AIBU to think Merlin Ride Access passes are unfairly judged?

[Festivalfanatic]

We went to one of the Merlin parks Easter weekend and over the years I’ve seen many people get angry at Ride access lines and nothing has changed it seems.
this particular day it seemed everyone was on their high horse about it. Including one man exclaiming to his wife “ they let too many specials in “
then social media the last few days now the parks are open have loads of videos about RAP “ queue Jumpers “.

My DD has a RAP card and we wait just as long as everyone else sometimes longer than others to get on rides. It’s not instant access.

the pass times out for the length of time that the main line states and then you can’t use it again until it times back in. Then when it does time back in you have to go and scan in the ride you want and then there is also a line ( ok not as long as the main line ) but we will have to wait that amount of time anyway. Plus the waiting time in the RAP line. They do not let all the RAP line in its usually 1-2 at a time per ride. The rest is from the main line and then we get timed out for the length of time the queue indicates on top of the time we have already waited.
how would removing it or it not existing help the main line ? It would just actually make it longer so you would still be waiting averagely longer to ride anyway !
why do people judge it so much ?

what is the alternative ?

The school made allowances for me when mine were there. I'd tell them I was taking them out for the day while it was quiet. I had three disabled children and regularly just took one out of school for a day to give them some one on one time and go to museums or whatever. It wasn't possible to do as a family.

We have also been on may bank holidays ans they are not quiet and woukd still require her to have a RAP. The quieter day is Easter Sunday we have encountered at all the parks and she still requires a rap to attend.

You forgot the very obvious fact that the attractions your talking about don’t just have guests from the local area.

I used to live in Teesside, and once drove for hours to go to Alton Towers - which funnily enough is now the next school catchment over from me.

Am I supposed to be checking the inset days for schools in the North East before I travel the 35mins to Alton Towers?

Ridiculous. Obviously ridiculous.

But yeah, cya!

Wow....
Appalling post.

Family fund used to give us money for holidays, iPads, etc. Every year. We also used to get supermarket vouchers in the holidays. Why do you think this isn't a thing? Mine are all over 18 now so it's all gone but we used to get a lot of support and taken on days out and short holidays by the council.

I personally don’t care about the passes it maybe adds 10 minutes on to a ride queue. However I think we’re people have the problem is you tap into the virtual queue you go off - get on other rides, have lunch etc and then get to go on your ride. Not your fault but it’s annoying

That's crazy. There just isn't any joined up thinking with services. Why doesn't she get hrm (auto qualify)? I'd be tempted to rock up at a councillors session with her and ask them to justify it after they've had to help manouver her chair, carry bags and been asked for hand sanitiser so you can touch her feeding tube (which obviously you then find in one of the bags- even if you don't need it) etc.

I think chc would surely satisfy social care plan or make it social care/ chc if they don't understand the funding.

She only gets low rate mobility ( that’s another fight ) 🤣

Thats great for you that your council does this but its not something that all councils do. My council only does it for children on care plans or in foster placements, funding for holidays and food during the holidays for low income families is just not a thing where I live and certainly not in the way the poster who thinks poor people just aren't trying hard enough implied.

It’ always makes me laugh when rolls talk like dla is given out Iike sweets.

my DD can walk very short distances with an aid when not attached to ( iv bags ) but doesn’t wait for high rate even on consideration.

OK but family fund is open to all. Or it was, I don't know if it's a thing now.

We were very lucky to have the day trips. We loved them.

I will probably get flamed for this on a site which seems to have a significantly greater number of posters with ADHD/autistic offspring than I ever encounter IRL.

I don’t think anyone would begrudge a physically disabled child skipping a queue. It’s the “struggle with crowds” brigade that ruin it for the physically disabled kids. Not all disabilities are created equal. If you or your child struggle with a crowd, maybe a theme park isn’t for you.

It shouldn't be. I think it's all part of the same bigger problem. There are now so many people who have a condition/ diagnosis/ disability of some form or another that there just isn't the funding and capacity for everyone that needs/wants adjustments or support. I think all systems around disability need to be looked at. I'm glad it's not down to me to do it.

3 DC, one with AuDHD who can't queue (safely). I've never bothered applying for a nimbus or similar because we live so rurally that there's nowhere we could use them within a sensible radius.

We got free tickets to light water valley (tiny theme park) 3 weeks ago and this thread makes me so pleased that none of them particularly want to visit another.

So physical disability holds some sort of trump card over cognitive impairment?

Okay.

Thankfully the parents of disabled children don’t often rank them in some sort of bizarre hierarchy.

In Scotland they require you to be on a low income and have a child with 1 of a limited number of "qualifying" disability (what classes as a qualifying disability seems to depend on whos deciding that day and how much of their budget is left over (thanks SNP))

My child is physically disabled. He also has autism and ADHD. In his case it is by far the latter two which create issues with regards queuing.

Just because you can’t see a disability doesn’t mean it’s not there. Sadly though many people do think like you. When DS is in his wheelchair, or obviously connected to a feeding pump people are much more considerate than when he is walking someone and not obviously disabled.

Ha, fair. I recognise there are many times in various public places my health makes me look like a bit of a twat (although less of a twat shuffling than passed out?). Probably best I continue to avoid places with queues on the whole.

I imagine the "everyone is a faker" crowd would get all sorts of upset though if I did just use a wheelchair for queues then strolled off without one.

Society offers so little support for those with disabilities that I find it hard to get too mad about one of the few areas where there is support.

On the other hand, I just don’t go to theme parks anymore. I do have a connective tissue disorder (which qualifies as a disability) and stops me doing all of the hobbies I used to love (I used to be very sporty). Theme parks used to be a day out I love and would do several times a year. But I cannot stand waiting in the queue for so long while watching the ride fill up with people from the fast pass/access queue so I don’t go. Giving out so many passes does make it inaccessible for others. I don’t have the answer but while I do support the principle of making it accessible for those who are genuinely unable to queue, I think it does need to be acknowledged it has a significant impact on those in the standard queue.

Perhaps as a starting point the fast pass tickets ought to be restricted to prioritise RAP customers while balancing fairness to the standard queue but obviously they won’t do that due to money

@VerityUnreasonble without meaning to sound like a dick (will probably fail) have you considered getting a walking cane with a seat on it like one of these
https://amzn.eu/d/014Sq2KJ

Not quite...
Our local council will only help lower income families or if your DC has a disability.

That was the point wasn't it? That disabled children get other opportunities to go to these places. I was pointing out as a parent of disabled children, we had access to lots of support from council and family fund. We weren't low income when my ex was here but afterwards we were. Either way, we qualified for everything.

Thank you, you don't sound like a dick. I do have a very light folding chair type thing, which isn't dissimilar to that, although requires a little less balance, that I take when I know I'll need to be in one place for a while. They're not all that practical for shuffling along on in queues either (although I acknowledge probably more dignified than sitting on the floor).

It’s means tested now - in our area you have to be low income, or on UC and the parent of a disabled child.

We qualify through various areas of their disability “qualifiers,” but wouldn’t get past the means test.

Which in fairness, is fair enough. But it’s certainly not open to all.

Go and do your own research.