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I'm sure enthusiasts the world over will be hitting up Windsor for the.... *checks notes* Mack baby coaster.

Maybe the problem is bigger than just Thorpe, as many of you have said they really are backed into a corner. I've said for years that having some form of general, official ID card would come in handy in so many situations. You can sort of get them now but they're in no way "official" or I think accepted anywhere as actual proof. I think it would work; I have a free bus pass, if I don't have my pass I don't get on the bus for free. The same could be applied to Thorpe and any other place that offers stuff for disabled people, want the RAP? You need your disability card. Like the bus passes they could even be scanned, maybe coming up with some vague info about the persons conditions and whatnot. Surely the technology is there.

I think the thought process is more "if we say no this could likely easily escalate to appearing in the national news declaring that the park doesn't not view X as a valid disability and the UK park industry is buggered enough as it is". The people who cheat the system are usually the first to complain when they can't do it anymore. Hell we've seen what happens when a height limit is increased on Log Flumes!

Got to love how easy it is to get a RAP. Saves money on buying fast rack.

There's a few alternative options the parks can alter to improve the system that whilst would have some complaints it's not something that would particularly be a problem in terms of preventing anyone using it. Main thing is one carer. That's all you get. Perhaps in special circumstances you can have two but that's when you can really go all out on PIP/DLA as the majority of disabled guests will only need the one carer (plus on most rides you've only got two seats in a row anyway). Majority of parks seem to use this so why not ours? That being said, it would be problematic towards families. But as carers need to be 16+ (iirc) then it's a weird situation. There's some leeway there as things can also be combined with parent swap in order to accommodate some families with it. Making the system Blue Badge or benefits only is a minefield and should not be considered. Some people can't get benefits but can have a blue badge, and probably vice versa. Hell some severely disabled people are now considered fit to work and have their benefits cut. But that's the government for you. Perhaps DLP's tiered system could be looked at. Temporary injuries like leg casts have one method, whereas permanent disabilities have another. I've not really used it so can't be sure. There's no one answer as you cannot encompass every disability under the sun. However it's clear it's an UK issue, as when using it in places like Efteling or Toverland (not Walibi as it's not the best system, though technically the fairest as you stand at the exit for the same length of time as the queue, but with no real waiting areas), as there aren't as many using it compared to Merlin ones. Didn't see many use it at other parks in UK but I wonder if it's as widely known or if the max one carer system prevents abuse? As for those early morning queues, it's the same at Towers, though at least Thorpe have a separate area. The early morning rush can't really be avoided if everyone turns up on time can it?

Right hello a user of RAP systems in multiple parks here and let me tell you it is completely flawed. In Thorpe you should only be able to take on three “Carers” which is something I stick to because I understand this as something that can wind people up and this is the damn rule. I can remember being about 7 and people were yelling abuse at me in Flamingoland because I used their equivalent system. They must’ve received enough complaints over the years as in around 2010/2011 they no longer accept GP letters. I get that GP letters can be faked (my new one looks awful but I can’t turn round the receptionist and say “can you actually make this look professional?”) but if you remove them, you are removing those without a disabled badge or benefits. Chessington introduced a grading system last year so that might still be in effect where depending on your disability, you were able to ride without a career. Blackpool operate EVE alongside 10 rides being on Speedy Pass which works best imo because it’s all digitally tracked in a way other parks don’t as well as also allowing the guest on without a companion. I’ve seen multiple people abuse the system and do challenge them on it because I’m scared that their actions will lead to me losing my pass. I can’t enjoy parks without the passes because otherwise I’m in too much pain to keep going. I would say the system of return time for next attraction works however (if they provided accurate queue times) over return time for that attraction which Walt Disney World operates. I welcome any discussion about the systems because I’ve seen both extremes, a park that doesn’t have one and parks that allow too much, an industry wide standard should be applied but I’ll eat my RAP if that ever happens.

Having a medically trained person checking the documentation is all well and good in theory, but any half-decent GP in the country will write a strong enough letter to convince someone else that they're in need of a Ride Access Pass. There's obviously the other issue of having enough medically trained staff to check the documentation at a busier park, whilst also being available to tend to any medical emergencies. Presumably at Paultons it is just a member of the First Aid team who only needs a basic First Aid course to work there (though likely has an interest in First Aid and is studying other medical courses), rather than a qualified 'nurse'? Nurses don't get paid enough as it is, I can't imagine how little a theme park nurse would be paid!

There isn't a lot they can do, but putting in place some kind of sanctions for those who do abuse the system would be a good idea. However, that won't happen unless the staff are trained in the system and how to cope with guests who do choose to abuse it. They could make it so that you need to have 2 forms of proof, but that would cause mass uproar, just as changing it to only blue badges or PIP/DLA would. Actually timing out cards would make it less attractive to those who are simply just using it as a fast track, meaning that only people who need to use it will. I still think, however many people have been overheard in parks *possibly* talking about fake doctors letters, it is a minority who do abuse it, and if it is not, please do provide receipts for this data. Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

I know some people like to act like the people who run the park are idiots, but I'm sure you know that no one thinks this...right? I'm not for one second suggesting that you should have an answer, but I want to bring up a fair point: what can they do to fix it? People on forums and within the community are quick to pipe up when they have an idea which they think works for pretty much anything theme park related, but I don't think I've ever seen a half-reasonable / implementable solution on how to improve the system for RAP users, and ensure that only people who truly need it use it. Getting staff to understand, explain, run the system properly is a start. But that's truly only the beginning.

On a hot summers day it’s not unreasonable to assume there would be a couple hundred people on park who are eligible for an access pass - 90% of eligible guests would be arriving in the morning so there would be bound to be an initial surge of people all collecting their passes at the same time. The system isn’t perfect, and I’m not sure a “perfect” solution even exists - but it’s hardly one of Thorpes / Merlins top issues.