Tickets for members of the AGO went on sale today for Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors. Due to the extremely high demand for the exhibit, everyone expected long wait times, but I doubt anyone figured it would be quite as drawn out an affair as it became.

Most people who signed on at noon weren't too bothered by the prompt that informed them they were in line and had more than an hour to wait. Then, after a few hours of that, the frustration set in.

Eventually, the AGO took to Twitter to confirm that about 14,000 people were trying to get tickets to the exhibit that will be in Toronto from March 3 to May 27.

14k!

— ArtGalleryofOntario (@agotoronto) December 12, 2017

That seemed to underscore just how dramatic the demand was, but it didn't quite curb the venting that was taking place on social media.

@queueit @agotoronto Suggestion: if it’s going to be a 3 hr wait just be upfront about it. Some of us are managing our meeting schedules around “more than an hour” and it’s wrecking havoc on our afternoons. #ticketqueue #infiniteKusama #InfinityMirrors

— Ada (@palindr0me) December 12, 2017

Online queue times varied, with some waiting up to 5 plus hours for tickets, but to be fair, the AGO is not Ticketmaster or Stubhub. They shut down the rest of their website to deal with anticipated demand and tried to stay active with updates on Twitter.

Thank you for being a member. Due to the nature of this exhibition, there are only limited tickets, and as a public institution, we must also be accessible to the general public. https://t.co/Eq0kZC98lv

— ArtGalleryofOntario (@agotoronto) December 12, 2017

Besides, has there ever been an exhibit that's carried this much hype before arriving in Toronto?

Ugh! Been waiting for almost 2 hours! And it still says more than an hour to wait in line! This wait is killing me! 😭 @agotoronto #infiniteKusama #infinitymirrors pic.twitter.com/jwxz8TqOPZ

— C. Henry (@cahenri) December 12, 2017

Later in the afternoon, an update patched in on the website confirmed that the system was processing roughly 1,500 tickets an hour and that as of 4:15 p.m., there were still 30,000 tickets available. A second date for members to buy tickets on January 9 was also announced.

We're very sorry for the long wait times today. The overwhelming demand has caused slow processing times BUT there are still about 30k tickets left. You can stay & continue booking or join us at the next Member on-sale date on Jan. 9. Thank you for your support & patience. pic.twitter.com/utU5Eff0xO

— ArtGalleryofOntario (@agotoronto) December 12, 2017

Tickets for the general public will go on sale online starting January 16, and the AGO has confirmed that a very limited amount of same-day tickets will be available as well, but entry time will vary depending on crowd size.

I appreciate the irony of waiting an infinity for Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors - tickets @agotoronto

— Ryan Taylor (@ryantaylor) December 12, 2017

The exhibit promises to be well worth it. Infinity Mirrors has recently been touring around North America to huge fanfare, so those who did manage to secure tickets today will surely just feel relief as the sure-to-be-even-more-wild ticket rush takes place in the new year.

And, hey, the reward for all of today's patience comes in the from of finally getting to stand inside each memorizing room. Let's not forget that.

3.5 hours later and I finally got my tickets for #YayoiKusama #InfinityMirrors @agotoronto! An irritating and stressful wait but well worth it!

— Rachel Neilson (@RachelNeilson) December 12, 2017

Don't forget to get one for the gram.