Fast Lane is now Officially "The Flash Pass"
If a Q-Botter (a person who uses the system and waits in a "virtual line") stands in line for another ride while "virtually" waiting in the Q-Botted line, when he gets to ride the Q-Botted ride he is line jumping. Does a person who is not using Q-Bot have the opportunity to ride another ride while standing in line?
The way they load some rides (Rolling Thunder, Mr. Freeze) really kills capacity. Rides that load from the exit cause an unsafe flow of traffic as well as keeps the "stand-by" line from loading until Q-Botters board from the exit side of the platform. This takes a few minutes extra at least.
I could keep going on and on about it but those are the most non-opinionated facts to bring up.
I think that it should be against the law, because SF is re-selling the seats that I already paid for at the gate. *** Edited 3/23/2006 3:10:06 AM UTC by dexter***
The problem with this however is that they usually get so many fastlaners lined up for just one cycle that they won't make them follow the rules of simply using that row & allow them access to any seats they want,which results in longer waits for those using the regular queue.
I remember doing laps on Nitro, while people waiting on line from Nitro were still moving slowly through the que.
Even on the busiest days a gold bot makes you feel that the huge crowds are merely incidental.
But even with a free admission, I am paying what the GP paid, except I get much more out of it.
Here's a question. Will 6 Flags honor the frequent rider program from last year. It's the one where if you rent 4 bots on 4 seperate days, the 5th one is free?
I have my old card with 2 punches from last year.
Here's To Shorter Lines & Longer Trip Reports!
What a joke. You didn't pay for anything but admission. The park gets to decide how to load and run their rides and lines. You don't like it - don't go. Let them know and maybe they will change. If they don't, stop giving them your money. Forget laws - that is foolish.
Isn't line jumping illegal in some States?
What is my paid admission buying me? I would say that coasters and other rides are the main reason people are going to a park in the first place. So admission equals seats on rides. To me and most every one else who go to a park, I am paying for seats on rides.
When someone can buy an upgrade and is allowed to stand in more than one ride line at a time, they are taking my seats on some of those rides. They are in TWO places at once. Is my friend allowed to save my place in Superman's queue while I go ride Madusa? Is a teenagers Mom allowed to save her son's place in long lines all day while he goes off to ride other rides? Does anyone understand what I am saying?
Sure SF can load and run their rides however they want to, but anyone who has worked directly with the public has been trained to not do anything to tick them off. If you are willing to pay twice as much for a Big Mac Extra Value meal during the lunch hour rush, would it be okay if McDonnalds provided the "service" of allowing you to skip in front of everyone else in line?
I don't forsee them ever changing. It all comes down to SF caring about making a fast buck now at the expense of ticking off a lot of potential regular customers. That doesen't just pertain to Q-Bot; it seems to be the way they run their whole chain. They already have your admission money for the day, so they seem to not care about making you want to return.
I DO refrain from giving them my money because I only go about once every 4 or 5 years. When I do go, I DO let them know how my day went at the "Guest" (lol) Service window. One time at SFWoA, the lady at the GS window cut me off in the middle of my first sentence with, "Okay, biebie now!" and then she yelled, "NEXT!"
I also took the time to tell Lo-Q what I thought about their scam on their online servey. I think everyone who knows how unfair Q-Bot is and how it REALLY works should do the same.
Someone is going to soon say here, "But you pay more for closer tickets at a concert, Circus, or ball game". If you are holding that card for later in the discussion, I am going to spoil it right now and tell you that, to me anyway, that is not the same thing at all. Everyone who pays for a ticket get to see the whole show, and not just half. people who bought a higher priced ticket are in now way what-so-ever inconviencing those who paid less. It's not the same thing at all.
Q-Bot is a scam. *** Edited 3/23/2006 4:56:07 AM UTC by dexter***
BATWING FAN SFA said:
^That's the way SFA does it<& I assume SFMM as well> they simply block off the row they intend to use for fastlane/flashpass & if nobody shows up on that particular cycle the seats just go out empty.The problem with this however is that they usually get so many fastlaners lined up for just one cycle that they won't make them follow the rules of simply using that row & allow them access to any seats they want,which results in longer waits for those using the regular queue.
And this is where the Flashpass is a blatant display of line jumping, that the park does not condone. Guess their too busy making sure that the regulars don't cut in line(Yeah Right!).
Frankly I see nothing to complain about.
All I've seen since my start up post, is alot of Six Flags spin to help convince everyone else that the Flashpass isn't considered line jumping. You'll fail in this attempt every time.
Yeah, I do not have any problem with "perks", but "Flashpass" is not a perk, it is a scam.
I personally have never used *any* virtual queueing, even at Disney. Call me an idiot, but I like the anticipation and bonding time that waiting in line allows. But if people want that sort of option, I see no problem with it.
But I think most of you are overlooking the bigger issue. If your going to do something like Flashpass, maximun trains have got to be the priority, even if that cuts into the sells of the passes. I've always said the these "faster access" options work better if everyone is happy. If you've got one train cycling the track, even the person who purchases the passes feels awkward and stressed about taking the seat of someone who's been waiting 2 hours.
If the lines are moving rapidly(like in a Disney park), I don't think anyone gives a crap. I certainly don't.
Call it line jumping, cheating, unfair or whatever suits you. It looks like (at SF at least) it's here to stay. At least I'd like to see them do it with some integrity and not make those that are standing in line suffer over it. Everyone has a limited amount of time, not just those that pay for it. *** Edited 3/23/2006 5:48:18 AM UTC by DWeaver***
I usuially have no problem with Disney's Fastpass or the now gone Universal Express. I think these systems are run very well, and consider them a service and a "perk", as Moosh has said.
You're losing me, Dexter.
I don't see how you can be ok with one form of "line cutting" but not another.
And before you say, "it's available to everyone" let me just point out that I've often seen Disney run out of Fastpasses making it not available to me, but I've never been turned away from the Q-bot line.
And I really don't get the line cutting thing either. Both reserve you a spot in line letting you do other things during that time. They use different means of doing so but both generally make you wait as long as, or longer than you would have anyway. (gold q-bot is a different story, but that's neither here nor there)
So I get that the complaint that these people are now standing in another line and thus increasing wait times across the park. Still don't see the line cutting. No one is waiting any less time for any single ride than they would have originally. What it does in this case is let a person be in two spots at one (agauin, waiting the same amount ot time as anyone else, but in two lines at once)
An advantage? Yes. A perk? Yes. Unfair? No.
You could argue that the same thing happens on busy days. More people in lines means longer waits. What's the difference if it's me in line for Nitro and Superman at the same time or it's a Dad and his kid in line for Nitro and another Dad and his kid in line for Superman?
Is it unfair and against the law for the park to admit so many people that it forces you to wait longer even though you paid? Of course not. What a fair time to wait for a ride? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? An hour? It's ridiculous and I can't believe that I have to lower the bar of the debate this far to reach the level it's currently at.
On top of this, you're not paying for seats on a ride - you're paying for admision to the park. Beyond that nothing is promised. Once on the grounds you're free to use the facilities as you wish, but technically there's no promise of anything - or then should it be illegal if a park doesn't run a ride the day you're there? (perfect spot for the roll eyes smiley)
A park like Knoebels is a park where you pay to ride. Admission to the grounds is free and you can pick and choose exactly what you want to ride and pay only for that- a la carte style. The also offer the 'buffet' which is a ride-all-day wristband which lets you indulge as much as you'd like. Is it unfair that you paid to ride all day, but on this day an unusually high number of people are buying tickets for Phoenix? I mean you were forced to wait longer because these people spent money to ride, right?
The definition of line cutting per the SF website:
Line jumping constitutes cutting in front of other waiting guests or leaving the line for any reason then attempting to reenter. Please respect your fellow guests by waiting your turn in line.
If I use Q-bot, I've followed these rules perfectly.
I've reserved a virtual spot in line and I don't leave it. I've skipped in front of no one (if you enter the line the same time I scan my q-bot, we will both ride at approximately the same time - give or take a few spots) and waited my turn nicely. You waited 45 minutes to ride and so did I. While you stood in line I went over to another ride and waited 30 minutes in line with everyone else.
Not once have I skipped ahead of anyone.
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