Thorpe park an Alton towers 'Ride Access' abuse

[JustAnotherDadOf2]

We've got Merlin gold passes for Alton towers and thorpe park etc. I see perfectly able bodied people queue jumping and using the disabled ride access queues to turn a 150 minute queue into instant access (<15 mins queue time). Just watched some kid push his own wheel chair up to a ride, then sit in It while his parents push him the last 20m to the easy access queue start. I asked another family how they did it, and they quite happily shared that all you have to do is 'go to GP and say your child has ADHD or suffers with anxiety, and voila instant doctors note, its so easy and way better than queueing'. What a nation of useless wan*ers we've become.

So tell me; am I just an unreasonable jealous git, or am I perfectly reasonable to be so incensed.

It's annoying and I wouldn't do I myself, but having even to Thorpe Park recently, I can confirm that the queues and waiting times are ridiculous. Even with a fast pass you can end up queuing for over an hour. The problem is the parks; they admit more people than they can handle and so visitors try each and every trick to get a better experience.

It's causing no end of arguments and bad feeling.

Sounds like a situation likely to lead to a homicide.

Pretty unlikely, I couldn't get our GP to confirm DD's MH issues to help her get the accommodation she needed at Uni

We've not been to Thorpe Park, but this could easily be my kids. They are autistic but on good days can manage some queuing. I usually get them the pass at venues that offer it (they have the symbol on their access cards), but don't always use it, as I'd rather they do as much as they can.

However things can change rapidly, so we might join a queue when the kids seem fine, then 10 minutes later, they start to get disregulated. Staying in the queue at that point would result in meltdown, but so would leaving and not going on the ride, so that's when we'd use the pass, jump over into the fast track, then after the ride we can get them somewhere quiet/ go home. To you we probably look like chances but it's the fastest/ easiest way to get them out of the situation their not coping with, without a kick off.

My nephew is registered disabled. On a good day you wouldn't know, on a bad day you definitely would.

I do think some people abuse systems in general but I know getting a ADHD diagnosis is a long and hard process. I know people that have gone through this.

I do think the theme parks need to control the amount of people they let in so it's a more enjoyable experience for all.

I actually didn't know this was an option as went to Alton towers yesterday and was surprised at the amount of people in fast track. Queues were so bad barely did any rides :(

Im in no rush to go back but did enjoy the few rides we went on.

I think they should have some form of times ticketed queuing for all the popular rides. Grab a ticket and come back when the wait will be 10minutes or less.

Other than fire safety regulations, is there any kind of regulation on how many people they can let into the parks based on the capacity of their rides?

I think there needs to be some incentive to reduce the numbers of people allowed in.

The poll makes their intentions very clear.

Obvious disability-bashing thread. Not worth people's time giving detailed replies.

Oooh, no one has bashed reasonable adjustments for disabled people for at least 8 minutes, let's have a go! All I know is to get a pass for a child, we had to provide medical assessment evidence. Didn't just rock up to the gp and inform them my kid has adhd.

There are places that we simply couldn't go without the queue symbol as kids wouldn't cope. This allows us to go to places other people take for granted.

I look 'normal' and 'able bodied' but am severely disabled and pass out if I stand for more than 20 mins. I have proof of my disability and get a queue pass so I am prob one of the people that annoys you. Sorry!

www.nimbusdisability.com/services/access-card-and-nos/

Apparently they are phasing this in to stop it . It's hard to get , costs money and will eliminate chancers

Utter bollocks

To be eligible for a pass you have to have proof of disability you can't just get a doctor to make shit up.

You still wait the queue time just not literally in the queue.

We've used that type of system once - when we went to Disney in Florida in the week of 4th July but to support DD who actually had ADHD/ASD.

Our personal perspective on it was to use the pass on a handful of rides she really wanted to do or we really thought she'd want to do. We q'ed the main q for lost rides - but 4th July week is a bit nuts so we did is it a couple of times a day. We did the ordinary fast pass a couple of times also. And stood with everyone a few times also. But with crowds and heat, it was great to use occasionally. For DD's sake.

And we also skipped a lot of rides we wanted to do because the queues were too long and she wouldn't cope. It's what you do to manage a real condition ... like the afternoons we left the park to just swim in our hotel as that was all she was up to.

But it's actually something I never told my wider family we had got - as they wouldn't have understood and only seen it as you saw the guy slipping the q with his wheelchair.

If someone can push a wheelchair and that's the reason they got the pass, that does defeat the purpose. So I am not equating DD with him. Just saying what my family would have thought. (As we managed things generally in the background so they didn't tend to see the worst of her meltdowns or the work we put in to making "events" a success).

I have a hidden disability. I look completely normal but when I'm standing I'm in intense pain. To anyone else they'd see a mum laughing with her DC skipping a while. Internally I'm screaming in agony.

Agree. I reported it yesterday as it's just the usual ableist nonsense and spreading of anti-disabled misinformation. Really disappointed to see that MN have let it stand.

Just watched some kid push his own wheel chair up to a ride, then sit in It while his parents push him the last 20m to the easy access queue start

The child has a WHEELCHAIR!!!

Yep, it's widely abused, Alton towers staff know it too. Shame for those few with an actual need...

Whilst I agree that disabled access is abused across many settings, I find your statement regarding ADHD disgusting. As a parent who has fought and struggled for years to access help for their child who is simply labelled a boisterous naughty boy whilst there education lays in tatters, I can assure you it’s not just as simple as call your gp and get a diagnosis. Your comments are the reason people don’t get the help they need. I hope your very ashamed of yourself