Question about the grand opening of WDW

[mrtoad]

I bet that was an interesting situation. We talk about how people in Stand-by frown at people in FastPass when anybody can get one for free. I wonder if people still using the ticket books resented the people who could afford to buy the "fancy" ticket that let you on any ride you wanted. :lol:

Could be. I am 99% sure about the being able to use both at the time. I can't image any other reason why we had to "display" our tickets otherwise. It was kind of weird though. They were heavy paper tickets so not something that would stand up well to the weather. Also very easy to lose that way. I mean I know when we go now, I only let my kids put their tickets in the machines at the turnstiles and then hand them right back for fear of losing them.

 

[TP2000]

I am 99% sure about the being able to use both at the time. I can't image any other reason why we had to "display" our tickets otherwise. It was kind of weird though. .

You are remembering correctly. There was a period of a couple years when the old ticket books existed alongside the new passports. They transitioned them in for two main reasons, as they knew they were designing Epcot Center to not need ticket books in Florida, at the same time they were rebuilding Disneyland's Fantasyland to not need ticket books in Anaheim.

Without ticket books you didn't need a CM at every entry taking tickets. It resulted in labor savings, and design and structural changes to existing and new attractions. But it took a few years of phasing the whole thing in throughout the two parks; roughly 1980 to 1983 on both coasts.

 

[mrtoad]

I did a search and I was right. This is from allears.net

"The first passports in 1980 and 1981 had a large string attached to a punched hole in the ticket so that you could wear the ticket around your wrist or on a shirt button."

-- Just a quick edit: not bad, $11.00 for everything except the shooting gallery, discovery island and river country...

Here is a pic:

 

[mrtoad]

You are remembering correctly. There was a period of a couple years when the old ticket books existed alongside the new passports. They transitioned them in for two main reasons, as they knew they were designing Epcot Center to not need ticket books in Florida, at the same time they were rebuilding Disneyland's Fantasyland to not need ticket books in Anaheim.

Without ticket books you didn't need a CM at every entry taking tickets. It resulted in labor savings, and design and structural changes to existing and new attractions. But it took a few years of phasing the whole thing in throughout the two parks; roughly 1980 to 1983 on both coasts.

Thanks for the info. It did make a lot of sense to do.

 

[JoeZer]

I did a search and I was right. This is from allears.net

"The first passports in 1980 and 1981 had a large string attached to a punched hole in the ticket so that you could wear the ticket around your wrist or on a shirt button."

-- Just a quick edit: not bad, $11.00 for everything except the shooting gallery, discovery island and river country...

Here is a pic:

Ahhh...been a while since I've seen any ticketing media mentioning the Magic Kingdom Club. Growing up in Florida, my father (through his workplace) signed up for the Magic Kingdom Club and was able to get discounted tickets (usually during off-peak times if I remember correctly) and also purchased a set of the commemorative EPCOT Center opening day tickets when they were being offered.

These days I'm not sure if the Magic Kingdom Club still exists...though I would not be surprised if it was phased out sometime in the 1990s.

PS: The pictured ticket was used just a day over two weeks after I turned 14...jeepers I'm feeling old. Good thing I'll be back in the World in less than a week.

 

[jt04]

To be more precise, $4.95 got you admission to a park containing all those attractions. You still had to buy separate tickets to get on the rides back then. (But even throwing in the ticket books, it was still pretty cheap.)

You could also buy tickets individually at kiosks if your ticket book ran out of a particular letter . A tickets were 10 cents and E tickets 90 cents with the other prices falling between those points.

So that would be about $3.00 plus in today's dollars for an E Ticket.

 

[crazgurl]

I was digging through old albums the other day and happened to find this 1983 park ticket from my parents honeymoon - just thought I'd share it since it's sort of on topic here!

 

[kittybubbles]

Ahhh...been a while since I've seen any ticketing media mentioning the Magic Kingdom Club. Growing up in Florida, my father (through his workplace) signed up for the Magic Kingdom Club and was able to get discounted tickets (usually during off-peak times if I remember correctly) and also purchased a set of the commemorative EPCOT Center opening day tickets when they were being offered.

These days I'm not sure if the Magic Kingdom Club still exists...though I would not be surprised if it was phased out sometime in the 1990s.

From what I recall, the club did end in the mid to late 90's or so (I seem to recall 'The Key' club or something like that).

That $11 ticket was a discounted ticket. From what I recall (when they had A-E tickets) during the slow seasons your ticket book included the equivalent of all E tickets while during busier times you got a discount on a ticket book containing A-E tickets.

I also seem to recall you paid admission each day (say you had tickets left over from a previous trip) because you needed a 'transportation' ticket to take transportation from the TTC to the MK.

 

[MarkTwain]

I just wanted to say that I'm loving this thread.

Keep the information coming!