AIBU to hate the concept of fast passes?

[IloveConkers]

Hi, we went to a theme park recently and purchased fast passes. I will never do it again. It felt so wrong for my kids to walk past people in the other queue and take priority because we had paid extra. My husband thinks I am being ridiculous. AIBU?

It's just another example of greedy fucker companies chipping away at the consumer experience to charge you more for less, and make everything slightly more shite than it used to be.

I used to go to Alton Towers in school summer holidays in the 1990s and the queues were no more than 45 minutes. We used to get on all the major rides easily during the day and anything else we wanted to.

Last time we went on a normal ticket last year they had shut half the rides so the queues were stupidly long for anything that remained open. Spent the whole day standing in a queue of one kind or another and got on about three things. The Fast Pass people were fuming as they'd paid even more for the same experience. What a pile of fucking crap. I won't be back if I can avoid it.

Plus, fucking stupid things like you can't print your ticket or download it so have to be online on your phone to see it. Except because everyone is doing that at the gate there was no 4G so it took about ten minutes to actually see our tickets after queuing for an hours to get in. Really stressful and stupid.

What happens if lots of people get fast passed - don't they then just have to wait in a queue like everyone else?

TBH the thought of queuing for over an hour for a theme park ride seems, I don't know, such a waste of time, effort and money - you pay huge entry fees and spend most of your day standing in a queue.

But numerous posters on the thread - and the OP - have explained why it’s different to the examples you’ve given. It isn’t exactly the same principle because it actively worsens the experience of other people who’ve paid to attend. It improves one customer’s experience while making it worse for another customer. That’s why the OP felt uncomfortable about it.

Hardcore communist

I love them sorry! Although the only fast pass I have used is at LegoLand which isn't a fast pass but is instead a virtual queue holder. It didn't mean we skipped ahead of anyone but it meant we didn't have to stand in the queue.

It is no different to me as someone standing in the queue for their family as a placeholder for several of them which happens a lot.

Legoland is set up for parents to empty their wallets into the company coffers. Any entertainment the children may receive is sadly purely secondary.

Well it does - the less people buying fast passes, the quicker the 'plebs' go through the queues

But no one has to go. The company is obviously offering a product that the 'plebs' are willing to queue for.

I’m with you op. It’s like money makes you more important.

I completely get feeling uncomfortable. We have passes as DC are disabled and cant queue without a meltdown. I feel incredibly awkward in some of the fast track queues. I prefer the ones where you go in completely separately or in the exit as then I don't feel like we are being stared at and judged.

I agree. Another example of the horrible inequality in society. It should make people feel uncomfortable.

It's horrible. Jumping the line because you can afford to. Wouldn't do it even if we were loaded

I assume everyone only buys "value" ranges at the supermarket, cheap clothing, drives an old banger, doesn't go on a holiday, has a cheap phone ....

some people have more disposable income than others or choose to spend it differently than others. Alton towers with a smart pass might be instead of their holiday for the year or a treat in a really shit year.

if you don't want to buy one, then don't. Job done. Stop the judgemental crap.

They really don't want to keep people in queues. If they're in queues they're not in shops or eateries buying stuff.

I agree it does feel a bit icky.

Private health…. Is fast tracking!

All those expressing horror with theme park fast passes really seem to not understand capitalism and market demand

I think that the issue with the theme fast track passes is that the benefit is so abundantly obvious ie walking past all the non fast track pass holders

whereas private health etc is generally a little less “in your face”!!

goodness - people with more money being able to afford something better than those with less!!!

you must be in a constant state of rage!

I won’t go to an attraction that sells them. I added up the costs including the fast passes on the last occasion and we concluded that other activities such as a weekend away or kayaking are more fun and better value for money.

but your “weekend away” - surely you will come across a huge variety of accommodation - all hugely varying in cost depending on added benefits in line with the cost?

If that's the case then they either need more staff or to not have the fast track queue. For example, I'm not a theme park fan anyway. But due to an energy limiting condition I couldn't do a full day out, maybe a few hours tops. So an accessible queue where I got on without the line would mean I could actually do a couple of rides before my body crashed and I had to leave and lie down.

Adding the cost of fast passes to an already expensive day out puts the cost of the theme park experience in line with a lot of more interesting options.

Do they have virtual queueing nowadays where you don't have to actually wait in line? Just watch the number click round and go to the ride when your number is nearly up?

Yup, YABU and ridiculous. They have the option to pay too, they are simply choosing not to.