News Disney hints at more changes to come at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

[JMcMahonEsq]

That was literally how the Magic Kingdome was when I went as a kid... Individual tickets for each ride... That is what makes me wonder if they are toying with going back to that model...

It's an interesting thought. I would also say it somewhat fits in to the modern trend that most younger people find it better, either through micro transactions, or targeted audience entertainment type offerings, to buy what you want, as opposed to overall package deals. The whole trend to "cutting the cable cord" started when people starting feeling like they were paying too much for too little content that interested them. Go back to the late 90's/20's cable companies were adding channels like mad. It was a numbers game, offer more shows, more content, more channels. But as prices went up, people started asking why they were paying so much for 200+ channels, when half of them were cooking or travel channels people didn't watch, or that my sister didn't want to pay for 17 sports channels including one dedicated to cricket.

I could see some potential market value in offering basically an ala cart experience at the parks. I don't ride roller coasters, would i pay a cheaper price for a park ticket that doesn't get me mountain access at MK....absolutely. I would have done the same thing when our kids were too young to ride them too. You could probably also get some tracton with locals who don't want to spend $200 bucks for a day at the park, but might spend $100 to go eat, drink, and watch the fire works.

 

[Bocabear]

I think the base ticket was like $16.95 and that gave you entrance to the park, and a couple coupons for Main Street transportation and the train I think but nothing else... I had some older relatives that loved it...they just wanted to see the park and shop...

 

[Smiley/OCD]

It's an interesting thought. I would also say it somewhat fits in to the modern trend that most younger people find it better, either through micro transactions, or targeted audience entertainment type offerings, to buy what you want, as opposed to overall package deals. The whole trend to "cutting the cable cord" started when people starting feeling like they were paying too much for too little content that interested them. Go back to the late 90's/20's cable companies were adding channels like mad. It was a numbers game, offer more shows, more content, more channels. But as prices went up, people started asking why they were paying so much for 200+ channels, when half of them were cooking or travel channels people didn't watch, or that my sister didn't want to pay for 17 sports channels including one dedicated to cricket.

I could see some potential market value in offering basically an ala cart experience at the parks. I don't ride roller coasters, would i pay a cheaper price for a park ticket that doesn't get me mountain access at MK....absolutely. I would have done the same thing when our kids were too young to ride them too. You could probably also get some tracton with locals who don't want to spend $200 bucks for a day at the park, but might spend $100 to go eat, drink, and watch the fire works.

You pay one price to enter and are given a MB…that will be used like an E-Z pass to be scanned at the entry point of each attraction…everyone pays on the way out…I see disaster…”I’m telling you, I NEVER rode Tiana…there’s a mistake!”

 

[Tom P.]

”I’m telling you, I NEVER rode Tiana…there’s a mistake!”

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

You pay one price to enter and are given a MB…that will be used like an E-Z pass to be scanned at the entry point of each attraction…everyone pays on the way out…I see disaster…”I’m telling you, I NEVER rode Tiana…there’s a mistake!”

You know I hadn't thought of it that way.

But that actually gave me the thought of just completely simplifying fast pass/genie plus, to an EZ Pass congestion pricing model. Each ride has a regular entrance, and the express lane entrance. Based upon time of day/year or number of people in the express lane line, the posted price would fluctuate.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Ticket costs and class was initially pegged to how expensive the ride was to make.

After a while, they were also used to dissuade folks from rides with lines that were too long (because of popularity, or, because of low throughput) by bumping them up a tier or two, and conversely, to encourage people to go on rides that lost their popularity by bumping down their ticket level. The prototype of Genie+!!

Today, WDI uses the tier levels by whatever mystical process they have. But they don't advertise their internal ranking.

Guests use it for any ride that's very popular with a long line.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

You know I hadn't thought of it that way.

But that actually gave me the thought of just completely simplifying fast pass/genie plus, to an EZ Pass congestion pricing model. Each ride has a regular entrance, and the express lane entrance. Based upon time of day/year or number of people in the express lane line, the posted price would fluctuate.

Yes! Then they can change it from Lightning Lane to Eric Adams lane…

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

that's why E tickets are called that - the E ticket was for roller coasters, technologically advanced, or new attractions and were more limited/expensive

Like Country Bear Jamboree lol.

 

[freediverdude]

I could see horrible price creep if they changed to that model. Let's say they start with $49.95 to enter the park, and $10 for each ride. Before you know it, the entrance fee would be $59, then $69, etc., until you're right back up to what we pay now, only without any ride access.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I could see horrible price creep if they changed to that model. Let's say they start with $49.95 to enter the park, and $10 for each ride. Before you know it, the entrance fee would be $59, then $69, etc., until you're right back up to what we pay now, only without any ride access.

If they change to that model the general entrance fee is not going down. So you’re looking at $150 to enter MK to start plus the cost of the rides.

 

[Bocabear]

Well I would say maybe $100 ($99.99) to enter, then cost of rides...Plus parking, it would be more than we currently pay but under the $150 which sounds WAAAY too steep.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

So, this announcement got really quiet...Any word on any movement on the old Pirates League section?

 

[WaltWiz1901]

Today, WDI uses the tier levels by whatever mystical process they have. But they don't advertise their internal ranking.

Guests use it for any ride that's very popular with a long line.

Nowadays, WDI (and most other theme park designers) use the ticket levels to determine the scale and scope of an attraction. I could go on, but S.W. Wilson has explained it in detail better than I could:

Ticket terminology is used industry-wide among designers to denote basic scale & scope. It makes communication easier. What is what should be fairly common sense. It is all the things you note: cost, length, size, tech, etc.. There are no official specific guidelines or metrics, but scope is generally understood. Change over time also has an affect on unofficial ticket designation (i.e., when AAs were first introduced things like Tiki Room might have higher designation than today). Plus, numerous attractions ride the line between ticket levels.

It is supposed to correlate with popularity but does not always. Therefore the disassociation from the Ticket-book days (which were based on demand/popularity) and the endless confused, fruitless and pointless banter on the internet about the ticket-level of an attraction. E.g. Ellen's Energy Adventure is now an unpopular E-ticket based on scale & scope, while Peter Pan is very popular C-ticket in scope. If ticket books still existed these allocations might be reversed, based on demand.

Marketing is another group that often mis-uses E-ticket for hype purposes, e.g., calling Mermaid an E in d23 magazine.

An easy way to designate is to think of some things related, but bigger and smaller in scope (only). If Big Thunder is an E and Barnstormer is a C, what does that make Dwarfs Mine Train?