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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

There’s something about this paying for queue jumping etc that really troubles me. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it just feels wrong
I understand this argument, but I don't agree with it. If theme parks were a necessity, then I would take a different view, but they're something that people do because they have the disposable income to do so - and that's not a binary thing, either.

Some people go once every couple of years, because that's what they can afford to do. They may take a packed lunch and spend nothing more than the entrance fee. Others go all the time with their MAP pass, spend a fortune on rubbish food and pin badges that cost as much as it would to feed a family in the developing world for a week.

Some people can't afford to go to parks at all so the eventual extrapolation of this argument is that people who can afford to go are taking something away from people who cannot - but that of course, is not the case.

Furthermore, I can't disagree with it because I have used it at lots of different parks over the years. If I am part of the problem, so be it. If we were discussing the wrongs and rights of paying to skip an NHS waiting list, I'd perhaps be arguing a different way.
 
don’t begrudge people who have medical needs skipping the queue

People with medical needs should be given equal access to rides, not better. They don't get to "skip the queue", just wait it somewhere else.

I've done VIP at Universal Hollywood as that included a much better studio tour as well as the express pass and lunch. But can't see the benefit at many other places really.
 
Did the Sunrise VIP Tour at Cedar Point which started about 2 hours before the park opens. So got behind the scenes stuff and walked into some of the rides. Well worth the experience.

Guess the host at Thorpe Parks main job is walking guests to the front of queues and liaising with the ride hosts, thus saving any confusion.
 
Did the Sunrise VIP Tour at Cedar Point which started about 2 hours before the park opens. So got behind the scenes stuff and walked into some of the rides. Well worth the experience.

Guess the host at Thorpe Parks main job is walking guests to the front of queues and liaising with the ride hosts, thus saving any confusion.
Don't most rides at Thorpe have dedicated VIP entrances anyway?
 
I understand this argument, but I don't agree with it. If theme parks were a necessity, then I would take a different view, but they're something that people do because they have the disposable income to do so - and that's not a binary thing, either.

Some people go once every couple of years, because that's what they can afford to do. They may take a packed lunch and spend nothing more than the entrance fee. Others go all the time with their MAP pass, spend a fortune on rubbish food and pin badges that cost as much as it would to feed a family in the developing world for a week.

Some people can't afford to go to parks at all so the eventual extrapolation of this argument is that people who can afford to go are taking something away from people who cannot - but that of course, is not the case.

Furthermore, I can't disagree with it because I have used it at lots of different parks over the years. If I am part of the problem, so be it. If we were discussing the wrongs and rights of paying to skip an NHS waiting list, I'd perhaps be arguing a different way.
And that’s fine we disagree - I’m not petitioning for it to be banned, I just personally don’t like it. I wouldn’t compare access to theme parks to access to the NHS of course. Fast track being troubling may be one of those things I may be alone in - there’s bound to be many others 😊

People with medical needs should be given equal access to rides, not better. They don't get to "skip the queue", just wait it somewhere else.
I don’t understand your post but don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you. From where I stand in the general queue, people with RAP appear to be allowed onto rides before me after queuing for a shorter time - I was saying I don’t begrudge that. Not having RAP I do not know how it actually works, but I understand the reason why it exists.
 
I don’t understand your post but don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you. From where I stand in the general queue, people with RAP appear to be allowed onto rides before me after queuing for a shorter time - I was saying I don’t begrudge that. Not having RAP I do not know how it actually works, but I understand the reason why it exists.

If being enforced properly those eligible for RAP will be given a return time roughly the same as the current estimated regular queue time, so they can wait for the ride elsewhere and then come back to ride.
 
If being enforced properly those eligible for RAP will be given a return time roughly the same as the current estimated regular queue time, so they can wait for the ride elsewhere and then come back to ride.
Ah - that was something I didn’t know. Thank you for explaining.
 
Nothing says VIP like choosing your own pick and mix.
I’d want it carefully selected for me, according to my palate, and the tub expertly punched down to ensure maximum capacity.

Oh and I don’t want to be told the lid has to fully fit on.

And I’d want a photo of this experience taken for my digipass thing by my ‘VIP’ host who I’ve bored with similar shenanigans for the previous 7.5 hours…
 
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