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Best time to get the cheapest MAP possible.

Yalnix

Yalnix

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Helix
I would really like to get 2 MAP's, one for me and one for my mum but they are so expensive. When is the best time to get them and how? How much do they cost? I know this is asking a lot but tell me basically everything you know about buying a MAP. Also pickup is easy, i know that, I live next to Warwick castle (Quite literally) and may want to point out this is my first MAP.
 
Try to find out whether your company has any corporate deals with Merlin. My company is signed up with the Lifestyle discount scheme, and I managed to get a decent discount on the family MAP I recently bought because of it (sorry, can't remember what the price was off the top of my head).
 
There's often a summer sale as well, there was last year IIRC, but I don't think it was quite as good as the January sale.
 
Yeah, and tbh I don't really want them now. Rides closed, albeit only few and not for long, puts me off.
 
But now I think about it I really hope there is a summer sale. When was it last year because I didn't realise the price it goes down to.
 
I'm not good at that! After seeing the prices and recommendations from friends today about how good they are I had a change of heart!
 
Yalnix said:
I'm not good at that! After seeing the prices and recommendations from friends today about how good they are I had a change of heart!
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Yes, for what you get it is a very good price. :) But with regards to your questions, I have no idea, sorry. You would be best contacting Alton Towers on their twitter page @altontowers.
 
First year is always dear but renewals are cheap. I think a standard pass renewal is £99 which is great vfm. I'm in Bristol and I'm inly a first year, I haven't done London yet and I'm already £100 up and that's taking into account bogofs from cereal and stuff
 
Last year I visited once or twice a month or thereabouts. I made 11 trips resulting in each trip costing £11. This year I'll be making my 7th visit on Sunday, I've been going up every couple of weeks, so I'll definitely be paying less per trip. They are good value but I'm pretty sure premium renewal went up to £150 in the January sale, not sure about standard.
 
This year the winter sale in January and the summer (?) sale recently both had identical prices, and prices which were still a bit higher than I really wanted to pay (as there's me and the missus).

On the other hand, when you consider that they are paid for with 3-4 trips to the Towers, and everything after is a bonus, well, I may take the plunge next year. I was even more tempted after recently visiting the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek which is Merlin owned and cost us £15 each to watch some seals flop about. Not that I mind, it's a good cause, but it did make me give more thought to the MAP option again.

Also worth remembering the pre-book 50% discount for friends/family for passholders:
"We do offer a discount of up to 50% off of entrance tickets for friends and family members of Merlin Annual Passholders at most of our attractions. Tickets need to be purchased over the phone on 08444 77 4444 (Lines open daily from 9am-5pm) at least 24 hours before your visit."

Although I always get suspicious of 'up to' figures...
 
Grand_Nash said:
What does the premium pass pack offer? Or is worth sticking with the basic pass?
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• Visit the London attractions any time without the August exclusion
• One free fastrack worth £5 at Towers, Thorpe and Chessie
• Bring 3 friends for £10 each once during the year
• Free parking at theme parks
• ERT where available

More info here. :)
 
You can get into scarefest and fireworks on a basic pass or you need the premium one? Cheers for the reply
 
Grand_Nash said:
You can get into scarefest and fireworks on a basic pass or you need the premium one? Cheers for the reply
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You can do special events with a standard pass, however special events at Thorpe (FHT/Fright Nights etc) get you to pre-book and with a £5 entry fee. The premium one you still book but you get in for free.
 
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