It's time for the E ticket to return

[over50visits]

Disney has been surprisingly slow in fully monetizing the FastPass system. Reading what's happening in Disney Paris, and months of speculation as to how Disney will monetize the FastPass replacement, I wonder if it isn't time to return to the legacy system - the A-E ticket "book" (which would be electronic).

For those of you who date back to the early days, WDW charged a fee for admission ($3.75 when I started going), then sold ticket books. Each ride needed a ticket. A rides were least desirable, such as the Main Street trolley. E tickets were the most popular, such as Jungle Cruise or 20,000 Leagues. They had kiosks everywhere so you could buy more tickets.

Maybe it's time to bring it back. Let the admission ticket ($100 or whatever) let you in so you can shop and eat (tried and true profit centers). Sell a packet of tickets for some amount ($50?), then you can purchase more "in the park" (online), ala carte so you could just get some more E tickets, for example. No more fastpass, and no long waits because they can dynamically price the tickets to keep the wait time low (so guests have more time to shop and eat), and the dreaded hour long wait is no longer there. Your kids REALLY want to ride Peter Pan? No problem, all it takes is money.

Since the tickets would be electronic, scan and validate them electronically, such as the magic bands or whatever replaces them. Now Disney has an excellent system for perks, such as a ride that breaks while you are on it results in extra tickets, or "free" ride tickets for those in high end resorts. Vastly simplify the queue process, as everyone goes in the same line. And the clever engineers can create a system where everyone has a much better time (no long waits) and Disney profits even more from this ever changing ticket supply. And how cool would you think it is if you eat at Cinderella's Royal Table, and when she stops by your table she gifts you with a surprise E ticket for everyone! Lots of possibilities here. Just think - pass by Pirates and spontaneously decide to ride it - tap your phone on the entrance scanner and be sold an admission on the spot, charge it to your room or card, and walk right in!

They could consider a printed ticket book, as collectibles (how many Disney Dollars are sitting in drawers at home). I suspect many tens of thousands would be sold and never cashed in.

Single admission price, plus individual ride tickets, as many or as few as you want. Simple. Easy to understand. "Fair" to everyone. No long lines. Profitable for Disney. Can be modified on the fly in response to crowds. Announce "lower" general admission prices with a fanfare. Nostalgic.

 

[mom2rtk]

Asking for a friend. How much is $3.75 in today’s dollars?

 

[Disney0010]

$24.54
Adjusted for inflation, $3.75 in 1971 is equal to $24.54 in 2021.
Annual inflation over this period was 3.83%

Asking for a friend. How much is $3.75 in today’s dollars?

 

[lukemorenus]

Asking for a friend. How much is $3.75 in today’s dollars?

Google knows all --- "$3.75 in 1972 is worth $24.15 today"

 

[dato63]

I remember those. My father took us to WDW in 1971, and I vaguely remember how bummed we were when all we had left were the A tickets. When he retired from the Navy, we got a pass from the military that was good on all rides all day - that was in 1977. We thought those were awesome. I remember riding Space Mountain, and them shutting down the ride and turning the lights on - so my mother could find all the stuff that fell out of her purse. Ah. Memories.

Anyhow. It would be a shame to return to the coupon/ticket books. They sure made it feel less magical when I was 8. Would imagine it would have the same feel here at 58.

We have a trip booked in December - a Universal/Disney split. I liked booking the Universal portion. We picked a resort that included the express passes. It was more expensive, but it was easy to understand.

 

[dioxide45]

$24.54
Adjusted for inflation, $3.75 in 1971 is equal to $24.54 in 2021.
Annual inflation over this period was 3.83%

Just goes to show that real inflation was probably much more than just 3.83%

 

[TDSAXX]

So you think people should pay $100.00 just for the privilege of entering the park to pay an arm and a leg for food and souvenirs?
I can do that at Disney Springs without paying admission.
Is that you Chapek?

 

[gharter]

I went to WDW many times when they had the A-E tickets. They were far from a panacea. You had to keep track of what rides used what ticket and keep buying more ticket to ride other things. We always ended up with unused tickets for the unpopular rides.
We found we did more and enjoyed it more when it went to one price and ride what you want.

 

[ahutton]

I would love an option to visit parks for dining without attractions. I love the atmosphere and in my 50s I don't need the rides.

 

[ChimneyJim]

Just a bit of trivia, the DVC booth in Tomorrowland is a repurposed ticket booth.

 

[over50visits]

So you think people should pay $100.00 just for the privilege of entering the park to pay an arm and a leg for food and souvenirs?
I can do that at Disney Springs without paying admission.
Is that you Chapek?

Of course not. But I’m betting that is what Disney would charge, and tout it as a “savings.” I think we should pay something for seeing the parades, maybe $5-$10, because if we don’t ride we spend money. But one can only dream.

 

[over50visits]

I went to WDW many times when they had the A-E tickets. They were far from a panacea. You had to keep track of what rides used what ticket and keep buying more ticket to ride other things. We always ended up with unused tickets for the unpopular rides.
We found we did more and enjoyed it more when it went to one price and ride what you want.

For years that was true. Until fastpass came along, for example, we could always get on Pirates in minutes. Now there is a huge line. The one-price all inclusive ticket resulted in the long lines because we could ride the high end rides as many times as we wanted. Eisner saw that as hurting revenue because guests were in line rather than spending money. Thus the fastpass was born, and in his own words its utility was in getting people out of line and shopping.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Brings back memories...
When DL first transitioned from ticket books they had "Passports". We got them through my Dad's work - they were not available anywhere on property. we felt like such big shots with our Passports pinned to our shirts, able to get on any ride we wanted all day long. The questions from other people in the park were endless; How do you get the Passports? How much are they? How do you get Passports? How many time have you ridden this ride today? HOW DO YOU GET THE PASSPORTS??!?? DANGIT! I WANT ONE TOO!!!

Needless to say, ticket books were pretty much a thing of the past very soon after that. Bringing back ticket books is a terrible idea. Fun nostalgia, sure, but a TERRIBLE idea.

 

[taterheads]

No. In park, pay per ride on a flux scale, closing availability to rides after people paying over $100 per person to get in is the definition of extorsion. You want to do a full scale pay ahead pass where all guests have equal access for a set price ahead of time (similar to Universal) fine, but adding what could be hundreds a day to a families trip while they're financially unprepared on the spot and have to tell their crying kid they can't ride "the ride they've been dreaming of for months" because theres no standby spots while they stand directly in front of it because parent who already shelled out $10,000+ doesn't have the extra dough... no. Set price, equally available to all ahead of time, or nothing at all. Disney seriously needs to consider that how they roll this out will affect atmosphere in the park dirastically. It could potentially become a RotR shut out for every big ride in the park, except now its called premier access... not having the equal ability to ride rides... not excited about the prosepect of paying thousands upon thousands for a trip to join a mass lotto system that I have to pay into even further. Will I get to ride? How much will Disney charge me to ride it today vs yesterday, if I can even get a premier access spot? NOT magical.... Unless you're the type of person who enjoys watching yourself be the butt of a snatch and grab show. Sorry, harsh, but I am sick of the mass of less for more...

 

[mom2rtk]

$24.54
Adjusted for inflation, $3.75 in 1971 is equal to $24.54 in 2021.
Annual inflation over this period was 3.83%

Which is sort of my point. It was a nominal entrance fee with a fee per ride. What's happening now is the potential layering of a fee per ride layered on top of charging top dollar for entrance.