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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:
AcrossthePond55 · 23/07/2019 18:13

It's not queue-jumping nor is it 'pushing in'. It is using a benefit that is offered and has been paid for. If you don't want to pay for it, fine. If you can't afford it, well, that's life. I'd like to do a VIP tour at Disney but I can't afford $300-500.00 per hour with a 6 hour minimum. I manage to have a great time there without it.

One of the most important lessons in life for any child is 'we can't afford that' or 'we choose not to spend our money for that'. My parents never had a problem saying those words to me when 'better off' families did things we couldn't do or my parents didn't feel were 'good value' for the money. It didn't damage my self esteem one whit. In fact, it taught me a valuable life lesson in deciding what's worth it and what isn't when it comes to spending my money.

LookWhosInTheRejectBin · 23/07/2019 18:13

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!

How do you know that those buying priority haven't just saved up longer and harder to be able to buy the fast track? It's not just "rich people throwing cash". Hmm

ScreamingValenta · 23/07/2019 18:15

In theory, virtual queuing for all would be possible - everyone would have to book time slots for the ride they wanted; the number of slots would have to be no more than the number of spaces on the ride, and it would have to run strictly to time. The park capacity would have to be limited as well - they could sell 'non ride' tickets for people to allow carers etc. in.

'Queue jump' passes might allow you to book a slot more quickly, but no one would have to stand in line other than for the time it took for one lot of riders to board the ride.

I doubt the parks will do it while the 'Q bots' are such a nice little earner for them, though!

FutureMrsD · 23/07/2019 18:17

You are being completely unreasonable...
It’s not pushing in front if they have paid for fast passes?

flowery · 23/07/2019 18:19

”I could afford to do these things but choose not too”

So you chose to make your six year old stand in this heat waiting for an hour and a half when there was no need?

KatherineJaneway · 23/07/2019 18:20

Lol at not 'pushing in'! Of course it is!

Of course it's not. Someone has paid for that advantage. It's like complaining that someone has eaten a better meal than you had because they went to a Michelin restaurant and you went to Nando's. You get what you pay for and you spend your money on what you think is worth it to you.

MrsPinkCock · 23/07/2019 18:22

It sounds like jealousy to me.

I always pay priority because it’s cost v worth to me. Same as I always stay on site at universal Orlando to get unlimited express passes.

I don’t like queueing and I don’t have to. If I did have to wait two hours in a queue I wouldn’t go. Priority/express makes the day much better.

WhiteDust · 23/07/2019 18:25

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!!

We always buy them. It gets factored into the cost of going.
Do you get angry at people who buy priority boarding on planes? First class tickets for trains? VIP tickets with a better view at concerts? Or the best seats at the theatre? No queue tickets at festivals? It's the way it is. If you spend more money, you get a better deal. (We don't do any of the above but theme park once a year- it's not worth going without fast track).

verystressedmum · 23/07/2019 18:25

Pushing in? Do you know what that means?
Paying to not queue is no touching in. I wouldn't feel embarrassed at all you're being ridiculous.

WhiteDust · 23/07/2019 18:25

So you chose to make your six year old stand in this heat waiting for an hour and a half when there was no need?
This.

saffy1234 · 23/07/2019 18:30

Why would you be embarrassed?
You've paid?!

ComeTheFuck0nBridget · 23/07/2019 18:31

@Yeahnahmum I'm not being over dramatic. But good for you that you've always had enough money to be able to not empathise with people who haven't.

thecatsthecats · 23/07/2019 18:32

I would be embarrassed to make a 6 year old wait for an hour and a half in a queue to be honest

This! Seems like an unfulfilling day for everyone.

(Disclaimer: not into theme parks! But fundamentally opposed without queue jumps, tolerable with!)

OneThreadOnly0101 · 23/07/2019 18:37

UK theme parks in school holidays, you bet your arse I'm buying a speedy pass! It's not even for the kids, it's for me. If you have the means to wait 10 minutes rather than 90, I'm not sure why you'd volunteer for the former?!

I don't feel bad. I've paid an fortune for it. If Merlin weren't such grabby bastards it wouldn't be necessary, but they let too many people in.

The kids have firm instructions not to be twats about it.

foreverhanging · 23/07/2019 18:39

Oh we pay extra just to do this. You go in a different queue

Crinkle77 · 23/07/2019 18:42

I get you OP. I just think it's wrong that the theme parks are making extra money this way.

Shoxfordian · 23/07/2019 18:44

Its not pushing in though is it? It's paying more to get a better service, basically how the world works. Ffs

HelpIcantfindaname · 23/07/2019 18:47

When we go to theme parks with my nieces we all get the queue jump things because my nieces have SEN, as part of their group my DD & DSS get them too, or we couldn't all spend the day together. I do feel guilty passing people who have queued for ages. But no way could my nieces cope with queuing. We only go with them once every other year. One of my DNs clearly has SEN but with the other hers is not visible.

youkiddingme · 23/07/2019 19:00

I'm with you Dangermouse37 when theme parks introduced this we stopped going. I don't think it's worth the money and I think there are so many other things to do that are less expensive and don't involve waiting around in queues for eons. But each to their own.
But I do wonder what happens if everyone starts buying a fast-track?

HotChocolateLover · 23/07/2019 19:00

I’ve bought them once on a Saturday, was fab. The best though was going on a random Thursday during the school
Term time. Just walked up to most of the rides at Alton towers and it was like having a free fast pass. The longest we queued was about 5 minutes. It was awesome.

JellyfishAndShells · 23/07/2019 19:01

*Business class is not comparable.

But it is - if they got rid of business class and first class but had the same number of seats, everyone would have bigger seats and more legroom. It's exactly the same thing - some people 'suffer' (comparatively) because others can pay more to encroach on the service they receive. If anything, it's potentially worse on a flight because that might be something you're forced to do, whereas no one has to visit a theme park*

Um, this completely ignores the reality of aviation economics. If you got rid of all the business class seats and made the economy ones more comfortable ie larger ( which would be a wonderful return to earlier days) , either the cost of the economy seats would have to rise steeply or the entire flight would be uneconomic. Business class passengers are courted by airlines with frills and loyalty schemes for the simple reason that their tickets are , proportionately, a larger revenue source than the same area of economy seats.

HappyLoneParentDay · 23/07/2019 19:06

I get priority at theme parks as I'm disabled. Invisible disability. I'm given a special discreet pass. Don't be so judgemental

dreichhighlands · 23/07/2019 19:07

their tickets are , proportionately, a larger revenue source than the same area of economy seats.
This is of course also true of fast pass tickets holders. They are paying more for their seat, which actually identical, than those who have standard tickets.
It is possible that those paying a premium for fast pass are enabling standard tickets to be sold at a lower price

Belindabelle · 23/07/2019 19:07

If you have the money you can pay to jump the queue in all sorts of situations.

Don't want to wait 6 weeks to see a consultant, pay to go private.
Don't want to wait 6 months for swimming lessons at the council run pool, pay for private.
Don't want to wait to get served at the theatre bar during the interval, pay for a box that has waiter service.
Don"t want to wait in line at airport security, pay to upgrade.

ScreamingValenta · 23/07/2019 19:07

they let too many people in.

Yes - the only way to reduce queues would be to limit entries. But I imagine some people wouldn't be happy if they turned up and were turned away because the park was too full.