FastTrack: Was it ever free?

[themealgang]

Just something that came across my mind recently that some veteran Towers fans might be able to help me out with! Was it ever a case, back when FastTrack was introduced (around 2001 time?) it was actually a free option for all park guests? In other words, it operated rather like the Disney FastTrack system where you placed your ticket in the machine outside the attraction entrance to gain a FastTrack ticket, went off to enjoy the rest of the park and then came back at a designated time? I'm curious as there are traces of this sort of service existing at some point during the park's history. For example, the 'shelter' outside the Black Hole's former queue line was visible until the tent was demolished last year. Looking at the park currently, the smoking area in Forbidden Valley seems to be where Air's FastTrack machines were once located, the current location of the X Sector lockers appear to be where Oblivion's FastTrack machines used to reside.

If this was a case, I just wish that they would bring the option back. The only thing I hate about theme parks is the fact they can get away charging ridiculous fees in order to cut the queues. It is, quite frankly, unacceptable.

[jp235]

That's absolutely right - it was called Virtual Queue in those days, and was free. Each ride had a series of machines, and you scanned the barcode on your park entry ticket (or annual pass), and it issued you another ticket with the ride name, date, and a time to come back. Thorpe & Chessington had the same system.

I'm fairly sure you're right about the location of all the machines, although I remember the Nemesis machines were roughly where the Blade entrance gate now stands. They also trialled a scheme called VQ Mobile, which involved texting a number (possibly texting the number from your park entry ticket, not sure) and receiving a reply with a time slot. The scheme didn't work brilliantly because mobile technology wasn't really up to scratch at the time. Bizarrely, Submission had no VQ option, but did have VQ Mobile, with one side of the ride devoted purely to VQM, and the other to the normal queue.

The system was intelligent enough to prevent you having 2 valid tickets at once - eg if your park entry ticket had been assigned a slot on Nemesis for 4pm, you couldn't get a ticket for Oblivion until after 4. Also, VQ only operated when the park was quite busy.

Frankly, it was a far better system than the current paid-for Frastrack, which I think is the single worst development in the theme park industry in the last few years. These days, more and more parks realise they can charge people a small fortune for absolutely nothing; and that they can make even more money by artificially lengthening queues through poor operation - or knowingly posting exaggerated queue times at ride entrances.

I remember visiting Alton with a friend who had no Annual Pass. I was shocked by how long to took to buy park entry tickets, as every group was cajoled into buying Fastrack, had all the packages explained to them, then stood there debating which package to have. To add insult to injury, these people would have then entered the park to find there were barely any queue to jump in the first place!

[themealgang]

^Brilliant! Thank you very much for the information. It's such a shame that this system was axed. It's sounds genius.

[bensaund]

There is only one reason this was axed, it cost them money to run, now they make a mint out of selling fast track.

Taking away a very fair system and putting in a system which favours the rich and makes them a bucket load of cash without having to do much at all.

[Benb]

I'm sure they could have found a way by which to charge for the VQ system... even with a fee it seems to make more sense that the fasttrack system. I wonder why they swapped, maybe fasttrack was just easier on the parks side of things?

[jp235]

maybe fasttrack was just easier on the parks side of things?

It depends who you mean - it's certainly easier from a business perspective, in that they've managed to set up a system where people believe they're getting something when they really are not.

If you mean the actual customer-facing staff, Fastrack is horrendous. You get people complaining if any of the following happen:

1: They've paid for Fastrack and found there's no queue to jump in the first place
2: They turn up to a ride and find they have to wait at all, even if it's only 10 minutes.
3: A ride goes down when they've already paid for their Fastrack ticket
4: Pretty much anyone who visits on a busy day and finds their spending is being forced way beyond what they ever budgeted for.

Not to mention the complaints from people in the normal queue who complain about people being let on ahead of them.

I definitely believe that if there's any sort of VQ/Fastrack system, it should be free. After all, most people (OK, enthusiasts excluded) will spend the time they save spending money somewhere in the park.

Better yet, how about the Europa Park approach? No queue jump system at all, but instead make sure the rides have a high throughput, and the staff run them to capacity? You can't tell me it's coincidence that since paid Fastrack was introduced, all the new rides at Merlin parks have had lower capacity than those built before?

[Benb]

Yes, I suppose that's what I was wondering. From a monetary perspective it probably is cheaper but from a customer relations one it is doing some damage I suppose.

You can't tell me it's coincidence that since paid Fastrack was introduced, all the new rides at Merlin parks have had lower capacity than those built before?

Hmm, it may have something to do with that but I rather think that the capacity issue is due to cheapness of installation - building a high capacity B&M coaster is going to set you back a lot more than a Gerstlauer. Although having said that I think the construction of late has been rather varied across the different parks, some high capacity, some not.

[NF2]

I don't think its necessarily a conspiracy, but certainly the introduction of Fastrack has reduced the capacity of the main queue on existing rides.

Oblivion is probably the best example of this - I remember when the only guests that could legitimately queue jump were Hotel Guests who received priority passes for four attractions per day (like at Scarefest today), and in this case priority entrance was via the exit. I never remember Oblivion having Virtual Queue, only Air, Nemesis and Black Hole, but since Paid Fastrack for any Tom, Dick or Harry came in they stopped using the exit as the entrance for priority pass holders and assigned the entire right hand queue lane and rear loading bays to Fastrack holders. I mentioned this on TST a few weeks back, but Oblivions throughput as far as the main queue is concerned is now half what it was ten years ago... On a busy day, 50% of ALL riders being dispatched from that station, excluding singles, are Fastrack holders.

I think a system like the one used on The Smiler should be implemented on all rides - Fastrack is a premium product, so a higher price, allocating a lower number per day and implementing timed slots mean that Alton maintain the revenue they gain from Fastrack, but don't go as far as grinding the main queue to a standstill.

[PeteB]

Ah the days of free Fast Track aka Virtual Queue. Pioneered by the best themepark operators in history - Tussauds (under Pearson), before anyone else in the world.

I don't believe it was ditched because it was costing them money, the changeover happened after Pearson sold Tussauds to a venture capitalist group and this is around about the time when Towers became a rip off in every respect. They realised they could bleed you dry for everything except the air your breathe so it made sense to them to charge for Fast Track. Then Merlin came along, and charged even more.

Interestingly, Disney still use this free system in all of their parks.

[PeteB]

Here's some interesting reading for you:

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releas ... 15685.html

Which goes into detail about when the system was first introduced (1998). Also worth noting is the attitude from Alton Towers around that time. Their desire to absolutely be the best and give guests the best possible experience. What I find very interesting is they state average queue times of 45 minutes on very, very busy days, with most days usually having a 15-20 minute queue. I remember it well! And of course this was during an era when they attracted more visitors per year than they do now.

Also, the system was actually renamed to Fastrack (but still free) and was in operation up until at least 2005 as you can see from this conversation on ATA:

http://forums.towersalmanac.com/index.p ... topic=7766

[Superman]

VQM worked so well, it was also reasonably priced and easy to buy. I think £5 each if I remember right. You felt then that the AT cared, now its just money money money. Really is going down hill in terms of customer satisfaction, just look at the gate numbers. With VQM i also got marketed at so it works well as a further up-sell. Wish they brought it back.

[Emma]

This VQ seemed so much better than paid Fastrack!

Surely Merlin could see that while people are waiting for their allocated time slot, that they will most probably be spending their hard earned cash elsewhere in the park whether it be on food or merch. Its a win win situation for both Park and guest and It should be brought back,

RIP Customer satisfaction.

[sw7nutter]

Well looks like Thorpe park are bringing this type of queuing back. It will be interesting to see how it works on smart phone apps.

[tcw1993]

My simple answer to this thread is, yes, when I got stuck on thirteen for 45 minutes hahahaha

[Burniel]

My simple answer to this thread is, yes, when I got stuck on thirteen for 45 minutes hahahaha

Wouldn't that be a priority pass as opposed to a fastrack ticket?