To think the Merlin RAP queues are overused

[NameChanger207]

….which means the main queue moves much more slowly on rides with limited capacity, especially when it’s really busy and there’s also lots of fast track riders. Is it really fair that every ride access pass holder has about 3 people accompanying them?! Surely there should be just one carer per RAP user?

1 of my children has a RAP. It's a godsend that allows us to manage to have a family day out. If only 2 people could use the pass we wouldn't be able to spend the day as a family and would have to go around separately. There's already lots of things we can't do as a family because of my child's disabilities. It would be a real shame to also miss out on being able to visit theme parks together.

It's quite a process to get a RAP. You have to apply to Nimbus first with medical details to undergo an assessment. The Nimbus assessment then qualifies you for a Merlin access pass card.

You can't just turn up at a ride and join the RAP queue. You have to book your place on the app and arrive at your allocated time. We therefore still wait the same time as the people in the main queue but we don't have to stand in the queue while we wait.

Having a child with a disability pretty much impacts on every aspect of our family life with every family member being effected. I wouldn't wish our struggles on anyone. Qualifying for the RAP is one of the very few things that actually make things a bit better for a day.

I think they are great when organised properly! WDW and from sounds of it now Merlin ensuring everyone queues/waits for same amount of time whether that means standing in a queue or waiting elsewhere. As for getting one for type 1 diabetic ..... I was told to get one when I visited dlrp and I just couldn't understand why I'd need one? Surely all type 1 diabetics would be carrying food so that if they go hypo in the queue it can be sorted quickly! If this is still happening it means the rules need tightening!

dla and pip doesn't mean someone can't queue

What?! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get DLA/PIP? It does mean precisely that. My eldest gets DLA for ASD which makes it very, very difficult to queue unless you'd like a gigantic meltdown from being overwhelmed?? Disabilities are not just physical you know and no, it's not just physical disabilities which require RAPs! Educate yourself

I’m a disabled parent who needs a wheelchair. If they reduced it to taking 1 person with you I wouldn’t be able to go on anything because we wouldn’t be able to leave my daughter alone and I am not allowed on without an adult.
We go so often because it was the first place I could actually get involved and have fun as a family without me being excluded.
There may be people that abuse it and some people will always find ways round it but I’ve noticed when I got to AT there are way more people in wheelchairs than I see anywhere else. It’s nice because it means it’s accessible and it’s somewhere you can go and enjoy yourself with your family if you’re disabled.
I can’t do queues and if it’s busy I won’t be able to ride something but without the system as is I wouldn’t be able to ride anything so that’s ok.

I've been a member of a zoo for 10 years and if is only just this year that I've noticed that the queue for their boat ride takes a lot longer, as every other boat is now loaded with a family from a separate access disability queue. There is no paid for fast track. What I have noticed is usually whole families are on the boat, or the rest of the boat is empty. This is a complicated situation. My children have autism and ADHD and if the queue is long, we don't join it. It used to be easy to judge how long the queue would take but now it isn't, as there is a constant flow of people jumping straight to the front. So I've had to abandon the queue myself when a very short queue has dragged on and on. I think a better system should be organised, where people can hold a place in the queue without having to queue themselves, but it isn't immediate walk to the front access for every disability.

What?! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get DLA/PIP? It does mean precisely that. My eldest gets DLA for ASD which makes it very, very difficult to queue unless you'd like a gigantic meltdown from being overwhelmed?? Disabilities are not just physical you know and no, it's not just physical disabilities which require RAPs! Educate yourself

if DLA/PIP is the requirement then yes we’d qualify. Whether T1 stops someone being able to queue is arguable. And I bet lots of other conditions for which people have RAP are very borderline too. Of course having a child with any type of disability is tough. But the RAP should be for those with a disability that means they simply cannot queue, not anyone with any disability. Otherwise those who can’t queue can’t attend theme parks as the RAP queues are too long.

Diabetes isn't a disability. You don't need special arrangements for your son, you just want a quicker queue.

And splitting a family into two groups and making them queue separately, would mean that the disabled child and carer would need to wait around after their turn to be reunited with the rest of the family. You would be making them queue twice in fact!

I detest queuing and never went to popular theme parks when my kids were younger because of it. In those days, people would smoke in queues and I couldn't bear not being able to walk away. We had some great days out at less crowded venues instead.

But that means DH support DS in one queue and I have to queue on my own in the main queue? With pretty much zero chance of riding together. You would expect to queue and ride with your family, so why can't I?

My son is OK physically BUT what causes him the most difficulty is being tightly surrounded by lots of people and noise. So you are saying we can't go to theme parks because he has to do what everyone does, even though for most people a long queue is an inconvenience, but for him it will probably spark a panic attack.

What is more disruptive in the long run? Making adjustments so that can we book a time to ride, and turn up at the allotted time (not queue jumping, just avoiding a queue) or get on everyone's nerves in the queue if one of us has to keep leaving it with him to give him a bit of quiet space, then get on their nerves again as we are then trying to push back through the queue back to our original place.

Theme parks could easy improve queuing times by introducing timed access for all visitors. But they won't because then they wouldn't be able to flog queue jump passes at £100 a pop.

FFS this post is laughable.
Merlin have changed their system this year and actually receipt of DLA alone is not sufficient to receive a RAP. You now have to very specifically say what exactly it is that impacts your ability to access a ride or queue for a ride.

I'd reserve your ire for the theme park owners allowing so many entries of all tickets on single days meaning the queues overall are too long, and for flogging megabucks queue jump passes for those who have the money.

Your anger at disabled people and their families is misplaced and tasteless.

We have just come back from a European theme park, no fast passes, everyone has access to a virtual queue which works really well, though queues generally moved fast for those we couldn't Virtual queue for. Those with a disability get a card which allowed them to access the ride without queuing but it was restricted so you couldn't just keep going on the same ride over and over, think you got so many and it was stamped at each ride. Seemed to work really well as it then minimised the queue for those with disabilities which really is the point of it but they can still access the rides again through the virtual queue. We just used the virtual queue system for my autustic son as it works really well. So much better than any UK theme park.

You should get an access pass for your child with type 1 diabetes. Most theme parks do restrict how many people can accompany the person who qualifies for a pass such as disneyland paris for example. If it is not followed through then that is due to the ride operators or people managing the queues. Often at UK theme parks it's teenagers who can't be bothered with the hassle, so poor management. You can complain to the theme park about that and should of you feel the system is being abused.

The only part I disagree with is people in general being allowed to ride again before those that are in the queue have had a go.

It’s years since I have been able to take Ds anywhere like this but the biggest issue with the RAP is the fact that it’s the same queue normally as the fast track system for people who want to pay more to avoid queues. This meant the queues for RAP were still too long to be any use to those who need it.

Yet more ableist shite allowed to stand on here
god this place is depressing

https://www.legoland.co.uk/plan-your-day/before-you-visit/accessibility/theme-park-accessibility/ride-access-pass/?_gl=1nfo8kx_gaOTU3MjgwOTA4LjE2OTMyMDg3MjU._ga_GJRW8EYX5Z*MTY5MzIwODcyNS4xLjAuMTY5MzIwODcyNS4wLjAuMA..#who-makes-the-decision-on-a-ride-access-pass-application

Merlin are very clear that not all disabilities will qualify for a RAP. They have tightened things up over the years to make it so only those who need it are able to access it.

RAP users at merlin parks get a lot of flack. We are regular merlin park goers. We also go to other parks like disney. I guarantee there is not the same issue at other parks, merlin just can't seem to get it together. Disney in florida you don't need to show any proof at all and they still don't have the same issue. Merlin load really slowly and inefficiently.

I am also a single parent and can't send my non-rap eligible child through the main queue on their own.

I think many more people pay for fast track than OP realises.
I do support the work of Paulton's Park and Crealy in being really strict about proving disability which impacts on the person's ability to queue.
Just having dla or a disability isn't enough - it has to impact on the queue. And they have a proper assessment procedure (it took me an hour to put together all the documentation required and upload it etc)
Crealy don't sell fast passes. We stayed a week and I saw a handful of people using it in that time.
I am so grateful the access Pass is there. We could do stuff as a family. My child's disability impacts on our lives 24/7.
It is crap having to queue and half of me feels guilty jumping on but tbh it's what - a few hours of your time you're inconvenienced by.
Look at your children, would you wish irreversible brain damage on one just to save that time. Do you know what I wouldn't give to swop places?
Be a little kinder OP.

I have a RAP for myself. I had to go into lengthy detail on the application form about why I could t stand in the queue. When I got to Legoland there was a family trying to get a RAP for their small child and although they got PIP the child wasn't eligible for the pass. The RAP for disability is not easy to get. Like others have said, the issue is letting too many people into the parks and having large numbers buying passes. At Legoland there were hardly any people in the RAP queue on a Saturday this august but I can imagine places like Alton Towers and Chessington might have much bigger queues.

agreed they do load some of the rides really slowly at Merlin….so you seem to be standing near the front of the queue (main or RAP/fast track), for ages and not getting on to the ride….and surely on e.g. Kobra or Tomb blaster at chessington they can afford more than one operators doing this when they main queue is 2 hours and RAP 45 mins!

How do you know know the queue time of the RAP? I don't know how to find that out until we are at the front of the queue - obviously can see some are longer when we arrive but 15 mins has been the max for us.

For what reason would a child with diabetes not be able to queue?
RAP are usually for children with autism, ADHD or learning disabilities who cannot manage to queue. The access pass scheme which is becoming more popular with theme parks are really strict on the reasons and you need to evidence why.

It's a better system and fairer.

I used to do a lot of work with disabled and terminally I'll children. It completely opened my eyes how many places are still inaccessible to those with disabilities. Disabled people don't exist in a vacuum - they are family members. They are siblings or parents to able bodied people. A child with a disabled sibling often misses out on so much sometimes due to accessibility, sometimes because the medical needs and hospital appointments of the disabled person mean days out are cancelled or cut short. RAP is a lovely thing that allows families to have a day out together. If you can't get that, perhaps spend some time volunteering with a disability charity to see the other side of the coin.

I'd happily see the end of paid for fast passes though.

I've not used RAP yet, but my understanding is that you wait exactly the same amount of time, just virtually. So if the queue is an hour, your pass is blocked out for an hour before you can use it again. It would stop the day being impossible for us as a family.

As a mother of three, I can't let the 2 younger ones queue on their own, so the plus 3 would mean a much needed day out.

We've paid for many events and attractions that we've had to abandon due to sensory overload/meltdowns etc. I have 3 with ASD 2 of which have ADHD. Only one qualifies for a RAP.

My child recieves high rate for both care and mobility elements. I don't need to be educated I'm fully aware and no they don't qualify for mobility reasons.

Dla and pip at any rate should not entitle anyone to anything other than that funding. The rates don't mean somebody can't queue. GP letters shouldn't be accepted either imo, these can be paid for.

People who will struggle with queuing should have other professionals in their lives and not just a GP. Social care and specialist Dr's, its this evidence that should be used. If you struggle to queue you will struggle in other aspects of life not just in a theme park.

I know families that have told nimbus to add the queuing symbol to their access card after its been issued by them. So no I don't think the current system makes it difficult to get rap.