Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Hmm.... If it's unlimited fasttrack including Hyperia that is worth nearly £200

I wouldn't blame people for taking advantage of this as it's fantastic value and it's not right to expect them to sacrifice that so everyone can stay together.

It's not really a fair situation as I wanted to highlight as the options are pay up, split up or don't use the FT. Whilst your point is ideal in theory, in practice it's just not realistic

How this is in any way an "unfair" situation? You've literally just described the fundamental concept of purchasing a premium product.

If my partner and I book First Class tickets to Edinburgh, and our friends book standard because it's cheaper or First Class has sold out, we don't complain to LNER that their pricing structure is "forcing our group to split up". We also don't expect the TOC to upgrade our friends for free, just so we can all sip tepid coffee together.

The options are exactly as you've laid them out. Pay for the premium experience, split the group, or forgo the perk so you can all stay together in the standard queue. These are entirely realistic choices that consumers make every single day across the entire leisure, travel and hospitality industry.

It is not the responsibility of any park operator to manage the socio-economic disparities, or the varying levels of pre-planning, within your friendship group. If some of your party booked the Thorpe Shark Cabins and secured unlimited Fastrack, they paid a premium for that privilege. If the rest of the group didn't, they didn't.

Suggesting that the park is somehow at fault for offering a highly lucrative perk to its hotel guests, simply because it might cause a minor social dilemma for a mixed tier group of visitors, is an astonishing level of entitlement.

Your comparison to RAP is also a false equivalence. RAP is a reasonable adjustment designed to provide equality of access for those with disabilities. The strict limit of a user plus three companions exists to ensure the system remains operationally sustainable and doesn't completely gridlock the merge points. It's not a free Fastrack system for an unlimited entourage.

 

[owenstreet7]

How this is in any way an "unfair" situation? You've literally just described the fundamental concept of purchasing a premium product.

If my partner and I book First Class tickets to Edinburgh, and our friends book standard because it's cheaper or First Class has sold out, we don't complain to LNER that their pricing structure is "forcing our group to split up". We also don't expect the TOC to upgrade our friends for free, just so we can all sip tepid coffee together.

The options are exactly as you've laid them out. Pay for the premium experience, split the group, or forgo the perk so you can all stay together in the standard queue. These are entirely realistic choices that consumers make every single day across the entire leisure, travel and hospitality industry.

It is not the responsibility of any park operator to manage the socio-economic disparities, or the varying levels of pre-planning, within your friendship group. If some of your party booked the Thorpe Shark Cabins and secured unlimited Fastrack, they paid a premium for that privilege. If the rest of the group didn't, they didn't.

Suggesting that the park is somehow at fault for offering a highly lucrative perk to its hotel guests, simply because it might cause a minor social dilemma for a mixed tier group of visitors, is an astonishing level of entitlement.

Looking at this from a different angle, I wanted to highlight that naturally friendship groups can be dysfunctional and may not have the same level of joined up thinking which can result in the mixed tier group of visitors, especially Thorpe's target audience which is young adults and teenagers.

You absolutely hit the nail on the head re: First Class tickets, but a theme park and transport has different expectations of experience.

I see where you’re coming from regarding the business side, but from a guest experience standpoint, it's worth discussing how these tiers affect social groups. If a perk makes it harder for a group of friends to actually stay together, it’s a design flaw that’s worth criticising, even if it is lucrative for the park.

I agree that the park has every right to monetize their perks. However, pointing out the 'social dilemma' it creates for mixed groups isn't entitlement—it's just a critique of how the system impacts the way people actually visit parks. We have different ideas and views on this one this time.

I can't deny though that the value of the deal is fantastic to the point you can't get the same value without booking on an eligible date. I get the intent behind it, just the execution and logistics is worth thinking about. Moving swiftly on

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Looking at this from a different angle, I wanted to highlight that naturally friendship groups can be dysfunctional and may not have the same level of joined up thinking which can result in the mixed tier group of visitors, especially Thorpe's target audience which is young adults and teenagers.

You absolutely hit the nail on the head re: First Class tickets, but a theme park and transport has different expectations of experience.

I see where you’re coming from regarding the business side, but from a guest experience standpoint, it's worth discussing how these tiers affect social groups. If a perk makes it harder for a group of friends to actually stay together, it’s a design flaw that’s worth criticising, even if it is lucrative for the park.

I agree that the park has every right to monetize their perks. However, pointing out the 'social dilemma' it creates for mixed groups isn't entitlement—it's just a critique of how the system impacts the way people actually visit parks. We have different ideas and views on this one this time.

I can't deny though that the value of the deal is fantastic to the point you can't get the same value without booking on an eligible date. I get the intent behind it, just the execution and logistics is worth thinking about. Moving swiftly on

A premium perk separating paying customers from non paying customers isn't a "design flaw". It's very much the intended literal and fundamental definition of an exclusive perk. It's working exactly as designed and intended.

A theme park is not a unique socialist utopia exempt from the rules of commerce. If you and your friends go to a gig or a festival, and you buy Golden Circle VIP standing tickets whilst they buy cheap tickets and stand at the back of a field, the venue hasn't "created a social dilemma" or a "design flaw" by refusing to let your mates jump the barrier to stand with you. You just bought a better ticket. The same applies to nightclubs with VIP booths, cinemas with premium seating or, indeed, Fastrack queues at theme parks.

Expecting a company to redesign its highly lucrative premium hospitality packages to cater to the lowest common denominator of a disorganised friendship group is, I'm afraid, the very definition of entitlement

 

[owenstreet7]

A premium perk separating paying customers from non paying customers isn't a "design flaw". It's very much the intended literal and fundamental definition of an exclusive perk. It's working exactly as designed and intended.

A theme park is not a unique socialist utopia exempt from the rules of commerce. If you and your friends go to a gig or a festival, and you buy Golden Circle VIP standing tickets whilst they buy cheap tickets and stand at the back of a field, the venue hasn't "created a social dilemma" or a "design flaw" by refusing to let your mates jump the barrier to stand with you. You just bought a better ticket. The same applies to nightclubs with VIP booths, cinemas with premium seating or, indeed, Fastrack queues at theme parks.

Expecting a company to redesign its highly lucrative premium hospitality packages to cater to the lowest common denominator of a disorganised friendship group is, I'm afraid, the very definition of entitlement

Just some clarification because I think some people have got me wrong with this debate.

I was part of a friendship group who wanted me there but ended up leaving me out as they were at the shark with the perk and the rooms weren't available by the time they've asked...

It wasn't about wanting the perk, I'm just annoyed with them at the time as I had an opportunity to do another park elsewhere instead and they've asked me to come... No entitlement, I just need better friends (or for them to do better)

There's plenty of time in the season to get unlimited fasttrack and I'll pick myself up a stay at some point this year for myself to get the perk

It's basically like RyanAir's Random Seat Assignment policy but pricier

The key point does stand that offering a lucrative hotel package when it's common for guests and non-guests to meet is a flaw but as you say, it's intended as a deal which was very popular and meant the rooms hit capacity quickly.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Just some clarification because I think some people have got me wrong with this debate.

I was part of a friendship group who wanted me there but ended up leaving me out as they were at the shark with the perk and the rooms weren't available by the time they've asked...

It wasn't about wanting the perk, I'm just annoyed with them at the time as I had an opportunity to do another park elsewhere instead and they've asked me to come... No entitlement, I just need better friends (or for them to do better)

There's plenty of time in the season to get unlimited fasttrack and I'll pick myself up a stay at some point this year for myself to get the perk

It's basically like RyanAir's Random Seat Assignment policy but pricier

The key point does stand that offering a lucrative hotel package when it's common for guests and non-guests to meet is a flaw but as you say, it's intended as a deal which was very popular and meant the rooms hit capacity quickly.

Ah, Owen, the context definitely helps, and I must offer a sincere apology if my previous responses felt like I was aggressively honking at you.

The problem isn't the perk, or the park, and it's certainly not you. The problem is, unequivocally, your friends.

It's a genuinely rubbish situation to be put in. Turning down a trip to another park because you were invited to join a group, only for them to essentially ditch you because they couldn't be bothered to coordinate a hotel booking in time is genuinely goose poo. I would be absolutely fuming, and you have every right to be annoyed with them.

You absolutely deserve better planning from your friends, or frankly, better friends to go to theme parks with! It's basic theme park etiquette that you don't ditch your friends.

I really do hope you manage to get your own Shark Cabin stay sorted later this season. Treat yourself, get that unlimited Fastrack, and if those same friends ask to tag along, you can always politely suggest they join the back of the main queue...

🪿

 

[BarryIsAnIsland]

I think if they invited you and were then, "oh we messed this up a bit so we'll take it in turns to enjoy your company", fair enough, mistakes happen. If they were all, "oh we've invited you but we are all going to at all times enjoy our perks and leave you on your own ", you might want to have a think about that. Either way it's not Thorpe's fault, they bought a perk and used it.