AIBU to think Merlin Ride Access passes are unfairly judged?

Um so thank you for answering. You obviously spent some effort to type words in reply to me. I wonder if actually answering my question would have taken a lot more words than that? Or did you answer? Was it a stealth answer? Are you saying I'm correct?

I read some of the posts and all.of op's posts but I haven't read every single post from the last 14 pages so it's very possible I missed the answer.

Anyway, for now I'm happy to think I'm correct till someone corrects me and these passes are actually not a problem at all to anyone.

The long queues of course are a problem. They are the main reason why I don't like going to theme parks but it looks like the rap passes are not to blame for that.

I mean it’s been explained multiple times on this thread. I don’t think anyone will explain it again. Especially as the people who keep asking for it to be explained then don’t come back and respond once it has been explained.

Absolutely. Rather than making it horrible for everyone why can't we all benefit? Or theme parks need to let fewer people in. Maybe they don't need to have bigger and faster rides every year. I think they'd be more popular if people didn't have to wait for so long.

I suspect that this is one of the things that is ultimately causing problems with special pass systems. I doubt you would find anyone ticked off that someone physically unable to stand was allowed to sit nearby instead.

What does start to get people riles up is standing waiting and trying to manage a child who is maybe only just old enough to manage going on this kind of outing, while other children who can't yet manage get a pass so they can go get a hotdog or go on another ride while they wait.

I think they'd feel much more positive if the system worked so that everybody could stand in a virtual line. Or sign up for a slot at a certain time.

Isn't that like saying "I don't understand why anyone who can't stand in a queue that also allows people with RAP passes shouldn't go"?

I've never heard of these passes but if they are available and help make the theme park a bit more accessible for disabled children then what is the problem?

If I understand correctly people having these passes actually don't add to the queuing time. If they could they would be physically stood in front of you in the queue. The only difference is that you thought the queue is shorter than it actually is. Or am I missing something?

It's that every other person in the line is waiting calmly without mobility aids.

Absolutely many in the line will have a hidden disability but it is very clear that some are using an existing diagnosis cynically. There are people who post on forums bragging about being able to queue for other rides whilst waiting virtually etc.

It's not a single someone's needs - it's a full 20 min line of people. Lots of people in that queue will have invisible disabilities, but it is pretty clear that there are people with a diagnosis abusing the system and making it unworkable for people who rely on it to access days out.

I think it’s incredibly unreasonable of you to take a 20 min snapshot of how someone looks externally, and judge their needs as compared to your brother’s.

Absolutely agree that queues are unmanageable now and the booking system is a nightmare

But I would be one of those waiting 'calmly'. Because I need the RAP due to my arthritis and even when I am in a lot of pain I put on a smile so my girls don't have to worry about me and say 'it's ok mum, we don't have to go on the ride, let's sit down'.

I would never look at someone else and say they don't need it, or they need it less than me. The only time I get annoyed is when clear and obvious abuse hapenning such as double RAP (family of 4 using 2 alternating passes for all 4 of them, or online plus paper version, or using RAP and then queuing normally for same ride)

I’ve been to Efteling. I most definitely waited more than 10 mins per ride. For Baron I waited about 60-90 mins. I think the longest queue was for the inside ride that’s very fantasy like. I can’t remember the name of it. But I queued over 90 mins for that. The shortest I think was the galleon ship thing and the indoor dark bird rollercoaster.

Theme parks without fast passes have infinitely more manageable queues for everyone. At Paultons Park we don't even need to bother with an access pass as everything is under 10 minutes wait.

Efteling is another example.

The numbers of people with a RAP make it unsustainable and unfit for purpose.

My DB uses a RAP, he has profound autism and LOVES rollercoasters but gets intensely frustrated in queues beyond 15min and starts screaming and stimming.

Previously we could just turn up and queue for a few mins. Now we need to fight to book a RAP space and then sometimes need to wait in queues of 20min surrounded by people who appear to be waiting calmly and making conversations while I work hard to manage his frustration.

Not all disabilities are visible of course, but on recent visits all the disabilities in the RAP queues were invisible. Something isn't right and the people who really need it lose out.

Unfortunately one if the reasons we cancelled our merlin passes was due to the Rap/fast track queue
We went on the duplo ride queued for 60 mins. We got fairly near front of the queue and then opened the gate to fast track and rap users which filled most of the ride bar 1 section.

I get there are rap users that need it and can't queue and I'm all for it but it seemed to be a theme each time we attended. It appeared at times 1 rap user with the family of 3 all joining them rather than 1 person.

And before anyone jumps that they should all be together, it's a family day out etc.
The average family often have to spilt up to go on rides due to height restrictions and various reasons so surely a rap user doesn't need all 3 to attend with them ( I know some with physical disabilities do)

People with disabilities get shafted all the time so I would say they HAVE paid for the privilege.

I definitely can after my experience at legoland. They were taking 30 from RAP queue and 40 from main queue. Main queue was nearly 2 hours. If they took all 70 from main queue, it would reduce wait time in that queue by about 40%, to just over an hour, rather than nearly 2. The people in the RAP queue wouldn't even be able to wait the hour (otherwise wouldn't have a RAP) so just wouldn't go on. Which is exclusive and not the answer to the issue, but just explaining how no RAP queue would make main queue much quicker.

As I said previously, I benefit hugely from RAP and absolutely want to keep it in place. But it's disingenuous to say that those with RAP don't in many cases get on more rides than those without. I know my children definitely do, compared to before I developed a disability and became eligible for a RAP. We all go on a ride as a family. And then I sit on a bench and wait whilst my husband takes them on rides with shorter queues whilst the timer is counting down. Then we all go on a ride together, and so on. Which potentially could be seen as abusing the system, but most parents are going to do what's best for their children, rather than worrying about other people's wait time.
But I acknowledge that by going on extra rides we make other people's wait times longer. Then there are the 'bigger abuses' such as double RAPS, people getting who don't need etc.

So I get why people get frustrated. And I don't take it personally or think they are wrong to be annoyed. But equally I am going to do what is best for my health and my family.

I get where you are coming from, but sometimes the whole group needs to go on. A single parent with 3 children for example, they often can't just take their child with a disability on and leave others on their own. Or an adult with a disability and other adult is their carer, they can't leave the 2 children.

But where is it large groups of young adults of whom some at least could queue or wait on their own, I do agree it could be reviewed.

And yes the organisation (or lack of it) at the merlin parks is part of the issue. When they have rides keeping breaking down, it pushes people onto fewer rides and queues for all become longer

The RAP is a reasonable adjustment for disabled people, as required by The Equality Act 2010. It seems specious to me, to complain that “normal” people are being inconvenienced by the existence of disabled, by having to queue longer, when the theme park is complying with the law; but they shouldn’t complain about people, who buy fast passes - as that’s completely justified, because they have more money?

Because of you are using your own money to buy them, that’s fair enough, you are paying heavily for the privilege. A RAP pass is totally unfair as you have not paid for the privilege. There is nothing stopping disabled people buying fast passes is there? Tbh I would never go to one of these parks without a fast pass as I don’t see the fun in spending most of the day queuing. It means we rarely go, but when we do we can really make the most of it.

In theory yes. But they would need to dramatically increase the things to do. I really don’t know what else you could do for at least 5 hours if not in a queue as it stands now. An hour or two maybe, no more. The fair ground type games would cost loads of money and people already complain about how much a theme park trip costs. And of course they would need to build and staff loads more. Otherwise you’d get huge queues forming for the stalls and games and food. And then people would want to use their RAPs to get to the front of those queues as well. So you’ve just changed the ride queues into stalls queues.

Would they not make more money from people not standing in a queue and instead spending money on stalls/food/ other entertainment in the park?

Let’s say for ease of figures that the capacity of Thorpe park is 1000 families. If no one has any sort of RAP the queues are pretty much well distributed throughout (bigger rides with longer waits as usually happens) and everyone waits the same 30 minutes.
If 100 families then get RAP but use it as should be used, waiting times do not increase for anyone. They wait out the 30 min wait time sitting on a bench or going to the loo etc.
If 300 families get a RAP but 200 of them do not really need it then they have the potential to get on double the rides. If a family is getting on double the rides you may as well have let in 200 extra families. So capacity may not have changed, but you now have 1200+ families waiting for rides instead of 1000.

It’s been explained many many times on here why if people abuse the system that means people in the standard queue (and RAP as well) are waiting extra time.