Paultons Park: General Discussion

[GooseOnTheLoose]

This doesn’t bother me in comparison to the parking claim because in practice it is not fast track as we know it. It has no impact on the (already short) queues which is the main gripe at other parks and it is very much the luxury VIP service it claims to be rather than something sold separately.

I agree that the operational impact is negligible. You aren't going to be stuck at the brake run of Storm Chaser for ten minutes waiting for a procession of VIPs to board, as you would be at the merge point of The Smiler.

However, I struggle to see how this is any less disingenuous than the parking claim you rightly took issue with earlier. They are two sides of the same marketing coin.

With the parking, they are pretending a standard feature available to everyone is a specific perk of the Annual Pass. With the VIP package, they are pretending a specific product doesn't exist, simply because they have bundled it with a lanyard and a high price tag to gatekeep it.

My objection isn't operational, it is semantic. Paultons explicitly states: "We do not offer a separate ticket or fee to skip ride queue lines".

If I cannot buy the queue jump without the host, and I cannot buy the host without the queue jump, they are intrinsically linked. You are paying a fee. You are skipping the line. The fact that the fee is extortionate and includes a chaperone does not change the nature of the transaction, it just limits the clientele.

If a restaurant claims "We do not sell chips," but offers a "VIP Potato Experience" where a waiter hand feeds you French Fries for £200, they are still selling chips. They are just being pretentious about it.

 

[owenstreet7]

I agree that the operational impact is negligible. You aren't going to be stuck at the brake run of Storm Chaser for ten minutes waiting for a procession of VIPs to board, as you would be at the merge point of The Smiler.

However, I struggle to see how this is any less disingenuous than the parking claim you rightly took issue with earlier. They are two sides of the same marketing coin.

With the parking, they are pretending a standard feature available to everyone is a specific perk of the Annual Pass. With the VIP package, they are pretending a specific product doesn't exist, simply because they have bundled it with a lanyard and a high price tag to gatekeep it.

My objection isn't operational, it is semantic. Paultons explicitly states: "We do not offer a separate ticket or fee to skip ride queue lines".

If I cannot buy the queue jump without the host, and I cannot buy the host without the queue jump, they are intrinsically linked. You are paying a fee. You are skipping the line. The fact that the fee is extortionate and includes a chaperone does not change the nature of the transaction, it just limits the clientele.

If a restaurant claims "We do not sell chips," but offers a "VIP Potato Experience" where a waiter hand feeds you French Fries for £200, they are still selling chips. They are just being pretentious about it.

When the accommodation opens, I'd imagine they may start bringing in a one shot fast pass for lodge guests like Energylandia does

Thinking a few years into the future though

 

[Bowser]

When the accommodation opens, I'd imagine they may start bringing in a one shot fast pass for lodge guests like Energylandia does

Thinking a few years into the future though

I’d be surprised, there just isn’t the facility to accommodate this on most of the existing attractions without a hoard of people blocking the ride exits. It’s already quite awkward on many with RAP and you’re typically the only group there.

Of course plenty of parks have relented despite this (looking at you Plopsaland) but many haven’t and I’d say those have an ethos more in line with Paultons.

 

[owenstreet7]

I’d be surprised, there just isn’t the facility to accommodate this on most of the existing attractions without a hoard of people blocking the ride exits. It’s already quite awkward on many with RAP and you’re typically the only group there.

Of course plenty of parks have relented despite this (looking at you Plopsaland) but many haven’t and I’d say those have an ethos more in line with Paultons.

Truth be told, I don't imagine fast track will be added to any of the flat rides maybe with the exception of Cyclonator. Adding fast track to every ride including children's ride seems to be a Merlin thing.

Most parks will typically add it to their headliners and with Paultons, I believe they'd only have the capacity for it on the exits at current.

If anything, I'd imagine it'll be the main coasters and Cyclonator we see FT for if anything.

I'm thinking if anything, a virtual queue like at Europa Park is more likely with the park's capacity for FT.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Paulton’s main visitors are families with kids under 1m who are free so the parents feel they getting a good price and the other is overnight visitors as you get your 2nd day free.
We been 3 times in 2014 when my daughter was free, 2021 when my son was free and again in 2024 and all 3 times we stayed 2 nights as it worked out good value compared to buying just tickets online.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

It’s most likely that, if fastrack is implemented at Paultons, it will be a perk for accommodation guests, which may also open up to day guests for a very limited capacity, rather like Quick Pass at Phantasialand.

 

[Poisson]

Not limited enough at Phantasia. That's the risk with that sort of system.

 

[Bowser]

It’s most likely that, if fastrack is implemented at Paultons, it will be a perk for accommodation guests, which may also open up to day guests for a very limited capacity, rather like Quick Pass at Phantasialand.

Phantasialand has the capacity to accommodate it (arguably it’s oversold now) both in terms of ride throughput and physical queuing space.

I can’t think of any rides at Paultons that could reasonably accommodate an exit queue of more than a handful of people, not to mention the knock on effect of throughput would be devastating.

The park would have to completely redesign the queuing system on eligible rides.

I think a more likely scenario is an accommodation perk of early ride time.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Phantasialand has the capacity to accommodate it (arguably it’s oversold now) both in terms of ride throughput and physical queuing space.

I can’t think of any rides at Paultons that could reasonably accommodate an exit queue of more than a handful of people, not to mention the knock on effect of throughput would be devastating.

The park would have to completely redesign the queuing system on eligible rides.

I think a more likely scenario is an accommodation perk of early ride time.

Maybe just on new rides then?

Having said that, they could easily add a merge point on Storm Chaser at the bottom of the stairs. That ride has a decent throughput too, and a load of indoor queue line that never gets used.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

It’s most likely that, if fastrack is implemented at Paultons, it will be a perk for accommodation guests, which may also open up to day guests for a very limited capacity, rather like Quick Pass at Phantasialand.

*...if Fastrack is expanded at Paultons.

It is already implemented.

You cannot claim that Fastrack "doesn't exist" just because it is currently ring fenced behind a VIP lanyard, but then argue it would exist if it were ring fenced behind a hotel room key card.

The mechanism is identical. Priority access in exchange for a significant premium. Whether that premium buys you a host or a pillow mint is irrelevant to the definition of the service.

 

[owenstreet7]

*...if Fastrack is expanded at Paultons.

It is already implemented.

You cannot claim that Fastrack "doesn't exist" just because it is currently ring fenced behind a VIP lanyard, but then argue it would exist if it were ring fenced behind a hotel room key card.

The mechanism is identical. Priority access in exchange for a significant premium. Whether that premium buys you a host or a pillow mint is irrelevant to the definition of the service.

I think we are being very technical on Fast Track at Paultons and the definition of it.

A traditional paid Fast Track system doesn't currently exist at Paultons however a VIP Fast Track system is in place.

Your point does stand where it is ring fenced behind a premium product that is not affordable by most of the general population.

The others and the park are right in that Fast Track in the sense of Merlin and larger theme parks doesn't exist at Paultons.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I think we are being very technical on Fast Track at Paultons and the definition of it.

A traditional paid Fast Track system doesn't currently exist at Paultons however a VIP Fast Track system is in place.

Your point does stand where it is ring fenced behind a premium product that is not affordable by most of the general population.

The others and the park are right in that Fast Track in the sense of Merlin and larger theme parks doesn't exist at Paultons.

The park's own website explicitly describes the benefit within the VIP package as: "Unlimited Fast Track Ride Access".

They literally use the capitalised words "Fast Track" to describe the service. It is not a matter of interpretation, VIBES or technicality. It is the specific terminology they have chosen to sell the product.

It exists. It is called Fast Track. You just have to pay a premium to access it, as you do with every Fast Track product. It's just more of a premium than people usually expect to pay.

Any alteration to this already existing Fast Frack system is an expansion, not an introduction.

 

[Bowser]

Maybe just on new rides then?

Having said that, they could easily add a merge point on Storm Chaser at the bottom of the stairs. That ride has a decent throughput too, and a load of indoor queue line that never gets used.

Will be interesting to see if the new attractions have any future proofing in that regard. Doesn’t seem like Ghostly Manor did… not that it needs it.

Storm Chaser rarely exceeds 10 minutes so again it’s somewhat redundant.

 

[Skyscraper]

Will be interesting to see if the new attractions have any future proofing in that regard. Doesn’t seem like Ghostly Manor did… not that it needs it.

Storm Chaser rarely exceeds 10 minutes so again it’s somewhat redundant.

Ghostly Manor and Splash Lagoon both have their exit lanes split into two, with one side being the exit and the other being disabled access. I would not be surprised if all future new attractions have a similar setup.

Red is the exit, blue is the disabled access lane.

 

[owenstreet7]

Ghostly Manor and Splash Lagoon both have their exit lanes split into two, with one side being the exit and the other being disabled access. I would not be surprised if all future new attractions have a similar setup.

It wouldn't surprise me with the amount of people likely to use it that any possible specific Fast Track or Virtual Queue lane will share with the Disabled Access lane in the future

 

[Enter Valhalla]

*...if Fastrack is expanded at Paultons.

It is already implemented.

You cannot claim that Fastrack "doesn't exist" just because it is currently ring fenced behind a VIP lanyard, but then argue it would exist if it were ring fenced behind a hotel room key card.

The mechanism is identical. Priority access in exchange for a significant premium. Whether that premium buys you a host or a pillow mint is irrelevant to the definition of the service.

Ok thanks for that lesson in semantics. You’ve argued very strongly that fastrack already exists at Paultons and I haven’t disagreed with you, so I think that your level of nit-picking, over the sake of the choice of one word, is aimed at the wrong person here.

The point that I was trying to make here is that I think we will see some form of fast track for accommodation guests as a little perk.

The current VIP package is barely used by anyone, whereas the accommodation fastrack will be used. Day guests will see people using it and this is likely to lead to lots more requests from day guests for fastrack and is likely to push Paultons towards expanding it to day guests. This last paragraph is pure speculation and may well not happen.

 

[Bowser]

Ghostly Manor and Splash Lagoon both have their exit lanes split into two, with one side being the exit and the other being disabled access. I would not be surprised if all future new attractions have a similar setup.

Yes lots of the attractions already have this too but I wouldn’t say many (if any) of them are adequate for the increased capacity that a fast track or VQ system would require.

Personally I don’t think it’s on the cards as it would decimate several of the parks key selling points and they’re well aware of that.