Ride Access Pass and Disabled Access - 2026 Discussion

[Matt N]

I said it at the time and now even more so, i've no idea how Universal are going to deal with this considering their parks are notorious for extremely long lines and few attractions. It's not like DLP where they have the capacity to manage it.

Universal parks aren’t any more scant in terms of rides or longer in terms of queues than Disney’s, are they? Neither chain is absolutely awash with rides compared to some of the more amusement park-type places, and both attract some very long queues at times.

Certainly, I wouldn’t have said either of the older parks in Orlando had fewer rides than many of Disney’s parks; I think the castle parks are an exception for Disney, with the likes of Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in particular, as well as Walt Disney Studios in Paris, not having many rides at all. The likes of USF and IOA have quite a few rides.

Universal also seems to deal with this issue perfectly adequately in Orlando, which is probably not dissimilar to the UK in some ways and attracts many British tourists. I’ve never noticed RAP posing a considerable issue at Universal Orlando.

 

[Qwerty123]

Some of the SEN advocates on social media have caught wind of this now so i think it's going to blow up into a larger story for Merlin. Only a matter of time before the press are on it.

People are pointing out that their children qualify for the highest level of education funding, benefits and a blue badge yet don't qualify for a theme park.

Although obviously all of those other examples are both essentials and funded by the taxpayer rather than luxuries owned by a private company and should therefore rightly have a higher threshold as to what would be considered reasonable as the detriment from being unable to access those services would be significantly greater than the impact of a less enjoyable theme park experience.
Other than where the parks have introduced artificial barriers preventing accessibility (steps, uneven surfaces, narrow widths etc) I do not think it unreasonable for a theme park to essentially say queuing is an inherent part of the experience and that if you feel that the negative impact of queuing (as let’s face it nobody actually enjoys queues) outweighs the benefits from being able to experience the rides it might not be the right place for you to visit.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Some of the SEN advocates on social media have caught wind of this now so i think it's going to blow up into a larger story for Merlin. Only a matter of time before the press are on it.

People are pointing out that their children qualify for the highest level of education funding, benefits and a blue badge yet don't qualify for a theme park.

The headlines write themselves. "Theme Park Bans Disabled Children" is the sort of rage bait that the Reach PLC network thrives on. Merlin’s PR team is about to earn their salary, although I suspect their strategy will be to simply batten down the hatches and weather the storm until the news cycle moves on to the next outrage.

However, we must be precise about the comparison, because the devil is in the detail.

A Blue Badge is primarily an award based on mobility and the ability to walk distances safely. If a child holds a Blue Badge because they physically cannot walk far or stand without pain / danger, they should (in theory) automatically qualify for the Difficulty Standing or Level Access symbols from Nimbus. Therefore, those specific Blue Badge holders do still qualify for RAP under the new rules.

The friction arises with the neurodivergent criteria, specifically where a Blue Badge is awarded for cognitive impairment (like a lack of awareness of danger near traffic). Previously, this might have triggered the "Difficulty with Crowds" symbol. Now, Merlin is arguing that a danger near roads does not equate to an inability to stand in a secure queue line.

It is a harsh distinction to make, and one that feels incredibly callous to parents navigating a world that is already hostile to their children's needs. Merlin is effectively saying that "Disabled" is not a golden ticket for all adjustments. The adjustment must match the specific mechanical limitation of the activity (queuing).

They are betting that the legal definition of reasonable supports them in separating "needs educational support" from "needs to skip a queue". Whether the court of public opinion agrees is a very different matter.

It is interesting that there appears to be a general lack of ire targeted at Nimbus.

When they unilaterally decided to decouple the Standing symbol and retire the Queuing symbol, they claimed to have retrospectively reassessed every single cardholder's eligibility based on the information provided in their original applications. As far as I am aware, they conducted this massive administrative recategorisation without actually speaking to, or gathering new evidence from, the Access Card holders themselves.

They performed a desktop exercise that fundamentally altered the utility of the card for thousands of users, seemingly without verifying if their interpretation of the original evidence matched the reality of the user's needs under the new definitions.

 

[Bowser]

.Universal parks aren’t any more scant in terms of rides or longer in terms of queues than Disney’s, are they?

I did specify DLP, which lists 28 attractions and that's not to mention shows/parades. I was also specific with that park as i'm familiar with the RAP system. Disney's policy there seems to be "you're disabled and your life is inevitably more difficult so let's try and make your visit as positive as possible". It's truly wonderful.

Main queues tend to peak out at 60 minutes for the top attractions but plenty are notably less.

No single Universal park has anywhere near as many attractions. The top attractions regularly face queues of 3 hours.

I appreciate i'm not comparing like for like but the point was all their parks across the world are similar in this regard. Whereas DLP could be transported to the UK and would likely face no issues due to the aforementioned capacity.

Universal also seems to deal with this issue perfectly adequately in Orlando, which is probably not dissimilar to the UK in some ways and attracts many British tourists. I’ve never noticed RAP posing a considerable issue at Universal Orlando.

I've no idea tbh, I don't think i recall anyone ever posting about them on here and i'm not personally familiar with how they work. I do gather more potential RAP users in the US are mobility based and both Universal/Disney deal with this by making the main queues physically accessible.

 

[RIPCorky]

None of us know the true numbers. However I can imagine there are a fair few thousand new applications each year which are granted. That and the fact I doubt many if any would give them up. Their biggest mistake was not doing this sooner, they've let it get to a level where they pretty much have no other choice. Maybe just maybe this is a plan by Merlin to make Nimbus require stricter criteria before you are able to apply for one. Autism and ADHD is such a blanket diagnosis it is very possible that many thousands have been allowed to have a pass when they do not really need it. It only hurts those that really need it.

There simply are not enough tickets available for the demand of RAP and that is fact. I would not surprise me if Merlin have played this card to force a review of the system at the first stages. If you reverse the decision then people will go back to complaining about not being able to book. I have seen parents of children since the news broke condoning violence and abuse towards park staff which I find absolutely disgusting.

Shouldn't have got this far massive oversight on all those involved from the ground up.

 

[Benjsh]

I have to be honest I didn't see much of it at all in Orlando in August 2025 either. We saw the odd group of people approaching a ride via the exit ramp with somebody in a wheelchair for example but I never saw a full line of people in a single RAP style queue the whole holiday.

Do they use the fastpass queue in some cases over there? I doubt that because even they get get lengthy wait times.

Whatever they do clearly works better than over here. I suspect, and I am just guessing here, they just have higher tolerance levels for who does and does not qualify. Otherwise where are all these people in the parks?

 

[venny]

The headlines write themselves. "Theme Park Bans Disabled Children" is the sort of rage bait that the Reach PLC network thrives on. Merlin’s PR team is about to earn their salary, although I suspect their strategy will be to simply batten down the hatches and weather the storm until the news cycle moves on to the next outrage.

However, we must be precise about the comparison, because the devil is in the detail.

A Blue Badge is primarily an award based on mobility and the ability to walk distances safely. If a child holds a Blue Badge because they physically cannot walk far or stand without pain / danger, they should (in theory) automatically qualify for the Difficulty Standing or Level Access symbols from Nimbus. Therefore, those specific Blue Badge holders do still qualify for RAP under the new rules.

The friction arises with the neurodivergent criteria, specifically where a Blue Badge is awarded for cognitive impairment (like a lack of awareness of danger near traffic). Previously, this might have triggered the "Difficulty with Crowds" symbol. Now, Merlin is arguing that a danger near roads does not equate to an inability to stand in a secure queue line.

It is a harsh distinction to make, and one that feels incredibly callous to parents navigating a world that is already hostile to their children's needs. Merlin is effectively saying that "Disabled" is not a golden ticket for all adjustments. The adjustment must match the specific mechanical limitation of the activity (queuing).

They are betting that the legal definition of reasonable supports them in separating "needs educational support" from "needs to skip a queue". Whether the court of public opinion agrees is a very different matter.

It is interesting that there appears to be a general lack of ire targeted at Nimbus.

When they unilaterally decided to decouple the Standing symbol and retire the Queuing symbol, they claimed to have retrospectively reassessed every single cardholder's eligibility based on the information provided in their original applications. As far as I am aware, they conducted this massive administrative recategorisation without actually speaking to, or gathering new evidence from, the Access Card holders themselves.

They performed a desktop exercise that fundamentally altered the utility of the card for thousands of users, seemingly without verifying if their interpretation of the original evidence matched the reality of the user's needs under the new definitions.

I think the above makes some good points.

Merlin are clearly trying to address the continuing issues with RAP implementation. There’s an apparent disconnect between people having issues with crowds and at the same time attending a crowded theme park and using their RAP to access crowded rides.

I know it’s all more nuanced than this, but there’s a wide perception by most non-RAP holders that abuse exists, and the above is an example of where that perception can arise from.

From a personal perspective, our family are not RAP holders. We don’t visit Merlin parks anymore. Admittedly that’s also due to the other poor ways Merlin operate their parks, but a large component of that decision is the impact RAP has on the speed of queues.

Appreciating that is a very personal example, it at least demonstrates the point that RAP and its implementation affects everyone, not just RAP holders. Is it fair that non-RAP families are being excluded because they can’t tolerate waiting in a 40 minute Squirrel Nutty queue with their two year old?

I suppose what that tells us is that there’s no perfect solution, but also that we should appreciate the breadth of impact that any RAP system has.

 

[DiogoJ42]

I'm just gonna throw this out there: For all the people who genuinely need RAP, most of us will know at least one person who openly, nay, proudly, admits they are abusing it for free fastrack.

 

[Benjsh]

I'm just gonna throw this out there: For all the people who genuinely need RAP, most of us will know at least one person who openly, nay, proudly, admits they are abusing it for free fastrack.

This is spot on! The 'abusers' have spoiled it for those who genuinely need it.

Human beings in their very nature are selfish though. None of us drive into that Towers Car park at 8.30am in the morning, look around at all the strangers on the Entrance Plaza and think 'I hope they all have a brilliant day out'. We don't do that. We think about ourselves and the party we are in mostly. That's just how we're wired as a species.

These changes have been coming for a very long time though and we all know it. I vowed never to return to a Merlin Park on a peak day ever again 2 years ago and i have lived up to that so far. Lets see how these changes go. My prediction is 60-70% of the people who were using and abusing it suddenly realise they're able to wait in line again.

 

[RIPCorky]

I'm just gonna throw this out there: For all the people who genuinely need RAP, most of us will know at least one person who openly, nay, proudly, admits they are abusing it for free fastrack.

I do. I know someone who has it but was fine in a 2 hour long Wickerman queue...... Benefit state I'm afraid, teach them young then they will do it for the rest of their life

 

[Wilko]

I concur. We know a family of 4 with 2 members who have RAP, but all live in the same house, yet can and have accessed theme parks with a party of 8 using RAP queues. There would always be ways for people to abuse this, even if it was 1 RAP per address etc. which I why I mentioned earlier the limits on guests as a potential solution, or at least an initial step before the blanket refusal Merlin have had to resort to.

 

[Mick]

There’s definitely an irony when you see for example RAP users that can’t deal with crowds or queues, yet have been waiting outside the gates since 6am to be one of the first to ride Nemesis Reborn…

However I think we all know abuse goes on but that’s no reason to penalise those who genuinely need.

My experience of RAP is purely through the eyes of being non-RAP, and 2024 was hell, you could see the lines were consistently long and queues moved at snails pace, to the detriment of the non-RAP users. The changes they made last year however, in capping the numbers meant everything in my experience operated much more smoothly, especially for those who were lucky enough to get a RAP slot.

So last years method was cap the numbers, that just pushed the problem to too many people competing for limited numbers. So the next approach is cap the number of people eligible…

I have sympathy for them, it’s not an easy fix at all, but it feels like they’re chasing their own tail on this one.

 

[Benzin]

I have seen parents of children since the news broke condoning violence and abuse towards park staff which I find absolutely disgusting.

Typically, the loudest minority who are losing it tend to be the ones who were taking the mick to begin with.

I have to be honest I didn't see much of it at all in Orlando in August 2025 either. We saw the odd group of people approaching a ride via the exit ramp with somebody in a wheelchair for example but I never saw a full line of people in a single RAP style queue the whole holiday.

I've said this many times before that when visiting parks abroad there is nowhere near the same level of demand/use at Merlin parks. Efteling probably the closest I've seen to levels but when the entire park was busy wasn't too surprised.

Europa last year at times literally felt like it was just our group (with 2 RAP holders, taking turns because baby sitting) using the access queues. And again they didn't even have a technical time out beyond the ride you had just ridden. Could feasibly walk between Blue Fire & Wodan for eternity and still be within their rules.

I know it’s all more nuanced than this, but there’s a wide perception by most non-RAP holders that abuse exists, and the above is an example of where that perception can arise from.

The perception has come from widely advertised abuse of it through Facebook groups and a lack of action from the parks to combat the "free Fastrack" view that was had of it. Not just non-RAP people had that viewpoint.

Appreciating that is a very personal example, it at least demonstrates the point that RAP and its implementation affects everyone, not just RAP holders. Is it fair that non-RAP families are being excluded because they can’t tolerate waiting in a 40 minute Squirrel Nutty queue with their two year old?

That's a problem that the parks need to provide. We rarely go on Squirrel Set Go because it's an incredible faff to do with the wheelchair and RAP. However claiming it's not fair to a non-RAP user doesn't help matters when the likelihood is that RAP users have to deal with a number of barriers across their lives. Pushing a big divide agenda just makes things worse for all. I don't think it's fair that we can't combine RAP with a parent swap because of our personal situation, but thems the kicks.


As always, if the parks had clamped down on the "free Fastrack" perception before it took root into the psyche then could've sorted it. But even last year Towers staff weren't always signing cards correctly or at all.

 

[fearnwood]

Unfortunately this is a difficult topic to be on the inside and outside of. From the outside it's easy to look at a line of RAP users and conclude they they're the reason you're queue is going slow. On the other hand, in the main at AT the RAP queues were outdoors (which does help as the indoor environment and pre-shows can be difficult too) and just because someone looks OK really doesn't mean that they are.

My son was horrifically bullied throughout school due to his Autism because people didn't realise why he was different to them. My youngest son is also going through a similar pain, but people don't realise that getting a diagnosis doesn't help with any of this - we were just told to go read a book about it...! What I can say is that my children would happily stand in a queue for 2hrs to go on these rides if they could, but I think AT is showing utter ignorance of these conditions by indicating that because they've made some quiet spaces we can go and sit in makes up for it.

We don't spend £200+ at a time for AT tickets for the family to go sit in a quiet space, we can do that at home. I still think that they could have amended the number of passes available on a given day, or even if Nimbus wants to ask for some additional evidence then that's fine too. But an Autism diagnosis these days is little more than a couple of sentences on a Dr's letter, and that's where the system stops. I'm not sure what the answer is, but what Merlin have implemented isn't it....

 

[Bowser]

As always, if the parks had clamped down on the "free Fastrack" perception before it took root into the psyche then could've sorted it. But even last year Towers staff weren't always signing cards correctly or at all.

Even if they did and even under the new system that wouldn't change things because if you're able to queue yet have access to a RAP then it is a free Fast Track. Use the RAP, then queue normally during your time out, you're still getting several "fast tracks" per visit. The mechanism isn't going to change that whilst the mentality exists. Brits seem to endeavour to "beat the system".

Efteling probably the closest I've seen to levels but when the entire park was busy wasn't too surprised.

Europa last year at times literally felt like it was just our group (with 2 RAP holders, taking turns because baby sitting) using the access queues. And again they didn't even have a technical time out beyond the ride you had just ridden. Could feasibly walk between Blue Fire & Wodan for eternity and still be within their rules.

I always praise Efteling as being everything Merlin park's aren't, for a number of reasons but the queues for us are a big part of it. Despite being eligible i believe we've used our RAP there on 1 ride in 6 visits (2 trips comprising 3 days each). This was in peak UK summer holiday albeit part of the Netherlands was off peak so let's say semi-peak. There's no Fast Track, there are several Virtual Queues, the queues generally move constantly and there are hardly any cattle-pens.

We try to use as many main lines as possible on theme park trips, partly because a short queue serves as a time-out of sorts but mostly because i think if we're able to we should try, rather than take up space for someone who absolutely cannot. And tbh my son is more tolerant of a moving queue than waiting stationary at a ride exit for the same amount of time. I think the longest we waited for anything was about 20 minutes for Baron.

We're visiting Europa for the first time this year so it will be interesting to see how that goes. My understanding was if there are 2 of you it's as you describe but if there are 3 or more (there will be 3 of us) you have to collect a Green Card which is only valid for 6 rides. But again, there is no Fast Track, there are Virtual Queues and my understanding is the main queues are even more rapid so we'll be attempting them where possible.

 

[Keladry84]

I have to be honest I didn't see much of it at all in Orlando in August 2025 either. We saw the odd group of people approaching a ride via the exit ramp with somebody in a wheelchair for example but I never saw a full line of people in a single RAP style queue the whole holiday.

Do they use the fastpass queue in some cases over there? I doubt that because even they get get lengthy wait times.

Whatever they do clearly works better than over here. I suspect, and I am just guessing here, they just have higher tolerance levels for who does and does not qualify. Otherwise where are all these people in the parks?

I'm assuming you're referring to Universal Orlando, as a couple of the previous posts referenced it? I've used the AAP (their version of RAP) many times over the last year and am familiar with it.

There is no separate RAP/disability line and most AAP holders are sent through the Express line after obtaining and waiting for a return time based on the current standby wait. On normal/average attendance days it works well, but during holidays or crowded days in the park the Express lines/waits can be extremely long and not manageable - I've completely lost access on those days as the accommodation completely breaks down. There a couple of other levels of AAP depending on specific needs of individuals, but they are rare to be issued.

I've not used RAP before so can't compare the two systems directly - I'll be visiting the UK for the first time this summer, and applied for a Nimbus card as I want to visit several theme parks while there, but from what I'm reading here it seems I won't actually qualify with Merlin/RAP after the changes (but would have before).

Both Universal and Disney in Orlando have made some pretty drastic changes to who qualifies under their systems over the last few years because of overuse - I'm sorry it seems to be happening now for the RAP as well. There's no easy solution because every time something gets tightened in eligibility, it leaves out someone who has a need and restricts what they can access, but without it, everything breaks down because there's not enough capacity in the system.

 

[Bowser]

Didn’t take long, mainstream media are on it and Merlin appear to be caving.

We are also trialling a refined eligibility criterion during the brief opening period of February half‑term; however, we recognise this has raised concerns for some guests.

'Our commitment to supporting neurodiverse guests and those with mental health needs remains. We are listening carefully to this feedback and are committed to keeping this approach under review ahead of our main season openings in March.'

Alton Towers bans theme parkgoers with ADHD from using disability pass

The biggest theme park company in the country has suddenly changed its accessibility system for hidden disabilities.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imanautie]

Didn’t take long, mainstream media are on it and Merlin appear to be caving.

We are also trialling a refined eligibility criterion during the brief opening period of February half‑term; however, we recognise this has raised concerns for some guests.

'Our commitment to supporting neurodiverse guests and those with mental health needs remains. We are listening carefully to this feedback and are committed to keeping this approach under review ahead of our main season openings in March.'

Alton Towers bans theme parkgoers with ADHD from using disability pass

The biggest theme park company in the country has suddenly changed its accessibility system for hidden disabilities.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Or just hoping we cave expecting a full backpedal!

 

[RicketyCricket]

Didn’t take long, mainstream media are on it and Merlin appear to be caving.

We are also trialling a refined eligibility criterion during the brief opening period of February half‑term; however, we recognise this has raised concerns for some guests.

'Our commitment to supporting neurodiverse guests and those with mental health needs remains. We are listening carefully to this feedback and are committed to keeping this approach under review ahead of our main season openings in March.'

Alton Towers bans theme parkgoers with ADHD from using disability pass

The biggest theme park company in the country has suddenly changed its accessibility system for hidden disabilities.

www.dailymail.co.uk

So it begins. They will 100% pull a U Turn on this (unfortunately).

I know someone who has worked for Merlin for several years, who openly brags about abusing the RAP system.

Don't take it out on Merlin. Blame it on the hundreds of people who took the mick.

 

[RIPCorky]

So it begins. They will 100% pull a U Turn on this (unfortunately).

I know someone who has worked for Merlin for several years, who openly brags about abusing the RAP system.

Don't take it out on Merlin. Blame it on the hundreds of people who took the mick.

If they do I assume they'll just lower the amount of RAP for each day. Then people will complain they can't book. I've already seen some people asking (some advising) what else they can say is "wrong" with them to get RAP back.