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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Priority queues at theme parks!

312 replies

Bridget1983 · 23/07/2019 16:20

Who does this?! Cause I’m looking and thinking I would be mortified to be the person pushing in front of a 6 year old who has just queued an hour and a half for a ride!!

OP posts:
edwinbear · 23/07/2019 16:33

@TeenTimes it depends on the park. At Alton Towers you can pay anything from £40 pp for priority once, on 4 of the big coasters or £100 pp for unlimited priority access on everything, all day.

ShakespearesFister · 23/07/2019 16:33

My anger is at the theme park for not imposing a limit on the number of people allowed in the park.

Instead they pack them in and that's what causes massive queues.

Then they rake in even more money from the sale of priority passes.

Personally I would not go there on a sunny day during school holidays unless I was prepared to buy a priority pass as well. I have no ethical problem with buying a priority pass. You are buying a luxury by going to the theme park at all. If you choose to pay more for a better experience then that's a reasonable choice.

Pursefirst · 23/07/2019 16:34

Why on earth should someone feel bad for paying for, and then using, a particular service? FGS OP Biscuit

icannotremember · 23/07/2019 16:34

The where you can pay extra not to queue? Yes, I fucking hate those too. It costs enough as it is to get in.

DobbyLovesSocks · 23/07/2019 16:34

Not exactly the same but I love the single rider queues. We took DS to Alton Towers and he was just too small for big rides and his dad didn't want to do them so he took him for an ice cream while I did a few of the big rides. All done and dusted in about 30-45 minutes. For the win!!

isthatapugunicorn · 23/07/2019 16:35

I love a fast pass! Only a fool would be embarrassed to use something they've paid for...

Aragog · 23/07/2019 16:35

TeenTimesTwo

It depends on the park itself.

At US Florida the Express Pass covers most rides. The latest newly opened Harry Potter ride isn't included I don't think, but pretty much everything else is.

The ones for US Japan don't. The passes are really quite expensive there and there are several different ones - covering 3, 4 or 7 rides. Each pass covers different rides. It was pretty complicated sorting out which to buy - and we only got the 4 ride one!

Alton Towers ones cover specific rides too.

Disney ones are different again. They are free to all. In Florida you can book them via an app in advance for 3 rides/attractions a day. They are time dates with a return time to go too. In Paris and California you have to go to the ride itself to get a FP from the machine, again with a time.

With all the systems they are restricted as to how many are available each day.

Pipandmum · 23/07/2019 16:36

I got priority passes (I think for Legoland) and it had timed slots. We still had to queue a bit. I bought timed tickets to London Eye and bypassed all the tourists waiting for an hour plus. I’ve also paid to be a member of a museum in London so I can go see the special exhibits eithout paying extra and queuing.
I’ve paid extra for this so what is the issue? I’m not going to apologise for the fact I can afford to do this. I earned the money and I can spend it how I like, and not queuing for an hour plus in the summer heat with kids seems a good idea to me.

Aragog · 23/07/2019 16:37

My anger is at the theme park for not imposing a limit on the number of people allowed in the park.

Most parks do have maximum crowd numbers, but it is high. I know on some peak days in Disney Florida they do close the parks, usually Magic Kingdom, to new guests entering. they have different tiered access - so hotel guests may be still able to go in but not non hotel guests, for example.

WorraLiberty · 23/07/2019 16:38

No-one's pushing in front of anyone though are they?

It's no different really to paying extra for hospitality at concerts/festivals/airports.

If you have the money to make your experience that bit more pleasant, then why not?

Figgygal · 23/07/2019 16:38

We went to chessington At the weekend and didn't queue for anything more than 10 minutes but we didn't do any big rides some queues for those were over an hour utterly crackers!!

We not theme park or rides people but the kids liked the little rides and the shows/the animals.

I'd pay for fast track if I needed to to make most of experience

BlueBuilding · 23/07/2019 16:40

We did it at Chessington at the end of the summer holidays last year. It was super busy and completely pointless being there (imo) without the passes.

We didn't feel embarrassed or bad, more like celebrities 😎

CallMeOnMyCell · 23/07/2019 16:40

It’s not queue jumping, they have paid for for the fast track.

OW98765 · 23/07/2019 16:40

I use them all the time.

My child has Sen though but you wouldn’t know by looking at him or by us walking in as you can’t tell.

Do I feel guilty ? Nope.

By the fast passes if you don’t want to wait an hour and a half with a 6 year old.

ShakespearesFister · 23/07/2019 16:41

Oh, I never knew that, Aragog !

All I can say is that Chessington needs to review its crowd number limits (particularly when several major rides are closed...)

Schuyler · 23/07/2019 16:41

YABU. Weird thing to get het up over. It’s not dissimilar to getting in a tizzy because some people on a plane have (and pay for) extra leg room or WiFi. It’s a legit service - either pay it or don’t.

thedayofthethreeMagnums · 23/07/2019 16:43

Yes those who have paid - I would be so embarrassed to queue jump like that

Confused

they are not queue jumping if they go to the priority queue they have PAID FOR - same with priority boarding!

If they jump in front of a child, then yes, that's rude.

ScreamingValenta · 23/07/2019 16:44

It's like everything - you get what you pay for.

If you object to paid-for queue jumping because not everyone can afford it, you should really boycott theme parks altogether - by that morality, why should your family get to go to a theme park, when some families can't afford to go at all?

MissGiddyPants · 23/07/2019 16:46

It's just like paying for private education I suppose. If you can afford it why not.

ComeTheFuck0nBridget · 23/07/2019 16:46

I don't think the issue is with people using a fast pass as such. If the option is there and people choose to use it, then that's fine. It's not pushing in.

BUT I do think they are a way for theme parks etc to just rip consumers off. I think there should be a system like at Disney, where you get 3 fast passes included in your ticket anyhow, I actually think it's disgusting that theme parks charge for them. Not everyone can afford them and it feels like a way of segregating people who are financially less fortunate for whatever reason. It must be awful to have to explain the situation to a small child.

Namechangeymcnamechange11 · 23/07/2019 16:46

I wouldn't be mortified if I'd paid the extra for the fast passes. The parents of the 6 year old should explain that person had paid extra to skip the queue and they hadn't 🤷
What's the issue here? People legitimately paying extra to skip the queue??

Mrsjayy · 23/07/2019 16:47

They are not pushing in they have paid to go in a different line they are doing nothing wrong and in peak times it seems a sensible thing to do,

RosesAndRaindrops · 23/07/2019 16:48

YANBU, I don't care if you have paid extra to push to the front, it really gets on my boobies.
It costs a fortune as it is to go to a theme park, those who save up to go and have those with cash they can just throw at the park to queue jump piss me right off, should be that everyone has to wait their turn, not just those with money!
Rargh

RosesAndRaindrops · 23/07/2019 16:49

without money

backaftera2yearbreak · 23/07/2019 16:49

I will be doing this next month in Potaventura!

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