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Ride Availability/Operations 2022-25
Austin Towers
TS Member
If it’s anything like when I went, it won’t only be Fastrack either. RAP usage also seemed to be at a level I’ve never seen before last weekend. Wicker Man had an obscene RAP queue stretching almost back to the ride entrance, as did Rita and RMT. I could also observe a rather significant RAP queue on Thirteen.
Agreed. RAP system is blatantly abused.
RIPCorky
TS Member
So much so they're having to design the whole park around it.Agreed. RAP system is blatantly abused.
It's straying away from the whole availability discussion but as an outsider the worst part about the whole RAP debacle is that as soon as you criticise it you just get shouted back "discrimination!". No, it's not.
Anyway looking at queue times you can really tell that it's a day that gold passholders aren't allowed in for free can't you...
Anyway looking at queue times you can really tell that it's a day that gold passholders aren't allowed in for free can't you...
Bowser
TS Member
Anyway looking at queue times you can really tell that it's a day that gold passholders aren't allowed in for free can't you...
Interesting point. Are we getting to a stage where it’s ironically quieter on a peak bank holiday due to the excessive number of customers being MAP?
All the Merlin parks look similarly “quiet” so hard to tell if it’s just not a day people choose to visit due to family commitments versus MAP blackout.
Dave
TS Founding Member
Interesting point. Are we getting to a stage where it’s ironically quieter on a peak bank holiday due to the excessive number of customers being MAP?
All the Merlin parks look similarly “quiet” so hard to tell if it’s just not a day people choose to visit due to family commitments versus MAP blackout.
It’s always been quieter than people think on Easter weekend. Guests avoid it as they expect it to be busy.
BigShadowtinytree
TS Member
I have a gold pass and have definitely noticed a pattern between gold exclusion days and how much quieter the park is, back when they used to allow you to see queue times on the AT app outside of the park. I’d often look at them on days like today out of curiosity and queues were always shorter compared to days where gold and below can access the park.
I always expected that bank holidays would be mega busy, which is one of the reasons why I went with gold as I thought I wouldn’t want to visit on a bank holiday anyway. It was always my experience growing up as well that theme parks are always hellishly busy on a bank holiday. I had a particularly traumatising experience at Legoland as a kid visiting on a bank holiday Monday and managed about 3 rides the whole day.
I could be wrong but the impression I get is that when only platinum passes can get in for ‘free’ all the parks seem less busy.
I always expected that bank holidays would be mega busy, which is one of the reasons why I went with gold as I thought I wouldn’t want to visit on a bank holiday anyway. It was always my experience growing up as well that theme parks are always hellishly busy on a bank holiday. I had a particularly traumatising experience at Legoland as a kid visiting on a bank holiday Monday and managed about 3 rides the whole day.
I could be wrong but the impression I get is that when only platinum passes can get in for ‘free’ all the parks seem less busy.
Plastic Person
TS Member
Bank Holiday Mondays are notoriously quiet at Alton, as collectively, everyone else has the same idea to go on the Tuesday. Not sure this applies to Legoland or the other Southern parks, but undoubtedly one of my Top Tips (tm) for Towers.
Bank Holiday Mondays are notoriously quiet at Alton, as collectively, everyone else has the same idea to go on the Tuesday. Not sure this applies to Legoland or the other Southern parks, but undoubtedly one of my Top Tips (tm) for Towers.
Can't speak for Thorpe but even Chessington only has a 35min queue for Vampire today which is almost unheard of for weekends. I'm sure if anyone could be bothered this could be tied directly to gold/silver pass access and the BH weekend just compounds it.
Hoping for that sort of queue when I go on Wednesday

Bowser
TS Member
I have a gold pass and have definitely noticed a pattern between gold exclusion days and how much quieter the park is, back when they used to allow you to see queue times on the AT app outside of the park. I’d often look at them on days like today out of curiosity and queues were always shorter compared to days where gold and below can access the park.
I always expected that bank holidays would be mega busy, which is one of the reasons why I went with gold as I thought I wouldn’t want to visit on a bank holiday anyway. It was always my experience growing up as well that theme parks are always hellishly busy on a bank holiday. I had a particularly traumatising experience at Legoland as a kid visiting on a bank holiday Monday and managed about 3 rides the whole day.
I could be wrong but the impression I get is that when only platinum passes can get in for ‘free’ all the parks seem less busy.
As a Platty Map I may just have to test this theory. I only got it so we could go at Xmas and I really doubt this applies to the Halloween/Firework blackouts but hopefully it does in May.
And on topic hopefully the rides are all working by then.
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
Bowser
TS Member
...
Sorry, what?
I’m from Essex.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
I think it's some kind of paper plan that shows you where to find egg laying mammals....
Sorry, what?
Bowser
TS Member
Amazingly CWOA made the news for last weekends fiasco and AT didn't... apologies for linking to the Daily Mail.
www.dailymail.co.uk

Chessington World of Adventures has nightmare opening weekend
The theme park opened for the 2024 season last week but the first weekend saw multiple rides closed, with some theme park goers saying they made it on only 'one or two' rides for their £34 tickets.
Correct, compare the national media when half of the midlands floods each year to when London gets an inch of snow.Southern England bias
ScottishChris
TS Member
It's the media though... it's all just for clicks. I'm amazed that an evac (and near immediate re-opening) of the Big One has gathered substantial more column inches than the abysmal operations, closures and evacs at Towers. I suppose the difference is Towers looks pretty.Amazingly CWOA made the news for last weekends fiasco and AT didn't... apologies for linking to the Daily Mail.
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Chessington World of Adventures has nightmare opening weekend
The theme park opened for the 2024 season last week but the first weekend saw multiple rides closed, with some theme park goers saying they made it on only 'one or two' rides for their £34 tickets.www.dailymail.co.uk