I paid to for a timed ticket at 7:15pm so I'd have plenty of time for golden hour light to see sunset at 8:10pm. Their own FAQ states that early arrivals may be accommodated, or turned away until the correct time. It also states that late arrivals may get delayed. And finally - it said that it takes about 20 minutes to get through security and up the tower.
So I arrived with my family at 7:15 sharp, but it meant nothing. There were hundreds of people in line, all with timed tickets, many with times from much earlier. When I asked what I was supposed to do, given it was our time to go up, I was told to wait in line. Which we did for at least 20-25 minutes past our scheduled time.
What is the point of a timed ticket that I specifically selected to arrive with plenty of time before sunset, if I'm told to wait in line?
We arrived at the top at 7:55pm. Fully 40 minutes past the time we arrived and now with only 10-15 minutes before the sun set, totally ruining my plans for golden hour light.
And what's worse was spending the time with what was likely 1000 of my apparently closest new friends scrambling for what little real estate there was at the windows or viewpoints.
$200 USD for a family of four is NOT worth this incredibly poor experience. It was frantic, artificial, and unbelievably poorly organized. It also felt like an enormous money grab, cramming as many dissatisfied customers in as possible per night.
Don't get me wrong - the views are spectacular, but the "timed ticket" feels like false advertising.
Go at other times of the day.