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 ?

There is a difference between being out in the open with lots of people and being in the main queue which is usually an enclosed space. You are very close to people so smells and noise is increased and the acoustics/noise pitch. The lighting is artificial and people touching you.
And frankly the stares and muttering from others if there is strimming or tics,
All that can cause sensory overload which makes queuing difficult.
But being outside there is more space even when busy.
And also you can get away from people such as yourself who like to give the disapproving looks and stares.

Money. Pure and simple. It is in Merlin's interests to have long queues so that people pay for fast passes (I don't mean RAPs, I mean the paid for ones). It wouldn't surprise me if they deliberately shut down popular rides for periods to make the queues worse and stoke up the demand for fast passes.

Some people are rich enough that paying £200 on top of all the other entry costs for a fast pass for each of their party, is a drop in the ocean, so they pay it. Others aren't rich but they're prepared to save up for them and go once a year with fast passes rather than three times without.

While people do this, Merlin (and other operators) will never change the tech to remove physical queueing, even though the tech exists. There would be a cost to them - so they would effectively be paying to remove a revenue stream (fast passes).

They'll only do it if people stop going because it's too crowded - in which case if the park was half-empty, it wouldn't be needed. So it's not going to happen.

It’s often hard to know who has a RAP because they have a disability and who has a Fast Pass they’ve paid for, and you do see the kids in the shorter queue (and sometimes adults) act superior.

The faster queue system is out of control and I think many people vote with their feet.

Appriciate what you’re saying but this isn’t a flare up, it is my daily life. I can limit drinks and I take daily medication etc but it rarely helps. I already plan my days out around the closest toilet, it shouldn’t mean I’m unable to access an attraction.

You are 100% being obtuse and disingenuous with this post

you know full well you can go on rides with little/no queues in that time & do other activities that don’t require you to use the rap pass.

people would be more agreeable with you if you were honest

This is literally how it works ?
what else am I meant to say.
and no we can’t go on rides inbetween when hers is timed out because she can’t line up. So she is timed out for the amount of time the line is. She can’t access any other ride.

I’m with you, but you have to be honest.

While you’re virtually queuing, you can go to the toilet, eat your lunch sat at a bench, go into the shop etc. Those in the queue have to just stand there for an hour.

Lots of people do go on other rides though, they stand in the physical queue for one ride while they’re in the virtual queue for another.

Read the thread I never said I couldn’t eat lunch I actually said yes I can eat lunch but not going other rides. But mostly we use the time inbetween to do cares needed and rest because she needs it . I do however at some point in the day grab a hot dog and a drink.

And also you can get away from people such as yourself who like to give the disapproving looks and stares.

Oh yes would 100% bet there’s a strong overlap between the people begrudging passes and those who give disapproving/judgemental looks and stares.

My autistic DS constantly flaps and stims, and makes repetitive high-pitched noises. You can bet they would think it ‘selfish’ to have to stand next to him for 60 minutes. Also probably think they could undo this autistic behaviour with ‘parenting’ and ‘firm boundaries’, despite having no experience of ND children.

my husband has Crohn’s, my SIL had a colostomy bag- they defo have server bowel conditions! Are you really thinking they shouldn’t be able to taken their kids to a theme park? Obviously if he was in a flare we wouldn’t go, but the urge to use the bathroom can come on quick, especially if it’s a hot dog and he’s drank loads.

I don’t think I’m the only one.

Would I let a child in a wheelchair go ahead of me in a queue? Without a shadow of a doubt.

A kid wearing a headset? No chance.

… They’re not called headsets.

And as the owner of a headset kid… if we’re queuing then we’re queuing, and if you’re in front I wouldn’t expect to be let in front.

If we have a queue jump or pass; we’re not queuing, and whether you “let” us or not doesn’t really come into it.

This reads like you don’t really think children wearing ‘head sets’ have an actual disability..

Also there’s often an overlap there anyway. Many of the families I know with autistic children also intermittently use wheelchairs or large special needs pushchairs when required. So a child in a wheelchair may have the sole diagnosis of autism anyway. I’ve seen children simultaneously wearing ear defenders whilst sitting in a wheelchair/special needs pushchair.

You really don't. I sent 1 gp letter with 2 lines on it saying 'X has arthritis. This means she finds standing for longer periods very painful'.

It's really helpful for us, I wouldn't be able to take my 2 girls to a theme park without it, and I am really grateful to have it. It's disingenuous to say it doesn't give an advantage over those who don't have it. We can sit and eat our lunch, go to the toilet, my girls can play in park whilst waiting for time out

But I do think people take the mick. The group behind us in a queue were alternating between a RAP card and the app to halve their time outs. Others have 2 RAPS in 1 family and alternate between them - we could do this but we don't. There are also people on RAP Facebook groups sharing ways to cheat the system.

It's also a bit in how it's managed. On a very popular ride at legoland today, which had a 90 min wait, half the slots on each go were being taken by RAP users as far as I could see, and I can see this would cause a lot of frustration. Although I have never encountered any hostility from non RAP users, I can understand why they might get annoyed.

Tbh, even if it does make it unfair, I don't think it's really worth all the handwringing and 'what can we do to fix it'-ing. If there's one small area of life where disabled people will have a better experience than able bodied people and are at an advantage then great - in most other areas of life they have a reduced experience and are at a disadvantage. I wouldn't begrudge them a win.

Wow so are you saying that disabled people shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy a theme park? 🤬

My DS has Audhd and would probably qualify for one. I didnt apply has he doesnt really need it more than most young bouncy boys and i also think he ultimately needs to learn to manage himself in an NT world so a RAP wouldn't do him any favours (in fact the only queue related melt down ive ever had was from my DH haha).

Kids with more autism than DS( not sure how to say this) absolutely should retain access but I think it needs to be restricted a bit more, especially as you can bring 4 friends in. We actually went once with DS' friend who is "more" autistic and cant queue, NGL i loved just skipping onto rides, and the poor lad would have been on his own if he cant bring friends, but the extra kids were making it a bit shit for the ones in the main queue.

I’m not sure what point you’re making but all children have limited access to things. Time, money, days off work, location.

Yes. But some children have limited access to those things, and a disability.

What a Vile comment.

Do you also judge whether someone is entitled to a blue badge by how they 'look' as well ?

That all sounds lovely I’m theory if it’s just a few people. But the reason parks and other places are struggling is the huge numbers using these passes. If it becomes a big “benefit” to people it makes it much more likely people will try and scam the system to get one. And because of that it actually makes life harder for disabled people who really need one as well. There’s been plenty of people on other threads here and other social media who use RAP passes saying the queues for it get so long they can no longer go at all. Some people genuinely cannot queue AT ALL. So if the RAP queue is 30 minutes long they still can’t wait that long so need to leave. Also because of the sheer numbers requesting RAPs lots of places limit how many can be given out on a day. This then limits disabled families choices as it then becomes unlikely they can ever do things spontaneously. I’ve seen people mention that on here as well. Some disabilities mean planning in advance doesn’t work as you might not know if you’re well enough to go on a certain day. If you now have so many people wanting passes that they limit the numbers and sell out, those other disabled people cannot go at all now. So its not just non disabled people who lose out here.

I attend a hobby event which involves a LOT of queuing. It also attracts a lot of people with disabilities. They provide an access pass. The queues were getting so long for it that they were getting so many complaints because those at the end of the access queue were still waiting an hour at times. Then they tried to limit the number being given. They got complaints about that as well. I’m not sure how they win here? This is the issue a lot of companies are facing.

Because every child is unique. My child has ADHD and is autistic. They LOVE theme parks and the rides. The sensory feedback they get from rollercoasters makes them so happy and their ADHD is all the better for walking about a park all day, which we can achieve through the RAP. Their ADHD gives them the energy and passion for the rides and moving about freely. It's when they are in a difficult queue line surrounded by others that their attention shifts from the excitement of the day to feeling closed in, the smells from other people, the heavy theming of the queue lines, plus the waiting, too much and then they will bolt, sit on the floor with their hands over their ears distressed, etc.
They can wait in a RAP queue with minimal people, free space, no problem. They can't wait in a 40 min queue with a snaking queue line with people and smells surrounding them on all sides. The sensory side is too much. A theme park with a RAP is a very different sensory experience to a theme park visit without a RAP.

@AmazeAmaze

That all sounds lovely I’m theory if it’s just a few people. But the reason parks and other places are struggling is the huge numbers using these passes.

What are the statistics for how many RAPs are issued by Nimbus pa?

I tend to find on all these threads moaning about the advantages disabled people get, whether it’s blue badges, Motability cars, special education, benefits, etc, there is a great deal of hyperbole by posters about the cost of massive amounts of taxpayers’ money, which is unaffordable for the country, etc - when I look at at say the spending on say disabled benefits, it’s 3% of GDP. Not a massive amount in comparison to the increase in the tax take, due to fiscal drag. Ditto, people complaining about too many blue badge spaces - we rarely go anywhere and see blue badge spaces above the recommended 4% in a car park!

Imo, posters are just jealous of the disabled’s few concessions and moan about them, rather than the truth that they are being impoverished by corporate capitalism. Why not have threads moaning about how unfair it is, the better off people can buy fast track passes (Platinum passes, etc)?

If you don't understand, read the put I quoted. It's not complicated.

Disabled children almost always have more limited access to everything, their parents are even more likely to struggle more financially. But it's just spiteful to suggest further restricting their access to theme park rides.

the restrictions should be on the number if fast passes theme parks sell, but they're a business & will do whatever makes them the must money

stop blaming disabled people when corporate greed is the problem!