Theme parks are ruined if you don't pay for a fast pass?

Good for you!

How many return please do post me the stats!

Look if you’re happy going, paying a fortune, then paying more for fast passes, then more fool you!

A fool and their money are easily parted!

Let’s hope they bring out “even faster passes”, then you can buy those as well. Spending even more money for a day out that should really be covered by the one entry fee. You should be able to pay, go in, get on the rides and not have the elite set that get to go on rides the others that don’t because they couldn’t or wouldn’t pay extra fees.

The ones i’ve been to this year have mostly still be absolutely fine with a fast pass. Paulton’s Park don’t even do them. Alton Towers was fine. It was only Legoland where we struggled.

As someone who lives near a few theme parks, the only time I ever go is on a week day, during term time. So everyone takes a day off school/work and it's a fantastic day for all. I absolutely refuse to go any other time, as the lines are just not worth it.

So if they are “duped”…. Why do so many return?

You don’t enjoy them. Many many do not enjoy them. But surely you can grasp that some genuinely do enjoy them?

It doesn’t annoy me. It amuses me.

I do agree that theme parks are terrible places - I’ve done my stint and it’s over now thank god - and I’d no more go to a Finnish or German etc theme park than a British one.

As for Center Parcs, I like them. A great deal of MN opinion is snobbery IMO. Anyway, I would never schlep to, say, Holland for a three day stay when I could drive to one in England.

@DenizenOfAisleOfShame Sorry if it annoys you but it is true.

I’ve been to several Centerparcs in Europe and enjoyed them all far, far more than the UK.

Of course the downside is you can’t pop to a continental theme park for a day out. But I’d truly rather not go to a UK theme park at all any more - when you’ve seen how well parks can be managed, there’s just no un-seeing what a rip off and poor quality experience you get in the major parks in Britain.

Yanbu.

British theme parks are hellish at peak times. We used to have annual passes to Legoland when dc were tiny because we lived nearby and in those days pass holders didn’t need to book - we would often turn up at 4pm and have a picnic for tea and then do the rides as the day crowds drifted home (Merlin lets you ride the last ride as long as you are in the queue at 6pm!) and we’d often knock out 14 rides if we popped in on an off-peak day but I feel those days are gone!

We happen to be in Copenhagen on vacation and we went to Tivoli today - it’s not huge and the rides aren’t “insane” but honestly we had an amazing day. Moderate queues for a few rides but nothing silly. The park is utterly beautiful, the food is incredible (there’s even a 2 Michelin star restaurant!), the prices are sensible.

I found Disney Orlando and Paris queues also ruined the experience. I queued for 45mins to get an ice cream at Epcot! I gave Disney a 1 star review - feeling frustrated and ripped off ruins my holiday vibe.

For total experience would rate Efteling, Phantasialand, EuropaPark, even Plopsaland, above Merlin or Disney.

I have vowed never to go to a UK theme park again. I would much ride a MTB for thrills, or go to a National Trust property for a beautiful day out.

Loving the predictable MNery about how better things are on the continent.

Yup, rather than Alton Towers I’ll go to Finland or France or Germany or Belgium. 🙄

I’m guessing the posters who go to these theme parks abroad are staying in the ‘far superior’ Euro versions of Center Parcs, or are possibly camping.

Probably a stupid question, but what would happen if everyone had a fast pass?

I wonder if the american theme parks are far superior. From watching YouTube vlogs I have observed the queues dont seem as bad and they are generally less busy. Maybe its because they have so many theme parks. It is worth taking an unauthorised absence and going in school term. I remember when they introduced fast passes at tussauds theme parks years ago. You could buy a fast pass ticket that was unlimited on all rides that had that option. Then I noticed this had changed to purchasing a fast pass for each individual ride and its single use. Then recently it was even more expensive and beyond justifiable. A lot of people are boycotting the theme parks. Who wants to spend the day standing in a queue and going on one ride... I miss the old days at theme parks. They were never as bad as now... yes, there were queues, but not like the queues now.

DH and I will take the kids to Thorpe Park and Alton Towers in September.

Paying for the 'joy' of being flung around like a rag doll 😅

the point where the "labour" argument falls down though is that not "everyone" could afford the higher price so the "fair" option would still be more unfair for some than the "unfair version" - there would be a % of people who under the "Tory" system were "haves" who became "have nots".

There's no way of doing it that is fair to everyone, which is standard for pretty much any goods or purchase.

you think that everyone who goes to a theme park without realising they don’t get to ride all the rides lacks mental capacity? I do t think so, they’re duped into thinking king it’s a fun day out, when it’s not. You do realise that children are born everyday and they get older and then go to theme parks, then the realise.

And if your definition of I must be living in a horrible place because I think these corporations are greedy, is definitely deserving of a 😆😆😆😆😆!

Dear god, I’m allowed an opinion about these corporations without lapsing into a dark world about it!

Is it a flounce when a poster leaves a thread to do something and then returns when freed up? @Pinkchickenwine there is a world
beyond Mumsnet.

although the world you see beyond Mumsnet would appear to be a horrible place where theme park owners are “greedy corporates” somehow exploiting many tens of thousands of people who you see as lacking mental capacity to make a decision how they spend a day.

It’s no biggie indeed, and if you’d read my posts I don’t use them 🤷‍♀️. Do you understand the point of AIBU?

I suppose just repeating a bit of my post, then putting 😆, denotes the debating level of the poster doing it!

Anyway I must flounce I’ve got some paint to watch dry!

Yes.

It's hardly flouncing. Some posters on MN do have other stuff to do. It's not like you were making any real points of value. Just that you think Theme Park are greedy. In which the answer is easy - don't go. It's no biggie.

I found it funny when challenged you became “too busy too continue”

It happens a lot on MN, lots of flouncing like that!

I love watching a good flounce!

If you click on post history it’ll show it for you.

Are you new to MN?

What was your question? Sorry scan read your posts

why I laughed? I found it funny? The idea of these greedy corporates somehow misleading people into parting with their cash and being cartoon crooks!

I don’t need a reminder to remind me how much I hate theme parks!

But… I don’t think that the tens upon tens of thousands up people who will be visiting themed parks in this country just today, a number of which will sell fast passes, are in some way stupid passive robots nor do I think the theme parks are violating trading practices 😆

Oh for goodness sakes! Really?

I'm a Fastpass-er. We go to Alton Towers every year for a day. I like to go when the weather is nice and not take my kids out of school for it. That means we go when it's busy and can manage 3 decent rides. Yes the FP is expensive at £116pp including parking but we get a full day and get to ride everything.

I get where you are coming from but this has been the case for years. We used to do theme parks on inset days.