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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:
Shockers · 23/07/2019 17:31

We get a fast track wristband because DD has a disability. You might not know it to look at her though.

RubbingHimSourly · 23/07/2019 17:31

Sorry but more fool you for going to a theme park in the summer hols.

We're avid theme park goers but plan our days wisely, a dull Sunday in May or whatever is obviously going to be a lot quieter. As is early September.

I haven't queued 1.5 hours for a ride in my life and don't intend to start. I don't have an issue with people who can afford to queue jump either.

Grandadwasthatyou · 23/07/2019 17:32

My dd has special needs and was entitled to a queue jumper at Alton Towers. We had just got into a cable car and the people sitting opposite ( girls in their 20's) asked if we were embarrassed. I asked what for and they said because we had queue jumped.
I certainly wasn't about to explain my child's special needs to complete strangers. So we had to sit in a frosty silence for the rest of the cable car trip.

sneakypinky · 23/07/2019 17:34

How on earth can you tell by looking at someone whether or not one of their group are not disabled or SEN in some way?

SilverySurfer · 23/07/2019 17:35

The word that springs to mind is diddums. How about a thought for all the six year olds whose parents can't afford to take them at all, let alone in a priority queue.

No doubt you also think it's unfair that people live in mansions while others live in flats or people who fly first or business class.

Life isn't equal and as soon as your child learns that the better.

Bunnybigears · 23/07/2019 17:35

We have just spent 2 days at Alton Towers, first day was surprisingly quiet longest queue was about 20 minutes. (If you exclude Smiler which is ridiculously busy at all times) The 2nd day was inundated with coach loads of school kids but we just had a quiet day doing some of the smaller rides. If we had only been there 1 day I definitely would have bought fast track tickets. No point going to just go on a couple of rides.

CollaterlyS1sters · 23/07/2019 17:36

@ComeTheFuck0nBridget

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.

This is hilarious. A theme park is 'a way to rip consumers off'. They are grotesque corporate money-making hellholes and I'd rather go to Ikea on a bank holiday Monday than go to one

You making out that children who have been taken to these already hugely overpriced treat days out are somehow impoverished and hard-done-by because someone else paid a bit more to make the experience slightly less hellish is one of the silliest things i've ever read on here.

That's until you started bandying around the word 'segregation', at which point your post crossed from the ridiculous to the offensive.

CarolDanvers · 23/07/2019 17:39

I don't drink alcohol. We don't go out for big meals. We prefer to use our budget not to queue and that's a perfectly acceptable choice. YABU.

Yogurtcoveredricecake · 23/07/2019 17:43

What age child is it acceptable to "push in front of"?

onefootinthegrave · 23/07/2019 17:44

Avocado & Roses you've said exactly what I feel, thank you!

EleanorReally · 23/07/2019 17:45

you pay priority which causes those who just pay the extortionate entrance fee to wait longer. unfair

Dangermouse37 · 23/07/2019 17:45

This is the reason I stopped going to theme parks - their pure greed at feeding off the customers that are willing to pay it. It used to be free at Alton Towers to virtual queue until they realised they could make pots of money from it.

The other issue is that the fast track tickets cause the longer queues as those who have paid go on 3 or 4 times (as I once witnessed) while those who haven't wait over 1 hour. If no one paid the queues would be 4x quicker. I don't think those who pay realise they make the problem what it is.

Aragog · 23/07/2019 17:48

Those commenting on the greed of theme parks - they are businesses. They are there to make money. Whilst they do provide an entertainment service, they aren't doing it for the good of their heart - they are doing it to make money!

It is also not compulsory to visit them.

stepup123 · 23/07/2019 17:50

I always pay for priority queuing. It's a rare treat to go to a theme park so I don't want to queue for hours to get on a ride and the children get bored waiting. I've never felt guilt about it! It didn't really occur to me to.

arethereanyleftatall · 23/07/2019 17:52

I can't say my 6 year old, or any other aged child, has ever noticed being 'pushed in front of'. It's an incredibly negative way of looking at a fast pass, which clearly rubs off on kids.

HappyNOTdriving · 23/07/2019 17:53

It's no different to paying extra to sit in a better seat in the theatre.

Would you come on here saying I'd be mortified to walk right past a 6 year old just to a seat closer to the stage just because I could pay more for my ticket. No you probably wouldn't.

Wether you agree with the concept of the option to pay extra to not have to wait in line is a different question and one possibly worthy of debate.

herculepoirot2 · 23/07/2019 17:55

It’s just paying for an additional service.

NCforthis2019 · 23/07/2019 17:57

We pay - because I don’t fancy lining up in the hot sun. If you can afford it - why wouldn’t you? You fancy standing out with a 5 year old and a 2 year old in this sun?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 23/07/2019 18:01

I could afford to do these things but choose not to

And that's absolutely fair enough, but some have made other choices and are simply using the "extras" they've paid for

TBH I can't stand the corporate manipulation and would stick pins in my eyes before I'd go to any theme park, but I'm not sure how this is any different to buying priority boarding on an aircraft, a better seat in a theatre or whatever else ...

Lindy2 · 23/07/2019 18:01

We used a SEN fast pass at Legoland last month.
The pass is actually an app where you click on the ride you want to go on and it tells you what time you can get on the ride. When we used it the wait times were anything from 5 minutes to 45 minutes. At your allocated time you go to the ride and join the fast pass line which is generally pretty short.
Obviously it is easier than waiting in line for an hour or so but there is still waiting involved. It's just in the park not in a restrictive queue.
I'm not sure if the paid for passes are the same.
For our SEN child it is fabulous and I am really impressed at how considerate Merlin are of special needs.
But yes I did feel self conscious walking past large queues and didn't make eye contact with those that were waiting. However, I'm also self conscious when my child has a public meltdown, a screaming fit or randomly runs off. Something those in the queues hopefully don't generally have to deal with.

BlueBuilding · 23/07/2019 18:02

If nobody bought the fast passes, then I guess the queues would be 'quicker', but still ridiculously long.

It's up the the park to decide what services they offer. Free virtual queuing for all would be fab, but unfortunately doesn't exist.

Spending a fortune to stand in queues all day is not a smart way to spend your time or money. For us, the choice is between taking a day off school or paying for fast track.

What other families choose to do is their business, but my kids had a great day out and we are happy with our choice Halo

grumiosmum · 23/07/2019 18:06

It's a bit like the difference between paying for private education, or private health insurance, no??

dreichhighlands · 23/07/2019 18:07

If there were no fast passes which are a form of virtual queuing then the standard line would be quicker but it would also be much longer as everyone would be in it. Some of the people who might have bought a fast pass could be in the line behind you but many of them might be in the line in front of you. Even though the line would move more quickly it is possible that you wouldn't access the ride that much quicker.

ChihuahuaMummy1 · 23/07/2019 18:08

They are annoying but they have paid extra to do that so fair enough.What I dont agree with is some people using disability queue jump passes that belong to someone else.I witnessed this at chessington,3 people queue jumped and the gentleman in a wheelchair waited for them,abusing the system and I was Hmm

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 23/07/2019 18:09

Saying it is not fair because not everyone can afford them is daft as if you applied the same logic you wouldn’t go to the theme park in the first place as it isn’t fair that you get to go as you have the spare cash to pay and someone who can’t afford it doesn’t.