A, B, C, D, and E Tickets question

[TaraWdopeyfan]

I've been reading a lot of post lately getting ready and excited for my trip on Sept 21-28. I keep reading about back in the days the rides were differnt tickets. Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on this. I've only been to Disney once in the 80's around the time Epcot opened (I believe) and then again in '03 for my honeymoon, then '04 for my oldest daughters first visit, and again in '11 for my other 3 daughter's first visits.

 

[Powerline]

A,B,C,D and E tickets were once physical things, but have been retired. Now they're terms referring to the quality of an attraction. E is the highest value and A is the lowest.

 

[luv]

They sold books. You got X number of each ticket in the books. Obviously, you'd get fewer tickets for the most popular stuff (E) and more for the least popular (A). That's basic business. A company will charge more money for things people really want and are willing to pay more to get.

People tend to bastardize the E ticket thing to mean, "most thrilling ride", whether or not the thrill ride is the most popular. I honestly believe that Dumbo, prior to the switch-over, would have been an E ticket in today's world.

Some people just use it to mean that the ride in question is their favorite. For me, Mealstrom would be an E, because although it isn't thrilling or popular, I love it. But it would not be one if Disney went back to tickets.

A flat fee is so much better. Whoever figured that out and pushed for it deserved a slap on the back.

 

[@WDWForTwo]

In some ways, I think people miss out on a lot of attractions and fun at Disney because the A-E tickets no longer exist. I think a lot of people focus on "lets go ride Space Mountain then run to Splash, then run to Big Thunder."

They miss out on the experiences and attractions that really make Disney what it is. If those A-E tickets came back maybe more people would learn to appreciate things like Hall of Presidents or the World Showcase Videos in EPCOT or Living with the Land.

"Oh this ride (Living with the Land) is only a "C" ticket, we've got a bunch of those, lets give it a shot"

 

[TaraWdopeyfan]

thank you to both of you for clearing that up for me.

 

[GoofGoof]

Check this out. This is what a 1978 Disneyland E ticket looked like:

http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/11/walt-disney-world-1978-e-ticket-to.html

 

[bethymouse]

Ahh... the ticket days!

 

[ParentsOf4]

Ahh... the ticket days!

Ugh. You mean you liked those tickets? The first time I returned to WDW after they got rid of the tickets, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

 

[LizC]

I never knew any of this. I was always a bit confused about the whole "E Ticket" thing. I wonder if WDW was like this on my first trip. When did they stop using tickets?

 

[ParentsOf4]

I never knew any of this. I was always a bit confused about the whole "E Ticket" thing. I wonder if WDW was like this on my first trip. When did they stop using tickets?

I recall it was in 1981 but might be off a year either way. They definitely were gone by the time EPCOT opened in 1982.

 

[TaraWdopeyfan]

I'm glad you no longer need the tickets too hard to decide then which rides would be a must and a skip if i didn't have enough tickets.

 

[flynnibus]

The articles at yesterland will help you greatly.. they give historical meaning, photos, prices, evolution, etc

http://www.yesterland.com/abcde2.html

 

[LizC]

I recall it was in 1981 but might be off a year either way. They definitely were gone by the time EPCOT opened in 1982.

Ok well I was born in 81, so I'm sure I missed it. Only be a few years though! Thanks for the info!

 

[Goofyernmost]

My first visit to WDW was in February of 1983. At that time all that was available was the Passport. EPCOT Ctr. had opened the previous October, so it was gone by then. Here is a list of the ticket prices in 1983 in case it was missed on a different thread. These were automatic park hoppers and all were non-expiration.

 

[Lucky]

Adjusting for inflation that $14 adult 1-day ticket would cost $33 today. The $11 child ticket would be $26 today.

 

[dreamfinder]

I'm glad you no longer need the tickets too hard to decide then which rides would be a must and a skip if i didn't have enough tickets.

You could still buy tickets of a certain ride type if you needed. The ticket system did definitely have it benefits. It allowed for people to get into the park without having to go on rides. So if Granny wanted to go with the family, but didn't like rides of any type, she could go and just people watch all day. Or just shop and eat. It also allowed for people to experience things they might not have done so otherwise. Attractions like Lincoln, Horse Drawn Carriage, aren't big draws. But by including them in the ticket books, it helped to encourage people to try them out. Much the same way that they still do "Surprise Fastpasses" for things like Carousel of Progress. Rides that are otherwise a little under utilized, people tend to go to if they feel they have already paid for it/got something to make it worthwhile.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Adjusting for inflation that $14 adult 1-day ticket would cost $33 today. The $11 child ticket would be $26 today.

Yup and those prices included tax. That 3-day hopper for MK and EPCOT ($35) would cost $81 today if adjusted for inflation. Today, a 3-day hopper (good for 4 theme parks) costs $318 (with tax). There's been just a bit of price inflation at WDW over the last 3 decades. Scary, isn't it?

I tell people WDW used to be so much more affordable then and they just don't believe me.

 

[RandeB]

Somehow I ended up with an extra E ticket from a trip from long ago.

 

[unkadug]

Somehow I ended up with an extra E ticket from a trip from long ago.

Walk up to a cast member with that ticket and say "Do you realize how long I've been waiting in line."

 

[AndyS2992]

Here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_ticket