What's your definition of an "E-Ticket"

[ChrisFL]

I think the general idea of the "E-ticket" has changed over the years.

Some people here might be surprised about which attractions were E-tickets when it first opened.

At Disneyland, The Enchanted Tiki Room, America Sings, Country Bear Jamboree and the railroad trains were E-tickets.

I believe the Hall of Presidents was an E-tickets at MK.

So obviously there's many ideas of what an E-ticket should be, but what's your requirements?

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Personally, I think if it's a high-thrill attraction, it gets instant e-ticket status. Also, if it happens to be an attraction which involves a lot of highly technical advances and so forth (i.e. Spiderman at Universal's IoA) but isn't exactly a thrill ride and would still attract large crowds....that would make one an e-ticket ride too.

 

[Bob Saget]

An E-ticket for me is any caliber of attraction (thrill, slow,) that is always a "must do" on any trip rather than a "eh, if we get to it, then great...if not, no big deal."

 

[spacemt354]

The term E-ticket to me is based on a few aspects. Although these might not be the criteria the term used to be based on, when I say E-ticket on the forums, this is what I think of it as. And I'll use Splash Mountain as an example.

1.) Rideability - The attraction has to influence me not only to ride it once, but come back again and again. Splash Mountain does this for me. It's the ride my family and I always ride during the day and/or save for the end, making it the punctuation mark on our day at the Magic Kingdom. It's not just something we ride once in a while. We ride it alot and it gets better every time.

2.) Story - All Disney rides have a story. But E-tickets for me take that storytelling to the next level. They immerse you in the environment and make the story-telling an interactive experience. With Splash Mountain, the guests take part in the story. They are tossed into the briar patch along with Brer Rabbit. And in the end, the zip a dee do da song truly puts a smile on my face.

3.) Ambiance - This can come in many different fashions. From attraction music, to the tone the ride sets, to the details that surround you. The ambiance is a major part of the E-ticket definition for me. The music for Splash Mountain is some of the most memorable in all the parks. The music transcends the attraction. People listen to the songs on their Ipods, at least I do. Zip a dee do da and others are tunes that as soon as you hear them, you instantly think Splash Mountain. That says a lot about an attraction.

4.) Thrill - Again this can come in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't mean the ride has to be a roller coaster. It doesn't mean it has to go 60 mph. What I mean by thrill is excitement while riding the attraction. The E-ticket attractions never have a dull moment. It always keeps your interest. Moving from scene to scene in Splash Mountain builds up the thrill and the anticipaiton of drops in between just builds it up even more.


So that is how I view E-tickets. For me, the E-tickets in WDW today are:
MK: Splash Mountain, BTMR, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates
Epcot: Test Track, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Mission:Space
HS: Tower of Terror, RnRC
AK: Expedition Everest, Dinosaur

And for others it could be completely different, but that is just how I see "E-tickets"

 

[MarkTwain]

I was thinking about this the other day. Here's my breakdown:

E-ticket: What you say the park "has". DHS is "the one with Tower of Terror and Rn&RC," Magic Kingdom "has Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain." These don't have to be thrills - they just have to be tentpoles, and significant draws for the park. Midway Mania, Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth are all E-tickets IMO.

D-ticket: Not the first attraction you think of when you think about a park, but great attractions in their own right and worth a decent wait in line. The park would be significantly less without them. Jungle Cruise, Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, what the Little Mermaid is going to be, etc.

C-ticket: Good rides that help make up the theme of a land and fill in the surrounding E-tickets - Buzz Lightyear, Winnie-the-Pooh, the Liberty Belle, Gran Fiesta Tour. I'd say higher-production shows like Indy or Finding Nemo the Musical could fit in here as well.

B-ticket: The "stock" rides that are sort of the filler for the rest of the park, and a means of boosting capacity/ride count - Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, Chester's & Hester's. I think 3D movies would likely fall in here as well.

A-ticket: Things you think of that might barely qualify as being in the same font size as "Tower of Terror" on the park maps, often walk-throughs and movies that aren't presented in 3D. One Man's Dream, Impressions de France, ImageWorks, the Frontierland Shooting Gallery, the various World Showcase exhibits... many "periphery" attractions.

The important thing to remember is that having a balance of all of these is extremely important in any theme park. Nobody would want to go to a park with just a couple E-tickets, and the only option was to stand in 2-hour lines all day. Small-scale attractions can be every bit as valuable as the large-scale ones (see which is more popular on WDWmagic between the PeopleMover and Dinosaur), and often these are the attractions where the most magical moments are found.

Good discussion.

 

[luv]

E-ticket = Most popular.

 

[ellie-badge]

Good question! I think any thrill ride at Disney can be categorized as an E-Ticket, but I also think that it can be broadened to anything that really immerses guests and puts them in "the zone" while experiencing the attraction, while at the same time putting on a good show.

 

[WDWNooby]

To me, it's the most popular. Growing up in CA it was always of course the Matterhorn. I remember back in the day when you had to buy books...stunk that you had to buy books; never enough E-Tickets to go around...now I'm showing my age!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

 

[Clever Name]

I think the general idea of the "E-ticket" has changed over the years.

Some people here might be surprised about which attractions were E-tickets when it first opened.

At Disneyland, The Enchanted Tiki Room, America Sings, Country Bear Jamboree and the railroad trains were E-tickets.

I believe the Hall of Presidents was an E-tickets at MK.

So obviously there's many ideas of what an E-ticket should be, but what's your requirements?

When Disneyland opened, Walt perosnally owned the railroad and The Enchanted Tiki Room. He hired his own staff to run those attractions and he took all the profit from those attractions. They were E-tickets because Walt wanted to make a lot of money for himself. Can't blame him for making money.

 

[bethymouse]

"E Ticket" is like a carnival ride that costs the most tickets: usually the most thrilling and/or new. I'm not comparing Disney to the carnival, but the carnival "charges" more tickets for bigger rides: usually the rides that require a height of 42'' or more. At least that's how I see it.
That said, Splash, BTMRR, Space, ToT, RnRC, EE, KRR, Soarin, TT, MS... just to name the top ones on my "E ticket" list IMHO.

 

[TropicalFig8]

"E Ticket" = Amazing technology,storyline & characters

 

[AswaySuller]

Has anyone got definitions and examples of all the "tickets"?

 

[TropicalFig8]

Has anyone got definitions and examples of all the "tickets"?

I was thinking about this the other day. Here's my breakdown:

E-ticket: What you say the park "has". DHS is "the one with Tower of Terror and Rn&RC," Magic Kingdom "has Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain." These don't have to be thrills - they just have to be tentpoles, and significant draws for the park. Midway Mania, Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth are all E-tickets IMO.

D-ticket: Not the first attraction you think of when you think about a park, but great attractions in their own right and worth a decent wait in line. The park would be significantly less without them. Jungle Cruise, Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, what the Little Mermaid is going to be, etc.

C-ticket: Good rides that help make up the theme of a land and fill in the surrounding E-tickets - Buzz Lightyear, Winnie-the-Pooh, the Liberty Belle, Gran Fiesta Tour. I'd say higher-production shows like Indy or Finding Nemo the Musical could fit in here as well.

B-ticket: The "stock" rides that are sort of the filler for the rest of the park, and a means of boosting capacity/ride count - Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, Chester's & Hester's. I think 3D movies would likely fall in here as well.

A-ticket: Things you think of that might barely qualify as being in the same font size as "Tower of Terror" on the park maps, often walk-throughs and movies that aren't presented in 3D. One Man's Dream, Impressions de France, ImageWorks, the Frontierland Shooting Gallery, the various World Showcase exhibits... many "periphery" attractions.

The important thing to remember is that having a balance of all of these is extremely important in any theme park. Nobody would want to go to a park with just a couple E-tickets, and the only option was to stand in 2-hour lines all day. Small-scale attractions can be every bit as valuable as the large-scale ones (see which is more popular on WDWmagic between the PeopleMover and Dinosaur), and often these are the attractions where the most magical moments are found.

Good discussion.

There you go.

 

[AswaySuller]

So there isn't a science to it then?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think the reason why "E-Ticket" and "thrills" are so synonymous now is that nearly every E-Ticket Disney has built since the late 80s has had some sort of "trill" factor (Splash, ToT, Star Tours, Indy, RSR etc.). That wasn't the case why the label was first made and I don't believe it should be an automatic qualifying factor now. I have a hard time labelling something like RNRC an "E" based on how sparse the theming is. I'd sooner label GMR as one given the size and detail of the sets, the # of AAs and such (it needs updating, but that alone doesn't change what label I'd give it).

I'd also put American Adventure as an "E" based on what the term means to me, and maybe HoP too. it's not like the AA count for that has decreased over time.

 

[njDizFan]

I think the reason why "E-Ticket" and "thrills" are so synonymous now is that nearly every E-Ticket Disney has built since the late 80s has had some sort of "trill" factor (Splash, ToT, Star Tours, Indy, RSR etc.). That wasn't the case why the label was first made and I don't believe it should be an automatic qualifying factor now. I have a hard time labelling something like RNRC an "E" based on how sparse the theming is. I'd sooner label GMR as one given the size and detail of the sets, the # of AAs and such (it needs updating, but that alone doesn't change what label I'd give it).

I'd also put American Adventure as an "E" based on what the term means to me, and maybe HoP too. it's not like the AA count for that has decreased over time.

I agree, I think people overlook the complexity and story of attractions like Hop and AA. These are true E-ticket experiences.

 

[unkadug]

Has anyone got definitions and examples of all the "tickets"?

You will notice that some attraction will appear in more than one category. That's because attractions were demoted.


“A” Ticket
Main Street – Omibus

Horse Cars​

Main Street Vehicles​

Fantasyland – Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel

“B” Ticket
Main Street - Main Street Cinema
Fantasyland – Dumbo The Flying Elephant

Mad Tea Party​

Frontierland – Frontierland Shooting Galley

Mike Fink Keel Boats​

Adventureland – Swiss Family Treehouse

“C” Ticket
Tomorrowland - Grand Prix Raceway

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress​

Fantasyland - Peter Pan’s Flight

Snow White’s Scary Adventure​

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride​

Frontierland - Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes (Closed atdusk)
Adventureland – Swiss Family Treehouse

“D” Ticket
Main Street – Walt Disney World Railroad/Grand Circle Tour
Tomorrowland – Skyway to Fantasyland

Wedway​

Starjets​

Mission to Mars​

Flight To The Moon​

Fantasyland – Skyway to Tomorrowland

The Mickey Mouse Revue​

Frontierland – Country Bear Jamboree

Walt Disney World Railroad​

Tom Sawyer’s Island (Closes at Dusk)​

Liberty Square – The Hall Of Presidents

Adm. Joe Fowler Riverboat​

Richard F. Irvine Riverboat​

Adventureland – The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management

Enchanted Tiki Birds​

“E” Ticket
Tomorrowland – Space Mountain
Fantasyland – It’s A Small World

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Submarine Voyage)​

Frontierland – Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square – The Haunted Mansion

The Hall of Presidents​

Adventureland – Pirates Of The Caribbean

Jungle Cruise​

​

 

[Chrononymous]

E ticket is cutting edge technology, with a story.

The reason all those attraction at Disneyland were E was because they were ahead of their time, amazing uses of what was then cutting edge tech, mixed with great storytelling.

 

[KaliSplash]

The E-ticket is the park's best. For MK, I would say Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Mansion. From my own personal view, I would add COP, Hall of Presidents, Jungle Cruise and Country Bear Jamboree becuase of the complexity of the Audio-Animatronics. Frankly, I could probably say the same for Tiki Room and It's a Small World.
At EPCOT, Spaceship Earth, Soaring, Test Track, Mission Space, American Adventure.
At DHS, Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster, Great Movie Ride, Star Tours
Disney's Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and Kilamanjaro Safari.