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Ride Access Pass Systems and Disabled Access (pre 2024)

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It's also worth considering that depending on their exact circumstances people's disabilities may not affect them consistently. People have good and bad days, could be they have presented as more ambulant previously than they did on this particular day.
 
Alsty said:
Thanks for sharing that @RoyJess. It looks like the policy has changed over the years as I recall seeing disabled guests being helped directly from a wheelchair onto the train without any walking at all, i.e. the wheelchair butted directly against the train, but that was many moons ago.

I don't know when this changed but it's possible that's what happened in the Cheetham case? We don't know when their previous visit was, and that might explain how they were able to ride Rita before but not this time.
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I'm sure that the rules tightened around the time that The Smiler opened or since the accident. I know it's been a while ago.

The full disable access guide can be found here

https://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/before-you-visit/disabled-access/

https://www.altontowers.com/media/qtjdjfq5/accessibility-guide-2020.pdf
 
After riding Thirteen last week I really hope they keep the current RAP setup for as long as possible. It was great being able to use the usual boarding gates. Surprised they haven't changed the signage at the split though, as only the left fork has a sign (Fasttrack- ambulant disabled go via the old Fastrack queue). We went down the other one before I realised.

@RoyJess may I ask where the right fork goes?
 
skyscraper said:
After riding Thirteen last week I really hope they keep the current RAP setup for as long as possible. It was great being able to use the usual boarding gates. Surprised they haven't changed the signage at the split though, as only the left fork has a sign (Fasttrack- ambulant disabled go via the old Fastrack queue). We went down the other one before I realised.

@RoyJess may I ask where the right fork goes?
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Thirteen has changed since I went then.
We went down what I think was fasttrack to just before where the main queue goes indoors then went around the baggage hold to the exit ramp.
 
skyscraper said:
@RoyJess may I ask where the right fork goes?
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Sorry, I'm not sure exactly where you mean?

If you are talking right at the start of the queue line, left takes you to the normal queue line, right takes you to fast track and RAP
If you are talking just before you get to the old bagging station, where you have two options, left used to be for single riders, right for fast track
If you are talking just past the old baggage station at the bottom of the steps, left was for normal queue and fast track merge and right for single riders
 
RoyJess said:
Sorry, I'm not sure exactly where you mean?

If you are talking right at the start of the queue line, left takes you to the normal queue line, right takes you to fast track and RAP
If you are talking just before you get to the old bagging station, where you have two options, left used to be for single riders, right for fast track
If you are talking just past the old baggage station at the bottom of the steps, left was for normal queue and fast track merge and right for single riders
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I think it was the second one. We went down the left side under the FastTrack sign then went up the stairs into the building, next to the main queue.
 
As far as I was aware he disabled queue for TH13TEEN this season used the old fastrack queue, then when you got to baggage you went through the gate on the right, and then queued up the ramp as normal. I think it’s a system they should use in the future, even with fastrack back, as it’s always really awkward when going down the exit and got have large groups of disabled people coming towards you.
 
djtruefitt said:
As far as I was aware he disabled queue for TH13TEEN this season used the old fastrack queue, then when you got to baggage you went through the gate on the right, and then queued up the ramp as normal. I think it’s a system they should use in the future, even with fastrack back, as it’s always really awkward when going down the exit and got have large groups of disabled people coming towards you.
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That is correct
 
Ambulant disabled go up the stairs next to the main queue and into the building, still following the old FastTrack queue (as we did). Really hope they keep it that way for as long as possible.
 
I visited on Wednesday and the Disabled Access for Thirteen is still up the exit. The only other queue that goes up and over the top is Fastrack.
 
siralgenon said:
The only other queue that goes up and over the top is Fastrack
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Yeah that's the one we used and they asked how many and let us into the air gates, so it was in use last week. Is possible they changed it this week though. We visited last Thursday, 29th.
 
imanautie said:
Putting rap and fastrack together isnt an enjoyable experience for either. It just causes a lot of arguments.
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It works at Disneyworld.

if the need is not to wait in a queue then waiting out the queue time elsewhere then using the fast track lane should work fine. Then only those who require level access need to enter via the exit.
 
jon81uk said:
It works at Disneyworld.

if the need is not to wait in a queue then waiting out the queue time elsewhere then using the fast track lane should work fine. Then only those who require level access need to enter via the exit.
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I agree in principle but it just doesn't seem to work that well at THORPE and Alton.
 
jon81uk said:
There is no major reason why ambulant access pass users can’t use fastrack entrances on all rides really.
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Thorpe do that with ambulant RAP using the FastTrack entrances and non-ambulant using the exits. I do wish Towers would follow suit, but as @imanautie says there could be issues.
 
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