Paul2014

I don't know how many children there are with VIP passes (remember to use it the child would need VIP as well) but it's not likely to impact that much on the queue considering priority passes. But your right for CBeebies fastrack shouldn't be an option as it then impacts the kids, "mummy why are they going before us? They have more money" Separate note I wonder when we'll start seeing CBeebies Priorty passes back on eBay they sell for a fortune! We all know it's not going anywhere and it wouldn't surprise me if they even tried to offer another tier of VIP! When that happens we're all in trouble...

That's how much of a rush it was for them to do it, Slammer listed twice and at least one major ride missing, only took 4 months!

I'm not certain but I think if you buy the top tier of Fastrack it's the same as our apart from CBeebies Land. *Alton only added CBeebies land as they claimed there was no fastrack for anyone ever, then the VIP team at Merlin discovered they actually issue priority passes so it changed the situation* and of course for the younger visitors who may be VIP's I don't think anyone can begrudge them that as they aren't going to hold you up on the Smilier or any coaster.As you can see Thorpe actually offer the least for exit queues and at least you can all see it's not us deciding where we go it's actually where we're told to go (excluding any rogues out there) as long as all staff follow it then there shouldn't be the issues which you noticed last year. No problem, will probably get dagger eyes now from the others lol * Allegedly - that's what I was told by a few people but we were banned from it and then suddenly the VIP team informed us we could use it.

For some reason they decided to list Legoland as exits when infact it is Q-Bot, which in a few rides is also the exit but it's a lower amount compared to what they've put on there.

Out of all of these I think the only one's where VIP holders get special treatment is Cbeebies Land. Those pages all set out where we go, only thing that can change it is if the staff instruct you or Fastrack is closed. The Dragon at LEGOLAND is missing but it's Fastrack (Q-Bot)

I can see your point but it isn't because of the pass, fastrack for Rapids has been via the exit for years and anyone who buys fastrack on the day gets it. You can see just from the Rapids fastrack that it only exists because it's sheer profit for them.

Sorry I must have got confused, I thought you meant if a ride doesn't have a dedicated fastrack queue then it shouldn't allow access via the exit? But then in some cases the fastrack queue is officially the exit -Rumba Rapids for example.

So no exit fastrack for passholders, what about people who buy fastrack on the day?

Also worth making a slight addition but in respect of last weekend it doesn't make a difference, there are some VIP holders who are also entitled to the Disabled Wristband which unless I'm corrected mean they use only exit / disabled and never the fastrack queue.

On a normal day that shouldn't happen Ian, last weekend at Thorpe it was a special event all weekend. Normal park days is where all VIP's should use what's listed in the booklet.Not too sure what's going to happen at Chessington this weekend with regard to queues given their most popular rides are closed but it is listed as a VIP event for us again.

Just hope this year the staff are more on the ball, there was talk in October that the hosts had been given a copy of each parks relevant information (doubt it though) if they've got that then there isn't really an excuse for not following it. And this years new staff should obviously be in the know from day one.

Swapped to iPad quote works fine.Only park where fastrack appears to work fine is Legoland in my opinion, the queues are fine - those that have paid for it get their shorter wait times. Fright nights for me were media night just for mazes then a couple of other nights just for rides in the dark. Slammer in darkness is something else!

That's not our fault though or other fastracks. Fright Nights as I'm sure you'll agree they let far too many people into the park full stop. Then on top of the normal fastrack and ours you also get the special Fright Night fastracks which they don't appear to be able to balance all three. It's a vicious circle because if a person with fastrack complains, what do GS do....they give a priority pass which then increases the queues even more.

The main queue not moving though isn't down to pass holders or anyone else using fastrack it's down to the staff / management instructions. Fastrack doesn't offer immediate entrance just a shorter wait time.

He did act like an idiot but he did also show the flaw in the disabled wristband system and I don't think it's changed. We always find we have to cut them off, they've got in the habit of doing them up so they just spin round your wrist and then pressing down on the end of the sticky bit but I'm not surprised you can get them off. Lego and Chessington sometimes write the date on it, depends who meets you though.

At every theme park apart from Alton we don't bother with them for that very reason, my card is slightly loose for this next reason. Alton have this strange obsession of random checking both the front and back, if your not wearing it they ask to see it when you try to use fastrack. They claim people sell the wristbands on even though they can clearly see it's not been tampered with.

Actually only had an orange juice and one croissant myself, lol I wish more VIP's would join the conversation feels like everyone against 1 haha

Some people will follow it 100% others are more flexible. What I mean was say in this situation, it's walk on and nearing closing time, a group of kids come running up the path only to have us walking through - they'd soon say well why are you delaying us

Problem there is if we used the normal queue we'd then get people moaning saying they have their own fastrack queue why they taking up our spaces etc

Each ride has its own rules, on the whole it's fastrack at Thorpe but last weekend was different from normal so hosts at the ride may have said use the exit.

I'd be surprised if it was solely down to VIP pass holders that it wasn't for sale because the park were giving hotel guests combi fastracks over the 3 days and also VIP fireworks (not passholders) were given untimed fastrack bundles as well, infact we gave ours to strangers in the box office who were made up by it. Legoland was where I've seem the most passholders and what surprised me is the amount of children as young as 5 who have passes!

Whilst I don't doubt there are some people who abuse it, it's worth noting that until October there was no actual official information on where to queue up, until that point attractions did different things, even on the same day with different staff you'd get told different things which made things even worse (you'd go to fastrack and then be told, oh you can use the exit - then of course if you get that a few times people think it's the norm and just instantly go to the exit instead, then creating issues when the person at the exit refuses) Now it's fully known by pass holders whether it's the Fastrack, exit or disabled entrance and the only change in that can be if the fastrack entrance is closed or if instructed by staff. The whole debacle of the above was again created by Merlin by not thinking the whole product out before launching it but hopefully all staff have been made aware of the procedures now for the new season so there shouldn't be any issues.

That's part of the issue which as you point out makes other guests hate it. Some staff make their own rules, then when they do some pass holders expect it more which is wrong. I have no problem waiting the reduced time, after waiting 90+ for the Smilier before getting the passes I do know how it feels.

Me personally if the pass stays as it is then anything over £1000 per pass would probably be a no. Given that you get 4 tickets which have a combined value of £580+ and worldwide access and unlimited fastrack it is a fantastic product (if you put personal view on pass tiers and fastrack aside)

It's worth balancing that out though as your unlikely to see 100's of VIP's other than when there are events or meet ups etc. Normal days the most I've ever seen in a queue with us was 12. Free priority passes though you see far more of them than any paid or VIP pass. If only Guest Services actually put the effort in to resolve issues instead of trying to get people out.