Drayton did the right thing and thats the end of it. 

I agree with @Mark9

 

The staff had two options, risk the boy falling out and possibly getting killed, or put up with some criticism.

 

Since safety is the biggest priority, they had no choice. This is a completely unfair situation on the park, this could happen at any park.

Sadly it's a lose lose situation for the park with the way media are these days.

 

That said, an article criticising the park for refusing someone on a ride is ten times preferable than one resulting in someone falling to their death as a result of not complying with restrictions.

 

 

To play devils advocate there is more than one way to measure someone's height if they cannot stand up, there's this old device called a tape measure that we used in the last century, they're small enough to fit in your pocket too.

 

Having said that had that been me my first visit would have been to client services in the morning to get measured, and I would have taken my trusty tape measure with me.

 

But, if even half the things reported that the staff said are true, those people need to be sent on a public relations course quick, there is always a different way to put a point across without being a **** about it.

Ironically though in order to get onto the rides the kid would need to stand up/get out the chair anyway, fortunately even the Mail commenters have noted this factor... Then also why they were queuing when Drayton offer a disabled access scheme calls into question the general sense of the family...

 

Guess with Towers closed they need to pick on someone...

Not necessarily, I've seen several people lifted straight from their wheelchairs to the ride without their feet touching the ground.

 

Also being in a wheelchair or blind doesn't make you eligible for the disabled access scheme in itself, all the parks have this policy, they all follow BALPPA guidelines in this respect.

 

 

Being blind (one of the biggest disabilities around) doesn't qualify you for a disabled pass at an amusement park?

 

Yeah, ok then...

One thing which I find odd is that Drayton said the child would need to be measured at every ride.  Surely by now they've thought of the whole wristband height check thing that so many other parks offer?

8 hours ago, Ian-S said:

To play devils advocate there is more than one way to measure someone's height if they cannot stand up, there's this old device called a tape measure that we used in the last century, they're small enough to fit in your pocket too.

 

In five years at working at Chessington, I never once saw a measuring tape and was never asked to carry one, provided one or required to have one. Expecting a park like Drayton Manor to have them at each individual ride is unrealistic, thats what the height boards are for after all. 

8 hours ago, Ian-S said:

But, if even half the things reported that the staff said are true, those people need to be sent on a public relations course quick, there is always a different way to put a point across without being a **** about it.

 

Lets face it, the Mirror only really gives us one side of the story, the poor visitors to the evil theme park who deliberately discriminate the disabled. I'd take it all with a pinch of salt. 

On 12/9/2016 at 1:20 AM, Benin said:

So being blind (one of the biggest disabilities around) doesn't qualify you for a disabled pass at an amusement park?

 

Yeah, ok then...

 

I sugest you read the respective Ride Access Pass policy for some parks then, instead of assuming.

 

On 12/9/2016 at 8:20 AM, Mark9 said:

 

In five years at working at Ctsington,ever once saw a menasuringru tape and was never asked to carry one, provided one or required to have one. Expecting a park like Drayton Manor to have them at each individual ride is unrealistic, thats what the height boards are for after all. 

 

Lets face it, the Mirror only really gives us one side of the story, the poor visitors to the evil theme park who deliberately discriminate the disabled. I'd take it all with a pinch of salt. 

 

..and we all know Parks have their fair share of staff who could ruin your day in a heartbeat by saying something wrong rude or insensitive, so lets not kid ourselves they are populated entirely by nice people either.

Drayton are absolutely in the right, well done to them for following the safety procedures correctly.

 

It's important that staff handle these situations correctly (polite, apologetic) rather than the "there's nothing I can do" attitude, as that can get people's backs up and cause backlashes like this.

(I'm not saying that's what has happened here as I don't know, but it may have done).

None of us are condemning them for enforcing the rules (yes even me), I'm just saying they could have handled it differently and as much as we wear rose tinted glasses regarding parks, we all know there was likely more truth than lie in that article about their staff's attitude.

I'm pretty sure that almost all parks who offer a Disabled Access Pass just go with any condition that would register someone disabled in the eyes of the health service/government.
And I looked on the Drayton Manor website to see what they offer in regards to a ride access pass, anyone who would struggle to use a normal queue line, as in, someone who can't see the queue line, or in a wheelchair, is eligible. I would be. Lol.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

Page 3, bottom paragraph:

https://altontowers.blob.core.windows.net/media/2494/2016-additional-needs-guide.pdf

 

"Ride Access Passes are not automatically offered to guests who have a hearing or visual impairment unless they are in receipt of the higher rate DLA, enhanced PIP or they have a letter from their consultant."

 

Simply rocking up with a white stick will not get you the pass, you have to take your DLA Awards letter (assuming you get higher rate), or a letter from your consultant.  I have seen this enforced as well, and I've also seen a staff member take the common sense approach and issue a RAP without evidence (because the person was quiet clearly disabled), as I said, don't assume, perhaps this was the same mistake this family made.

 

Similarly producing a blue badge at the entrance will get one person in free (a helper) at Merlin Parks, I say Merlin Parks because the policy is different at others, at BPB and Paultons the helper has to pay (or had to pay, may change now), but you must produce the Blue Badge, they will not let a helper in free without it, you can blame the kid who rocked up at Thorpe Park with crutches pretending to be disabled so he got free fast track and then bragging about it on twitter for this policy.

 

Thorpe used to say something similar "no automatic entitlement for blind, death or wheelchair bound" but they've taken that particular line off their site now and it's similar to Alton, whichever way you look at it, you still need to take the documentation along to prove it, they won't simply accept your word for it now, there are also two different requirements for qualification, for free helper entry it's produce blue badge, for ride access pass it's produce blue badge plus letter (or HRDLA letter), for example if you receive the lower rate DLA and have a blue badge, you'll be able to get a helper in free, but not use the Ride Access System, for that you'll need a consultants letter.

 

I should probably say I cannot fault Merlin, Paultons or BPB for their policies, if anything I'd say Paultons is best because it cannot be fiddled, and the staff at one particular Merlin attraction went out of their way to help my nephew who is severely mentally disabled by letting in his both his parents free (instead of just one), but you do need to go prepared and understand each system, simply rocking up without any preparation won't get you anything.  So next time you get pissed at that person in the disabled queue who looks "fine", spare a thought for the grief they may have had to go through to be there and don't assume they just got handed the pass for saying some magic word at the entrance (or should have got said pass just because you think they should).

 

I have no idea of Drayton's policy but when I researched it earlier this year it was similar to Alton's one.

So S&S have noticed that Mack design half of their rides whilst seemingly drunk and / or high as a kite, so decided to have a crack at it themselves.  The results aren't good - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJi4uenl18tUI2ytqkzWfA/videos

 

Interestingly, one of the rides seem to fit pretty nicely at Drayton, seemingly being based at the park:

 

 

There's been a few wild rumours over the past few months of Drayton investing in an S&S coaster for 2018, and an inverted coaster and a launched coaster are two obvious things which could add to the ride line up.  

 

Hope it's not the above though, since it just seems awful...

It's just... Dull? Like it doesn't seem to do anything potentially interesting at all with the layout...

 

Might as well just buy a Vekoma SFC...

 

 

I do however ADORE the ridiculous rotating track switch design in their "high throughput" inverted launch... What WERE they on?

I heard a rumour about a possible clone of Impulse.

 

Honestly, I would prefer a family launch coaster or just a launch coaster in general.

The video is now private

Well, whatever they get I just hope it's comparatively better then Shockwave and G Force, which are the worst coaster duo I have ever ridden. 

 

I wont miss Buffalo if it's for the chop.

 

In other news, Thomas Land is getting 'yet' anothe new attraction this year (whilst the rest of the park is stagnant). Still, I suppose it's their best asset right now and they need to. Compete against Beeb land and Peppa land.

 

 

Getting back to this year, and it seems like the Cartoon Network contract is up, so Ben 10 has been rethemed and renamed as 'Accelerator'.

 

(photos by Adam on TTSP)

 

It's a shame as the queue line for Ben 10 was awesome all things considered, so it'll be interesting to see if they can replicate that quality.

 

There were also rumours of Hot Wheels being bought in to act as a sponsor which could have worked well, but alas it seems to have no happened.

Shame the contract contract couldn't have been renewed as the Ben 10 theme worked particularly well with the coaster. 

 

Judging from the pictures it doesn't look great which is a shame, but we will have to see. Am I imagining this or were the park trying to add a Cartoon Network land in the surrounding area? If yes, it appears it didn't go as planned.

That WAS the plan, Scooby Doo Haunting would've been amazing...

 

I seem to be one of the few people who doesn't have like an issue with the outside? I mean it's not like Ben 10 was a work of art externally, if anything this has added some colour to it... The sign is crap though...

 

Never thought the inside was that amazing either, it always annoyed me they never continued it to the station which could've really been not a B&Q decking project...

I agree with Benin it was never exactly incredible, especially when you look at the station. I can appreciate that there seems to be a set design element to the Junior Boomerangs but look at what Paulton's (for budgets) and Phantasia (for capability) to theme them in, and you can really see how awfully done Ben 10 was.

 

The upgrade doesn't phase me. Accelerator? Doesn't really accelerate does it. The only thing that truly bugs me is the fact they went and painted pillars, roller doors, new logo etc... but they couldn't scrape off some mould above the entrance. Kudos Drayton.

 

I imagine the interior to be very similar to G-Force now. Anything that doesn't have to be removed won't have been; and it'll be predominantly untouched, just like the Tesla Coils and old projection screens from Capital or whatever in G-Force.

I really enjoyed visiting Drayton Manor last weekend, there where loads of improvements to the park and I thought the accelerator queue line was on the money in terms of theming, but the exterior of the ride looked a little cheap in my opinion with the graffiti style cars on the walls, check out our vlog from last weekend, cannot wait to return later on in the year  

 

 

 

heard someone fell in, not sure if true or not, just seen around