Ride Access Pass and Disabled Access - 2024 Discussion

[ScottishChris]

I had a friend back in the day who was wheelchair bound - as in his legs didn't work. He was the type of person that hated any treatment out with the norm. I never went to a theme park with him, but if we went out in town he hated any special treatment. If we went to a theme park he would want to queue like everyone else... not that he would go to a theme park, but my point stands. Watching Jack's latest Hyperia video it makes me mad that the queue line isn't accessible. I mean, why can't it be 'wheelchair wide' and with a ramp into the station? Make the darn things accessible and the need for RAP diminishes - am I just being daft thinking these parks are completely missing the point with accessibility in the first place?

 

[Blackhole_Sun]

IBS doesn't usually mean you need the toilet all the time. Even so if you're giving passes out on the basis of that then pretty much any woman who has given birth will qualify.

Can mean the opposite like a bad days operations on Rita. Train just isn’t leaving the station quick enough.

IBS was just an example.

 

[Dave]

They don't actually say in the terms they have to provide care or support

No it was a devils advocate debate.

That said anyone who sells their RAP access loses the moral high ground when it comes to disability advocacy.

 

[Benzin]

Dread to think what a wheelchair wide queueline would be like at Thorpe.

Again though, making the queues wider doesn't necessarily stop the need for RAP. Though the way in which most UK queuelines are just barren cattlepens of death is a problem separate from the RAP issue.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

Again though, making the queues wider doesn't necessarily stop the need for RAP. Though the way in which most UK queuelines are just barren cattlepens of death is a problem separate from the RAP issue.

Arguably it isn't. I think one of the main reasons neurodivergent kids struggle to queue at UK parks is being surrounded by strangers in stagnant, depressing, unthemed cattle pen queuelines with nothing to distract them.

Compare that experience with the fast-moving, heavily themed and entertaining queue lines at places like Efteling and Europa-Park and there is a marked difference in queuing experience. At those parks the queue line is as much as part of the attraction as the ride, not just something unpleasant to be endured beforehand.

Merlin seem to love sensory overload in queuelines as well - making the likes of the Smiler and Walking Dead unmanageable for anyone with even mild sensory differences.

 

[jon81uk]

Dread to think what a wheelchair wide queueline would be like at Thorpe.

Again though, making the queues wider doesn't necessarily stop the need for RAP. Though the way in which most UK queuelines are just barren cattlepens of death is a problem separate from the RAP issue.

Not but it means that mobility is no longer a need for RAP, this is the way Disney do it on most attractions now, if you need a wheelchair you can join the main queue, but if there are other reasons then you might get a DAS card to get return times.

 

[Alsty]

What percentage of RAP is ambulant vs non-ambulant? I don't think the non-ambulant RAP is the priority that needs addressing

 

[Benzin]

Compare that experience with the fast-moving, heavily themed and entertaining queue lines at places like Efteling and Europa-Park and there is a marked difference in queuing experience.

Not all of these are. Efteling especially is quite bad for bland cattlepens on a number of their rides (which is a complete juxtaposition in many cases). Dreamflight is a particularly egregious one. The queue for Danse Macabre will be an interesting step forward for them as that's meant to be fully accessible.

Europa has Euro-Mir. The sooner that's binned the better mind as its one of the few remaining terrible queues they have (Silver Star also is bad, mostly bland though).

Other issue is that it's fairly clear that our continental cousins have a far different viewpoint to these systems. For better and worse.

What percentage of RAP is ambulant vs non-ambulant? I don't think the non-ambulant RAP is the priority that needs addressing

There's a reason that they've split them up. Don't often see other wheelchair users when been visiting in the queues.



Also last time Towers made a queueline wheelchair accessible (Duel) people lost their minds over losing the tilted room. Make up your minds

 

[BigShadowtinytree]

And people wonder why RAP is seen as ‘free fast track’ Alton really don’t help themselves and then people openly talk about it on Facebook groups as if it’s completely fine.

Fine for them maybe, miserable for everyone else who has to endure queues not moving because they can’t implement their own system properly.



Same person is also against the system going digital at Towers. I wonder why???

Sooner the digital system is implemented across all parks the better.

 

[Alphe86]

To be fair. Last two times family went to AT the app for Nemesis was stating 50+ but actual wait was 15

 

[jon81uk]

What percentage of RAP is ambulant vs non-ambulant? I don't think the non-ambulant RAP is the priority that needs addressing

But at Disney where they had a high number of guests with accessibility needs overall, making it so that scooters and wheelchairs didn’t need an access pass did make a difference in how many people were needing to use access passes, even just moving 20% of people back into the main queue as it offers level access makes the return queue for those with access pass shorter.

 

[BigShadowtinytree]

To be fair. Last two times family went to AT the app for Nemesis was stating 50+ but actual wait was 15

Ok but unless you wait in that queue you wouldn’t know it was actually 15 minutes, so in the eye of the rap holder, they are getting on rides faster than people in stand by queues. So it still perpetuates that notion that rap works like a free fast track system.

The onus is also on Towers to keep the queue times updated of course. But I feel like my point still stands. It’s also very telling when people are against the digital system, because they know that they’ll have to wait the same time as everyone else and they don’t want that. They don’t want equal access they want preferential access.

 

[Bowser]

Just finished a day at CWOA and it was pure RAP bliss, working completely as intended:

- Every ride we either walked on or had one group in front of us. That includes Vampire with a 70 minute queue.
- All time-outs matched stated queue time.
- You can still log in yourself so no need to visit guest services
- At various points Vampire and Mandrill had "Rap Full try later" messages. Infinitely better than the slot system.
- Vampire and Mandril both had manned entrances all day, where barcode was scanned and RAP ID required.
- Anecdotal and perhaps controversial but everyone in the RAP queues clearly needed it.
- This was on a day where RAP was at capacity.

The system works and the remaining parks desperately need to follow suit.

 

[Skyscraper]

Just finished a day at CWOA and it was pure RAP bliss, working completely as intended:

- Every ride we either walked on or had one group in front of us. That includes Vampire with a 70 minute queue.
- All time-outs matched stated queue time.
- You can still log in yourself so no need to visit guest services
- At various points Vampire and Mandrill had "Rap Full try later" messages. Infinitely better than the slot system.
- Vampire and Mandril both had manned entrances all day, where barcode was scanned and RAP ID required.
- Anecdotal and perhaps controversial but everyone in the RAP queues clearly needed it.
- This was on a day where RAP was at capacity.

The system works and the remaining parks desperately need to follow suit.

If this isn't enough evidence to support Towers (and Thorpe) moving to the reserve and ride system, I don't know what is.

However, it's not all positive with Chessy. Apparently they have been changing the dates of people's RAP bookings without warning as they've released too many slots, and people are only finding out after arriving at the park. If that is true then that is downright disgusting. And then they have the cheek to advise them to purchase £100 fastrack instead!

 

[Bowser]

If this isn't enough evidence to support Towers (and Thorpe) moving to the reserve and ride system, I don't know what is.

However, it's not all positive with Chessy. Apparently they have been changing the dates of people's RAP bookings without warning as they've released too many slots, and people are only finding out after arriving at the park. If that is true then that is downright disgusting. And then they have the cheek to advise them to purchase £100 fastrack instead!

Yikes, where did you hear that? Every booking has your email and phone number so to not notify people of an issue seems bizarre.

 

[Skyscraper]

Yikes, where did you hear that? Every booking has your email and phone number so to not notify people of an issue seems bizarre.

I think it was on Chessy's accessability Facebook group, or the MAP one, but not sure. I'll link the source if I find it.

Edit, here's one;



(Can only post a screenshot as I can't access the group without a FB account)

 

[Bowser]

I think it was on Chessy's accessability Facebook group, or the MAP one, but not sure. I'll link the source if I find it.

Edit, here's one;



(Can only post a screenshot as I can't access the group without a FB account)

Very strange. How would you even check the booking has been moved? I’m slightly sceptical of this. At best perhaps if it did happen an email went to junk? I can’t believe they’d change a booking without notification.

 

[Benzin]

Sounds very suspicious.

Though the park would probably be that stupid to try something like that.

 

[imanautie]

Very strange. How would you even check the booking has been moved? I’m slightly sceptical of this. At best perhaps if it did happen an email went to junk? I can’t believe they’d change a booking without notification.

It shows if you open the receipt email and click "view in browser" if they've changed it in passport and not just in loqueue

 

[Bowser]

It shows if you open the receipt email and click "view in browser" if they've changed it in passport and not just in loqueue

It doesn't with CWOA and Legoland (i.e the digital bookings). It only does that with AT and TP. I have active bookings which i just tested to verify.