@GF-apples&pears you must be a test group. I still have 3 daily 10 point tasks. Plus I do not have to finish levels to get credit for match3 tasks like red blocks, helicopters, etc. I have a 20 point task which will sit for the next 3 weeks of "remove 230 blue pieces" because there are no blue pieces on my current level and I refuse to finish levels.
I purchased gold pass because I wanted the winter dock and ships, but I do not usually buy it.
Town Pass/Arctic Pass/Festive Pass (they are all the same thing) is a new model that replaces the Golden Ticket. As your wife discovered, it's solely based on match-3 games. My iPad baby town has it. Looks like it's a test group thing.
Pros: it doesn't depend on you going through the expedition to complete some of the tasks.