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

[hopingforabrighterfuture2021]

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.

@ArosGartref

I was fine with capitalism previously but now you've raised this matter I think we should nationalise legoland.

@Arbadacarba

I think parks should have quotas of how many people they let in on different days - priced accordingly.

That would be a good idea if customer-experience was important to the parks. But that's not what they are interested in - they are interested in making money, full-stop. Cram in as many people as they can and charge the highest basic cost they can get away with, comfy in the knowledge that some people will pay extra for the fast-track passes.

The only way it will change is if people vote with their feet.

Exactly this - I've only been to these places due to pressure from DD - if it was purely my choice I'd never go near one.

Gosh twinsmummy I am really shocked at your misunderstanding of unseen disbilities. The process to get a Merlin pass is quite stringent with evidence of DLA or a doctors letter outlining the disability and how that impacts on queueing. You have to submit evidence and have a photo etc to get this.

Autism is a prime condition where queuing may not be possible but there is a huge enjoyment or rides. Lots of autistic children are sensory seekers and enjoy the thrill for a few minutes but couldn't cope with extended periods of stimulation or queueing. Rollercoasters arent an unusual "special interest." Similarly for those with bowel problems or other non obvious internal issues where standing can be a problem. There are conditions like ME or arthritis where standing is difficult but sitting would be fine.

If there is evidence of forging documents etc then of course that's a problem but to dismiss people because they don't "look disabled" is shocking. Autism etc can have a profound impact on quality of life and ability to take part in day trips etx.

Why not just go on a day when it is not busy? (Obviously not always easy with kids)

I’ve never been to a theme park, but do you feel the same way about first/standard class travel, stalls/circle/gods seats at the theatre, McDonalds/smart restaurants for lunch? In most areas of life, money buys a better/easier experience.

No, it's different! If people go to smart restaurants, it doesn't spoil your enjoyment of a McDonalds. If you sit in the cheap seats, you still get to experience and enjoy the full show. In a theme park, people paying to jump the queue, means that those not paying extra have to queue even longer than they otherwise would, making it a day of queuing rather than having the fun you were expecting.

The only way it will change is if people vote with their feet.

For those who have had a disappointing experience, they will never go again (but they might not have done anyway). There will always be a steady stream of new punters who are led to believe that they will have more fun than is actually possible.

I have always used fast track passes. I am not a fan of queuing for 3 hours plus.

Meh. Some people can't afford theme parks at all. Should we ban them because they aren't universally affordable and therefore unfair?

No, because people not going to theme parks will probably be doing at least something more enjoyable than standing in a queue.

If they don't offer these sorts of things, what happens is the basic tickets have to be made more expensive for the attraction to make the same profit (because they are no longer selling the expensive fast track ones).

This then prices out poorer people, leaving richer people to essentially get the same as they got before but for less.

These types of tickets help keep basic entry more affordable.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

It's an underhanded way of removing the provisions for disabled people. After all, can't have them getting to the front of the queue when people with more money have to wait with everybody else, can they?

Sooner or later, the size of the rapid access queues will be so large that the people who are unable to wait so long without seating/shade/less noise/whatever is affecting them because of their disabilities will be back to finding them completely inaccessible again.

I totally agree with this

I went to Alton towers yesterday. The entrance to the park for 3 of us was fine (worked out about £26 per person with a buy 1 get 1 free ticket. -we were there for 12 hours - very good value) . If we had wanted 3 x fast track tickets it would have cost an extra £315 for the day! (Other packages are available) .. even for 1 ride it's a tenner each. I saw very Few fast track people there but suspect there may be more demand at a weekend. There was a limit on how many fast track tickets they make available for obvious reasons. I think the vast mAjority of people just accept that queuing is part of the day. I don't have an issue with it if people are willing to part with those extortionate sums of money but I think it's crazy! We did hmmph a few times with people just waltzed up to the front but I was just pleased we had such a great day out and did so much for a v reasonable price!

Always buy them, great time saver.

I'd like to see theme parks do something to manage their queues better eg make better use of virtual queues, make rides bigger so that they can accommodate more people, have more things to do and see that aren't rides.

We had a couple of random inset days last school year and took advantage of off peaks visits to theme parks. We barely queues for most rides, so it was definitely worth the tickets. Not so much if it was busy.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

It's an underhanded way of removing the provisions for disabled people. After all, can't have them getting to the front of the queue when people with more money have to wait with everybody else, can they?

Sooner or later, the size of the rapid access queues will be so large that the people who are unable to wait so long without seating/shade/less noise/whatever is affecting them because of their disabilities will be back to finding them completely inaccessible again.

At Alton Towers, disabled people go straight to the ride. Fast Track has it's own queue.

@Twinsmummy1812

My sister had an all singing all dancing pass to Alton Towers last weekend. She hasn’t had a holiday in years and said this was her 8 hour holiday this year. Do I resent her for that? Hell no! She said there is a new method of queue jumping though. People with doctors notes saying they had anxiety/autism/ocd which were exacerbated by queuing, so we’re allowed to move to the front. May be legitimate and of course some disabilities are severe but invisible, although I would question how queuing caused problems but 60mph roller coaster in dark with flashing lights didn’t. She said it felt a bit shitty compared against families with kids in wheelchairs etc.

What I find a ‘bit shitty’ is your disabilist post. HTH.

It's paying to push in. Really bad form imo.

@SummerHouse

It's paying to push in. Really bad form imo.

Ah now this is appealing to my Britishness and is the closest thing in the thread to changing my mind!

@SummerHouse

It's paying to push in. Really bad form imo.

Not really. Fast Track has its own queue. If you want to join it, then pay.

@WholeClassKeptIn

Gosh twinsmummy I am really shocked at your misunderstanding of unseen disbilities. The process to get a Merlin pass is quite stringent with evidence of DLA or a doctors letter outlining the disability and how that impacts on queueing. You have to submit evidence and have a photo etc to get this.

Autism is a prime condition where queuing may not be possible but there is a huge enjoyment or rides. Lots of autistic children are sensory seekers and enjoy the thrill for a few minutes but couldn't cope with extended periods of stimulation or queueing. Rollercoasters arent an unusual "special interest." Similarly for those with bowel problems or other non obvious internal issues where standing can be a problem. There are conditions like ME or arthritis where standing is difficult but sitting would be fine.

If there is evidence of forging documents etc then of course that's a problem but to dismiss people because they don't "look disabled" is shocking. Autism etc can have a profound impact on quality of life and ability to take part in day trips etx.

I apologise if I came across that way, I didn’t mean to. Of course I understand that not all disabilities are obvious and I thought I had pointed that out. I didn’t know that autistic children sought or would enjoy that sort of thing, I thought it would have been overwhelming. Thank you for the education, I will research more.

Rather more concerned about people paying to "fast track" to a better health service, education etc. to be honest. Can't get worked up about how people spend their own money at theme parks.