• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Ride Access Pass and Disabled Access - 2024 Discussion

Well i don't want to jinx it and i don't have FB which is more likely to host them but haven't seen a single RAP horror story from yesterday which i was fully expecting.

Although caveat being i imagine plenty of people kept away from a day that was anticipated to be heaving. Fingers crossed it is a good sign of better functionality though.
 
Bowser said:
Well i don't want to jinx it and i don't have FB which is more likely to host them but haven't seen a single RAP horror story from yesterday which i was fully expecting.

Although caveat being i imagine plenty of people kept away from a day that was anticipated to be heaving. Fingers crossed it is a good sign of better functionality though.
Click to expand...
I will say that the galactica RAP queue was horrible, didn't move
 
It would be interesting to see how many decided not to bother after the booking fiasco.

Easter weekend will be the proof if the changes will work.
 
Benzin said:
It would be interesting to see how many decided not to bother after the booking fiasco.

Easter weekend will be the proof if the changes will work.
Click to expand...

If the price surging is anything to go by then next weekend currently looks busier than Easter.

Also RAP is currently "sold out" the next 3 weekends at AT.

Interestingly it isn't at the other parks for any dates.
 
Another RAP user who was at AT yesterday.
Was there with 4 friends, one of whom is a fellow RAP user. He has a red pass, mine's yellow, which I find funny as I'd probably need more physical help in an evac, although he'd need more emotional support, but I always ride with someone anyway as I'm visually impaired and without my glasses and cane, have a tough time getting around. Plan was we'd be using his RAP but I'd pick mine up in case we wanted to do Galactica or Blade, which he doesn't do. Didn't get a chance to do Blade and as I'm currently carrying some extra weight and measure bang on the 48 inch chest restriction for Galactica, we avoided that as I didn't fancy the walk of shame...

We had a decent afternoon - 4 rides done, 2 of them being on Nemesis Reborn. Spinball was first, although we didn't use RAP, took advantage of a relatively short queue and the fact it was raining.

Then headed over to Nemesis, bit of confusion as we tried using the old RAP entrance only to be told we had to go down the ambulant one. I really don't like that queue, the steps need a handrail and some edge markings for me to feel comfortable. This has been sent in an email as feedback. Weirdly the steps in Galactica's RAP, I don't find as bad but I couldn't tell you why. I did miss the back row! But it was nice to ride elsewhere and it still packs a punch even towards the front.

Headed to Wickerman and had to deal with a delay, skipped the pre-show as friend was feeling overwhelmed and didn't want to add to it.

Final ride was another on Nemesis where we were on row 7.

Will be interesting to see how it all goes once the new booking system is bedded in, but it was a good afternoon for us. I think it helps we all went in with NO expectations - we're passholders so it was all about the opening day atmosphere for us, as we know we can come back whenever.
 
Interesting experience using galactica gate this morning.

Young lad (18/19ish) in front of me, initially spoke to security acting confused about location to get a RAP pass.

Then when asked if he was a hotel guest by AT staff, proceeded to tell her he was looking for guest services, showed some Thorpe Park titled paper and said he got through here last year.

Clearly chancing his arm, using his disability to gain something he wasn’t entitled to.

Thankfully the AT staff rightly stood their ground.

Having seen this ongoing farce again this weekend, until this a bulletproof, digital only system with caps it will continue to get abused. It’s going to be difficult for Merlin to get a grip on this but, pun intended, they’ve created a monster.

Unlearning this entitled attitude is going to be very difficult but it’s best for everyone long term
 
I still don’t fully understand the reason they haven’t gone digital.

People cited unreliable WiFi but in 3 years I have never once seen the WiFi working at LEGOLAND and that didn’t stop them. The general data reception is much worse than AT too in my experience.

And how difficult is it to get a working WiFi system in 2024? It’s not like you need to cover the entire site.

Not to mention the Fastpass system already works by WiFi/data so that doesn’t add up at all as a reason.
 
This weekend really does demonstrate why the limitations are so necessary. At around 1 today when we went on Galactica, the RAP queue (all down the ordinarily nonambulant queue as it was on left station only) was about 1/3 the length of the main queue, and considering they were only loading 1 row a time with RAP it must’ve taken at least as long (if not longer than) the 25-minute quoted main queue.
 
Bowser said:
Actually the full qualifications are:

Red Ride Access Pass – for guests who require a Ride Access Pass due to cognitive conditions or who require assistance boarding or evacuating rides or attractions due to any mobility requirements. Those with a Red Ride Access Pass must be accompanied by a personal assistant / carer who should be able to assist them with boarding a ride or attraction and aid them in the event of an evacuation.


Yellow Ride Access Pass – for guests who do not require the assistance of a personal assistants / carers to board or evacuate rides but due to a medical condition are unable to wait in a physical queue line.

I don’t think there’s any real life impact in you currently having the “wrong” type though beyond the very rare example cited of yellow holders being prioritised in very large lines (which hopefully is a thing of the past with the new changes).
Click to expand...
It's not a thing of the past, as the Yellow pass holders were prioritised yesterday (16th March 2024) to reduce the queue on 13 as some people were turning round and walking off. This will have been due to the issue with the pass prebook system where more passholders have been given access over the coming weeks (Due to the system going live earlier than the emails and some RAP users missed out on the prebooking).

If they can create the queue for Ambulant RAP users (who are usually designated Yellow, but it appears some Red pass holders are also Ambulant - as discussed its more for safety and who requires assistance during an evac or emergency, etc), this will help reduce the queue length on the main RAP queue for less Ambulant users that are usually provided with a Red pass. I was turned away from the main RAP queue on Nemesis (exit ramp) as I was Ambulant and able to walk to the other RAP queue, which I was more than happy to do so to keep that queue length down.

As long as the system is fair for everyone who uses it and safe, and everyone gets to ride more of the attractions.
 
Last edited:
tom_taylor said:
It's not a thing of the past, as the Yellow pass holders were prioritised yesterday (16th March 2024) to reduce the queue on 13 as some people were turning round and walking off. This will have been due to the issue with the pass prebook system where more passholders have been given access over the coming weeks (Due to the system going live earlier than the emails and some RAP users missed out on the prebooking).
Click to expand...

Sure but as you say, that was likely due to the system update incident, so hopefully going forwards it will be a thing of the past, otherwise the changes aren’t working.
 
Bowser said:
Sure but as you say, that was likely due to the system update incident, so hopefully going forwards it will be a thing of the past, otherwise the changes aren’t working.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree 100%, it looks like theres still some issues to resolve but moving forward it will be improved. The less we all have to wait for a ride the better!
 
tom_taylor said:
The less we all have to wait for a ride the better!
Click to expand...
Especially if it is the skyride.
That is the other major disabled access issue.
I do hope they car reopen it before next season, and give us a bit of real access good news.
That big new sign regarding the skyride is rather longwinded arse covering isn't it.
I thought they closed the thing in '22, not '23.
 
Ash said:
Interesting experience using galactica gate this morning.

Young lad (18/19ish) in front of me, initially spoke to security acting confused about location to get a RAP pass.

Then when asked if he was a hotel guest by AT staff, proceeded to tell her he was looking for guest services, showed some Thorpe Park titled paper and said he got through here last year.

Clearly chancing his arm, using his disability to gain something he wasn’t entitled to.

Thankfully the AT staff rightly stood their ground.

Having seen this ongoing farce again this weekend, until this a bulletproof, digital only system with caps it will continue to get abused. It’s going to be difficult for Merlin to get a grip on this but, pun intended, they’ve created a monster.

Unlearning this entitled attitude is going to be very difficult but it’s best for everyone long term
Click to expand...
Interesting the digital RAP for Chessington and Legoland works really well (have used it on each visit), but they havent rolled it out to AT yet - maybe once the wifi coverage is spot on it could be introduced?

As for gaining the RAP itself, everyone should play by the rules, apply via the instructions provided (and updated) on the website - the more people abuse the system the harder it is for genuine users.

The virtual queue is great because you have the time to rest and get ready for the next ride queue - sometimes you don't need to use the RAP if the queue is manageable.

Some people in the 13 RAP queue kicked off when a Yellow Card holder was asked to come to the front of the queue, and were shouting some pretty nasty stuff - everyone should remember that not all disabilities are visible - the staff did a great job and defused the situation, and also got the queue down in good time - which then made everyone happy.
 
Not specifically RAP but for any of you who use mobility aids or have obvious conditions, have you ever had a situation like this occur on park?

Was walking through AT yesterday with my white cane, and was suddenly accosted by a child running up and getting VERY close to me, hand outstretched towards my cane, shouting "What's that?! What's that?!" repeatedly.

I am an introvert and am actually a bit self conscious about needing to use a cane, so this absolutely floored me and I just kept walking in complete silence trying to get away. The parent of the child finally caught up to them, and got them away from me, apologising and starting to explain what a cane is for, but good grief it really rattled me, and the friends I was with.
 
Have had a similar problem escorting a young client...the problem of little kids being allowed to run free in areas I suppose.
Apologies and no fuss, but very awkward.
Kids have to learn somehow I suppose.
 
Vicki said:
Not specifically RAP but for any of you who use mobility aids or have obvious conditions, have you ever had a situation like this occur on park?

Was walking through AT yesterday with my white cane, and was suddenly accosted by a child running up and getting VERY close to me, hand outstretched towards my cane, shouting "What's that?! What's that?!" repeatedly.

I am an introvert and am actually a bit self conscious about needing to use a cane, so this absolutely floored me and I just kept walking in complete silence trying to get away. The parent of the child finally caught up to them, and got them away from me, apologising and starting to explain what a cane is for, but good grief it really rattled me, and the friends I was with.
Click to expand...

I definitely can see how it would have been unsettling for you if you feel a little self-conscious about using your cane but perhaps the child may have been neurodivergent and was genuinely just asking what the cane was for and just inadvertently overstepped the boundaries somewhat?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top