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Customer Case Study: Delivering Performance, Flexibility, and a Modern Interface with Galaxy 8
Industry: Museums & Attractions
Product: Galaxy 8 – Gateway Ticketing Systems’ Cloud-Ready Ticketing and Admissions Platform
Customers: Wonders of Wildlife, part of the Johnny Morris Foundation & Discovery Cube
Background
Attractions today face mounting pressure to modernize operations while staying laser-focused on guest experience and internal efficiency. Whether proactively future-proofing systems or overcoming legacy limitations, many organizations are choosing Galaxy 8 to help them operate smarter and serve guests better.
Galaxy 8, Gateway’s latest evolution in ticketing and admissions, combines a sleek, user-friendly interface with improved system performance and flexible customization options. This makes it a powerful platform for both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic goals.
Two forward-thinking Gateway customers recently shared their early experiences with Galaxy 8, and the feedback reveals just how much of an impact the platform is already making.
Challenges & Objectives
One attraction approached Galaxy 8 as part of a larger initiative to stay ahead of guest expectations by adopting the latest technology. Although their previous version didn’t pose major challenges, they recognized the value of keeping their operations agile and forward-looking.
“We’re committed to delivering the best possible guest experience, and staying on the latest technology is a key part of that. Operating on outdated systems can limit our ability to innovate and meet evolving guest expectations, so upgrading to Galaxy 8 was a natural step forward.” ~Jaymz Thomasson, Senior Information Technology Manager of Johnny Morris Foundation- Conservation Attractions
Discovery Cube, with two locations sharing a central database, was experiencing performance slowdowns when processing high-volume ticket orders, especially during field trip seasons.
Implementation Experience
Both destinations reported smooth and timely upgrades. One completed the transition within a week for all on-site systems and followed shortly after with an online store upgrade. The other treated the upgrade as a routine version jump and praised the responsive support received from Gateway during implementation.
“We upgraded our database within 24 hours of Galaxy 8 being available and did the upgrade in waves.” ~Luis Almonte, Executive Director of Discovery Cube Los Angeles
Results & Early Wins
While still early in adoption, the benefits of Galaxy 8 have been immediate and measurable for both teams:
🚀 Improved System Performance
Galaxy 8 delivered noticeable speed improvements, especially when processing large, complex orders. Staff have reported faster load times and a more efficient checkout experience.
“We have seen a noticeable change in opening and printing orders with large amounts of tickets, such as field trips.” ~Luis
🧑💻 Redesigned User Interface
Both teams raved about the refreshed UI, calling out its modern look, improved usability, and customizable features.
“UI, UI, and more UI! It’s the most consistent praise I’ve heard from our team. The refreshed design is much easier on the eyes, and the variety of color options has been a huge plus. It’s made the system more enjoyable to use and has brought a fresh, modern feel to our daily operations.” ~Jaymz
“Employees are happy that they can move the menu around and set up the screen to their liking.” ~Luis
🙌 Fewer Errors, Less Guest Friction
One site noted a significant drop in payment issues on the webstore, improving guest trust and reducing time spent troubleshooting.
“We occasionally encountered situations where guests claimed they had paid—sometimes even showing us their statements—but the order wouldn’t appear in our system. Since moving to Galaxy 8, those incidents have dropped off dramatically.” ~Jaymz
🔮 Strategic Fit & Long-Term Value
Galaxy 8 isn’t just solving today’s problems—it’s preparing attractions for tomorrow. One customer highlighted how the system’s touch-friendly design complements their recent investment in all-in-one POS devices, while the other appreciated how Galaxy 8 easily accommodated their dual-site setup.
“We’ve been able to shape the system around our needs and achieve everything we’ve set out to do. That level of adaptability has been a game-changer for us…” ~Jaymz
Even features not yet fully rolled out, like enhanced cloud capabilities, are viewed as future opportunities to streamline operations further and improve flexibility.
Conclusion: Why Galaxy 8 Is a Worthwhile Investment
For organizations looking to maximize ROI, enhance guest satisfaction, and support internal efficiency, Galaxy 8 proves to be an innovative, scalable solution. Its performance enhancements, interface flexibility, and forward-looking design make it more than just an upgrade—it’s a modern foundation for long-term success.
“The biggest indicator for me has been that we don’t have a single reported issue that can be attributed to Galaxy 8. Within 1 week, [we] had everything onsite upgraded, and 2 weeks later had the webstore upgraded as well, so probably one of our smoothest upgrades in the 19 years we have been with Gateway.” ~Luis