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?

As for rap being abused by users all you have to do is look at dome of the Facebook groups, some tell you how to get rap, some tell users to boom the next ride as soon as they've scanned in for the current ride so the timer is counting down (Legoland especially), some discuss the evidence needed and the "correct" wording to ask for.

We do use rap queues, Merlin queues are the worst and are clearly abused.

Heaven forbid a disabled person should have a family day out eh. Yabvu.

@SquirrelFeeder some people with autism can queue, autism as a diagnosis doesn't mean the person can't queue.

Yeah some can and for others it will cause trigger stacking whereby they outwardly might appear fine but inwardly the stress is building up and may hit breaking point.

I am close on leaving a Facebook group which was helpful for days out as it now seems to be full of people complaining that the nimbus card isn’t giving what they want or trying to find ways around the system.

I think sadly things have been abused by some to the point the system doesn’t work for those who awfully need it.

For those saying that type 1 diabetes doesn't mean you can't queue (the one poster who said it's not even a disability. I have no time for you, please just spend 24 hours in my body. My glucose can be 100% in range, but I'd still have glucose swings in this time - this can lead to headaches, feelings of nausea, tiredness ... All things that I can hide, as over the years, I've just learned how to make them part of my every day life. But it will be like this for the rest of my life. There is no cure!).

Anyway, more to the point to this post, I have T1 diabetes and have a RAP - I had one previously, before COVID, and got another one this year, through Nimbus.

Why I am unable to queue - our last visit to Thorpe Park. I adjusted my insulin and ate more more etc. I still had four hypos throughout that day (exercise alone can do crazy things to glucose, add into that hot weather, and adrenaline from the rides ...). I prepared and had lots of hypo treatments with me. However, the RAP allowed me to find the nearest seat, and sit down to deal with my hypo. Yes, I can eat in the queues, and so can in theory eat my hypo treatment while queuing, but a person with low glucose can be close to fainting. My body shakes, and my legs can feel wobbly. Being able to sit down and eat, and then just remain sitting for 10-15 minutes afterwards was a literal life-savers (you are meant to give hypo treatments 15 minutes to work). I don't want to be slowly walking/waiting in a packed queue for 15 minutes while the treatment kicks in. I don't want strangers to gawp at me whilst I am excessively sweating, shaking, and sometimes completely disoriented whilst I wait for those 15 minutes. I was a child when I was diagnosed, and have had this disease for over three decades now, please allow me a little dignity when I live with, and manage, it daily.

In addition, I now have a tubed insulin pump. Not only is my pump a very expensive piece of NHS equipment that I don't want to get broken (yes, I have insurance on it, but I'd still rather not break it!), Some electromagnetic fields can affect it (the kind of magnets are are used on the safely chest belts things that come down on some rides). This means I have to disconnect my pump for some rides. Guess what - the shorter queuing time in a RAP queue allows me to plan ahead and do this.

I do agree that sometimes the RAP queues can be too long. I have to make the decision whether I can go on those rides, and wait that time or not. In the example above of the 45 minute SMILER queue, I probably wouldn't have been able to do that, unless I felt confident that I'd be able to quickly and safely remove my pump near the end of those 45 minutes. If I don't feel comfortable doing that, then I just don't. However, having a RAP does allow me more of a choice than not having one does, meaning I can plan my day better to enjoy it more.

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.

So why are you thinking about applying for a RAP pass?

Your child can clearly queue.

You cannot say that any disability affects people in a universal way. Some may be fine to queue, others not.

Disabled RAP users are being used to deflect annoyance which should be directed at the greedy theme park owners.

They want long queues so they can sell the queue-jump passes - it is as simple as that. They will not take any practical steps to reduce queuing for all because then they would lose the fast-pass revenue stream.

Part of the problem with Martin is they only have one ride operator, they really need two people as that would shorten the time it takes.
for example the swings.

One person walks the open the gate, helps everyone off, closes gate walks to other gate, gets everyone on, checks the bars, closes gate and starts ride, and they have measures everyone.
This is really a two person job and would speed it up.

They don't want to speed it up. It's in their interests for the queues to move as slowly as possible.

I agree, I think Merlin are stuck in a difficult position as they don't have any medically trained staff so can't dictate who rap should be given to and if they did how would they go against another medical professionals opinion (private paid for letter)?

I wonder if getting rid of fast tracks would just cause more people to abuse rap or try to abuse rap.

I think they do need to tighten up even further in some way. It's still abused. It isn't fit for purpose for those people who do really need it.

If you look at the percentage of people just on this thread who use RAP - it kind of proves the op’s point. Since when did we have a majority with high needs in this country? That’s a rhetorical questions seen as nearly 50% of adults of working age don’t pay any income tax. The whole system is breaking. It’s not sustainable.

And this is why they need to do all they can to ensure that people like you who need it to be able to access the day are able to get them without having a system whereby so many are given that it becomes a pointless system.

individual circumstances need to be taken into account when it comes to things like this not just basing it on diagnosis or getting PIP/DLA as they are criteria so wide it means those who need the adjustment can’t benefit from it.

@IsitChristmasyet23 of course they'll be a high percentage of people on this thread with a RAP as those with experience of it are much more likely to click on it and comment with their experiences.

I have a physical disability that's indisputable, but not entitled to a RAP and would no way be approved if I tried (which I wouldn't as don't need it).

Quite often disabilities run in families- it’s perfectly possible that the families you see with three kids in the rap queue, have one parent and 2 kids who are disabled and entitled to a rap pass. They aren’t taking the piss taking extra people into the RAP queue, they are actually doing their best to keep numbers down by having one parent go as a carer for all 3 disabled family members when they could have taken 3 carers.

Its pathetic to be jealous of disabled people- would you prefer to be disabled every day so that once in a blue moon you can get on a rollercoaster slightly quicker?!

I think you'll find it's called selection bias. This thread is going to disproportionately attract people for whom it's a concern.

Please try applying a bit of logic and eschew the misanthropy

As far as I'm aware that's exactly what a rap is for. We reapplied at Legoland this year and it's really strict. Doesn't matter to us as we're eligible and if rap cues are really 45 mins (which I've never experienced despite less strict criteria in the past) the rap would be unusable and pointless. I suspect your seeing all the people who pay hundreds to skip the queue. Ime they in the same line as the rap users, at Legoland anyway.

Of course you struggle in other aspects of life but what health professional support do you think children with ADHD and ASD receive. I will give you a clue nothing except medication reviews if on ADHD meds.

You do realise doctors only wrote the truth on private letters.

All true but if the passes are for people who struggle to queue then they are kind of pointless if they just offer the opportunity to stand in a different queue.

Other professionals 😂 here you get a diagnosis and leaflet, bye bye. Children with selective mutism, sensory processing difficulties, ARFID, sleep difficulties, anxiety, get no support unless parents fund it privately or obtain independent reports and go to Tribunal to get it in EHCPs (and then probably still have to threaten judicial review action after). But then of course we're just paying people to say what we want (sigh)

41% of adults don't earn enough to pay income tax for various reasons.
How should we deal with all these people with high needs and their carers? Euthanasia?

I hate to tell you this but my child does have asd etc. .

I recognise that not all people with autism or adhd or both struggle to varying degrees, this is why some people with the same diagnosis recieve more input. I also recognise that some parents have to fight for help and support but those kids/ adults with high support do have other people involved, as it's needed. Simply having a diagnosis doesn't mean that someone requires RAP.

You're nieve if you think that paid for letters from GP's are always going to be accurate. They write what they are told the impact of the disability has on the person. They have no way to confirm this especially with diagnoses like autism where a GP only deals with the issues that they would deal with fir everyone else. GP's don't deal with sensory needs etc. Sensory needs are dealt with by OT's, communication by SLT's, AFRID by dietitian's/ psychologists etc

Been there and got the t-shirt so understand this process too well. Inde reports for ehcp are different yo paying £20 for the GP to write a letter for RAP.

The fact is though that not everyone who has certain disabilities requires RAP, different disabilities do impact people differently hence different rates of dla/pip and not everyone with RAP really needs it. Some people do abuse the system.

A social care letter would be much more telling on how someone is impacted. If you can't queue for a ride whatever it is that stops you queuing will stop you doing other things in life too and you'll need support in places other than a theme park.