Cheap(ly) made tickets (minor rant)

[WillCAD]

You've got to be kidding. I'll look through my vacation photos right away and see if I have those.


As I stated in my OP, "small thing." Just saying...my credit card type I had in year one was durable, more convenient to carry and "worry free." The paper ones..oops I mean the "tyvek" ones..have never failed, but I have felt the need to treat them more with "kid gloves" as I take them in and out of my wallet a million times.

I can deal, it's not a "big deal", no worries.

Don't worry about it too much; as you said, it's a small thing, and in truth it's only a matter of perception that you need to treat them with kid gloves, because the Tyvec tickets really are more robust than the plastic tickets in most respects.

I've never had an issue, other than the occasional demagnetizing which is my fault. We go at least once a month, most the time twice a month, and have yet to have a tear. They've even gotten washed in the laundry.

Have you been putting your AP directly in your pocket with no vinyl sleeve or wallet? If so, that's why it has "demagnetized" on you so much - the combination of static electricity from friction (in the FL heat and humidity static is a big problem) and scratches from being slid into a shirt or pants pocket without a sleeve will kill the magnetic strip, even on the more robust Tyvec tickets.

Well, I've had some problems wiht the plastic ones, but I didn't really care for the paper ones either. They did get worn. And I wasn't overly harsh with them either. I just prefer something a little stronger.

Your AP went through the laundry and it still works.

You have to be the luckiest person alive. I can't even picure how it would have enough substance to be inserted, but if you say so.

That's because it's not paper. Tyvec is a mylar material with a paper coating on it that is highly resistant to tearing, ripping, and even water damage from being washed or dunked. They're not indestructible, but they are way tougher than most people give them any credit for.

we ordered our package (hotel, ddp, tickets) as a package from Disney.com. We didn't get anything in our package but confirmation papers, etc. and vouchers for stuff. We ordered P&PP tickets separately and got those in the mail and they are the plastic ones. I'm guessing we'll get issued our tickets, etc. when we check into the resort.

Yes, that's right. When you buy a package, your tickets will be automatically coded onto your room key (which is called a Key to the World or KTTW card) when you check in. This gives you only one card per person to keep track of that acts as your room key, park pass, dining plan card (if you got the dining plan), and you can even enable the charging feature so you can buy stuff with it in the parks and have it charged to your room.

If you wish, you can request that your tickets be put on a separate card when you check in, instead of on your KTTW card. Many CMs don't know how to do this, or even that it is possible, but it is, so if you ask for it and they tell you it can't be done, ask for a manager and they will show the CM how to do it.

 

[safetymom]

I used my AP 75 times last year with no problems. The year before I went 85 times! It looked as good at the end of the year as it did at the beginning. It has been in my wallet, flown across the country and been thorough many airports with no problems. I love the paper tickets!!!!

 

[WillCAD]

Okay, I've been spelling it wrong - it's Tyvek with a K, not a C.

And aparently, I've also been wrong about it's composition; it is not a mylar substrate with paper coating. In fact, Tyvek has no paper content at all, even though it looks and feels like it does. It's entirely made from polyethylene fibers. So of course, it's not affected by water.

Here is the Wikipedia article on Tyvek:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyvek

And from the web page of some company that is an authorized Tyvek distributor (Material Concepts):

Tyvek® Properties
Tyvek® combines all the best physical properties and characteristics of paper, film, and fabric - in one exceptional material. While most products offer water resistance or breathability, Tyvek® offers both. It is equally strong and protective in wet or dry conditions. Tyvek® is lightweight, flexible, smooth, particulate free, opaque, and resistant to water, rot & mildew, chemicals, abrasion, and aging. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is pH 7 (neutral). Made from 100% high-density polyethylene fibers, Tyvek® is manufactured in a unique flash-spinning process without the use of binders.

So there we have it, the answer to why a Tyvek WDW pass can go through the washer and not be affected at all!

 

[Magickndm]

Have you been putting your AP directly in your pocket with no vinyl sleeve or wallet? If so, that's why it has "demagnetized" on you so much - the combination of static electricity from friction (in the FL heat and humidity static is a big problem) and scratches from being slid into a shirt or pants pocket without a sleeve will kill the magnetic strip, even on the more robust Tyvec tickets.
.

It hasn't happened often, maybe twice in the 5 years or so since they've been using them, which is why I assume it's my fault

 

[Schmeck]

You've got to be kidding. I'll look through my vacation photos right away and see if I have those.


As I stated in my OP, "small thing." Just saying...my credit card type I had in year one was durable, more convenient to carry and "worry free." The paper ones..oops I mean the "tyvek" ones..have never failed, but I have felt the need to treat them more with "kid gloves" as I take them in and out of my wallet a million times.

I can deal, it's not a "big deal", no worries.

Well, you state that they tear - ours never tore, and we used our AP ones for two trips, totalling 24 days of use and they worked fine each time. No wearing out, no tearing... So, when you claim yours was torn, I'd like to see it.

 

[jenelope]

The most common use of Tyvek is in construction. They wrap houses with it to weatherproof them. Ever see a house under construction with a white wrap on it with the DuPont logo? It's Tyvek! It's used because it's water, snow and damage resistant. I found this image through Google:

If it can make it through a Mankato, MN winter, it can probably make it through the wash! Actually, when I was a teenager, I borrowed a Tyvek promotional windbreaker from my uncle. I was excited to be wear a waterproof "paper" jacket. What can I say? I've always been a weird kid.

I don't find the magnetic strip to be more fragile on the Tyvek tickets than the plastic ones, either. I'm pretty sure the strip is made out of the same material, regardless of the ticket medium it's attached to.

 

[huskies90]

If you are staying at a Disney resort, You might ask if they can put the days on your room key. I think I've read in the past that they can do it. Never hurts to ask if you would rather have a plastic card.

Is this correct? Will they put it on your Room Key? We have always bought a package and had the ticket on the key. Much easier. I don't care about the paper plastic thing but I'd like to get it on one card. I got my tix through AAA and I am staying at CSR room only this time.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I actually have a Pleasure Island ticket in my wallet that I have SERIOUSLY attempted to intentially tear and I could tear about 1/8th of an inch from the edge and that was it.

They do not tear easily. Not at all.

That said, I hate them. I'd much rather have the credit card style room key. Just a 'look and feel' issue for me.

I understand they're technically not as good, but I'd still rather have that.

I'm weird. I know.

Knox

 

[honeybee30]

My AP is looking a little raggedy after 2 summer trips, but as long as it works in October, I'm not too worried about it. They are really pretty durable and have survived water rides, sweaty shorts pockets, etc....

My AP was demagnitized once in May, so I had to get it reissued at Guest Services. It was sort of a pain, but not the end of the world. Even the hard plastic can become demagnitized, so I don't think that was an issue of flimsy materials.

 

[doconeill]

Is this correct? Will they put it on your Room Key? We have always bought a package and had the ticket on the key. Much easier. I don't care about the paper plastic thing but I'd like to get it on one card. I got my tix through AAA and I am staying at CSR room only this time.

When we got a package and stayed at All-Stars, we didn't get physical tickets, but a voucher we turned it at the desk, and our park hoppers were added to the room key.

When we stayed at the Poly, we were given separate tickets by the agent, and I believe I was told when checking in that they couldn't add them to the room key - but we got upgraded to Concierge, and when we checked in at the Concierge desk, they gave us new room keys (the gold ones) - and put the tickets on the cards.

Curiosity - if you have non-expiring tickets, can they put those on a room key? What if you have days left? Will the room key still work for admission?

I know that they do NOT put APs on the room keys.

That said, I hate them. I'd much rather have the credit card style room key. Just a 'look and feel' issue for me.

I understand they're technically not as good, but I'd still rather have that.

I'm weird. I know.

Knox

You're Canadian. It explains much.

 

[WillCAD]

Is this correct? Will they put it on your Room Key? We have always bought a package and had the ticket on the key. Much easier. I don't care about the paper plastic thing but I'd like to get it on one card. I got my tix through AAA and I am staying at CSR room only this time.

Yes, you can have your separately bought ticket added to your room key when you check in (make sure to tell the CM as soon as you walk up so he doesn't get too far in the process!) However, some CMs don't know how to do it, and some don't even think it's possible, so you might be told that it is not possible. Simply ask for a supervisor; in my experience all the supervisors know how to add a separately purchased ticket to a room key and can show the CM how.

I stil advise people against it, however, for the simple reason that the magnetic strips on the plastic KTTW cards demagnetize at the drop of a hat, but the magnetic strips on the Tyvek tickets are much more durable and demagnetize a lot less. And if your KTTW card demagnetizes, the only place you can get a new one issued is at the front desk of the resort where you are staying - not at Guest Relations in the parks or Downtown Disney, or anywhere else. This can be a real pain if your ticket stops working when you're trying to get into MK for an 8am breakfast ADR!

Curiosity - if you have non-expiring tickets, can they put those on a room key? What if you have days left? Will the room key still work for admission?

I know that they do NOT put APs on the room keys.

Yes, if you have non-expiring tickets they can still put these on a KTTW card. Obviously, the card will stop letting you into the room when you check out, but the ticket part will remain good.

Keep in mind that none of this stuff is actualy stored on the cards themselves. The cards, both the KTTW plastics and the Tyvecs, only hold their own unique serial number. All information about room access, charging priviledges, and ticket entitlements and usage, is stored on the WDW computer system. It's a lot like an ATM card - the card doesn't hold your money, the bank does, and the card just acts as an ID to let you access your money from any ATM. This is why lost APs, tickets, and keys can be so easily zeroed and re-issued.

 

[dqpowell]

The "paper" (Tyvek) tickets do not tear. My experience with both the credit-card style plastic and Tyvek suggests the Tyvek tickets have superior durability. Bend or fold them and they are perfectly fine... bend or fold a plastic ticket (accidentally, by sitting on it or some such incident) and you've probably rendered it useless. Also, I've never had a Tyvek ticket demagnetized, though people in my group have had plastic card/tickets demagnetized on more than one occasion.

If I had a choice, I would pick the 'paper' tickets every time.

David

 

[WillCAD]

The "paper" (Tyvek) tickets do not tear. My experience with both the credit-card style plastic and Tyvek suggests the Tyvek tickets have superior durability. Bend or fold them and they are perfectly fine... bend or fold a plastic ticket (accidentally, by sitting on it or some such incident) and you've probably rendered it useless. Also, I've never had a Tyvek ticket demagnetized, though people in my group have had plastic card/tickets demagnetized on more than one occasion.

If I had a choice, I would pick the 'paper' tickets every time.

David

Not nessecarily - the usablility of the tickets, either plastic or Tyvek, is dependant on the magnetic strip, not the substrate. If you bend or fold or crack either ticket, it may still work as long as the magnetic strip is still undamaged.

Bend or scratch the mag strip, however, and the card is toast.

The mag strips on the Tyvek tickets DO demagnetize; however, they do so WAY less frequently than those on the plastic cards, which seem to demagnetize any time somebody comes within 1000 yards of a cell phone, rubs two cards together, or sneezes during particular phases of the lunar cycle.

 

[dqpowell]

Not nessecarily - the usablility of the tickets, either plastic or Tyvek, is dependant on the magnetic strip, not the substrate.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. Nothing you said in your post is contrary to what I said.

If you bend or fold or crack either ticket, it may still work as long as the magnetic strip is still undamaged.

Yes, but you must admit that the chances of accidentally bending or folding a plastic ticket in such a way that the magnetic strip is unaffected are slim.

The mag strips on the Tyvek tickets DO demagnetize; however, they do so WAY less frequently than those on the plastic cards, which seem to demagnetize any time somebody comes within 1000 yards of a cell phone, rubs two cards together, or sneezes during particular phases of the lunar cycle.

Which only supports what my experience has been with both types of tickets -- plastic tickets more likely to demagnetize than Tyvek. Tyvek = more durable.

David

 

[kerry34]

The "paper" (Tyvek) tickets do not tear. My experience with both the credit-card style plastic and Tyvek suggests the Tyvek tickets have superior durability. Bend or fold them and they are perfectly fine... bend or fold a plastic ticket (accidentally, by sitting on it or some such incident) and you've probably rendered it useless. Also, I've never had a Tyvek ticket demagnetized, though people in my group have had plastic card/tickets demagnetized on more than one occasion.

If I had a choice, I would pick the 'paper' tickets every time.

David

I also like the paper/tyvek tickets better. We have had them for all but one occasion (when we stayed at the poly), and my mother had to have hers replaced twice because it kept getting demagnetized. Its never happened with the paper. They are very durable. I forceably tried to rip an old used up ticket and could not tear it in half.

 

[jessyj1977]

Well, you state that they tear - ours never tore, and we used our AP ones for two trips, totalling 24 days of use and they worked fine each time. No wearing out, no tearing... So, when you claim yours was torn, I'd like to see it.

I also had an AP that was torn in the corner. It was torn to the point that it kept getting stuck in the ticket reader. All you have to do is go to guest relations and ask them to print you a new one and it is fixed in seconds. On another note, even if you purchased your tickets from a broker you are still able to have them encoded on your KTTW card if you are staying at a Disney Resort. My sis and brother in law bought their tickets from Undercover Tourist and were able to have them added to the KTTW card when we went in May.

 

[huskies90]

The "paper" (Tyvek) tickets do not tear. My experience with both the credit-card style plastic and Tyvek suggests the Tyvek tickets have superior durability. Bend or fold them and they are perfectly fine... bend or fold a plastic ticket (accidentally, by sitting on it or some such incident) and you've probably rendered it useless. Also, I've never had a Tyvek ticket demagnetized, though people in my group have had plastic card/tickets demagnetized on more than one occasion.

If I had a choice, I would pick the 'paper' tickets every time.

David

Hi Everyone!! Thank you very much for answering my question about the room key. I posted this in another thread but my question was not answered. I have had tix direct from Disney (plastic credit card type), as part of a package which were merged into the room key (also plastic credit card type) and from a broker (Tyvek tix). These AAA tix are different. They are like a had paper/plastic combo and they are very small and flimsy. Are they another type of Tyvek? They are not like messy Fedex envelope that my broker tix were. And secondly, I had them out last night and there is a large tear right across the magnetic strip. It looks like it is where the paper clip was holding them together. That CAN'T be good!!! Am I in trouble??

 

[PamNC]

Hey, I don't care what they give me, paper, plastic, liquid, wire, just as long as it gets me in the gate.

PamNC

 

[WillCAD]

Hi Everyone!! Thank you very much for answering my question about the room key. I posted this in another thread but my question was not answered. I have had tix direct from Disney (plastic credit card type), as part of a package which were merged into the room key (also plastic credit card type) and from a broker (Tyvek tix). These AAA tix are different. They are like a had paper/plastic combo and they are very small and flimsy. Are they another type of Tyvek? They are not like messy Fedex envelope that my broker tix were. And secondly, I had them out last night and there is a large tear right across the magnetic strip. It looks like it is where the paper clip was holding them together. That CAN'T be good!!! Am I in trouble??

I don't know what those tickets are made of, but you're not in any trouble - just take them to Guest Relations at any of the parks and they will re-issue the ripped ticket for you.

 

[asktriplets]

Hi Everyone!! Thank you very much for answering my question about the room key. I posted this in another thread but my question was not answered. I have had tix direct from Disney (plastic credit card type), as part of a package which were merged into the room key (also plastic credit card type) and from a broker (Tyvek tix). These AAA tix are different. They are like a had paper/plastic combo and they are very small and flimsy. Are they another type of Tyvek? They are not like messy Fedex envelope that my broker tix were. And secondly, I had them out last night and there is a large tear right across the magnetic strip. It looks like it is where the paper clip was holding them together. That CAN'T be good!!! Am I in trouble??

i wonder if someone else could give you an idea of what to expect when you FIRST get to the park with a ticket that needs to be replaced at guest relations before it is activated (guest relations is INSIDE the park gates, right?). or if you can find out of you can take it elsewhere BEFORE your first day in the park (TTC in the early AM?) . i would be concerned that it could take some time to get in to the park with a non-reading ticket, then deal with guest relations first thing in the AM on the first day of the trip (here in our family, we have a standing date at 9:05 am to fly over london with Peter Pan on our first day in the parks!)

have a great trip, regardless,