• 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 Systems and Disabled Access (pre 2024)

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Rob said:
Unless you go to EP, then you're royally screwed! Wheelchair on Silver Star? Roland says no!

:)
Click to expand...

I believe they used to have something (but as you say, about the only wheelchair access to a ride is the big Monorail) but that has since been canned due to the law change...

I find it really weird that a relatively forward thinking country takes such an approach, especially when pretty much every other park/country in Europe has a system... American parks tend to be on the ball as well, think Disney are the only ones to force wheelchairs in queues, I sense because of the prevalence of the motor scooters...
 
This has come up a few times in a few places.

At Alton Towers a guest cannot use the disabled/rap entrances without also having a rap wristband on, however if they wish to use fastrack they have to go via the fastrack entrance meaning guests have to choose between being time out and having a significantly longer walk.

What's people's thoughts on this, should disabled guests with fastrack be able to use the exit?
Also this applys to all types of fastrack including VIP

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
 
The solution should be obvious to Merlin - RAP guests should always use the dedicated entrance, no exceptions. If they're using fastrack then they just show the RAP wristband and show/hand over whatever sort of pass they're using - be it regular fastrack, a priority ride pass or platinum wristband. Using fastrack means they then don't have to show the RAP time card. Using fastrack/PRPs would not entitle users to cut ahead of anyone already waiting at the RAP entrance.

Any fastrack sold to RAP users would come out of the normal fastrack allocation so there would be no net effect on main queue capacity of each ride.
 
John said:
The solution should be obvious to Merlin - RAP guests should always use the dedicated entrance, no exceptions. If they're using fastrack then they just show the RAP wristband and show/hand over whatever sort of pass they're using - be it regular fastrack, a priority ride pass or platinum wristband. Using fastrack means they then don't have to show the RAP time card. Using fastrack/PRPs would not entitle users to cut ahead of anyone already waiting at the RAP entrance.

Any fastrack sold to RAP users would come out of the normal fastrack allocation so there would be no net effect on main queue capacity of each ride.
Click to expand...
Problem is it then means that there is a much shorter number of people in front of the guest.

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
 
I guess platinum level + RAP could give an unfair advantage, for single use fastrack it would probably make little difference. Simple solution to that is to ditch platinum, sorted.
 
John said:
I guess platinum level + RAP could give an unfair advantage, for single use fastrack it would probably make little difference. Simple solution to that is to ditch platinum, sorted.
Click to expand...
I think we all know that's not happening

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
 
John said:
The solution should be obvious to Merlin - RAP guests should always use the dedicated entrance, no exceptions. If they're using fastrack then they just show the RAP wristband and show/hand over whatever sort of pass they're using - be it regular fastrack, a priority ride pass or platinum wristband. Using fastrack means they then don't have to show the RAP time card. Using fastrack/PRPs would not entitle users to cut ahead of anyone already waiting at the RAP entrance.

Any fastrack sold to RAP users would come out of the normal fastrack allocation so there would be no net effect on main queue capacity of each ride.
Click to expand...
Couldn’t of put it better myself, I’ve been told many times it’s one or the other the last time was when I was struggling to walk so much it took me 10 mins to get from enterprise back to the entrance of the smiler, for comparison my fastest lap on the smiler (using the time 2 conservative ORP were taken) is 8 mins. Which having just spent £525 on a VIP renewal was the equivalent of them sticking two fingers up at me.
 
Last edited:
The law is clear that restricting or prohibiting something on the grounds of health and safety is not discrimination. Evacuation is an important consideration.

It does seem odd though, as if he was able to walk a short distance and satisfy the requirements on other rides, why was he disallowed on Wicker Man?

(Nothing to do with Galactica in any case ;))
 
Austin Towers said:
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/alton-towers-ruined-sons-700-1718057

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Poor kid. While it is somewhat understandable from Towers, it doesn't explain why he was able to ride them in the previous years. Towers have gone H&S mad of late (rapids waterfalls off for example), so they may be clamping down on stuff they may have allowed in the past, but then Florida are letting the guy on the rides.....

Tricky one to call......
 
Florida wise they're probably more scared about being sued for discrimination...

It's a weird one here, they seem to be asking wheelchair users this season if they can walk unaided on pretty much all the coasters (multiple questions in fact, moreso on Smiler for obvious reasons)... Must be something from above which is unfortunately going to cause some problems, especially if coming across staff who might not have a sense of empathy...

It certainly used to be much more "if you can get them into the ride and know full well that it is YOUR responsibility to take them off in the event of an evacuation then they can ride"...

Saying that, my word Wickerman is poorly designed in the sense of wheelchair access getting out! Same for Smiler... Both of those would've caused some problems in the poor guy getting on and off let alone in terms of an evacuation...
 
I feel so bad for them. Roller coasters are become LESS inclusive :(

Why do we even have wheelchair accessible rides in this case... how many wheelchair users can walk unaided? And I'm sure with the right assistance anybody could be evacuated from a ride if the right platforms and walkways have been built.

As I said over on CoasterForce, what next? Banning blind people because they can't see where they're going during an evacuation?
 
speedy said:
I feel so bad for them. Roller coasters are become LESS inclusive :(

Why do we even have wheelchair accessible rides in this case... how many wheelchair users can walk unaided? And I'm sure with the right assistance anybody could be evacuated from a ride if the right platforms and walkways have been built.

As I said over on CoasterForce, what next? Banning blind people because they can't see where they're going during an evacuation?
Click to expand...

It's a fine balance parks (and manufacturers) have to take... The amount of money to make rides inclusive to everyone would be eye-watering, given that you would have to consider every potential disability both minor and major...

I wouldn't be surprised if Towers were too concerned over incidents happening during evacuations that they've gone overboard with restrictions to those who cannot walk unaided (even if they had one maybe two carers with them to assist)...

The mention of the blind person reminds me of when working on Bubbleworks and a group came up with a blind person and seeing-eye dog... Now I can tell you 100% there was nothing in the operators manual for that situation (the dog ended up in the op booth as the group rode in the end)...
 
speedy said:
I feel so bad for them. Roller coasters are become LESS inclusive :(

Why do we even have wheelchair accessible rides in this case... how many wheelchair users can walk unaided? And I'm sure with the right assistance anybody could be evacuated from a ride if the right platforms and walkways have been built.

As I said over on CoasterForce, what next? Banning blind people because they can't see where they're going during an evacuation?
Click to expand...
There are wheelchair users who can walk small distances with some difficulty.

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top