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Ride Access Pass and Disabled Access - 2024 Discussion
Plastic Person
TS Member
The world’s first Top Spin with two seperate RAP queues!
Another game changer from Alton Towers.
Another game changer from Alton Towers.
owenstreet7
TS Member
How does this work?Just to note, Toxy has two RAP entrances now. They've changed the Fastrack sign to RAP, probably for the first few weeks or months.
Ignore, I've seen the other comment about it being for each side
Skyscraper
TS Member
Ahh yes that would make sense!
James
TS Founding Member
The two RAP entrances merge together with a ride host positioned at the bottom of the stairs/lift access area. Once Fastrack is in place I imagine one queue will be Fastrack and the other RAP, with the host remaining at the bottom of the stairs/lift area to guide guests where to go.
Bowser
TS Member
I was just reading a review of Disneyland Paris and someone mentioned there are two types of "Priority Card", one Green and one Red with the Green being the equivalent of ambulant meaning you can use the Fast Track entrances and not miss the pre-shows etc. Is this correct? The review is from 2 years ago and there's no mention of this on the website nor has anyone here mentioned it previously so perhaps it has changed?
He cites Space Mountain and Phantom Manor which were the two specifically i'd like us to be able to use the non-exit queues if possible!
The Green VE is the indicator:
tosbourn.com
He cites Space Mountain and Phantom Manor which were the two specifically i'd like us to be able to use the non-exit queues if possible!
The Green VE is the indicator:
My Experience with the Disneyland Paris Priority Card
The Disneyland Paris Priority Card helps people with accessibility considerations get the most out of Disneyland Paris. Here are my experiences with it.
tosbourn.com
Bowser
TS Member
Hyperia RAP restrictions have been removed:
www.thorpepark.com
Can we use our Ride Access Pass on Hyperia?
Absolutely! You can use your Ride Access Pass on Hyperia as many times as you like. The same system as applied to other attractions. You’ll find the Ride Access Pass entry point at the main entrance to Hyperia. This is not Fastrack, and users should expect a queue at the Ride Access Pass entrance upon arrival.
Ride Access Pass | Thorpe Park
We offer a Ride Access Pass to guests who may find it difficult or cannot stand for long periods of time either due to a physical disability or a learning/emotional impairment. Applications should be submitted at least 7 days in advance of your visit.
www.thorpepark.com
Benjsh
TS Member
'This is not fastrack'
It is though. You created a monster by charging people the entry price on top of the actual entry price to skip the queues and now we have thousands using these passes on a daily basis across the parks who simply don't need it. I actually feel dreadfully sorry for people who actually do need this pass and then get stuck behind a group of truly awful selfish selfish people. Boils my blood.
Just wondering what you mean with the above, do you mean RAP or Fastrack? I'm just wondering who needs Fastrack.
Benjsh
TS Member
I'm talking about RAP and in particular the people who use it who definitely don't need it and treat like it's free fast track. There's absolutely no doubt that the amount of people using these passes in the last 5 years or so has massively shot up. Coincidently at the same time when fast pass has become incredibly expensive. Spoiler.....This is not a coincidence at all.
I'm massively PRO the RAP pass by the way and I definitely wouldn't take it away. I just think it needs a rethink of who qualifies to get one and how many guests can accompany a qualifying person per ride.
Bowser
TS Member
Personally i think it's more of a perfect storm of increased awareness of neurodivergent conditions and increased public awareness of accessibility options rather than a direct response to Fast Track prices, though no doubt that's another influencing factor. Certainly that would be specific to particular parks.
The number of accompanying guests is difficult and it's hard to argue that a total of 4 isn't the fairest compromise. I have noticed Disneyland Paris reduce to 3 for Parades though i think that's only viable because people accept the reality of the capacity plus it's only a small part of the day at a theme park. Most people are attending for rides and if you prevent families from being able to access anything together then it becomes an unpleasant compromise.
I agree with the qualification aspect, which i'm sure we've already discussed here countless times but in the end RAP issues are a problem exclusively at Merlin parks (at least in Europe) to the best of my knowledge which as ever suggests the heart of the problem is the poor ride availability and operations above all. Any fraudulent or excessive RAP usage is only adding to an existing problem.
Benjsh
TS Member
ADHD being the obvious one that springs to mind which has seen massive spikes in the UK over the last decade. I hear it's even difficult to get an appointment now to be assessed for it such are the backlogs. Should ADHD qualify for RAP is a debate in itself. I personally don't think it should do unless in extreme cases. I know others will disagree.
On a separate but related note....I'd imagine we'd probably qualify for it ourselves as a family as my wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was diagnosed with it over a decade ago. However we wouldn't even contemplate getting the pass as she doesn't really need it and manages to work and live with it every single day. Knowing her as well as I do, she'd feel like we're cheating people who actually needed it more.
I agree on the accompanying guests part. You can't make a group split up but at the same time you can't allow a large group of say 7 to 8 people through with 1 RAP either. It's got be realistic and fair and 4 is probably about right given it' s the standard / average family size in UK.
Bowser
TS Member
Waiting lists for both ADHD and ASD diagnosis on the NHS are now several years long, it's very sad.
Your second point is the crux of the issue for Merlin though, there's qualification and there's need and i'm not sure how we can expect any organisation to realistically differentiate, nor would they likely have the appetite to. I believe the US Disney parks have attempted individual assessments for neurological conditions though i've no idea how that has panned out. I can imagine the uproar in the UK in some circles.
Although saying that prior to joining Nimbus Paultons used to have a nurse assess you upon arrival. Not sure how vigorous the process was, we did it a few times but my son is clearly severely disabled. And of course Paultons operations mean a fraudulent RAP isn't desired anyway.
To me the fact that Paultons and Efteling (and presumably Europa) don't need/choose to offer a FastTrack is symbolic of what superior run parks they are compared to most. As i say, if you take the need for Fast Track away then in turn you make RAP functional purely for those who actually need it.
Well, opening day was an interesting one. RAP worked well, only ended up doing 4 rides, but that was more because of some external factors and the fact that all of us got "people-d out" very quickly.
I think that's the nice thing about being local passholders though, we can listen to our bodies/brains and not push ourselves too far. But, without RAP, we wouldn't have even managed what we did.
One positive for me though - I discovered if I sit in the middle of the front row of Curse, it's not quite as much of a sensory overload, although the lighting in there still plays havoc with my vision, and I still need my earplugs.
Interestingly, a friend and I have booked a trip to the West Coast next year, hoping to do Disneyland and Universal Hollywood (and Six Flags Magic Mountain if I can convince him to drive us out there...) and I know already it's going to be a mixed bag in terms of their versions of RAP.
Disney I'm just assuming right now I'll be denied any support or useful accommodations (the joy of visual impairment on top of sensory/neurodiversity stuff - yes I could leave the queue and rejoin my friend, but there's no hope I'd FIND him again!)
Universal I'll have to do the IBCCES and see what comes of that - I have a Nimbus Access Card with +1 and queue symbols so we'll see what they say.
Six Flags I think also accept IBCCES
I think that's the nice thing about being local passholders though, we can listen to our bodies/brains and not push ourselves too far. But, without RAP, we wouldn't have even managed what we did.
One positive for me though - I discovered if I sit in the middle of the front row of Curse, it's not quite as much of a sensory overload, although the lighting in there still plays havoc with my vision, and I still need my earplugs.
Interestingly, a friend and I have booked a trip to the West Coast next year, hoping to do Disneyland and Universal Hollywood (and Six Flags Magic Mountain if I can convince him to drive us out there...) and I know already it's going to be a mixed bag in terms of their versions of RAP.
Disney I'm just assuming right now I'll be denied any support or useful accommodations (the joy of visual impairment on top of sensory/neurodiversity stuff - yes I could leave the queue and rejoin my friend, but there's no hope I'd FIND him again!)
Universal I'll have to do the IBCCES and see what comes of that - I have a Nimbus Access Card with +1 and queue symbols so we'll see what they say.
Six Flags I think also accept IBCCES
The simple solution is to make RAP digital AND by doing that enforce the waiting time. (ie you will "virtually" queue the same amount of time). It would also solve the issue where the RAP queue is closed due to capacity.
I agree that the numbers have got out of hand - partly due to the number of people being diagnosed, part due to the group sizes, part due to it being seen as a FP and abused. You can only solve it by removing the "benefit" that it works as a FP.
I agree that the numbers have got out of hand - partly due to the number of people being diagnosed, part due to the group sizes, part due to it being seen as a FP and abused. You can only solve it by removing the "benefit" that it works as a FP.
The challenge is that it's definitely a benefit. It allows people to "que" while eating/taking in a show/ walking to the ride which most people can't.
If you don't really need it, italso allows you to be in two ques at a time.
A fully digital, enforced system would help but it won't solve the benefit sadly.
Benzin
TS Member
Shame to get such a "benefit" you need to have to deal with living with a disability for your life. Where for some the only way to comfortably visit these places is by using a wheelchair.
Those who need it tend to use it properly. Generalising all users of RAP just continues this unnecessary nonsense about disabled people in a time where things are getting worse. But sure can get on the Motability scheme so things are clearly on a unfair advantage.
Those who need it tend to use it properly. Generalising all users of RAP just continues this unnecessary nonsense about disabled people in a time where things are getting worse. But sure can get on the Motability scheme so things are clearly on a unfair advantage.
Visiting Thorpe park last year and paying for fast track on Hyperia I found myself queuing with several physically disabled guests in wheelchairs. Now I imagine that they couldn't get RAP for the day or the RAP queue was so big they had decided to pay the £20. The fast track queue took over an hour to get onto the ride as it was only running 1 train and I would imagine RAP was similar.
Now the RAP queue to my left was full of teenage lads. Now I won't judge but I was left confused, I had to walk back to the entrance and check I had gone into the right queue line as I was convinced I had accidentally joined the wrong queue. To my surprise I realised I was in the correct queue, and this left me feeling sorry for the guests in wheelchairs in front of me having to use fast track.
The parks needs to limit RAP to one accompanying guest or carer. Then have the ability for groups to join together once the non-RAP guests get to the front. This would vastly reduce the amount of people in the RAP line, and I would guess allow them to issue more RAP for each day. I think this would stop a lot of the misuse of bringing all your mates along for a "free fast track day" as the benefit would be taken away, and accurate wait times would be applied as the non-RAP guests in the group have had to complete a full queue line. Obviously small children would not be forced to be split from the group.
It's always going to be a sensitive subject but they need to strike the right balance. Using up the RAP capacity with able bodied guests with no disability who are part of a group is only making it harder for those who need it to actually use RAP.