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 numbers of people with a RAP make it unsustainable and unfit for purpose.

My DB uses a RAP, he has profound autism and LOVES rollercoasters but gets intensely frustrated in queues beyond 15min and starts screaming and stimming.

Previously we could just turn up and queue for a few mins. Now we need to fight to book a RAP space and then sometimes need to wait in queues of 20min surrounded by people who appear to be waiting calmly and making conversations while I work hard to manage his frustration.

Not all disabilities are visible of course, but on recent visits all the disabilities in the RAP queues were invisible. Something isn't right and the people who really need it lose out.

Theme parks without fast passes have infinitely more manageable queues for everyone. At Paultons Park we don't even need to bother with an access pass as everything is under 10 minutes wait.

Efteling is another example.

I’ve been to Efteling. I most definitely waited more than 10 mins per ride. For Baron I waited about 60-90 mins. I think the longest queue was for the inside ride that’s very fantasy like. I can’t remember the name of it. But I queued over 90 mins for that. The shortest I think was the galleon ship thing and the indoor dark bird rollercoaster.

Absolutely agree that queues are unmanageable now and the booking system is a nightmare

But I would be one of those waiting 'calmly'. Because I need the RAP due to my arthritis and even when I am in a lot of pain I put on a smile so my girls don't have to worry about me and say 'it's ok mum, we don't have to go on the ride, let's sit down'.

I would never look at someone else and say they don't need it, or they need it less than me. The only time I get annoyed is when clear and obvious abuse hapenning such as double RAP (family of 4 using 2 alternating passes for all 4 of them, or online plus paper version, or using RAP and then queuing normally for same ride)

I think it’s incredibly unreasonable of you to take a 20 min snapshot of how someone looks externally, and judge their needs as compared to your brother’s.

It's not a single someone's needs - it's a full 20 min line of people. Lots of people in that queue will have invisible disabilities, but it is pretty clear that there are people with a diagnosis abusing the system and making it unworkable for people who rely on it to access days out.

But autism /sen is not the only reason someone may have a rap.
if you saw my DD lining up she would be calm and having conversations with her friends to. What you can’t see it is underneath her jumper she has multiple devices and a iv central line that keeps her alive. The passes are for those physically disabled as well as neurodivergent that is not about how calm they are.

It's that every other person in the line is waiting calmly without mobility aids.

Absolutely many in the line will have a hidden disability but it is very clear that some are using an existing diagnosis cynically. There are people who post on forums bragging about being able to queue for other rides whilst waiting virtually etc.

Isn't that like saying "I don't understand why anyone who can't stand in a queue that also allows people with RAP passes shouldn't go"?

I've never heard of these passes but if they are available and help make the theme park a bit more accessible for disabled children then what is the problem?

If I understand correctly people having these passes actually don't add to the queuing time. If they could they would be physically stood in front of you in the queue. The only difference is that you thought the queue is shorter than it actually is. Or am I missing something?

I suspect that this is one of the things that is ultimately causing problems with special pass systems. I doubt you would find anyone ticked off that someone physically unable to stand was allowed to sit nearby instead.

What does start to get people riles up is standing waiting and trying to manage a child who is maybe only just old enough to manage going on this kind of outing, while other children who can't yet manage get a pass so they can go get a hotdog or go on another ride while they wait.

I think they'd feel much more positive if the system worked so that everybody could stand in a virtual line. Or sign up for a slot at a certain time.

Absolutely. Rather than making it horrible for everyone why can't we all benefit? Or theme parks need to let fewer people in. Maybe they don't need to have bigger and faster rides every year. I think they'd be more popular if people didn't have to wait for so long.

I mean it’s been explained multiple times on this thread. I don’t think anyone will explain it again. Especially as the people who keep asking for it to be explained then don’t come back and respond once it has been explained.

Um so thank you for answering. You obviously spent some effort to type words in reply to me. I wonder if actually answering my question would have taken a lot more words than that? Or did you answer? Was it a stealth answer? Are you saying I'm correct?

I read some of the posts and all.of op's posts but I haven't read every single post from the last 14 pages so it's very possible I missed the answer.

Anyway, for now I'm happy to think I'm correct till someone corrects me and these passes are actually not a problem at all to anyone.

The long queues of course are a problem. They are the main reason why I don't like going to theme parks but it looks like the rap passes are not to blame for that.

As I said, I, and many others, have already answered your question. If you can’t be bothered to read the thread then that’s fine. But why bother engaging in the first place? Do you think no one in the 14 pages has asked it? If you can’t be bothered to read it then I can’t be bothered to answer it. If you’re happier thinking you’re right then go ahead. I suspect that’s what most people do anyway even when they do get an answer as they don’t come back.

Funnily enough you have again bothered replying. You can of course reply to anyone you want in any way that you want but it does seem like quite a waste of energy to reply to a post just to say that you don't really want to reply. Besides, just like you I can post and read whatever I want. However, I really am curious now: why are you bothering to engage with me at all? (In case you are curious why I am replying it is because I've got to put the shopping away, clean the kitchen and hang up clothes, and this exchange pointless as it is, is kind of more fun than doing chores.

I have looked up these passes and though the merlin website seems to be shockingly bad (looks like they are following your style of answering questions without answering) from what I understand I am correct. These passes allow you to join a queue without having to physically stand in it. So I don't think they are big problem and I don't think anyone should object to them. They seem to make a lot of sense. In fact I wonder why they can't use the same system for everyone.

Because then everyone would be wandering around the park instead of standing in a queue, out of the way. The beauty of them is that you can do something else during the 'time out'. So you can have your lunch during the time you'd be waiting in a queue. Except you're not in a queue, you're having your lunch.

It's perfectly possible to eat lunch in the queue anyway if you bring a packed lunch!

I'm surprised some posters have only seen people with invisible disabilities in the RAP queues. When I've been I have definitely seen people with physical disabilities and obvious learning disabilities. Quite often I see children or adults with noise cancelling headphones, fidget toys etc too.

I notice because I often feel like a bit of a fraud with my child who looks and behaves if you saw them in a queue for 10 minutes as if they have no impairments. But it's like a ticking time bomb, there is no telling when or if we may have to abandon ship (or should I say queue) due to DC needs.

There are I think other people who "need" RAP more than my DC. But rides are one of the few things that bring my child joy in a world that's tough for them.

Imagine a day at say Alton towers where we were all in virtual queues. Sat 2 adults. No additional needs.

we’d go on say 9 rides in 9 hours. So 15 mins to queue and ride.
what would we do for the other time? Just sit on the grass? In the uk rain? Sit in a cafe? Is there one big enough for 10000 people?

virtual queues work for say a water park like universal as everyone has a lounger to base at and can enjoy the sun or pool whilst waiting.
but just sitting around a cold uk theme park all day would not be a fun experience at all.

Virtual queues wouldn't work at somewhere like Alton Towers, Thorpe or Chessington etc. Their capacity and offerings are worked out including people being "held" in the queue lines.

If on any given day for example:-
Smiler has an hour queue
Galactica, Nemesis, 13, Rita and Bluey have 40 or 50 mins
Wickerman has an hour

The people who would be in those queues are now accessing cafe's, arcades, walking around etc that's a lot of extra people for the general grounds to accomodate and occupy. (I'm aware AT has massive gardens and some people may choosse to explore them but the majority wouldn't and some can't physically access them. The example can be copied over to Thorpe, Chessington or Legoland which don't have gardens and already feel squeezed in Summer just walking around).

Ok I shall explain it all again.

Firstly, when these passes were first introduced I never really heard any/many complaints. They allowed disabled people to skip the queues and so have access to the same rides as everyone else. However, over time, the numbers of people applying for these passes were getting higher and higher. This resulted in the RAP queues getting bigger and bigger. This resulted in complaints from some people using the passes (not just those in standard queues) that they could now not access the rides. If a person truly cannot wait in a 30 minute queue, having a pass that allows you to bypass the 120 min queue but puts you in a 30 min queue instead is pointless. You still cannot wait for that time and as a result cannot access the ride.

The pass is not a virtual queue as such. It just times you out before you can use it again. So if you go on a ride with a 2 hour queue, you skip the standard line but after that cannot access another ride USING THE PASS for 2 hours. You can however access other rides/attractions/food in that time. So those who can queue for shorter periods will be off doing other rides while their pass is timed out. Some families/groups of friends can use a loophole if they have 2 or more children (or adults) who need a pass. You alternate which pass you use meaning you access at least double the rides of everyone else in the park. Again this not only contributes to the standard queue waiting time, it also contributes to the RAP queues. There’s been someone explaining above how they use the pass for the family of 4 to go on a ride, and while it’s timed out she sits down and her husband takes the children in the standard queues. This family are able to access double the rides in the park that a family without a pass can. You could for example have 4 teenagers all with a pass each just rotating which one they use so all 4 never have to queue all day for anything.

Because of these types of things happening, the passes are seen as a “benefit” as they do absolutely give you a better experience by getting on more rides. This means more people try and play the system by getting passes they may not really need. This increases the numbers using them. Which goes back to point one that those who truly cannot queue at all now still cannot access the rides.

Some theme parks have tried to resolve the issue of the sheer numbers of people wanting the passes. But everything they try gets shot down. Currently they restrict the number of passes that can be given away in a day. This still causes issues for those with disabilities that cannot plan far in advance. By the time they know they can go, the passes are all sold out. But you cannot have unlimited passes as the numbers are so huge the queues would be massive and the point of the passes would be gone.

Why can’t everyone use a virtual queue for every ride? It just wouldn’t work. As the poster above says, where would all these people go? If you average 1 ride an hour for an 8 hour day you’ll spend at least 45 minutes of each hour in a queue for each ride. The rest of the time will be walking between rides or quickly popping to the loo or to get food. If you now don’t queue, for each hour you only queue and ride for maybe 15 minutes max. What are you doing for the other 45 minutes? Which is about 6 hours in a day!! What are thousands of people going to be doing?? Just sitting about? Where? Should they build massive benches? Or a big school hall type place where you just “wait” until your next ride? Yes you can walk about a bit and maybe get some food. But not for 6 hours! So they build more things to do. Like the fun fair games they have already. Now you have thousands of people all queuing for these games. But the disabled people can’t access them because they can’t queue for the length of time it takes. So what? We now bring back RAP so they can get to the front of those queues? Because all you’ve done is move the ride queues to another place.

The other issue would be capacity for virtual queues. Are people allowed to book more than one slot per ride? Or are you limited to one each per ride? What if your favourite ride or two are sold out but you already have entry tickets booked? Waste of money there. What if an autistic child or adult only wants to ride Nemesis over and over all day. It’s their favourite ride. But all but one slot is taken. And oh dear the ride broke down at the point. Bad luck. They don’t get to ride it at all that day now. Never mind eh.

There’s a reason most theme parks operate the same way the world over. Yes some are run better than others. Some are quieter than others. But a large majority, especially in the UK and Disney parks are struggling with the sheer volume of RAP being needed. That’s the facts. If there was a simple answer like is suggested here (while still making money, because despite what people seem to think, they are still a business) they would have done it already.