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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask what you think about ‘fast track’ passes for kids/adults with no special needs

120 replies

hopingforabrighterfuture2021 · 03/05/2021 12:08

Interested in views on this. Talking about the ones you pay for as a extra to the admission price.

YANBU = it’s people’s money, if theme parks want to sell them to make extra cash, let them. If you have the money and want to spend it on getting on rides faster, why wouldn’t you.

YABU = It’s another way of allowing people with more money a better service, and isn’t fair on people who can’t afford to do this.

Or, discuss.

OP posts:

AnUnoriginalUsername · 03/05/2021 17:41

People with more money can get better things. It's a fundamental part of our lives that is fair as far as I'm concerned. Where would it end? Why would anyone do the demanding, highly stressful jobs if there was no reward?

It should be free because its not fair that some people can afford to go and others can't. They shouldn't have a restaurant because its not fair that people that can afford to buy food out don't have to bring a packed lunch. The icecream man should be banned from driving round streets because its not fair on the kids who can only afford choc ices from the freezer.

Plus, it's those people, paying extortionate amounts of money for something that is free to provide, that allows the other tickets to be cheaper and for them to run promotions that allow people to go for next to nothing.

Unihorn · 03/05/2021 17:44

They're included in admission price at Disney parks because they're sensible enough to know that less time in queues = more time spending money in shops and restaurants. It baffles me that other companies haven't tapped into this.

SavingsQuestions · 03/05/2021 17:46

I don't like it but simply as in practice this implacts on those with special needs trying to access these places. For example at Legoland the Ride Access Pass worked brilliantly after covid - until they let the Queuebots back in when it didn't and made the RAP waits over 30mins in some areas which wasn't manageable.

Whereas at Paultons people can't pay extra to queue jump and the Access Pass works much better.

AbsentmindedWoman · 03/05/2021 17:46

@BittyBatHats

Of all the things capitalism makes unfair this doesn't even register. If it upsets you that someone else who pays more gets to queue for less time you should have a think about alllllll the other ways people with more money 'jump the queue' every day.

Agree totally with this.

SavingsQuestions · 03/05/2021 17:47

When I last went to Disney anyone could come back for a timed entry which worked well.

MozzchopsThirty · 03/05/2021 17:47

In Disney the fast passes are free, you get 3 a day, then it's fair for everyone

An0n0n0n · 03/05/2021 17:49

Yabu, its like first class, theme parks expect the revenue and can charge less for others.

Bloody annoying though if you dont have one though!

cancancan · 03/05/2021 18:03

If people didn't buy fast passes then they would be in the normal q.... making it longer.

As mentioned above Disney fast passes are free and brilliant.

Not sure I'd pay for them else where....

Arbadacarba · 03/05/2021 18:08

YABU = It’s another way of allowing people with more money a better service, and isn’t fair on people who can’t afford to do this.

Should all theme parks be closed because some people can't afford any kind of ticket?

The issue here isn't theme parks' pricing structures, it's overall inequality of wealth in the United Kingdom. Some people spend on trifling luxuries what others have to live on for a year.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 03/05/2021 18:11

@CallmeHendricks

"But, goodness, the cost is extortionate."

But it has to be. If it was a reasonable and affordable amount, everyone would do it, negating the benefit.

Like eith Ryanair 🙄 When most plane have priority boarding, no one has priority boarding

Oblomov21 · 03/05/2021 18:26

I literally can't understand your objection. On zero grounds.

Thorpe park, for example, gives priority to SEN and are very very accommodating on taking a child right to the front of they can't cope with queuing.

Others who can afford, can buy priority passes.

How you can argue against this is literally baffling to me.

Woodpecker22 · 03/05/2021 18:33

They are not fair on those with autism etc who have a genuine problem queuing as they make their wait longer. My son with severe autism does not understand the concept of queuing at all and is frequently stuck behind those with priority passes having a meltdown.

KeyboardWorriers · 03/05/2021 18:59

I think the theme parks need to carefully consider the balance.

I have stopped going to them because it just feels like nearly an entire day queueing. But it seems many people are happy to pay to do just that so it must work for the parks.

Brieminewine · 03/05/2021 19:00

I’d rather spend the money and queue less as it would greatly improve my time at the theme park. More money means better life experiences. Of course it’s no fair that poor people can’t afford to queue jump etc but life isn’t fair!

SnuggyBuggy · 03/05/2021 19:06

Really the parks should limit the numbers of people they let in so you don't end up spending the day queuing so much you only get 5 rides but obviously that will never happen.

Gemma2019 · 03/05/2021 19:14

We go to theme parks a lot and get free fast passes and ride access passes - it's one of the benefits of having a disabled child. Joking. But if we didn't have the free passes I would definitely pay for fast track as there is no way I would want to spend an hour or more queuing for a two minute ride. It makes for a really tiring day and it's not like at Disney where the queue is part of the experience.

It would be better for everyone if they just reduced the queue times but I saw a documentary about theme parks where they said they intentionally make people wait a long time as anticipation makes people appreciate the experience more.

KihoBebiluPute · 03/05/2021 19:22

There are so many things where paying more gets you a better experience. Education, dental treatment, housing, food just a few examples. No reason for theme parks to be any different but it would be better for the tickets to be sold up-front as "basic", "silver" (where you have Q-bot option to not have to stand in line, but don't get on the ride any faster, which is our choice) and "premium" option (actually jumping the queues). The annoying thing is not being told that the so-called price is just the entry-level price and the upgrade costs are not disclosed till later in the booking process, but you only get burned by that once and you know how it works for next time.

supersonicginandtonic · 03/05/2021 19:26

We live very near alton towers, no way would I go and not pay for fast track passes. Mostly I have my son with me who has additional needs but if not I'd buy them.

Lauren1983 · 03/05/2021 19:28

We paid for them at LegoLand and it was money well spent. As previously said they didn't help us skip the queue but they held our place, so instead of standing in the queue we sat down and rested or did other things.

Franklyfrost · 03/05/2021 19:34

I hate it. Went to lego land once and it was so expensive and the queues so long that you could only go on a few rides during the day and it made it worse that some people didn’t have to queue. I think amusement parks need to charge less and allow queue jumping or lower their profits and limit capacity/ provide more rides. People often travel a long way to go to a theme park or are there to celebrate a special occasions and it just takes the p* to fork out to watch other people go on the rides.

MangoM · 03/05/2021 19:35

A few people have said that people with disabilities are getting stuck behind priority queuers. Maybe I've got it wrong, but I thought (at least at Alton Towers last time I went) that anyone with a disability normally went through the exit? Therefore bypassing both the normal queue and the fast track one.

Sirzy · 03/05/2021 19:45

Last time we went to legoland it was certainly the same system for those with disabilities and those who have paid. We wouldn’t take DS again for that reason

Mrsdarwin · 03/05/2021 19:47

Disney do this dont they? Or they use to? Everyone can do 4 fast tracks a day, you go and get a fast track and it tells you to come back in 2-3 hours. I thought it was a much better system.

I have paid for a one off at Alton towers for 1 fast track as it was around £5 and better than waiting 1.30hr in a queue.

Newnormal99 · 03/05/2021 19:57

I took my daughter to Legoland and I paid for the midrange fast pass. It cut the virtual waiting times by 50%.

It was a one off - she had been asking to go for 2 years and at her age we probably won't go again so to me I'd rather have paid out for them to make the most of the one day we were going to have there.

Chessington which we go to more regularly I wouldn't bother - maybe an occasional single ride one.

SnuggyBuggy · 03/05/2021 20:01

It sounds like in some cases like Legoland the fast pass is necessary just to have a reasonable experience rather than an optional enhancement

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