AIBU to get my DD a fast track pass for a school trip to a theme park?

My DS went to Alton Towers on an end of year trip. Literally every school in the north goes in the last two weeks of summer term. He got on one ride all day. I presume Thorpe Park is the same. I’d get the fast pass.

I’d let her get one. Just tell her not to be boasting about it.

We went to a theme park a few weeks ago which has a toddler theme park inside and there were loads of coaches with school kids on arriving and at the entrance. It didn’t affect us as we went in the toddler part but with the number of school kids there I’d imagine they’d have a lot of queuing to do for the bigger rides.

I will always pay to queue for less time if it’s an option, and I can afford it. I’ve never before considered it to be any sort of character flaw- I just don’t like queueing.

You're not a child, asking Mummy to fund your impatience, while the kids whose parents can't afford to fund theirs, have to learn to deal with it.

No-one turns up at a theme park and thinks 'Oh goody, a queue, that's wonderful'.

Queuing is part of life kids have to learn to deal with. Most kids would just be grateful to be going in the first place.

They won't have to be in groups of 3/4. They'll have a meet point and be turned loose. No teacher will be going around checking they're in their allotted groups even if they were meant to be in 3s or whatever! Def get fast pass, everywhere will be heaving for the next few weeks.

That's exactly how secondary school trips to theme parks work. The kids won't be any more feral than if they were taken round by a staff member.

They will have meet up points and specific times to check in but otherwise they will be free to go around unsupervised.

I would totally do it if her friend had it. Unfortunately life isn’t fair and some kids might not have it but that doesn’t mean that I can’t buy it for my kid 🤷‍♀️

DC1 went to a theme park with school this time last year and got on 1 ride. The park was rammed, it took ages to even get in and the queues were ridiculously long.

I'd definitely be tempted by a fast track pass should they ever go again with school.

Not with 7s and 8s. They'll turn feral at best, but at worst, that's exactly how kids have horrific accidents in theme parks.

Find out why size groups they can go in, we used to say a minimum of groups of 4 that way if something happened injury etc. One person could stay with the injured person and two can walk to the staff liaison spot. Having only 2 fast passes wouldn't work in that case, if it's pairs then go for it.

It's not a character flaw to pay more for something to get a better service. I do it all the time if I believe it's of value to me. Everything else pretty much works on that basis too, first class seats on planes/trains, better seating at concerts etc. Others don't want to, fine, but I don't want to queue two hours for a ride when I can pay more and get on in 20 mins.

Anyway Op. TP will be heaving. If school say yes then go for it, just make sure they aren't leaving someone else in the group out (ie there are three friends and only two will have passes etc).

This would never have occurred to me but it does seem quite divisive.

Find out the rules the school will put on them. Eg if they have to stay in groups of 4+ then all 4 would need them.

DD went last year to Alton Towers and only got on 2 rides it was so busy. If she went again I would definitely get her a fast pass. She was disappointed with the queues and only managing 2 rides.

I think you are right and a fast pass will be fine, but best to run it past school first of all.

Do it. I've run a few theme park trips in activities weeks and the parks are rammed. Loads of kids buy them on our trips. They go off in small groups so it'll be fine.

Absolutely pay for the fast passes. Theme parks will be busier now than in the holidays as so many schools will be doing trips.

Definitely get the fast pass do she can actually go on more than a couple of rides especially given your previous child's experience.

Since you’ve confirmed it’s Thorpe. It will be heaving, every school round here runs trips as end of term treats. Even fast track will be busy, especially as most rides share the same disabled fast track entrance. You may find they get more annoyed having wasted their money.

They won’t be supervised as such. Staff will tell them to meet back at the dome at a certain time. They’ll go off in their own little groups.

I will always pay to queue for less time if it’s an option, and I can afford it. I’ve never before considered it to be any sort of character flaw- I just don’t like queueing.

It is queue jumping. Essentially it says that if you have more money, you can push in in front of other people. I do think that's a character flaw. Worse, I think it's buying into the stupid parks being able to rip us off twice. What they are saying is, "this park is shit and overcrowded and you spend more time queuing than riding. We chose that for you, even though you've paid a shit ton of money for this shitty service. Give us more and we will give you a service that means everyone else has to wait longer". It's batshit but we all swallow it.

In my experience the parks are the busiest at this time of year. Far busier than in school holidays. They are absolutely packed with school groups. Having accompanied a lot of these trips in June/July over my 15 years in teaching, it’s very common for students to only manage 2-3 rides because the queues are so long. If you can afford fast passes and they don’t have to go around in a group I would do it. They will have a much better day and I don’t see what harm it does if they would have been going round in a pair anyway and don’t have a less well off friend that they are excluding.

I would. Her and her friend can go off together.

Yeah I would!

I will always pay to queue for less time if it’s an option, and I can afford it. I’ve never before considered it to be any sort of character flaw- I just don’t like queueing.

If they’re allowed to be in pairs OP then I would absolutely buy her the fast pass. I imagine they might have to be in groups of three though, and it’s not worth her and her friend getting in trouble over. Is there a way you can find out?

The first time my son went to Alton towers with school, he got on 4 rides the whole time. Subsequent years him and his friends have had a fast pass. They are allowed to wander off in groups though.

Theme parks will be busy this time of year as all the school trips rock up.

If your dd and her friend can just go off by themselves, I'd totally get her a fastpass to make the most of a one-off day.

We went to Alton Towers about 20 years ago for a school trip.

It was bizarre, everything had to be pre-booked (you went to rides first thing and electronically booked which gave you a time to return later) it was suppose to stop queues except all it did was mean everyone was stuck in a queue to book and by the time one thing was booked everything else had already booked up... we traveled an 8 hour round trip to go on ONE ride. It was ridiculous.

It sucked to only get to go one 1 ride. We spent the whole day wandering randomly in the sun and spending obscene amounts on bottled water (hottest day of the year) waiting for our time slot to open.

I can imagine she will also be disappointed if she doesn't get to go on anything.