Could Disneyland go back to ride/attraction tickets?

[bcla]

Seeing that the rides are getting more and more crowded, is it possible that ride tickets could help alleviate some of the issues with long lines? The all you can eat pricing model does seem to bring out where guests work really hard to maximize the number of attractions visited. If one made it a short visit, then the ride tickets could be saved for future days.

 

[whoever]

Yes they could (whether paper or electronic). What this allowed Disney to do in the past is adjust the crowd levels by attraction by altering the number of tickets of each type in the book for a given price. It was actually a great system allowing for behavior modification.

 

[SMD]

I think adding a step to access the ride would increase wait times. There would be additional time to present the ticket (even if it's digital) to the CM and have it verified. Plus there would be additional CM interaction with many guests. I don't think it would discourage enough people from riding to make up for the added time collecting tickets would take.

 

[bcla]

They're already using paper tickets for FastPASS. Those don't seem to present much of an issue since CMs learn how to quickly identify them.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I've wondered when the first "Fastpass Only" no standby queue attraction will arrive. That's basically the same thing.

 

[SMD]

The Frozen meet & greet was FP only (technically it was a virtual queue, not really FP) for the entire time it was in DL. So was the brief Baymax greet.

Only a fraction of people use FP on any given attraction. And yes, it does take longer for the CMs to check the FP before entering the queue and when collecting the FP than it does to go the same distance in the standby queue where the guests enter on their own and don't stop to check in with a CM. If 100% of the people going through an attraction had to stop and interact with the CM, the lines would get a lot longer.

 

[figment_jii]

In your hypothetical, would the admission price remain the same? Would different attractions have a different tickets (e.g., would Space Mountain require an "E-Ticket", while the Train would require an "A-Ticket")? Basically, would be similar to when they used have attractions tickets and you needed those in addition to admission?

My first reaction was, yes, I suppose from a technology stand-point they could, but I certainly hope they do not.

 

[bcla]

I've wondered when the first "Fastpass Only" no standby queue attraction will arrive. That's basically the same thing.

That's essentially the scheduled shows.

 

[SMD]

In your hypothetical, would the admission price remain the same? Would different attractions have a different tickets (e.g., would Space Mountain require an "E-Ticket", while the Train would require an "A-Ticket")? Basically, would be similar to when they used have attractions tickets and you needed those in addition to admission?

My first reaction was, yes, I suppose from a technology stand-point they could, but I certainly hope they do not.

Isn't the tiered FP+ system at WDW a small step towards A-E tickets? I think the reason that tiers work there is that people have access to the tier system 6 months in advance and it's only for 3 of your day's rides. I don't see handing people a coupon book or giving a digital allotment working very well park-wide. Especially at DLR where most rides don't even have FP and the queues just aren't set up to have a ticket taker anymore.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

It would actually be really easy to go back to tickets, or do it on a tiered basis in terms of logistics. They could even attach it to a magic band or credit card type thing to make it easy to load and scan. The problem is, if you go back to tickets, you're actually inviting a higher number of guests (unless the price of entry stays super high plus the tickets, which I don't think is super favorable). I worked at an amusement park that had a tiered system a few years ago. You could buy tickets like a carnival or buy a wristband allowing you unlimited access for a premium price. But, that works better for places where you can't control entry due to location (beach access, for instance) or for parks with low attendance. Established parks end up running into a lot of business issues with a traditional ticket-based system unless the tickets are free but just limit the amount of times you can ride a certain ride or the entry fee is changed to reflect the cost of the ride tickets.

 

[bcla]

It would actually be really easy to go back to tickets, or do it on a tiered basis in terms of logistics. They could even attach it to a magic band or credit card type thing to make it easy to load and scan. The problem is, if you go back to tickets, you're actually inviting a higher number of guests (unless the price of entry stays super high plus the tickets, which I don't think is super favorable). I worked at an amusement park that had a tiered system a few years ago. You could buy tickets like a carnival or buy a wristband allowing you unlimited access for a premium price. But, that works better for places where you can't control entry due to location (beach access, for instance) or for parks with low attendance. Established parks end up running into a lot of business issues with a traditional ticket-based system unless the tickets are free but just limit the amount of times you can ride a certain ride or the entry fee is changed to reflect the cost of the ride tickets.

Well - I do understand the carnival type amusements. Some are set up in public places while others are at county fairs where there has already been an admission charge. One place I'm familiar with is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which has no particular entrance fee but with ride tickets and unlimited ride wristbands. For the most part they don't have any kind of amusements that require no tickets except for their free summer concerts.

Disneyland used to have a limited number of unlimited ride passes before they went to an all you can ride model. I think those passes could only be purchased under the Magic Kingdom Club program.

 

[bumbershoot]

One place I'm familiar with is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which has no particular entrance fee but with ride tickets and unlimited ride wristbands.

Lucky people nowadays with the unlimited ride option. Wasn't available back when I was a kid visiting my dad in SC every other weekend, that's for sure!

 

[Shanti]

Seeing that the rides are getting more and more crowded, is it possible that ride tickets could help alleviate some of the issues with long lines? The all you can eat pricing model does seem to bring out where guests work really hard to maximize the number of attractions visited. If one made it a short visit, then the ride tickets could be saved for future days.

Then even more people would enter the park just to do their favorite ride or two & watch fireworks, which would lead to crazy overcrowding at the nighttime shows.

 

[mmmears]

While it would be technically possible, I think it would add so much to the feeling many people have of being "nickeled & dimed" and would not be a good idea for the parks. Most other parks don't operate that way, and Disney still does have some competitors to deal with (esp. US in FL). Also, back when they sold the ride tickets, the entrance fee was pretty negligible. Not sure they would want to go that route, either, since they might actually make less money from many visitors. I know plenty of people who go all the time and frankly they don't ride that many rides when they do go.

 

[Kindermouse]

I was thinking the same thing. You think it's crowded now, let all the locals from San Diego to Burbank in for free or for a small fee and see how crowded it gets. Even people who can't afford to buy annual passes would be going all the time and ride just few rides and still make a night of it. And there wouldn't be block out dates to thin the highest attendance days either. No I don't see this as the answer.

I have only ever known DLR with an all you can ride model (when my mom first told me that there used to be a ticket system when she was a kid I was shocked ) and it is one of the big reasons why we love it. I live close enough to Santa Cruz and other ticket/wristband places and they pay per ride thing has absolutely no pixie dust at all. The kids are trying to budget their tickets and then begging for more and before you know it I just want to go home.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I remember when it first went to admission only. I can't remember what it was called, but we were excited. We used to have so many leftover tickets for A, B and C rides that we'd save, but never use. We always had to wait in line to buy more E tickets. I think we went once when we were given the choice of doing tickets or the all the pass and then the next time we came, they only offered the all day pass. I imagine they tested it for a while before making the big switch.

With the massive crowds these days, I can see the appeal to try the ticket system again. It would save a lot of money for those of us who would visit without going on any rides, but Disney is a money making machine. They will do whatever profits them the most and selling admission for $100. to people who aren't going on any rides is a nice profit for them.

 

[bcla]

I remember when it first went to admission only. I can't remember what it was called, but we were excited. We used to have so many leftover tickets for A, B and C rides that we'd save, but never use. We always had to wait in line to buy more E tickets. I think we went once when we were given the choice of doing tickets or the all the pass and then the next time we came, they only offered the all day pass. I imagine they tested it for a while before making the big switch.

With the massive crowds these days, I can see the appeal to try the ticket system again. It would save a lot of money for those of us who would visit without going on any rides, but Disney is a money making machine. They will do whatever profits them the most and selling admission for $100. to people who aren't going on any rides is a nice profit for them.

I believe at that time they called it a "Passport". Befor the full rollout, they sold unlimited ride tickets to maybe Magic Kingdom Club members.

 

[bcla]

I believe at that time they called it a "Passport". Befor the full rollout, they sold unlimited ride tickets to maybe Magic Kingdom Club members.

Found something

 

[Aladora]

Found something

Back when a Disneyland "child" was ages 3-11!

 

[kwdw]

Seeing that the rides are getting more and more crowded, is it possible that ride tickets could help alleviate some of the issues with long lines? The all you can eat pricing model does seem to bring out where guests work really hard to maximize the number of attractions visited. If one made it a short visit, then the ride tickets could be saved for future days.

Could they? Yes - of course. Will they? I seriously doubt it. Would I like that? No way. I like the one price model. Yep, I hate lines. But I hate even worse feeling nickel-and dimed to death. I also despise the model of "pay extra" to skip lines model that some parks use. If you don't pay extra - you feel like a second class citizen. Managing the price point of the entry ticket helps keeps crowds from growing too excessive. And a free FP model (however that may change over time) open to everyone makes everyone the same "class" of person.