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Virtual Queuing in 2021

Ethan said:
If you struggle to walk and are not in a wheelchair why would you go to such a big attraction. The whole day at Alton towers is full of walking
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Because you want to? I'm under physio following a car accident and I imagine my first visit this season I'll be feeling some of the effects. Why am I going? Because I enjoy it and wish to go.
 
We are yet again wandering from the topic of virtual queue system and onto RAP eligibility I think.

However, I would just like to add that I think there are some assumptions and generalisations perhaps being made regarding people’s abilities and/or disabilities. There is no one size fits all answer, and let’s not loose sight of the fact that while some people may make use of RAP-type systems due to the social or physiological challenges of queueing in line (anxiety, claustrophobia, etc.), for others there may be other limiting factors such as the environmental element (narrow, steep, twisting queuelines, often with steps). That is not about not wanting to wait in line. That is about being physically unable to do so.

Attractions should be as accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of their physical or psychological condition or abilities. To suggest that a person or group should not be visiting a park due to things such as fatigue or other mobility impairments is simply reenforcing social inequality and discrimination.

Yes, the implimenation of some RAP systems may be flawed and open to abuse, but the general principle still stands I believe.

To bring us back to virtual queues, I think as has been said before, the implementation of such a system for RAP will hopefully help to provide a much more consistent, fairer experience which is less likely to be abused and negatively impact others.
 
tayspru said:
It doesn’t really read as harsh at all , the fact is the person above has openly told us that they waited for one hour (9-10) in the same area (near to the front of the Smiler entrance / queue) . They had the ability to wait then , so what exactly is the RAP needed for ? It’s a subject that is worth scrutiny as the “crowded” RAP queues that are often commented about demonstrate to me all these people are in fact capable of waiting in crowded areas for long periods of time
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Ethan said:
Not really. How can standing up effect someone's ability to be patient and wait in a queue line compared to sitting down
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It's not for me to disclose details about someone else disability on here, but the person in question is a wheelchair user. Hence the reason why we all shouldn't prejudge without knowing the facts
 
Ethan said:
Wow thats pretty impressive don't think I'll be riding coasters in 40 years. Anyway I have a problem which I was wondering if you guys can help me with. I've been getting GERD recently and I was wondering if you think this will affect me riding coasters again in April. I really hope not
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Looks up GERD
Whilst I'm not a doctor, my guess is it might if it makes you vomit, I would suggest doing a tamer ride first (like the Runaway Mine Train) and work your way up.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
Looks up GERD
Whilst I'm not a doctor, my guess is it might if it makes you vomit, I would suggest doing a tamer ride first (like the Runaway Mine Train) and work your way up.
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No it doesn't make me sick it just gives you that horrible sour bitter taste in your mouth like stuff is coming back up. It doesn't make me feel sick particularly just isn't pleasant
 
Benzin said:
People who suffer from fatigue would probably like to say something about that.

The RAP encompasses a lot of different forms of disability. Just because one person can potentially stand for 30 minutes doesn't mean the next person can (which is why we now take a wheelchair).

Any system that stops the RAP from being abused should be applauded by both sides.
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and I've mentioned it before but this is where Disney diffred in their implementation. If the issue is you cannot stand then the accommodation is a wheelchair. Many of the queue lines are wide enough so you don't need an access pass at all, just join the line, or where there is an issue the staff at the front sort it out as they see the wheelchair.
For issues where someone can't queue for other reasons (such as autism) then its a system of obtaining return times roughly equal to the current standby wait to use the FastPass entrance, now all done via their app and built into the FastPass+ system too.
Therefore other than the ability to wait outside the queue for those who need that accommodation if doesn't offer a huge thing that leads to as much abuse of the system compared to their old system.
Alton Towers just needs to ensure they always stick to the same rules so the guests using RAP have to wait the queue length or thereabouts (this is hard during the pandemic as distancing makes the queue longer and harder to estimate).
 
A third reminder that this is a thread about a virtual queue system and not about RAP...! I know there is overlap, which is fine, but can we please try and keep discussion on topic and not just turn this in to another RAP thread.

Hopefully once we get closer to the start of the season we will have a better idea of if and how a virtual queue system might be implemented at Alton Towers.
 
I've heard it's only going to apply on Nemesis as the queues it gets are far too long due to it's woeful capacity, with rides like The Smiler having such superior capacity to handle queues with distancing it doesn't need it.
 
Rob said:
Hopefully once we get closer to the start of the season we will have a better idea of if and how a virtual queue system might be implemented at Alton Towers.
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I'm still not convinced it will be. I think the initial discussion from the job advert was because of generic wording in the advert but it was referring to Fasttrack. Maybe they will have new electronic RAP to replace the paper card, but I don't see them bothering with any overall virtual queue except for the previous Fasttrack.

If Fasttrack is being sold I do hope they stick with a high price so the main queues keep moving. I find it amusing seeing on Facebook posts to the park people moaning about the cost of Fasttrack being too high, or it not being available at all "ruining their day" without fully understanding that if Fasttrack is cheap and everyone buys it then it doesn't work.
 
Now there will be less people with ridiculously cheap season passes and Annual Passes, I am wondering if there will be less Fastrack uptake?

My theory is if people aren't paying much for their pass, and on the day they pay nothing to get in, they will spend money on Fastrack. Whereas if they have to pay full price then maybe they won't want to spend additional money. Alternatively if they do still buy Fastrack, they will be making less visits overall and so have less "on the day" impact.
 
Poisson said:
I've heard it's only going to apply on Nemesis as the queues it gets are far too long due to it's woeful capacity, with rides like The Smiler having such superior capacity to handle queues with distancing it doesn't need it.
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Ik you're jk but if there's any ride that needs it it's definitely the smiler. The social distancing in the queue results in it hitting capacity every 2 seconds which isn't great. I am surprised by this though as its surely got to be one of the largest queues on park. I guess the gaps are very big in some parts

Benzin said:
Take your ableist nonsense away please. It's not for you to decide what people can or cannot do with their lives.
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I'd like to address that what I meant was if it caused you pain to walk then such a large attraction like Alton towers would most likely cause a lot of discomfort. I wasn't saying that you are not allowed to go off course you can
 
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Alsty said:
Now there will be less people with ridiculously cheap season passes and Annual Passes, I am wondering if there will be less Fastrack uptake?

My theory is if people aren't paying much for their pass, and on the day they pay nothing to get in, they will spend money on Fastrack. Whereas if they have to pay full price then maybe they won't want to spend additional money. Alternatively if they do still buy Fastrack, they will be making less visits overall and so have less "on the day" impact.
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Could be both. If people have paid the full £35 to get it, they may not be able to afford Fasttrack, so less users. But if it is your only visit for a few years, you might be more willing to spend to make it a better day out.

I'd rather have everyone wait 45 minutes instead of some people waiting five and everyone else waiting over an hour though. Faster regular queues are better for everyone.
 
I’ve heard that alongside the rumoured temporary flats, the virtual queueing , for now , has been scrapped . It seems like maybe as the goal is to spread the crowds , it cost less to hire them out while social distancing is a thing than spend the money for an effective VQ system
 
tayspru said:
I’ve heard that alongside the rumoured temporary flats, the virtual queueing , for now , has been scrapped . It seems like maybe as the goal is to spread the crowds , it cost less to hire them out while social distancing is a thing than spend the money for an effective VQ system
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Yes I've heard that too
 
tayspru said:
I’ve heard that alongside the rumoured temporary flats, the virtual queueing , for now , has been scrapped . It seems like maybe as the goal is to spread the crowds , it cost less to hire them out while social distancing is a thing than spend the money for an effective VQ system
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Thank god for that that's made my day indeed. Off course that could change at a later date but hopefully not
 
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