AIBU to think Merlin Ride Access passes are unfairly judged?

We always went on random inset days or half terms different to London etc out of season, queues even for those without passes were only 10 mins etc.

Getting a RAP pass even when eligible can be a right pain in the bum. They only give out a limited number and you have to book well in advance to get one.

Ironically my child who doesn't have a RAP pass has ADHD and really can't handle queuing! But we haven't bothered applying for one for him as it does seem a bit spurious.

Actually gobsmacked at this post 'their parents should work harder' - there are plenty of hard working healthcare assistants, teaching assistants, supermarket retail staff, care workers, who are poorly paid because our society doesn't value that type of labour, no amount of saving more and working hard will find you the money to pay for 2 adults and 2 kids to go to Alton Towers plus the cost of transport to get there if there's no money left at the end of the month?!
We should make loads of allowances to make sure disabled children get there.... But not poor children eh

But there's a difference between finding queuing unenjoyable and physically being unable to queue (because the act of queueing causes so much overwhelm that it leads to intense anxiety and meltdown - fight/flight/freeze/flop). I'm talking clinically here.

Their parents should work harder to be able to afford it for them them or lots of places do 2 for 1 tickets at the theme park and The sun used to give tickets away if you collected the codes. Parents can use their brains and find a way to make it work.

Lots of coach day trips to and from theme parks, trains, buses. Theme parks are hardly in the back and beyond. Parents can make it work if they really wanted to get there.

A disabled child already has enough against them through no fault of their parents so they should be treated just like everyone else and allowances made when needed.

I'm sorry to hear about your family 💕

I still disagree with you, why should disabled people not be able to access theme park rides to make life easier for able bodied people exactly??

theme park rides bring a lot of joy to many disabled children who cannot do other activities , why should they miss out?

I also remember the chaos and anger when Disney made a lot of their queues fully accessible for wheelchairs/mobility scooters etc so anyone using one didn’t need an access pass for that reason alone. Some people got very angry that they no longer got to skip the queue. But as others have said the RAP is becoming unmanageable due to the numbers requesting it so in order to allow those who really cannot actually queue to have a pass, they made the rides and queues more accessible for those who CAN queue but that still angered people. So I don’t think parks can win.

People get annoyed enough that lots of parks limit the amount of RAPs sold a day so imagine if the number of tickets generally was halved (or even less), they’d have even less chance of getting a RAP.

But think how crowded the park would be with all those queuing people walking around.
It is amazing how we have been conned into paying a fortune to stand in queues for the majority of a day out.

If you go to a private GP and self reports lots of awful symptoms of anxiety they will. Diagnose you with... Anxiety.

Its really not difficult. There is no clinical test for conditions like anxiety it is based upon a patients self reported symptoms of how they feel and how it is affecting them.

Its very very easy to Google common symptoms of anxiety.

No, no one enjoys queues.

but the difference fir many disabled people is the inability to stand for ling periods, the need for more toilet visits (often suddenly onset & need them immediately. Taking medication/sorting feeding tubes etc etc

what I wouldn't give to have my able body back & take a 4yo to a theme park. Even if the queues are long. Those were the days, didn't appreciate it enough, didn't know what was to come (thank god really)

So ... its possible to do a lot of things and live a happy and fulfilled life but we still do them because they are fun!

Why shouldn't a disabled child get to use a theme park? I feel sorry for your own kid since you clearly wouldn't advocate for them properly to be treated fairly by businesses.

What about all the children whose parents can't afford the very expensive tickets - they don't get to go either.

And what about the children who live a long way from any theme parks and parents can't drive and local public transport access is poor who also don't get to go?

We can't make everything in the world equal unfortunately

I thibk only one park in the world does truly virtual queues for everything and that’s the universal Orlando water park.

that works because there is enough space for everyone there (low capacity) to have a lounger and have a paddle whilst waiting for the next go on a slide.

it just does not work for most other theme parks as you want the 20k people to be queues and not sat around blocking shops and cafes. Recall what it’s like when fireworks are on and everyone is in one place and not queuing -it’s busy and hard to move.

thats what it would be like if everyone is in virtual queues.

Also just because posters in this thread don’t do other rides when they are in their virtual queue does not mean others are not doibg that and so getting 2 rides in the same time as another family. It’s not an attack oh posters here to say that it happens in practice.

We used to go to Legoland a couple of times a year. Last time we went we were queueing for Flight of the Sky Lion for more than 2 hours. For the lack of anything else to do whilst waiting you do look around and take notice of the other people queueing. Several large families with a disabled child or young adult went round the access queue way multiple times in the time we were waiting. I was so annoyed at the situation that we've never been back there!

I don't know how I feel about it really. I understand and agree that if you are the sibling with a disability you should be able to experience going on rides with your family or friends, rather than just one parent or carer all the time. But at the point the scheme is being used to get whole extended families on rides repeatedly that stops feeling fair to everyone in the queue whose children also don't enjoy queueing and are miserable in the heat.

So I shouldn’t be able to go on a day out with my family or friends to a place we all enjoy because I have a good chance of either wetting myself in a long queue or having to leave the queue to run to the toilets and start again at the back of the queue repeatedly throughout the day due to a medical condition that is out of my control and there is no real treatment for? Or should I start wearing nappies to mitigate the risk of wetting myself and lose all dignity I have to suit people who don’t have a problem controlling their bladder?

I didn't know virtual queuing was a thing...or can it really be called queuing if you're off elsewhere on another ride or sat eating lunch somewhere.

I can see why some people get a bit annoyed, especially if they've waited ages to get on a ride only to get to the front of the queue and have x amount of people rock up thus causing queue waiting people to be pushed back and wait even longer.

Where does that end?

My kid would struggle with a theme park, so we don’t go.

But he also struggles with playgrounds, sharing and taking turns, swimming pools if above a certain “busy” level, soft play centres, strangers in the street on some days. He went to a SENd specialist play therapy session a few weeks back - hated it.

Do we just stay in, because it’s difficult? Only ever go to (often more expensive) “inclusive days”? Or do we go to the places I’ve just described, ideally with some flexibility/accommodations, and try and increase his ability to engage with activities.

Seems obvious to me.

My mother has cancer, my father has Parkinson's, my brother lives in sheltered accommodation. I know what it is like to have physical and mental disabilities in the family. They are hardly rare. Presumably it is that lack of rarity that is causing the queuing issue. Anyway, I sympathise massively with anyone with disabilities but that doesn't stop me thinking that if you can't queue, avoid theme parks. They are famous for queues.

No one enjoys queuing though. I’m taking my four year old to a theme park - he doesn’t have any SEN so we either have to pay for the virtual queue or queue all day. I’m dreading it even though it should be fun.

I don't see the point in having physical queues at all when the technology exists to do away with them.

Nobody is queue jumping.

Surely noone thinks that someone who has a disability should not be given every support to access these parks possible, however I do think the RAP pass has created a system which is unfair for everyone.
Ultimately I do think it's the final criteria which is so contentious, unable to queue can apply to most of the population who have young children and it it abused. Attending such places are hugely costly, and last year I took my three kids to legoland at a considerable cost and we managed 4 rides due the queuing times. We won't be back, the expense was not worth it and it's unfair.
However I will add, whilst I believe merlin needs to tighten up their practices with regards to the RAP, because those who genuinely need it should not have to queue at all, their whole model needs to be changed, get rid of the amount of fast passes, amount of people allowed into the park to start with.

It is possible to live a fulfilled and happy life and never go to a theme park.

Im glad my kids dont like theme parks, they would qualify for one but hate theme parks

Imagine being resentful that a disabled kid got an advantage. Their whole lives are filled with disadvantages.

Going to a theme park on Easter Weekend is always going to bring out the worst in everyone.

This is why the Easter Bunny invented Easter egg hunts in your own back garden.