The days of tearing off the right number of tickets for rides at the Minnesota State Fair's Mighty Midway are over.
Forget the sheets of paper tickets and the stress of getting the right number into the right hands and not on the ground or mixed up with your mini-donuts.
Introducing the Midway's electronic digital ticket system.
Pay for a Fun Card and a certain number of tickets.
You use it like a debit card, with the ride operator in both the Midway and Kidway waving that scanner and digitally selecting the correct number of tickets for the correct number of riders.
No more of those jagged tears that leave you with half a coupon, and trying to piece a few of those scraps together to create that elusive seventh or eighth ticket to get your kids into the Arabian Daze Fun House or aboard Starship 3000.
"Every year's a little different, but I think it's easier nowadays," said Randy Forcier, operator of the Equinox that can be seen lifting and spinning at the back of the midway.
"The new ticketing system is neat, it's all digital tickets, so we're kind of excited to try that," he said.
Here's what to expect when loading up your Fun Card:
Kidway rides generally require four to six tickets
Mighty Midway rides generally require four to seven tickets
Games of skill generally require three to six tickets to play
And there are special prices:
$1 for an individual ticket
$30 for 33 tickets
$60 for 70 tickets
The Minnesota State Fair begins Aug. 24 and runs through Labor Day.