Merlin Fastrack

[mouse]

I'm not big on writing essays, but I have something to say.

I think Merlin's fastrack system is rubbish. It can't control numbers, so sometimes you have to wait 20 minutes or so anyway. It's also ridicilously expensive (just have a look at THIS) It just depends how much money you have, so people with fastrack almost look down on us normal people.

On the other hand, Disney (sorry Ian) have an excellent system. They let you have one fastrack ticket a day, and give you a time to be at the chosen ride, completely free.

Disney found a problem, and solved it. Merlin found a problem, and tryed to make money from it.

So what do you think?

 

[furie]

Did you know Alton Towers used to run the same system as Disney?

You could get a free fast-track ticket for a whole host of their rides (I'm thinking Air, Nemesis, Blackhole and Oblivion - but my memory isn't good and...)... it only lasted about half a season (it may have been a lot longer, I really can't remember).

There were machines that you put your entry ticket into and it gave you a fasttrack. Only it never worked, so they had staff members stood by the machines handing them out instead - about six staff per fast track ride.

It must have cost them an absolute fortune and the queues (like the Disney ones) for the fastrack were huge, sometimes longer than the queue for the ride you were getting fasttrack for :roll:

So yeah, they tried and it failed miserably. Also, why offer something for free when you can get money for it?

They introduced the system because Alton was famous for massive queues and poor value for money in terms of the number of rides you'd manage. They then turned that to their marketing advantage to let the bad press sell them fasttracks - which is actually an utter stroke of genius. Even more than being a stroke of genius, it worked! Tussauds had to be laughing all the way to the bank - and why should Merlin ditch that?

Personally, I don't care. However, I go to the parks so often that I don't care if I ride anything or not - though we did buy fasttrack for Tomb Blaster at CWoA for Vampire's 21st - that was just because we arrived quite late and stuff.

Yeah, don't care too much, if you want to pay, then pay. It makes little difference to me...

 

[coastergeek14]

i think that merlin are darn greedy. i mean, you already have to fork out a lot to actually get into the park, and THEN another tenner for fast queing? i mean, look at thorpe, 40.20 (or something like that) and then they expect you to pay 10.50 for fast tracks? Greedy s*ds.

 

[T0M]

Simple, everyone should have the same opportunity regardless of disposable income. No form of paid queue jumping at all. Drayton Manor is the last 'big' park in this country to remain free of it, but for how long will that last?

 

[Ben]

Simple, everyone should have the same opportunity regardless of disposable income

Comrade Stalin is pleased.

Do you also go onto planes and moan about their being a First Class for people that can afford it?

People will pay for these things, buisnesses can make money from them, they're not going anywhere. Welcome to reality.

 

[STC]

Do you also go onto planes and moan about their being a First Class for people that can afford it?

No, because people being in first class doesn't, for the purposes of this analogy, make the plane go any slower for people in second class or whatever.

Fasttrack is simply paid queuejumping.

Ben, Disney don't do it. Disney answer to their shareholders only, just like Merlin. So they must see that from a business perspective Fasttrack would lose them money. I imagine it'd be because paid queuejump at Disney would create a negative impression of the park for other guests and would result in less return visits.

So it's not simply a case of "paid queuejump is always good for business".

 

[Ben]

For one, Disney do actually do it. They just don't do it as blatently.

For example, Extra Magic Hours. Don't think these are a formed of paid queue jump? They are. And the effect they have on normal patrons? Well, where's that early morning chance to get on rides with no queue? Gone, because all the hotel guests are already filling up the queuelines.

And they also operate tours whereby you pay loads, and get a guide to take you on all the rides you want. It's just a LOT more than Merlin charge.

This is all moot though, seeing as Disney operate on a totally different plane to Merlin. For one, how much do you think an average guest at a Disney park already pays compared to at a Merlin park?

I'm afraid Disney just isn't comparable. Disney parks are special, and sit in their own little World. Compare Merlin to, say, Six Flags... Who have Q-Bots.

Simply put, making money IS good for buisness. Merlin are obviously making enough money to cover the "negative press", or else they'd stop it. You can whinge about how Merlin operate all you want, but, they're doing really well from a buisness view for a theme park operater, and they'll continue to operate as they do as long as they keep growing as quickly as they are. This is reality. Deal with it.

 

[CoasterCrazy]

Simply put, making money IS good for buisness. Merlin are obviously making enough money to cover the "negative press", or else they'd stop it. You can whinge about how Merlin operate all you want, but, they're doing really well from a buisness view for a theme park operater, and they'll continue to operate as they do as long as they keep growing as quickly as they are. This is reality. Deal with it.

Take your Stalin (aka.Merlin) for example. He boosted the Soviet Unions agricultural and industrial industries production (making more money) by setting production targets and almost enslaving his people (spoiling the operation of the park)...and he (Merlins management) didn't care!

Blood money! :redhotevil:



The big problem with Merlin fastrack is that too many people buy them and they then slow EVERY RIDE down!

 

[Ben]

Stalin boosted the Soviet Unions agricultural

LOL.

Please, just, don't.

Please don't get into Russian History with me if you're going to get your facts this wrong. I've got a degree in the **** stuff.

 

[spicy]

I actually think the Merlin fastrack system is good.

It gives you a choice of exactly what you want, when you want, you just have to be prepared to pay for it.

For instance last week we really wanted to go on Sonic Spinball and there were four of us. The queue was an hour plus which none of us were prepared to queue. So we bought a fastrack each for £3.00 and got on immediately.

For me it was money well spent as I had basically bought an extra hour for the day and got to go straight on Spinball.

 

[CoasterCrazy]

^It's good if you actually have a fastpass, but if you don't...(like me!)

 

[Ollie]

Back when Tussauds owned the parks it used to be free. You used to be able to get one per ride until the time slot ran out.
So you could get one for Vampire, Tomb Blaster and Dragon Falls etc and have a whole bunch of fast tracks. You just couldn't get a fast track for the same ride until the one you already had timed out.

It was free and a good system and the fastrack queues weren't that long from memory. Ever since they've charged for them I've never bought them as I don't agree with it. It's free in almost all the other parks that do it. It's just Merlin are money grabbing bastards.

 

[Ben]

It's free in almost all the other parks that do it. It's just Merlin are money grabbing bastards.

Except the Universal parks. And the Busch parks. And Dollywood.

And every other park that does them.

In fact, what other parks other than Disney do them for free? I can't think of any...

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

^^On the other hand the system they used for the free fast-track was so awful it was EASY AS HELL to manipulate, indeed, I've seen various objects be scanned (for example, a water bottle) to get extra tickets...


It does indeed affect queues if the throughputs are dire (step forward Dragons Fury!), and they can indeed control numbers in a way... Just more likely to see extra sellers about on the REALLY busy days...

Either way, we won't see the free ones return, hell even Disney parks have lots of staff milling around their machines, and if Disney need them, our parks sure as hell will...


Plus, once again, it was originally changed during Tussauds' era, but let's not let facts get in the way of a good bash at Merlin...

 

[TarinMaria]

I have to say, I disagree with the whole fast track thing. Why should richer people not have to wait for an hour, and people with less money on the day have to wait? I don't even think that the free fast track system is any good, when I went to Disneyland Paris, we attempted to use our fast track for Space Mountain to avoid an hour and a half queue, and it swallowed my entrance ticket. It would just be easier to get rid of the fast track system altogether.

 

[CoasterCrazy]

Easier to get rid of, yes, but there is an awful lot of money to be earnt! Some people simpily don't have the patience...and also if you have an annual pass and pop in to go on one ride, then it's pretty handy.

Merlins fast track is pretty bad because it's not operated well enough, however disney's...is ace! (because it's free! :--D )

 

[Colossus]

Fast tracks can at times be annoying, for example yesterday I was at Thorpe patiently waiting my turn for Colossus, the queue took a lot longer then normal, I could see both trains operating and I expected some Fast trackers but still, when I arrived near the front all became apparent, hoards of Fast trackers just walking on in. I must confess that this wound me up incredibly, even though I know how the Fast track system works and that they have priority, I hypocritically sat there in a hump for about 10 minutes until I came around and realized that. We got off everybody else bar me decided to do a crappy maze so I though no no, not me I want my dark ride on Nemesis Inferno, so guess what I did? That`s right boys and girls I spent £3 on a Fast track as if to pay for time I had lost in the Colossus queue.
Moral of the story is, is that we know Fast track is there and it ALWAYS will be because of the money it makes and at peak times there will always be more people using that system then normal, there`s no point complaining about it. People say its for rich people, that`s bullsh** a mere £6 pound can save you 3 hours queue time for Colossus and Nemesis. £6 is nothing when you take into account the amount of money you spend on a day at a theme park. You`re not buying a queue jump, you`re buying time.

 

[Ian]

You`re not buying a queue jump, you`re buying time.

That sums it up perfectly.

Slightly off topic, but can anybody remember if the Tussauds fastpass machines had buttons on the back which dispensed endless tickets? I swear I once abused that for about 20 Dragon's Fury passes one day.

I have no problem with people queue jump things, as long as they don't use them when I'm queuing normally :wink:

 

[Gavin]

Why should richer people not have to wait for an hour, and people with less money on the day have to wait?

Because people with more money are better then those with less.

Merlin's just doesn't seem to work very well though, I agree. The Qbot things are a much, much better system and are a lot more "fair" as well. You don't have to physically stand in a line, but you're also not technically jumping the queue either.

Disney's is great as well. If you're clever with them, you can get a lot more done in the day than you might be able to normally.

The only other park I can think of that currently has the free "Disney" system is Lotte World; EVERY other park I've seen with any kind of fast-track system makes you pay for it. Lotte's operates in exactly the same way as Disney's (scan your ticket, get a pass with a time to go back). They just very rarely seem to bother operating it though, even on busy (i.e. most) days.

Anyway, while I do get a bit annoyed seeing people walking past me while I'm queueing, I've got no real issue with paying more for a potentially "better" service.

 

[spicy]

It all depends how you perceive what is value for money.

In my opinion £3 to skip a one hour queue is value for money.

If you would rather queue for one hour and save yourself £3 then thats your choice, but you can't then complain when people have paid the £3 to not stand in the queue.