Some Edmonton parents are frustrated with a new ticketing system for a K-Days event dedicated to children with special needs.
Every summer, special needs families can attend Monday Morning Magic — a three-hour time period when crowds are smaller and lines for rides are shorter, so kids with disabilities aren’t overwhelmed by the typical carnival atmosphere.
But for Cyrena Kassay, getting tickets to this year’s event wasn’t so magical.
Kassay has two sons with special needs, aged 6 and 7, and has taken them to Monday Morning Magic for the past two years.
Despite difficulties with getting tickets, Cyrena Kassay was able to take her two sons to Monday Morning Magic. (Cyrena Kassay)
On May 28, she received an email notifying her that tickets for Monday’s event were on sale on Ticketmaster.
Two free tickets were dedicated to each special needs child in a family, while two additional tickets could be purchased for $15 each. Because Kassay has two children with special needs, she was entitled to four complimentary tickets.
After getting the email, Kassay said she successfully reserved two free passes.
“By the time I got the email and [registered] the first child, I went to do the second child and it was already sold out,” she said, estimating the tickets were snatched up in about 15 minutes.
“It was hard for me. I almost had to tell my second child that he couldn’t go because I couldn’t get a second ticket.”
Northlands to continue using ticketing system
Carson Mills, a spokesperson for Northlands, which organizes K-Days, said a new ticketing system was adopted this year, and it came with a few glitches.
In previous years, caregivers were required to submit a hard copy of their registration for the event, which included a child’s name, age and chaperone information.
Kassay said tickets were given out on a first-come, first-served basis to those who submitted their registration to Northlands. After that, families received their tickets in the mail.
This year, the ticketing process moved online to Ticketmaster, Mills said.
Families on the Monday Morning Magic email list were notified when registration opened and were given a link to a private Ticketmaster page.
“The link initially didn’t work,” Mills said. “And when it did, it said initially that it was sold out.”
In addition to the faulty link, the option to obtain free tickets wasn’t originally available, but $15 tickets could still be purchased, Mills said.
“We had these initial trip-ups, and it created an issue for us that we had to have our staff individually go through every person and make sure everyone received the tickets that they required,” he said, highlighting how families who paid for tickets were eventually refunded or given two additional free passes on their Ticketmaster accounts.
After emailing Northlands, Kassay received the two extra tickets she needed, and attended the event on Monday.
“Every year, it wasn’t an issue,” she said. “I got my two tickets and the two tickets for the chaperones to go. And this year, I had to fight to get the second set of tickets.”
Despite the technical difficulties, Mills said Northlands will use the same ticketing system next year.
“The idea, ultimately, is to create a simpler system where we can run things electronically,” he said. “In the end, it’s ultimately supposed to be more efficient.
“That wasn’t the case this year. That’s going to be the case in future years.”
Event in high demand
Crowds and lines are smaller at Monday Morning Magic to help prevent children from getting overwhelmed or anxious. ( Cyrena Kassay)
Both Kassay and Mills said Monday’s event was a positive experience, ticket woes aside.
Mills said about 1,800 people attended Monday Morning Magic, including 500 kids with special needs.
Demand for the event is high, Mills said, which is why a limited number of tickets are available each year.
“You have to keep the numbers low for it to maintain its quality — for it to be quieter, for the lines to be reasonable,” he said. “It’s an essential part of this, and it is a high-demand event, but it wouldn’t be high-demand if it was filled with people.”
Mills said families who hope to attend next year’s event should keep an eye on the K-Days website and social media pages for updates on ticket information.