E-Ticket

In southern California, from which I hail, Disneyland was a frequented attraction for my family. Growing up just a few miles from the park, we were within ear and eye-shot of the Disney experience. We could hear the popping of the fireworks outside, through our screen door in the summer and, like clockwork every evening, knew it was 9:25 PM. It was Tinkerbell's cue to fly from the top of Matterhorn Mountain (via a tight wire, for the "non-believer"). Even when we weren't in the park, the park came to us.

Living so close didn't stifle the desire to visit as often as possible. One favorite stocking-stuffer at Christmastime was a book of tickets (coupons, as they called them) for a visit to Disneyland. The book came with tickets lettered from A to E. The progressing letters represented rides that were increasingly more desirable. Usually we'd come home with unused A and B tickets in the book. The reason was simple: the cool rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, The Matterhorn and the Monorail required an "E-ticket".

According to the meticulous historical research done by the folks at the website Yesterland.com,

"The beginning of the end for “A” through “E” tickets was the 1971 opening of Magic Mountain (now Six Flags Magic Mountain), northwest of Los Angeles. Magic Mountain sold all-inclusive admission tickets for $5.00. Tickets were phased out in the late 1970s and early 1980s and were eliminated (altogether) in June, 1982, when all-inclusive passports became the only form of Disneyland admission."

In Southern California slang, the expression “E-ticket" came to mean any activity or event that was especially worthwhile or exciting. The term barely made it across the California line into the vernacular of other regions and states. I have seen people give me a strange look when I use the term, "That was E-Ticket!" Obviously, obscure Disney references escape the awareness of the general public.

I guess superlatives such as: "excellent", "extraordinary", "incredible", or "awesome" fit the bill for the masses as to what is considered the ultimate. For me, a kid from Fullerton, growing up in the 60's and 70's, "E-ticket" says it all.