Overall, an amazing experience at the Summit One Vanderbilt. We reserved the general admission experience for 10:30 am on a Saturday and were allowed in immediately upon our arrival (about 20 minutes earlier than scheduled ticket time). Very short lines and zero wait times for security check and elevators.
Each room has INCREDIBLE views. General admission gives you access to 4 floors. We did not pay for the "ascent package", which includes the clear glass elevator ride to an additional 5th floor, but we were extremely satisfied with the general admission package.
The website recommends 2-3 hours for the whole experience, but we leisurely completed the experience in about 1 to 1.5 hours. There appears to be no time limit
on your time at the Summit. You are allowed to take photos everywhere in the experience, but there are a couple pre-staged areas for professional photos which are available for purchase at the end of the experience.
Would highly recommend to anyone traveling to New York. We really liked the interactive rooms and art installations, which made it more than just a regular observation deck.