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So how many of us use fastrack?

Do you use fastracks?

  • Occasionally

    Votes: 31 41.9%
  • No

    Votes: 36 48.6%
  • Yes

    Votes: 7 9.5%

  • Total voters
    74
No, I've never bought one. I did receive one at Thorpe Park in 2012 when Stealth broke down whilst I was queuing for it. But apart from that, never used them.
 
Gosh, I remember the days when you put your entry ticket into a machine and out popped a fastback ticket with a time to return to so you can ride it.

Shame those days are gone.
 
When you could extort the system with any form of barcode (water bottles for example), it's kinda obvious why they changed it...
 
ILC said:
You can't cheat a free fastrack system :S

You really could, use your tickets, then use any old barcode you like to get in multiple rides over the day...

So, the way the Tussauds parks had them, you could... I should know because we did this as we were waiting for friends to turn up and didn't want to have to split up later in the day when our timeslot came around...
 
Lottie. said:
Gosh, I remember the days when you put your entry ticket into a machine and out popped a fastback ticket with a time to return to so you can ride it.

Shame those days are gone.

Have to agree with you there Lottie. I really thought that was going to be the way forward.
 
Benzin said:
When you could extort the system with any form of barcode (water bottles for example), it's kinda obvious why they changed it...
Haha yes a lot of systems like this will accept any old barcode. I went to the Space Centre in Leicester the other year and the turnstiles let me in when I scanned my MAP. Many lolz.
 
IanB said:
I am sure the only reason Disney still offer free fast passes is because when they launched it they promised it would always be free. At that time, everyone was doing it for free. I am sure if they could go back and change it, they would.

Should people who pay for the Disney Behind the scenes tours be ashamed, or feel guilty, because they are paying for a perk, other guests do not get?

Should people who pay to be a Zoo Keeper for the day at CWOA be ashamed or feel guilty because they are paying for a perk other guests do not get?

Do the people who run the parks, and fund the parks, deserve to get something back for what they have put it?

As long as the Perks are expensive enough that it covers the cost of it, and the additional revenue goes towards improving the experience of all the guests, I do not have a problem with it.

Ian

Those examples are completely redundant, because they're not comparable to the state of the current Fastrack system. The premium experiences you mention are removed from the standard guest experience. It's a nice defence of arch-capitalism (I recognise it's a theme park, but personally don't feel warm enough towards Merlin that I feel great for 'giving something back'), but I don't really think that the current Fastrack system works, nor do I see the revenue being invested back into any of the Merlin parks.
 
Plastic Person said:
Those examples are completely redundant, because they're not comparable to the state of the current Fastrack system...nor do I see the revenue being invested back into any of the Merlin parks.

I was talking in general terms, for a fast pass system to be a success, it needs to be used to benefit all guests, not just the ones who are using it.

I completely agree with you, and everyone that the way Merlin run it is shocking, and would not be surprised if none of the revenue raised from it was invested back in to the park.

Ian
 
I promise I will buy fast track every visit if towers get a woody :)
 
Only time I've used proper, actual Fastrack is on Fireworks weekend when I was using some complimentary tickets I got through email. We got 8 Fastracks for any rides of our choice (except Smiler) and they were bloody useful on a busy day. I could certainly see why people use them - made the day so much less hectic than it could have been. Surprisingly enough though the queues for FT (bar Rita) were rather short when I was in them and didn't appear to be impacting on standard queues.

I'm generally against the scheme though.
 
im spending the better part of close to 500 pounds for a couple of days fun i will be using unlimited fast track passes if the main que is bad on day two my only thought is that is the fast track que also long because every one else will be thinking the same because then i wont be happy. i think the best system was when you got a ticket to come back at a certain time for free way back in the 90's it worked very well
 
I do tend to find alton towers fast track a bit to steep. I only bought 1 fast track this year and that was for the smiler, in away I found it was worth the £7, as I had 15mins before I could ride, so I could enjoy the other xsector rides. I only go to alton towers about 3 times a year, so I don't usually bother with it.
To be honest I prefer the Qbot system at Blackpool pleasure beach, as that £10 lasts you all day, not to keen on the £50 deposit though.
 
Least you get the deposit back on the QBot though...

The Fastrack prices SHOULD be steep though, to prevent situations every day where the queues are packed solid... Look at the prices Thorpe sell them for and their problems with it as an example as to why cheap poorly run Fastrack isn't a viable avenue...
 
Fastrack is a premium product, it shouldn't be priced cheaply. That is why I do not agree with single ride fastracks or packages that only include 3 or 4 rides. I've detailed how I think it should be structured several times before, Busch Gardens Williamsburg had it spot on at the time of my visit in 2011. The Towers fastrack system and options at the moment are far too extensive and therefore too complicated. There should be a simple choice between 3 or 4 premium options at Towers. For exapmle; Thrill Silver, Family Silver, Gold (all rides once) and Platinum (all rides unlimited). Nice and simple, should in theory maintain revenue (although this may not be true for Towers with the fastrack mess they have themselves in) and it should keep down fastrack queues.

:)
 
I have used Fastrack once and only once. I took my brother to go on The Smiler, and knowing he would likely get extremely bored and whiny though a two hour queue, I bought Fastrack for us both. But never again. There was something missing, something you only get when you queue under the ride, watching it go around with the screens and sounds. You miss the build-up. It was over too quickly. That might sound a bit counter-intuitive, but you queue for the ride, and the queue is also part of the ride experience.

3/10. Would not fastrack again.
 
I use my own type of fastrack that is available to everyone for no extra coat... SRQ. Or just visit when it's quiet.

To be honest the reason most of us don't buy them is that we have rode everything a thousand times and if it has a que of over 15 minutes we just come back another day.

Saying that... If I visited just once a year for example, or was taking someone who had never been, and could only visit the once, I would certainly consider fastrack, certainly gold, maybe platinum depending on how busy the day was. I would do this because I would want people to experience every attraction. Queuing for the best part of the day does leave a bitter taste in your mouth and somewhat dampens the atmosphere and escapism.

I don't feel sorry for the other people because FT is available to everyone.
 
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