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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:
TacoLover · 23/07/2019 19:09

A theme park is an expensive day out and many people there just won't be able to afford £70 extra a head for a queue jump pass. So you are teaching the rich kids it's fine to jump the line if you have money, and the ones who can't afford it that money buys people first place ahead of you. I honestly can't understand how more people don't have a problem with the moral issue of this. But I guess not queuing is more important than general fairness.

Many families, including mine, save up longer to be able to afford the fast passes. It doesn't mean we are rich, it means we saved up for longer than people who didn't.

Is it also unethical to buy priority boarding on planes then? That makes the wait time longer for people who are in the normal queue too.

ScreamingValenta · 23/07/2019 19:09

JellyfishAndShells Yes, I see that and take your point.

Butternutsqoosh · 23/07/2019 19:10

We got priority passes at eurodisney as I was pregnant at the time, it was brilliant and I get no guilt whatsoever, the queues were horrendous 😄 if I could afford it I'd do it and give no fucks...as it is I can't so I watch the fast passes with envy!

Inniu · 23/07/2019 19:13

I would not chose to go to a theme park or any attraction with long lines at on a busy day without a skip the line pass. I just would not find it enjoyable.

flowery · 23/07/2019 19:18

”So you are teaching the rich kids it's fine to jump the line if you have money, and the ones who can't afford it that money buys people first place ahead of you. I honestly can't understand how more people don't have a problem with the moral issue of this.”

That’s a much wider point about the fairness of society in general. We don’t do theme parks but we do a variety of things at which it is possible to pay more for a ‘better’ experience, and where it is possible, we usually do that because we are lucky enough to be able to afford it. For example we went to the Grand Prix recently and had specified seats in a good location rather than having to get there at the crack of dawn with camping chairs to grab a good spot in the general viewing areas.

We do try and ensure our DC don’t forget how lucky they are or lose a sense of what’s ‘normal’, but it is a challenge.

Life isn’t fair, and it is easier and more pleasant, generally, for those with more money. That’s the price we pay for a capitalist economy rather than a communist one I suppose!

HappyLoneParentDay · 23/07/2019 19:20

@ChihuahuaMummy1 How on earth did you know the 3 people weren't disabled????? I have MS and most of the time I look absolutely fine. I am however always in severe pain. It's invisible to look at me though. I'm also a single mum and often get grief for parking in disabled/using disabled toilets etc as people presume because I have a child (apparently you can only fit one stereotype at a time! 🙄) or simply because I'm under the age of 50 and not in a wheelchair that I'm abusing the system!! I once had some busybody demand proof I was disabled! Simply because I was allowed on a ride first using a disabled pass

CollaterlyS1sters · 23/07/2019 19:20

@ComeTheFuck0nBridget But good for you that you've always had enough money to be able to not empathise with people who haven't.

Yes, those poor poverty-stricken families who can only afford a standard pass for their whole family to a theme park. It's truly Dickensian. And you are a modern-day Henry Mayhew, casting light on this dark, sad, shameful reality of our society.

Babymamaroon · 23/07/2019 19:21

We did it in Disney for a couple of days. We had young kids too so did appreciate our position of being able to go to the front of all the fast pass queues.

I did feel sorry for everyone else but sadly that's just the way of the world.

Worth noting we duly queued for hours at immigration so no stranger to a queue!

Tfoot75 · 23/07/2019 19:23

This is a bit of a ridiculous post. Clearly most of the people in the queue actually don't mind queueing if they've gone to a theme park on a busy day. We go to theme parks all the time but as we arent fans of queueing, just go on the rides that don't have long queues. Never paid for priority but would probably consider it at legoland as the queues there are pretty crazy.

But the point is, the cheaper and more available the priority tickets, the longer the standby lines get as proved by Disney, where the most popular rides have 2-4 hour standby lines every single day. A system like that wouldn't work at UK theme parks because most visitors don't plan 30 or 60 days in advance.

If I did pay for priority, I wouldn't feel guilty. Presumably everyone joining a 90 minute queue has seen the queue time on the board and decided its worth it? Personally I can't think of a ride in this country that I'd wait that long for...

HiJenny35 · 23/07/2019 19:27

Oh come on, of course it's pushing in. Everyone plays enough to go and then they allow people to pay more to push in front. I can afford it but I wouldn't do it. I think it's just rude.

LegionOfDoom · 23/07/2019 19:28

I could afford to do these things but choose not too

Well that’s a bit silly really. Why would you waste time, that you don’t need to, queuing up for sometimes hours? You have the option of not doing that. You can get on more rides that way

Ylvamoon · 23/07/2019 19:29

It's on offer, why would you not take it up if you can afford it?

(We go Europe, outside the destination country school holidays & don't have problems with queuing. They are lesser known parks, but than, a rollercoaster is a rollercoaster. The majority of parks are up to date with the latest technology, so nobody is missing out. Except for the name that is obviously different.)

Survivingorthriving · 23/07/2019 19:30

Totally disagree with queue jumping passes. Surely we should be teaching our children that everyone is equal and should be treated fairly.

plasterboots · 23/07/2019 19:31

I could afford to do these things but choose not too

That's fine you waste your money queuing for hours to get on fewer rides, I'd pay the "extra" go on all the rides to save on a return visit for the missed rides.

We can all take our choices.

Puppytooth · 23/07/2019 19:32

So narrow-minded...queue jumping - what are you on about? People pay extra so they don’t have to queue as long. This is not exclusive to the elite, filthy rich. As a single mum I paid for this for my son and myself - our one 2 day holiday one year thanks very much. What a stupid bloody thing to complain about - you sound like a sulky brat.

ballsdeep · 23/07/2019 19:33

I'd say they were a nessecity for somewhere like lego land in this weather and in summer hols

1stmonkey · 23/07/2019 19:40

I will happily pay for priority and go ahead of other people in the queue. It's something that's available to anyone who doesn't want to wait all day. If i was struggling to afford it, i'd rather give up a trip to the gift shop or the snack stand than have to wait hours for a 60 second ride. We all make our choices.
Yeah, feel bad for the kids whose parents can't/won't do the same, but to be blunt, their moaning isn't my problem!

Leftielefterson · 23/07/2019 19:42

I do kind of see where you’re coming from OP. It just seems a bit unfair to those that are priced out from doing this. I say this but I went recently and my DP insisted on passes. I did feel a bit awkward.

I was amazed in Vegas that restaurants charge to enable you to queue jump at peak times. I was quite appalled.

Money really can get you anything these days. Capitalism!

EleanorReally · 23/07/2019 19:49

it is pushing in, of course it is,

bbcessex · 23/07/2019 19:50

In terms of the air travel comparison, Business Class tickets often make up the vast amount of the airline's revenue, and allow them to offer 'cheap' travel to the hoi poloi (me!).

Without the two / three tiered system, the base product would be too expensive for a lot of people. I expect that's true for UK theme parks too.

EleanorReally · 23/07/2019 19:51

you cant compare it to private health care, the consultant doesnt leave his queue of NHS patients to see his private patients, he has set times for this.

Sandybval · 23/07/2019 19:53

Yep if you can't afford a more expensive ticket your time isn't as valuable so you should wait longer whilst the more important people go in Hmm

This puts me off theme parks to be honest, we went to Thorpe Park and were waiting 3 hours to get on one of the rides, by the time we were at the front I needed a wee so badly that I didn't enjoy it at all. We travelled for hours to go on that ride and one other. Could have paid more for a ticket, but it's already hideously over priced enough.

Sandybval · 23/07/2019 19:54

This is just regarding those who pay for the queue jump, not those who benefit from it for other reasons.

1stmonkey · 23/07/2019 19:54

”So you are teaching the rich kids it's fine to jump the line if you have money, and the ones who can't afford it that money buys people first place ahead of you."

Hahaha yes, exactly that. It's a lesson we all have to learn even if we don't like it. Maybe use it as an opportunity to teach that working hard, getting a good job, earning well, means you don't have to stand in a queue for 90 mins!!!

JacquesHammer · 23/07/2019 19:55

you cant compare it to private health care, the consultant doesnt leave his queue of NHS patients to see his private patients, he has set times for this

Set times in which he doesn’t see NHS patients.
Just like there are set times when you turn up for your ride and people who don’t have a Fastpass can’t get on for 5 mins...