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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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Just discovered that the park have changed the EvE system for this season. Same as the old one apart from it's now called the Easypass and for 9 of the rides, you have to use the Speedy Pass electronic system. For the Easypass wristband rides only one person is allowed to accompany the service user, but for the 9 Speedy Pass rides you can add up to two helpers for £5 person (!).

The 9 rides you have to use the electronic system on are:
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • Avalanche
  • Big Dipper
  • The Big One
  • Ice Blast
  • ICON
  • Infusion
  • Nickelodeon Streak
  • Revolution

https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/accessibility/easypass/

Personally I think this is ridiculous and I will just stick to visiting on quieter days and braving the queues, but I feel sorry for anyone who's only option for accessing rides is using this system.
 
skyscraper said:
Just discovered that the park have changed the EvE system for this season. Same as the old one apart from it's now called the Easypass and for 9 of the rides, you have to use the Speedy Pass electronic system. For the Easypass wristband rides only one person is allowed to accompany the service user, but for the 9 Speedy Pass rides you can add up to two helpers for £5 person (!).

The 9 rides you have to use the electronic system on are:
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • Avalanche
  • Big Dipper
  • The Big One
  • Ice Blast
  • ICON
  • Infusion
  • Nickelodeon Streak
  • Revolution

https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/accessibility/easypass/

Personally I think this is ridiculous and I will just stick to visiting on quieter days and braving the queues, but I feel sorry for anyone who's only option for accessing rides is using this system.
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I don't see a problem with the service itself but it's not fair that a family with a disabled or less abled person should have to pay extra to ride with their family member / friend. I can't see this lasting long and I can imagine it becoming an issue.
 
And it failed to work properly on the first three weekends.
Crazy system.
And fifty quidsworth of queuejumping for additions to the group for a fiver each.
Not going to be abused at all.
Party is on me gents.
Speedypass party for four, fifteen quid in total.
 
Seems like BPB have been having the same trouble as the Merlin parks due to more and more people using the system and they're struggling to find a suitable way of managing everyone. Since so many of BPB's rides have lousy throughputs anyway these days it's not going unnoticed.
 
John said:
Seems like BPB have been having the same trouble as the Merlin parks due to more and more people using the system and they're struggling to find a suitable way of managing everyone. Since so many of BPB's rides have lousy throughputs anyway these days it's not going unnoticed.
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Agreed, some of the exits aren't wide enough to keep EP (and Speedy Pass) users out of the way of exiting guests. Take Avalanche for example, EP and SP users have to cram onto a wooden platform next to the exit gate, almost always spilling out onto the stairs and blocking the gate when it's busy. Staff have to shout at them to move in.
 
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siralgenon said:
I don't see a problem with the service itself but it's not fair that a family with a disabled or less abled person should have to pay extra to ride with their family member / friend. I can't see this lasting long and I can imagine it becoming an issue.
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The disabled person can take one extra person on for free using the EasyPass system. If they wish to take further people on with them then they can get speedy pass for £5 per person instead of £15. I think that is more than reasonable.

Everyone knows that disabled access systems are abused, and more so in recent years.

Personally I would make the disabled person use the speedypass system for all rides. They may not be physically able to queue (in some cases!), but they should still have to wait their turn.
 
To be fair, disabled people taking big groups of people with them was something complained about on the RAP thread.

John said:
That's a mix of speedy pass holders too but yes, it's a total nightmare. Of course if the ride still ran 3 trains with no speedy pass then the queue would probably never be long enough that people would feel the need to skip it.
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I think Avalanche, Icon, and the Big One are the only rides I've ever waited more than 15 minutes for.
 
skyscraper said:
Personally I think this is ridiculous and I will just stick to visiting on quieter days and braving the queues, but I feel sorry for anyone who's only option for accessing rides is using this system.
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What's ridiculous about it, specifically?
 
shakey said:
The disabled person can take one extra person on for free using the EasyPass system. If they wish to take further people on with them then they can get speedy pass for £5 per person instead of £15. I think that is more than reasonable.

Everyone knows that disabled access systems are abused, and more so in recent years.

Personally I would make the disabled person use the speedypass system for all rides. They may not be physically able to queue (in some cases!), but they should still have to wait their turn.
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So how would you feel if you had to pay £5 extra to ride with each of your family members or friends?

Disabled people do still have to wait the alloted time, they just don't have to wait for it in the queue line. They're not skipping the queue line they're just waiting for the ride somewhere else, they shouldn't be penalised for riding with their group because they're disabled.
 
siralgenon said:
So how would you feel if you had to pay £5 extra to ride with each of your family members or friends?

Disabled people do still have to wait the alloted time, they just don't have to wait for it in the queue line. They're not skipping the queue line they're just waiting for the ride somewhere else, they shouldn't be penalised for riding with their group because they're disabled.
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With the EVE/EasyPass system there is no waiting for the majority of the rides, you just go straight to the front of every queue whenever you want. (apart from the nine rides mentioned - where the speedypass system is used for virtual queuing). This should be extended to all rides and not just those 9.

I also think it is perfectly fair to have just one other friend/family member for free and then up to 2 others for £5 each. (This is not £5 per ride, it is for a speedypass for the day - which is normally £15).

You have to draw the line somewhere and I think if you have 3 extra guests for free for each disabled person, then it just encourage abuse of the system. Which is already abused anyway.
 
Not only is speedy pass supposed to be a premium product, it has a substantial negative impact on the guests without it. BPB are giving it out for free to disabled guests and at a substantial discount to those visiting with them. I'm sure there well aware of the potential problems this can cause and will be looking to keep it in check.
 
Having had repeated experience of the new system, I can honestly say it was overcomplicated, didnt work correctly, and failed to serve its original purpose...to avoid the exit stairs on Icon...disabled riders are meant to use the regular exit!
Instead of waiting my turn, the eve/speedypass system actually worked as VIP plus, you picked a ride, and went straight to your next one, instead of waiting the last rides queuetime before the next...which is how it should work.
I was a good boy and didnt abuse it, but the potential was there,and the staff didnt care...they had enough on their plates with new covid rules.
The speedypass element makes the park a few quid on disability access, but makes a dual system even more complex when you are behind a few families in the guest services queue.
 
John said:
Not only is speedy pass supposed to be a premium product, it has a substantial negative impact on the guests without it. BPB are giving it out for free to disabled guests and at a substantial discount to those visiting with them. I'm sure there well aware of the potential problems this can cause and will be looking to keep it in check.
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There is no easy solution, especially in a park like Blackpool, but I much prefer the idea of a disabled person getting a speedy pass and having to virtually queue than just being able to go to the front of any queue at any time.

I think the new system is therefore better than the old EVE wristband system, but a shame its only used for 9 rides.

Sent from my ELS-NX9 using Tapatalk
 
The park ought to operate a system like Towers where the disabled person has to wait before they can ride again, and then I don't think it would be a problem how many people accompanied them.
 
That is how it is planned to be.
And how it is explained.
It just wasnt working properly.
The eve band alone is handy...as that gets you up the exit on the Nash on its own!
 
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