to think that "Fast-track" is just paying to push in?

[Scholes34]

Just that, really. After spending a day with four kids at Alton Towers and a lot of time in various queues, is fast-track really just paying to push in?

[monicalewinski]

I think Growlithe is right re the exit pass thing Pixel - the fast pass stuff is a completely separate thing to exit pass, the exit pass people always seem to go on the very next available seats.

[Growlithe]

Pixel I may be wrong but I think you would get on before the fastpass people because they will be in a different queue to you. I was at Legoland earlier in the year waiting for DH and DD to queue and come off a ride and the exit queue people went on before the qbot people.

[Pixel]

Thanks, well maybe we will brave it again some time then (when I've sold a kidney or something ). I must admit it isn't really my 'thing' anyway ( I am a wimp) and as I've said ds can't manage most of the rides, but dd loves theme parks and I feel bad for her because she misses out on so many things because of ds. She's only been to a couple of places and she's getting older so I'm thinking an effort should be made during these holidays . She can go on some of the things by herself but it's nice if we can do a few things as a family too.
Mind you, I'm not quite sure what's worse. To have everyone think we paid to push in, or having them know we are pushing in 'for free' .

[Growlithe]

Well, TSC, you judge it all on merit don't you. For instance, we have the Merlin Annual Passes. We live about an hour and a half from Alton Towers. If we go next week and don't get on all the rides, we know we can go again on a quiet day.

However when we were in Florida earlier this year, we went to Islands of Adventure without FP, saw how busy it was because it was US Spring Break, and decided when we were having our 1 planned day at Universal we would get FPs as we didn't particularly like the vibe of the place so were unlikely to come back even if we did return to Florida.

So then it was useful.

[Growlithe]

Pixel, my nephew and his family have recently been treated like royalty in DLP because one of his children has Down's Syndrome. Both children deserved this treat.

[Growlithe]

TSC But my kids know we don't buy it at Alton Towers, so it is simply a time management thing on a holiday that we've spent a lot on, and aren't likely to do again.

I actually discuss this stuff with them, so they know.

[theodorakisses]

TSC, are you implying that if you have children you should especially fly economy with crappo jet just so they don't think they have any advantage? Webecause we work damn hard and made choices that have meant we are able to. I don't care how you choose to travel but in the extremely unlikely event we end up on the same plane, I will not be moving seats for you.

[Hulababy]

Growlithe - think FP is now, or coming to, HP. Sure I saw the signs for it.

[janey68]

This is the funniest thread I've seen in a while.
Someone actually wrote that its unfair that some people can afford fast passes while other poor people can 'only' afford the normal tickets for theme parks.
FGS some people need to get some perspective. Even if you've been saving supermarket card points for months, a day out at a theme park isn't free .. There's also travel, refreshments etc to factor in. So lets save the tears for a cause which really deserves them.
Just place yourself mentally in the shoes of someone who's genuinely poor and listen to yourself bleating about the definition of poverty being only having regular tickets for theme parks

[janey68]

This is the funniest thread I've seen in a while.
Someone actually wrote that its unfair that some people can afford fast passes while other poor people can 'only' afford the normal tickets for theme parks.
FGS some people need to get some perspective. Even if you've been saving supermarket card points for months, a day out at a theme park isn't free .. There's also travel, refreshments etc to factor in. So lets save the tears for a cause which really deserves them.
Just place yourself mentally in the shoes of someone who's genuinely poor and listen to yourself bleating about the definition of poverty being only having regular tickets for theme parks

[FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin]

I have no opinion on this as don't really visit these places (children a bit too young)

However, to the poster saying that if someone queue jumps because of a pass, the rest of the queue waits longer - yes.
However, by offering a two tier pricing system, it means there is are two pricing options, rather than one, which would be between the two - so effectively you are choosing to queue longer instead of paying more.
Basic economics.

[janey68]

I can afford better holidays since getting a promotion and earning more. I could have stayed in an easier job, earning less, and then I'd have to have more modest holidays.
It doesn't mean I think I am worth more than joe bloggs. It's just that I'm doing a job which commands more money. And it's up to me how i choose to spend it. I cannot believe the resentment from some people on here: 'I can't afford something , therefore no one else should be allowed it "!

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

janey I agree 100% but someone will come along in a minute and bleat about them feeling like the 'undeserving poor' and ignore the fact that the context is barmy.

[dexter73]

Who swaggers around the theme park showing off that they have fastrack tickets?! Nobody - you just walk around normally like everyone else.

[Growlithe]

TSC with all due respect, and I'm as left wing as they come, but that argument is ridiculous.

DH and DD love rollercoasters. They would go to these places every weekend if I let them. This is how DH would choose to spend his leisure time and leisure money, especially on holiday when he would get just one chance to visit a particular theme park. What he would be doing really is buying the chance to ride more rides in the day.

The guy who lives next door to us has a much better car than ours. Should he have not been allowed to buy that one because we would rather spend our money on holidays and days out than a nicer car?

Should I not be allowed to buy Heinz beans because the woman in front of me in the supermarket queue has value beans?

As long as everyone has access to healthcare, education and welfare when they need it (and this should be more of a worry to all of us just now of course) how they choose to spend their disposable income is up to them.

And I've never seen anyone swagger about with a FP, because frankly they would look pathetic, which was kind of the joke with Loadsamoney wan't it?

[theodorakisses]

I do not think I am worth more, of course not. I am not, however, going to feel guilty about my life or make children feel guilty.

[theodorakisses]

Yes, a fastpass would make you swagger around and look down on people's children, I can see that. That, I am afraid is down to people's shoulder chips, not the passes.

[janey68]

Well in your world secondcoming I guess we'd all have to live in identical houses, eat identical food, wear identical clothes etc to avoid anyone purchasing something of higher quality...

It's perfectly possible to believe that there shouldn't be a two tier Health education system without extending the principle to every aspect of life you know ...

[Growlithe]

So if it's better than my house, you shouldn't have been allowed to buy it, by your own reasoning.