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Do they ever want Alton Towers to recover?
- Thread starter themeparkfan
- Start date
jon81uk
TS Member
The problem is you would still need to queue up to pick up the RFID card/ticket in the first place. Barcodes are easier as can be read from a phone screen or printed at home.
Personally I think they need to make it harder to get fast track. Reduce the quantity and increase the price. Yes there would be more guests in the regular queue but it would move far quicker.
imanautie
TS Member
I mean like how contactless works on the oyster sysem
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Steve74
TS Member
I'm not normally one to advocate replacing people with machines (don't get me started on my local Barclays branch!) but in this case, wouldn't it be easier to have banks of 5 or 10 machines in each main park area where you can buy fastrack with cash or card? The machine would print a ticket with a barcode that could either be scanned at the ride's fastrack entrance (if they implemented such a scanner) or inspected by a member of staff on the ride.
Don't they already do that? They do at Legoland iirc.
imanautie
TS Member
For most rides that wouldnt be a problem but staff struggle enough on The Smiler marking RAP and FT they would struggle scanning barcodes.
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We're getting OT but the Legoland Qbot fast track system is also the RAP system now, they combined them earlier this year and it caused, let's say, interesting feedback. Anyway, at one point they were saying it was a test bed and they planned to roll out the same system to the Merlin parks eventually. I'm sure you could buy fast track from within the AT app earlier this year, or was I just imagining that?
imanautie
TS Member
Ive been told a few people had it popup when the queues got high, its not a good idea as mobile ticketing tends not to be secure(source many insecure bus ticketing systems)
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AT86
TS Member
Merlin have trialed replacing staffed ticketing desks with machines at the London Eye this summer. Nick Varney confirmed in the recent trading update that this will be rolled out further as part of their cost saving strategy so expect to see more automated booths for tickets/fastrack soon.
They have also installed self service ordering machines in the Burger Kitchen at Chessington to trial using them in food outlets too.
They have also installed self service ordering machines in the Burger Kitchen at Chessington to trial using them in food outlets too.
imanautie
TS Member
Too be honest they could just replace the baggage lockers(other then on towersstreet) with kiosks
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James
TS Founding Member
I like the self-service machines for PortAventura's Express Pass, something like that for Fastrack at Towers wouldn't be a bad idea.
When it comes to people queuing for Fastrack, on days like the weekend just gone, not everyone in those queues is waiting to buy Fastrack. The park could do with a third box office back in the park, and more staff during busier periods. One member of staff in Dark Forest box office this weekend just wasn't sufficient enough for the amount of guests.
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When it comes to people queuing for Fastrack, on days like the weekend just gone, not everyone in those queues is waiting to buy Fastrack. The park could do with a third box office back in the park, and more staff during busier periods. One member of staff in Dark Forest box office this weekend just wasn't sufficient enough for the amount of guests.
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PeteB
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Even better - how about they return the park to the automated timed ticket machines that gave you free Fastrack? The system Tussauds invented which is now used by Disney.
Start putting customer service and guest experience before profits, therefore making bigger profits. Seems to work well for everyone else. Who'd have thought.
Start putting customer service and guest experience before profits, therefore making bigger profits. Seems to work well for everyone else. Who'd have thought.
Benzin
TS Member
Even better - how about they return the park to the automated timed ticket machines that gave you free Fastrack? The system Tussauds invented which is now used by Disney.
Start putting customer service and guest experience before profits, therefore making bigger profits. Seems to work well for everyone else. Who'd have thought.
Was this not the other way around? I'm sure Disney parks had Fastpass implemented before Tussauds did...
I doubt it'd come back for free either, especially as 1) it makes ALL the money, and 2) you could cheat the system using any old bar code (at least at Chessie)...
jon81uk
TS Member
You can’t cheat Disneyland fast pass. The machines do check you have a ticket and only one fast pass can be held at one time.
I don’t think Merlin would bring back the free system in any form. But I do agree they need to have some kind of timed access to spread the queue out. I also strongly feel that fast track is too cheap and therefore too popular.
I don’t think Merlin would bring back the free system in any form. But I do agree they need to have some kind of timed access to spread the queue out. I also strongly feel that fast track is too cheap and therefore too popular.
Plastic Person
TS Member
It was a pretty close call. Both Tussauds and Disney rolled out their version of the system for the beginning of the 1999 season, although they had also both been trialling the system for a year or so. At the fireworks event in 1998, you needed a ticket to ride Nemesis. In fact, if I recall, in 1999, the only way to do both Nemesis and Oblivion was to have a ticket! At least for the first 2/3 of the day.
PeteB
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Pretty certain it was Tussauds working with an external company to develop the idea, and that company will have likely sold their systems to other park operators, because the actual dispensing machines and the tickets were identical in the Disney parks.
There was a news story about it on the BBC website dated from 1999 but it seems to have vanished.
jon81uk
TS Member
I had a quick google for news, found something about the launch of umlimited queue-jump for £65, three times the gate price at the time, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/880195.stm
Also an interesting review of Nemesis back from 1994 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...h-all-the-hanging-around-dominic-1449192.html
bluesonichd
TS Member
We all know they will not invest in that technology. They don’t even have contactless payment in box office !
imanautie
TS Member
A few RBO staff have mentioned they are getting it next season. No idea if true, isnt the contactless limit still only £30?We all know they will not invest in that technology. They don’t even have contactless payment in box office !
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jon81uk
TS Member
It went up from £20 to £30 last year, I don't expect it to go up again soon.
Also if you have Apple pay (or I assume android pay works too) then as it uses a fingerprint to verify, it will work over £30 as the fingerprint replaces the PIN. Although some retailers haven't set the devices up properly.