? Amazing.

I have a photo of my husband and myself in the Park, in front of the castle, midday, on July 2nd, a Saturday, 1977. It looks quieter than a weekday in February!!

It wasn't always a madhouse in the summer!

[sleepyjeff]

You walked onto HM and POTC? In July??? Amazing.

To be fair, it was in the eveninig and the Main St. Parade was probably drawing people away........but yes, we walked on to both of those attractions....really, almost every attraction with a few exceptions we either waited for just a few minutes or we walked on.



I remember the "long" waits for Space Mt.(40 min), Submarine Voyage(30+/-) and Jungle Cruise(25 - 30 min) but that's about it; everything else seemed to be pretty short waits; we even went on Der Matterhorn 2 times and although we didn't walk on it I don't remember it being much more than 10 - 15 minutes each time.

Our longest wait was probably to eat breakfast at the American Egg House; it had a long, long line but was totally worth the wait((I loved the tomato and cheese omelete))

[disneychrista]

the simple fact is lines did not come with the all day pass they came with the increased popularity of the park!

I have to agree...I think the lines came from, at least in part, the invention of Annual Passes.

Back in the 80's we could get virtually every ride in Disneyland done in one day on a Saturday in mid-May (Happy Birthday to me) and not even arriving the required 30 - 45 mins before opening. Now it takes several days, use of Fast Pass and early entry to do the same.