In
order to change out our tickets, we visited the Odyssey building in Epcot,
which was exciting because this building used to house a restaurant. This restaurant has been closed for a
number of years, but the restaurant building is still used for special events
throughout the year. There were
castmembers on hand to guide us through the process of changing out
tickets. We arrived early, so there
was no line. We walked into the
building, and to our surprise, the main room was decorated with many different
displays of retired audio animatronics figures from Walt Disney World’s
past. Figment was in attendance as
was a figure from the long shuttered attraction, Kitchen Kabaret. In addition, there were other displays
about It’s a Small World, former Innoventions attractions, and even parts of
costumes from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. All of these items were in glass cases,
and we could take as long as we liked to look around the displays. As we were changing out our
tickets, we listened to some classic Epcot tunes from all of the old
pavilions.
The
actual process of changing out the tickets just involved confirming our
identities with a photo i.d. and waiting a few minutes for the castmembers to
print out a new card for each of us.
Since my husband and I already had premier passes, we were simply given
a new card that was exactly the same as our old one with the addition of the RFID
chip that would allow us to use the new entrances to the theme parks. My brother, on the other hand, has a
Florida annual pass, so his new pass was an upgrade because the new card is an
actual plastic card, which is much sturdier than his former paper ticket. Our tickets were already a hard
plastic.
All
in all, this was a very easy process, and I recommend doing this during the
window that Disney has set up to make the change, which continues into mid
May. Before we left the Odyssey
building, we tested our cards on RFID readers that were set up at the
exit. The new turnstile-less
entrances are very fast and easy to use, and I am glad that we changed out our
tickets. This new technology is
also present on resort room keys, which makes opening the room door so
easy. All you have to do is wave
your card in front of the small black box on your room, and like magic, the
door to the room opens. This was
fantastic when we were returning to our room with luggage or with purchases. I
can’t wait to see the new magic bands that will eventually take the place of
the ticket altogether. These bands
were on display at the Odyssey, and the castmembers let us try them on just to
see that they are very light and easy to deal with. I know new technology can be a little disconcerting
sometimes, but I think this new ticketing system is a step in the right
direction. Until next time, have a
magical day, and keep moving forward!
