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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 2 hours queuing times is wrong at Merlin?

290 replies

ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 00:58

We went to Chessington Howl’oween. The queues for most of the big ticket rides were 2 hours long all day. Some were 90mins. We went on 3 big rides in total. Shouldn’t theme parks limit number of visitors to guarantee better value for money? (It costs over £100 for a family of four to visit).

OP posts:
ShaunaTheSheep · 30/10/2022 07:07

But if you'd gone to Legoland on a damp September day you wouldn't have queued either 🤷‍♀️.

Why do people expect to do popular stuff on busy days and expect no one else to have had the same idea?

ButterflyBiscuit · 30/10/2022 07:07

We used to have a Merlin Pass - but definitely avoided halloween or mostly school holidays. Sunday in term time wasn't as bad...

Whataboutno · 30/10/2022 07:09

We went on a school day (gave my daughter the day off) and it was empty. Even then I'm still not going again!

Original poster
ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:10

ShaunaTheSheep · 30/10/2022 07:07

But if you'd gone to Legoland on a damp September day you wouldn't have queued either 🤷‍♀️.

Why do people expect to do popular stuff on busy days and expect no one else to have had the same idea?

My post is more about consumer rights. Why should you pay for something with endless breakdowns, delays and beyond reasonable queues and not expect to get some value for money? Plus you’re charged to park on top of that.

OP posts:
waterrat · 30/10/2022 07:17

Its genuinely baffling to me that this is a working business model

Brighton pier...all you ride wristband 30 quid. Highly recommend.

Seebee · 30/10/2022 07:21

Cookingutensil · 30/10/2022 01:19

You paid to spend a day queuing up. When will people realise? Saw a thread elsewhere today about Euro Disney, after paying god knows how much to get in, some people are paying £140 per person, per day for 'fast passes' WTF?

In what other realm would people pay hundreds of pounds to be ignored and crammed into a line/ treated like utter plebs.

Buy a book for under a tenner, pack a picnic and head out for a walk in the countryside, stop and take turns to read.

If you want to replicate the theme park experience, face a tree, stand in line and don't move come rain or shine for two hours. For the full experience, climb tree to highish branch and jump down - enjoy the rush but take care.

This made me laugh. You sound like my mum. She told my sister she shouldn’t waste her money on a gym, she should do more housework instead. She has a point!

00100001 · 30/10/2022 07:24

Whilst it would be nice....

They have no incentive to reduce the amount of people. Why would they? The park is consistently busy.

thelobsterquadrille · 30/10/2022 07:25

@ToBeOrNotToB would you have been happy to pay double (or more) than what you did in order to cut the queues in half, though?

Everyone knows these events are stupidly busy - it's the same every year. Personally I think anyone who pays to go to a Halloween event at a theme park is a bit silly really - it's never going be be anything but heaving.

Badgirlriri · 30/10/2022 07:25

Yuib · 30/10/2022 06:59

I really laughed at this 🤣

Show quote history

Me too.
Especially stopping and taking turns to read.

weebarra · 30/10/2022 07:25

I'm so glad we're Scottish! Our October holiday was last week and we went to Alton Towers and Drayton Manor. Didn't have to queue more than 20 minutes for anything.
It's so frustrating though and it's so expensive to not get the full experience.

00100001 · 30/10/2022 07:25

waterrat · 30/10/2022 07:17

Its genuinely baffling to me that this is a working business model

Brighton pier...all you ride wristband 30 quid. Highly recommend.

Brighton Pier is a bit lame tbh.

Ylvamoon · 30/10/2022 07:26

Happened to us at Chessington many years ago.
I won't set foot into a UK theme park again...

LimeTwists · 30/10/2022 07:26

I think the tone of some posters (you must be bloody mad / go and read a book in the countryside) overlooks the fact that the theme park, not you, has made a mess of what should be an easy, fun way for kids to spend a day. The problem isn’t that you chose to waste time and money visiting one. The problem is that you went in good faith and it was so overpacked to make profit that it was barely enjoyable for everyone that paid.

Would these people say ‘tough’ if their hotel buffet was so packed they had to queue for 90 minutes? Or if their local gym was so heaving they had to wait for 30 minutes to use each piece of equipment?

No, I don’t accept some posters’ views that you are a fool here. 45 minutes wait is more than enough per ride. The theme park is running things in a shit way. YANBU.

WonderingWanda · 30/10/2022 07:27

I agree, I would pay more to go to a theme park with no queues. Thorpe Park with a school trip in the summer term. Queued for 3hrs for a ride that broke down. Even Peppa Pig World I remember queueing for 45 mins with a 2 year old for a boat ride....and then we waiting for ever go on the 1 swing. It is horrendous and I think unsafe to cram so many people in.

Sirzy · 30/10/2022 07:27

ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:10

My post is more about consumer rights. Why should you pay for something with endless breakdowns, delays and beyond reasonable queues and not expect to get some value for money? Plus you’re charged to park on top of that.

Show quote history

But as a consumer you knew you where going to an event at a peak time so surely you know it would be busy and have queues? It shouldn’t really come as a shock if you make that decision.

you knew it would be busy. You knew it would be expensive. You decided to go. So from a consumer rights pov I don’t think you have much of an argument.

BlackberrySky · 30/10/2022 07:28

What annoys me most is that they basically ignore the fact that pretty much everyone is going for the rides and hate massive queues. They dress it up with all these side shows and claim some people are coming for those. They then extend that logic to fast passes being an add on as some people aren't there for the rides so don't care about the massive queues. If they wanted to offer good customer service they would manage the visitor flow a lot better but because enough people are prepared to suck it up, they have no incentive to do so.

Original poster
ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:30

@Sirzy yes yes yes, but what I’m asking is, is 2 hours too long to wait for a ride?

@LimeTwists a proper reply, thank you! I knew it would be busy but I’ve never seen 2 hour queues before. Im a theme park enthusiast, I go regularly etc etc. But I need a wee every 2 hours! How does that work!

OP posts:
thelobsterquadrille · 30/10/2022 07:31

LimeTwists · 30/10/2022 07:26

I think the tone of some posters (you must be bloody mad / go and read a book in the countryside) overlooks the fact that the theme park, not you, has made a mess of what should be an easy, fun way for kids to spend a day. The problem isn’t that you chose to waste time and money visiting one. The problem is that you went in good faith and it was so overpacked to make profit that it was barely enjoyable for everyone that paid.

Would these people say ‘tough’ if their hotel buffet was so packed they had to queue for 90 minutes? Or if their local gym was so heaving they had to wait for 30 minutes to use each piece of equipment?

No, I don’t accept some posters’ views that you are a fool here. 45 minutes wait is more than enough per ride. The theme park is running things in a shit way. YANBU.

Don't be silly - you're comparing apples with oranges.

A hotel breakfast and a trip to the gym are not huge, annual money making events that are advertised nationally for weeks and months in advance.

Anyone who expects these big Halloween events to be anything but busy is a bit daft really. IMO there are two schools of thought - you either think the queuing and crowds are worth it and risk going anyway, or you stay home and save the money and the bother.

MavisChunch29 · 30/10/2022 07:32

Yes, they should. But theme parks are mostly run by greedy fuckers whose business is emptying the pockets of visitors and they are not interested in providing a good customer experience. I like rides well enough, but avoid theme parks like the plague, as they are far too overcrowded these days.

Original poster
ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:33

Nobody wants the side shows over shorter queues. They were charging £5 each inside for a spooky maze that looked quite small. Probs more actors needing paying. Cut the actors and dancers, put up a few decorations like we saw, and cut the advertising budget. It’s half term, people know it’s there and will go.

OP posts:
thelobsterquadrille · 30/10/2022 07:34

I mean, I do think two hours is a stupidly long time to queue but that's why I wouldn't book to go to a theme park on one of the busiest weekends of the year in the first place.

UnbeatenMum · 30/10/2022 07:34

@reallypuzzledoverthis if you want to take your boys again look into the Access Card and Merlin access pass scheme. We used this with my Autistic DD earlier in the year and it made such a difference to her experience.

Original poster
ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:36

@thelobsterquadrille didn't go on a weekend. Was expecting crowds but 2 hour wait is longer than I’ve ever seen and for every single big ticket ride.

OP posts:
thelobsterquadrille · 30/10/2022 07:40

ToBeOrNotToB · 30/10/2022 07:36

@thelobsterquadrille didn't go on a weekend. Was expecting crowds but 2 hour wait is longer than I’ve ever seen and for every single big ticket ride.

The weekend part is irrelevant really - you still chose to go to a massive Halloween event during the school holidays - at one of the biggest theme parks in the country.

I mean, in the nicest way, what else did you expect?

School holiday = crowds
Halloween = crowds
Big annual event = crowds

Add all three together and you're not going to get anything but crowds of people.

KweenieBeanz · 30/10/2022 07:40

Yanbu OP. It's one thing saying 'expect it to be busy' but in this case the volume of visitors literally prevented you from going on rides most of the day, I think most people would agree that expecting something to be busy doesn't mean expecting 2hr+ queues, thats beyond the norm.

But theme parks will continue to operate this way unless people make a stand and stop going. It's money -making - theme parks weren't nearly so bad 20 years ago and they still managed to make a profit back them. They could choose to limit numbers and make less money but they won't unless consumers force them to by stopping going.