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February Half Term 2017

February Half term looks very disappointing :(

February Half Term event is open exclusively for hotel guests. Merlin Annual Passes may only be used for hotel discounts during this time :(

Pirate and Princess Week
Half Term 11th-26th February 2017

Visit the Alton Towers Resort for February Half Term and experience a range of family fun with a Pirate and Princess takeover. A host of activities await the little ones including a treasure hunt, CBeebies Land character meet and greets and a host of pirate and princess activities. With lots to keep the little ones busy including sword making, face painting and a treasure map hunt, there is something for everyone.

In a brand new activity to the Resort, children can even learn how to build a den like a marooned pirate. Head outdoors and learn all the essential skills a pirate needs to make the ultimate den!

Plus, visit Sharkbait Reef by SeaLife to see a variety of amazing fish, splash around in the tropical surroundings of the Alton Towers waterpark, scale the dizzy heights of the Resort’s Tree Top Quest high ropes course and take in a round of the most Extraordinary Golf.

After an action packed day, the family can watch the pirate show and dance the night away in the disco, complete with fancy dress parade.

With so much to pack into a stay, the Alton Towers Resort is the ultimate escape this February Half Term.
Bed & Breakfast

TO BOOK:
Select 'Feb Half Term inc Waterpark' from the 'Choose your Package' drop-down on the booking bar above ('Book Now' button on mobile). Or, Call 0871 222 1100 (calls cost 13p per minute).

Our February Half Term event is open exclusively for hotel guests. Merlin Annual Passes may only be used for hotel discounts during this time.

- One day access to the Waterpark

- One day access to Extraordinary Golf

- Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE

- Sword making, face painting & treasure hunt

- Build and outdoor den

- Evening entertainment including a fancy dress parade and disco

Tree Top Quest high ropes and low ropes are also available to book (please note this is not included in the cost of the package).

https://www.altontowers.com/activities/events/february-half-term/
 
Absolutely ridiculous. Don't know how appealing it will be to the gp - my guess is not very much!

Santa's Sleepovers are very popular, so as long as the half term package is the right price they might do well. It can be better as well to have a limited number of happy guests than to open toe park to all, with a limited number of attractions that then disappoints people who find there aren't any rides they want to go on or it is busier than they can accommodate. By being clear about the package offered and limiting numbers they should be able to offer a good product to the guests who book. Also as this isn't really offering any theme park rides then there is nothing to allow AP holders entry to. It's mainly a hotel & waterpark package
 
Despite limited rides being open during the February Half Term week, this has been very popular over the past few years, especially the Moshi monsters event (I'm not including last years Hotel only event).

The problem for Merlin, is that when us MAP turn up on the gates for the theme park, we are not making them any money, MAP holders are more likely to visit during the winter months as opposed by on the gate tickets during the summer months, so by closing the theme park and opening the sealife and resort up for hotel guest only, it generates them more money, and if I want to join in the fun, I have to part with more money on top of my MAP.

To me this is another slap in the face for us MAP holders :mad:

Ouote taken form Merlin website https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/

12 months of fun
WHERE WILL YOU FIND YOUR FUN THIS YEAR?
A Merlin Annual Pass means 12 incredible months exploring Magical Worlds bursting with astonishing sight, sensational rides and extraordinary adventures to thrill you, excite you and delight you, and fill your year with laughter, magic and FUN!

So 12 months of Fun providing that you don't visit the themeparks during the winter months :rolleyes:
 
Despite limited rides being open during the February Half Term week, this has been very popular over the past few years, especially the Moshi monsters event (I'm not including last years Hotel only event).

The problem for Merlin, is that when us MAP turn up on the gates for the theme park, we are not making them any money, MAP holders are more likely to visit during the winter months as opposed by on the gate tickets during the summer months, so by closing the theme park and opening the sealife and resort up for hotel guest only, it generates them more money, and if I want to join in the fun, I have to part with more money on top of my MAP.

To me this is another slap in the face for us MAP holders :mad:

Ouote taken form Merlin website https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/



So 12 months of Fun providing that you don't visit the themeparks during the winter months :rolleyes:
But this is an event for hotel guests only. In my eyes a map is only equivalent to an on the day ticket so if I, a none map holder, can't turn up and go for the day then why should you? All that you are missing out on that is open is sharkbait reef is it all that bad? When you bought your map this year you would have known that AT have a closed season when you couldn't get access to it and the FHT event last year was identical so you can't even say it happened last year.

I just don't understand why some people with maps seems to think they own the place, yes you are showing loyalty to the company and that is rewarded through discounts throughout the park and on hotel bookings etc all that you actually paid for was unlimited one day tickets. In my eyes this is not a one day ticket event
 
But this is an event for hotel guests only. In my eyes a map is only equivalent to an on the day ticket so if I, a none map holder, can't turn up and go for the day then why should you? All that you are missing out on that is open is sharkbait reef is it all that bad? When you bought your map this year you would have known that AT have a closed season when you couldn't get access to it and the FHT event last year was identical so you can't even say it happened last year.

Exactly my point, excluding last year as mentioned in my above post, in previous years during the off season, non hotel residents paying on the gate and MAP holders had access to FHT theme park for rides, Christmas events and also to Chessington Zoo during the Xmas event . Now we have to pay to stay at the hotels for these events.

Yes it's almost the same as last years event, but it is still a joke for what they are offering compared to previous years

I just don't understand why some people with maps seems to think they own the place, yes you are showing loyalty to the company and that is rewarded through discounts throughout the park and on hotel bookings etc all that you actually paid for was unlimited one day tickets. In my eyes this is not a one day ticket event

Sorry, I have to disagree with you, no we don't think that we own the place, but as a MAP holder, we have paid a lot of money for our full price passes, no 2 4 1 deals, bounce back tickets etc..

Slowly we are having what we once were available as a pass holder being chipped away, yet each year the prices keep on rising.

Discounts on hotel bookings???? As useful as a chocolate tea pot. We get 20% of the higher advertised price, not on the internet discount prices which is available to all including non MAP holder. Which equates to about the same.

We are not entitle to 20% off everything, not all outlets (queue line outlets) give us 20% off and also this is excluded from any item already on offer and at Lego land, we only get 10% off

Rant over

Roy :)
 
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This is just an attempt to boost hotel occupancy over feb half term. If you weren't planning on staying over then you're not missing out on much, so I don't really see the issue.

Prior to the Moshi event, FHT was always a bit of a misery anyway. The park was 3/4 closed, there was no atmosphere and Nemesis invariably had a long queue due to only operating 3 rows of one train. Then there were the years it snowed and the whole thing was a waste of time as hardly anyone turned up and nothing was open for those who braved the weather. When compared to the full ride line up BPB offer in February, it all seemed a bit pointless.
 
Could've been worse, could've been Feb half term at Thorpe...

Now THAT was a disasterous event...

Sadly I don't think the UK parks in their current form are suited to Feb openings, the unpredictable weather and only able to open selected rides combined with the fickleness of guests adds up to a bad time...
 
Hopefully that means they will be doing more around the park if they don't have to open things up!

My guess is CBeebies isn't open for Feb half term due to the construction of the new flat?
 
Feb half term was always good as an AP holder to just have a wander around for a couple of hours and see what alterations were being made to the park etc. I suppose some may want to try to get close to the 'destruction' site of SW8, but if it was that important to people then they should probably just book a hotel room. Someone will do that anyway and get some pics, so no biggie. Also, in recent memory they actually do make a pretty good job of blocking access to the out of bounds areas whereas quite a few years back you could have a good explore of the wider grounds if you knew where you were going and the little 'back routes'. You can't even seem to do that these days and the ride line-ups are usually poor, so It doesn't really bother me.
 
Despite limited rides being open during the February Half Term week, this has been very popular over the past few years, especially the Moshi monsters event (I'm not including last years Hotel only event).

The problem for Merlin, is that when us MAP turn up on the gates for the theme park, we are not making them any money, MAP holders are more likely to visit during the winter months as opposed by on the gate tickets during the summer months, so by closing the theme park and opening the sealife and resort up for hotel guest only, it generates them more money, and if I want to join in the fun, I have to part with more money on top of my MAP.

To me this is another slap in the face for us MAP holders :mad:

I'm one of Merlin's biggest critics but the lack of an FHT event is in no way a slap in the face for MAP holders. Bar one year (Moshi Monsters) the whole event was really a bit of a non-event. Very quiet theme park, not much open and often too cold for advertised coasters to actually open. MAP holders or not, the event must have run at a loss most of the time.

Sure it was nice to pop along and have a wander around the park in February with a ride or two on Nemesis but when cuts are being made it seems totally logical to cut the FHT theme park event. It's also worth noting that they always got a lot of complaints from guests who expected all of the rides to be open at FHT, although in my opinion that is the fault of those guests for not actually looking at details of the event they choose to visit.

Towers should be attempting to do a Christmas event open to all people rather than something in February.

:)
 
While on principal I object to any cutbacks, the reality is that FHT was always a let down for me. Half the park was closed, and the weather was always dire, often snowing. The only incentive to trek up there from London was the social side, but without a MAP that's no longer an option.

That said, FHT will forever be remembered for "RMel".
 
It seems ironic that this is being advertised as a half term event yet the market they are appealing to are probably not at school age yet. They could run this event at anytime over closed season, actually it might be a good idea to do exactly that and run it as a package for the whole of Jan/Feb
 
I was, at first, happy to see FHT was being removed, since the park opened up Winter to pass holders and seemed to be expanding the winter offering.

How wrong I was.
 
So it is open then?

Well, too late - I booked a stay elsewhere when I was actually looking.

Only the Resort will be open, the theme park will be closed except for the Sealife, see below.

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money or time, I could get a similar experience by visiting my local beach resort, they have a Sealife centre, crazy golf and a leisure pool for a fraction of the price. The entertainment offering is nothing short of what you find at a kids birthday party :rolleyes:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Our February Half Term event is open exclusively for hotel guests. Merlin Annual Passes may only be used for hotel discounts during this time.

- One day access to the Waterpark

- One day access to Extraordinary Golf

- Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE

- Sword making, face painting & treasure hunt

- Build and outdoor den

- Evening entertainment including a fancy dress parade and disco

Tree Top Quest high ropes and low ropes are also available to book (please note this is not included in the cost of the package).
 
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It was the resort I was looking to stay at for a few days. The website showed no availability and the social media/customer service people couldn't tell me if the hotel would actually be open or not.
 
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