OK. I was unsure whether this new gate system would make things better, same or worse. I got to ski today (November 26, 2011) for the first time this season and was pleasantly surprised that the gates made the lines moved quicker than what I remember from before.

I will say that you should follow the rule of keeping your pass all by itself in a pocket. Most of who I saw get delayed had their pass with something else.

I was not totally clear on the benefits of why the mountain would spend their money on this but after asking around, I discovered a couple great perks about the gates that I think everyone should be aware of:

1. Passing through the gates enables the mountain to know where people are. Example: if your son/daughter gets lost, you can approach a lift operator, ask them to search for them and they will know where he/she was last and will make it much easier to locate your son/daughter. REALLY COOL!
2. Are you a trouble maker on the mountain? Not for long! They can now red flag you easier than ever and prevent you from accessing the mountain. Respect the mountain. Respect others on the mountain.

I am sure there are plenty more pros as we all get comfortable with the technology. So far Mammoth...good call!
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The gates have been ok for me. I didn't really see anything wrong with the old system, but I know times change and the data is very useful to the 4th floor. The only real downside I have experienced so far is on slow days, id rather just cruise by the liftie that has already scanned my pass 10 times, rather than wait for the gate to open. Also I think they do not groom the lift lines as much, because its a pain to get around the gates in the cat. We will see how they perform over the holidays.