Ride Access Pass and Disabled Access - 2024 Discussion

[Skyscraper]

I know, i did mention it in the post above

I'm talking about for other parks (and just in general, i can't see how you cancel an existing RAP booking).

Ah yes, my bad lol. It's listed in the FAQs on the Accessibility page;

Ride Access Pass Questions | Merlin Entertainments Accessibility

www.accessibility.merlinentertainments.biz

 

[Bowser]

Ah yes, my bad lol. It's listed in the FAQs on the Accessibility page;

Ride Access Pass Questions | Merlin Entertainments Accessibility

www.accessibility.merlinentertainments.biz

Yep just found that myself. So another glaring flaw emerges as customer services typically take days if not weeks to respond to emails and people are hardly going to sit on the phone to cancel a booking. Why on earth would you not give people the option to cancel online?

Sigh.

And we have confirmation that short notice bookings are no longer possible, which certainly makes visits more difficult for us.

 

[Skyscraper]

Yep just found that myself. So another glaring flaw emerges as customer services typically take days if not weeks to respond to emails and people are hardly going to sit on the phone to cancel a booking. Why on earth would you not give people the option to cancel online?

Sigh.

Yep my best friend recently had to cancel a pre-book but kept being led around in circles by customer services

And we have confirmation that short notice bookings are no longer possible, which certainly makes visits more difficult for us.

Indeed, I'm going to have to sort out a date for Scarefest earlier with my group than I usually do as the the peak dates will almost certainly book up as soon as they're released. And we don't know when they will be released.

 

[BarryZola]

I think it would be an idea to only allow 1 live RAP booking per person for Scarefest. Under the current rules you'll get multiple people booking 3-5 dates just because they've noticed that the booking window is opened first. Then the people who hear about it last won't be able to book a single day. Basically they won't be able to visit and ride throughout Scarefest. Calling it now.

 

[richr87]

It's a real pain for us. my daughter has one for the toilet and we haven't been able to book yet at all and even if we did the volume of rap users we would struggle anyway. I honestly think people should of had to re apply for passes as they have changed the rules on who can have a nimbus pass depending on conditions

 

[Bowser]

Going to see how the year goes as we only just renewed but it borderline makes the MAP redundant for us as the main benefit is being able to book last minute trips without the excessive fees.

More than ever hope Drayton deliver on their 2 new rides now.

 

[richr87]

I completely understand my map is on rolling contract now and I'm seriously thinking of binning it off too. The park is getting worse and harder to make the most of with the amount of time queuing for rap. Shame because we never have a problem at dlp and there's far more people there

 

[Bowser]

I completely understand my map is on rolling contract now and I'm seriously thinking of binning it off too. The park is getting worse and harder to make the most of with the amount of time queuing for rap. Shame because we never have a problem at dlp and there's far more people there

Yeah i'm desperate to get to Europe, sounds so much better at the majority of the parks over there. Would rather spend the extra hours driving a round trip but knowing we'll have a great day virtually guaranteed as opposed to play Merlin Lotto24

 

[richr87]

There are run alot better to be fair. I only said the other day to the missis I'd rather go to dlp twice a year then go towers 10 times a year. Have a over all better experience as a family with there access pass you practically walk on to the ride straight away in many cases and if not the longest we have que is about 10 minutes. I no with dlp u have a apply a week before your visit

 

[imanautie]

Yep just found that myself. So another glaring flaw emerges as customer services typically take days if not weeks to respond to emails and people are hardly going to sit on the phone to cancel a booking. Why on earth would you not give people the option to cancel online?

Sigh.

And we have confirmation that short notice bookings are no longer possible, which certainly makes visits more difficult for us.

They don't have the cancel function of the passport booking portal enabled due to the same issue they found with merlin prebooks on the passport booking portal, it's exploitable (not just by technically minded people) to get unlimited prebooks.

 

[Hazza]

First the bad news. RAP is completely sold out for the next 2 weeks so you will not be able to use the new system.

(As an aside i get the feeling people are cottoning on to the new system and block booking now but just an instinct).

Anyway, first you'll need to apply for a Nimbus Access card if you don't already have one.

Then you'll need to link it to your Merlin RAP account.

And then as i mentioned at the start, you'll need to book slots for the day you are planning on visiting.

Beyond that once at the park it's the same system as 2022.

All the relevant information and links to what you need to do are here:

Thank you! Do we know if mid-next week is going to be busy, because if it is and RAP is booked out then I don't really want to wait in long queues. Are there any way of getting a RAP card without booking it? (on the day booking with card?)

 

[Alphe86]

Thank you! Do we know if mid-next week is going to be busy, because if it is and RAP is booked out then I don't really want to wait in long queues. Are there any way of getting a RAP card without booking it? (on the day booking with card?)

You can chance a cancellation on the day but not guaranteed

 

[Bowser]

They don't have the cancel function of the passport booking portal enabled due to the same issue they found with merlin prebooks on the passport booking portal, it's exploitable (not just by technically minded people) to get unlimited prebooks.

But you can cancel MAP pre books, I literally did it this morning?

Thank you! Do we know if mid-next week is going to be busy, because if it is and RAP is booked out then I don't really want to wait in long queues. Are there any way of getting a RAP card without booking it? (on the day booking with card?)

Well, at the moment AT seem to be caving in to demands on the day due to their failure to implement and communicate the new system. How long they will continue doing this I don’t know and considering they’re already at full capacity you’d be looking at lengthy RAP queues regardless.

Otherwise you can keep checking for cancellations.

In terms of general business I’d see how this week is and expect the equivalent next week to be similar.

 

[Skyscraper]

Well, at the moment AT seem to be caving in to demands on the day due to their failure to implement and communicate the new system. How long they will continue doing this I don’t know and considering they’re already at full capacity you’d be looking at lengthy RAP queues regardless.

The grace period will end after the Easter holidays I think.

 

[Hazza]

Thank you everyone for your help and responses! Rant incoming!

I have just done the new system for the first time and it is atrociously inaccessible for disabled people for a access pass. First of all you need to go through an entire questionnaire just to prove you are disabled (Where as before you could just turn up to the park and show a legitimate doctors note to prove you disability. Now you have to wait at least 3 days for someone to reply to even get a ID number for the pass. (If you are a theme park fan (Like most of us here) then you would most likely want the three year card however you need to pay £15 for this pass making it inaccessible to people to cannot afford the pass on top of the cost of the theme park ticket and travel and parking). Once you have you ID number (Which I don't have yet). You then have to book two different ways for the same trip. You need to book you disabled pass and your theme park ticket for the same day, however they are in different parts of the website, make it easier by putting the disabled pass as an option when booking tickets (Like it used to be). On the day you then need to pick up your pass from guest services (which could take up to an hour is the queue is long) making another part of your day not doing any fun stuff (The fun stuff can include waiting if its not too long, I love the atmosphere when waiting for a ride). And then comes the fact that after all this work, you might not even get it because the RAP had been booked out, which is a ridiculous ideas as it excluded disabled people from the spontaneity of theme park trips. There are a lot of steps to this process that is confusing for some (Me included). If there was a way to make this easier for us then I would be eternally grateful!

Sorry for the rant everyone but I really needed to vent my frustrations.

 

[Skyscraper]

Thank you everyone for your help and responses! Rant incoming!

I have just done the new system for the first time and it is atrociously inaccessible for disabled people for a access pass. First of all you need to go through an entire questionnaire just to prove you are disabled (Where as before you could just turn up to the park and show a legitimate doctors note to prove you disability. Now you have to wait at least 3 days for someone to reply to even get a ID number for the pass. (If you are a theme park fan (Like most of us here) then you would most likely want the three year card however you need to pay £15 for this pass making it inaccessible to people to cannot afford the pass on top of the cost of the theme park ticket and travel and parking). Once you have you ID number (Which I don't have yet). You then have to book two different ways for the same trip. You need to book you disabled pass and your theme park ticket for the same day, however they are in different parts of the website, make it easier by putting the disabled pass as an option when booking tickets (Like it used to be). On the day you then need to pick up your pass from guest services (which could take up to an hour is the queue is long) making another part of your day not doing any fun stuff (The fun stuff can include waiting if its not too long, I love the atmosphere when waiting for a ride). And then comes the fact that after all this work, you might not even get it because the RAP had been booked out, which is a ridiculous ideas as it excluded disabled people from the spontaneity of theme park trips. There are a lot of steps to this process that is confusing for some (Me included). If there was a way to make this easier for us then I would be eternally grateful!

Sorry for the rant everyone but I really needed to vent my frustrations.

The £15 is for the full Access Card, which is optional (you will have been given the option at the start of the application). The RAP card is valid for three years whether you have an Access Card or not.

 

[imanautie]

But you can cancel MAP pre books, I literally did it this morning?



Well, at the moment AT seem to be caving in to demands on the day due to their failure to implement and communicate the new system. How long they will continue doing this I don’t know and considering they’re already at full capacity you’d be looking at lengthy RAP queues regardless.

Otherwise you can keep checking for cancellations.

In terms of general business I’d see how this week is and expect the equivalent next week to be similar.

The merlin pass holder hub is not the accesso booking portal, merlin built that themselfs on top.

 

[Benzin]

Definitely agree there needs to be some form of link between booking RAP and park ticket on the same ticket window. Rather than doing one first than the other. Just adds to the likely confusion.

Don't think we paid for the Access Card. I'd refuse to do so as its very much a "poverty tax" thing to me.

If they went digital like Chessie/Lego would remove the need to pick anything up after your initial pick up of the RAP card.

Unfortunately the limits on RAP bookings are a step that has had to be taken to try and solve a system that is broken and not often fit for purpose. The doctor's note in particular could be something easily abused for those wanting to take advantage.

 

[Alphe86]

Interesting looking at the reports from the Merlin groups on FB.
The new limitations are pretty much lauded as a success by those at Chessington - “walk on or next ride for every single ride”
Vs
“RAP was like 50 mins on Smiler!”’at AT

 

[Skyscraper]

Interesting looking at the reports from the Merlin groups on FB.
The new limitations are pretty much lauded as a success by those at Chessington - “walk on or next ride for every single ride”
Vs
“RAP was like 50 mins on Smiler!”’at AT

That's because the cap isn't in place at Towers yet. I think the grace period ends after the Easter hols, so we'll find out how much it helps after that.