Merlin Ride Access Pass Changes Spark Concern Over Fairness and Accessibility
Important note for readers
If you have any questions about Merlin’s changes, we will do our best to answer them using publicly available information. Where required, we are also happy to contact Merlin Entertainments directly to seek any clarity on some unanswered questions.
You can email us at hello@thorpeguide.co.uk or contact us via Instagram at @thorpeguide.
Merlin Ride Access Pass changes have sparked widespread concern across the theme park community, with disabled guests and families questioning whether the updated system fairly supports those with hidden disabilities.
Merlin Entertainments have introduced major changes to their Ride Access Pass (RAP) system, and for many disabled and neurodivergent guests, the change has had a major impact on their future days out. The change is in who is now eligible for RAP and the removal of support for guests whose main barrier is difficulty with crowds.
For people who rely on virtual queueing to avoid overwhelming, loud & cramped queues, this has raised serious concerns about fairness and accessibility across Merlin parks, including Thorpe Park.
Merlin Ride Access Pass changes explained
The Ride Access Pass allows eligible guests to wait virtually rather than physically standing in a queue. Guests still wait the same amount of time as everyone else, but they can do so away from crowded queue lines.
Under the new RAP eligibility criteria, a huge amount of people who rely on the system have been told they are no longer eligible for RAP if their Nimbus Access Card reflects difficulty with crowds rather than a physical difficulty with standing.
For many neurodivergent guests, this change feels unfair. Theme parks are naturally crowded environments, and queues are often the most overwhelming part of the day.
What do the Nimbus symbols mean?
Nimbus Disability, the company that manages the Access Card scheme, has recently changed the way they describe different access needs.
There are now two separate symbols where previously there was one:
The Difficulty Standing symbol applies to people who physically cannot stand for long periods due to a mobility impairment.
The Difficulty with Crowds symbol applies to people who find crowded environments or queues overwhelming or distressing. This is usually people that suffer with autism, ADHD, anxiety, PTSD or other non-physical conditions.
Nimbus has said these changes were introduced to better explain why someone struggles with queues, not to reduce support. However, Nimbus has also been clear that venues decide how those needs are accommodated, so it’s Merlin that have made the decision to exclude those that have the difficulty with crowds symbol from their RAP system, not Nimbus. This is where many guests feel the problem lies.
“It feels like we’re being pushed out”
We asked affected members of the theme park community how the changes will impact them, & the responses show just how varied the impact has been.
Nicola Harding told us the changes may actually help her personally, saying the new app and increased availability could be a positive. She also stressed that her experience does not reflect how the changes have been handled overall.
Others were far more critical.
Eloise Donaldson described stress caused by errors with her child’s Access Card, which Nimbus later apologised for. She also spoke about the wider impact on neurodivergent families, saying that after years of battling for diagnosis, education and support, the changes felt like “a kick in the teeth”.
Natalie Chambers, responding to Eloise, explained how RAP had enabled her autistic son to continue enjoying theme parks into adulthood. While she agrees the system needed reviewing, she believes Merlin should look at how other parks support neurodivergent guests rather than removing access.
Golden Rollercoaster Girl said it feels like guests with non-visible disabilities are being told to queue in “sensory hell” or not visit at all.
One anonymous guest told Thorpe Guide they now feel forced to give up their “safe place”, explaining that queues trigger anxiety attacks and that paying for fastrack just to be able to access rides feels wrong.
Kai Smith also emailed us & explained how the changes will affect him. Kai, who is autistic and experiences anxiety, said the Ride Access Pass has helped him be more independent without relying on his carer. He explained that RAP significantly reduces stress and lowers the risk of anxiety attacks. He shared a past experience in a scare maze where there was no RAP queue. The environment included flickering lights, loud announcements, and people tightly packed in front and behind him. Kai said the experience overwhelmed him to the point of sobbing, and his carer had to help him leave, despite having sensory tools in place.
Kai added that working commitments mean visiting on apparent “quiet days” isn’t an option, even if those days were guaranteed, which they aren’t. He described Thorpe Park as his “autistic happy place” and said the changes have left him feeling sad and excluded.
A parent’s letter to Merlin Entertainments
In a powerful letter sent to Merlin Entertainments, Adam Smale described how the Ride Access Pass allowed his autistic daughter to enjoy roller coasters without experiencing meltdowns in queues.
He explained that RAP didn’t give her priority, but simply allowed her to wait in a calmer way. He said that removing that support has effectively made Merlin parks inaccessible for her.
He also raised concerns about unclear communication, with families receiving conflicting information about existing bookings and RAP eligibility.
What have Merlin said?
Rob Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Merlin Entertainments, told the Daily Mail:
“At Merlin, we are deeply committed to creating inclusive experiences… Our guests with additional accessibility needs have increasingly told us that the Ride Access Pass simply isn’t working for them… We recognise this has raised concerns for some guests and are committed to keeping this approach under review.”
Merlin have said the changes are being trialled and that feedback is being listened to ahead of the main season.
FAQ’s & Nimbus guidance
Nimbus have confirmed that the symbol changes are not new and have been trialled over a number of years. The original Standing and Queueing symbol remains valid on existing cards, and new symbols are applied at renewal or reprint.
Guests who believe their symbols are incorrect can contact Nimbus directly to request a review.
Nimbus has also stated it is currently unclear how Merlin’s changes will work in practice and will continue updating its guidance.
Merlin have also said that any Ride Access Passes pre-booked before the change was implemented remain valid despite new symbols, but those that only have the difficulty with crowds symbol will not be able to make any further bookings.
The petition to revert this change
A petition calling on Merlin to urgently review the Ride Access Pass changes has now passed 15,000 signatures at the time of writing. It argues that hidden disabilities still need meaningful support and that removing virtual queueing disproportionately affects neurodivergent guests. If you would like more information, or to sign the petition, then please see here.
Our View
We always try our best to keep a balanced opinion & see the situation from both sides, but it’s almost impossible to ignore the strength of feeling around these changes.
Difficulty with crowds is a real and significant access barrier, particularly in theme parks where queues are unavoidable. For most users of the Ride Access Pass, it was the difference between being able to visit and not visiting at all. The Ride Access Pass is also something that some select members of our team rely on to be able to visit Thorpe Park (and other Merlin parks too), and have been negatively impacted by these changes.
We recognise and agree that this is an extremely negative change for guests who genuinely rely on the system and hope to see this system further reformed to once again allow access to those that require it. However, we do also recognise that Merlin are trying to make the system better for all, but have simply gone about doing so in the wrong way. We all make mistakes and we feel this is their time to redeem themselves.
We’ll continue to follow this closely and update our following as soon as more information is provided.
Be sure to follow @thorpeguide across all our social media channels for the latest news, and find all the information you need here on thorpeguide.co.uk!
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