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MAP Christmas/New Year Sale
- Thread starter Alastair
- Start date
Danny
TS Contributor
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- Steel Vengeance
TheMan
TS Member
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- NemiLerVion
Scott said:
As Dave said, I refer to MAP as a vehicle not the cause.
Dave said:
That's what I mean, once you have a monopoly in any industry, it never ends well. The music industry is an example of how a few became too dominant, and it slaughtered the industry.
I personally know very influential people, who were entrenched in it through the good times, and now in the very bad have left it to support independent artists, to try to rebuild it again. It is no different in any industry. It gets to a point when it becomes artificial. Premier League is another prime example.
Merlin were backed artificially and the market is now skewed as a result, making it harder for independents to compete. Admission and value used to be far, far more on a par than it is now. The only reason they aren't is because of this market dominance.
I've made clear I am not against Merlin per se, or indeed the pass, however as a true theme park enthusiast, my concern overall is the industry in general and its future.
thefatone said:
I can't however disagree with this point. Merlin is also in a position, false wealth or not, of dominance not just because of their backers but due to some awfully run businesses.
As a business, you cannot fault them, they have it spot on! For the future of this industry though? It is not a good thing, evidenced by what happens in every single industry where certain players become to big.
Happened to banks, are you all enjoying the re-balancing of that?
How about the car industry? Music industry maybe?
Come on, you lot are intelligent people.
TheMan
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Dave said:
Was starting to think that myself - I have put my points forward anyway Dave so I wont respond to any responses, and ask we all leave the debate at that out of respect for the thread as Dave says.
(Only saying that, being one of the main speakers on the point obviously lol!)
I think everyone has made their opinions/reasons known and articulated well on the whole I feel. Happy to leave it at that and may write a reasoned thread on it at a later date.
Thank you all for the great debate about it though!
I think the UK theme park industry is slightly different, in that the parks compete the leisure market, with short breaks and days out etc.
If someone wanted a short break in UK, they could choose from Towers, or go somewhere like butlins or center parcs. If they wanted a day out, they'd choose from towers, or trentham gardens, cadbury world and the like.
So there'll always be that need to invest - you won't get to the stage of the car or music industry, because the merlin parks aren't really in competition with the other theme parks, but on leisure as a whole.
If someone wanted a short break in UK, they could choose from Towers, or go somewhere like butlins or center parcs. If they wanted a day out, they'd choose from towers, or trentham gardens, cadbury world and the like.
So there'll always be that need to invest - you won't get to the stage of the car or music industry, because the merlin parks aren't really in competition with the other theme parks, but on leisure as a whole.
The key to this issue is if you can justify spending tht amount of cash and if you percieve the value from it.
For example.
I got my first AP with a Tesco voucher last year, in turn I had to buy one for my wife because I really didn't see me nipping off to AT once or twice a month going down to well with or without the kids (under 3) but effectivley buying that one extra pass meant all of us could go to AT whenever we wanted and although as people have rightly said the "magic" can lessen the more often you go as an adult it really doesn't reduce for my two kids, my son giggles with glee just from ridding the monorail everytime we go.
So in these terms taking out any other spending I would do at the park (i could take F&B but dont) The one pass I paid for has returned a year of joy for all of my fmily and stopped me having to say no to a fun day out becuase we are a week away from pay day (who doenst have that as an issue sometimes)
Fast forward to this year and I have no Tesco voucher, I have paid the best part of £400 for passes for the Kids, me and my wife. Why? Value for money perhaps? Yes but again only if we use it and ENJOY it.
For me the enjoyment is being able to say yes to a trip out without thinking and planning a month or two in advance, not only that but having not visited London in a few years mean i can plan a romantic weekend away with my Wife and a family weekend in Blackpool for us all without having to factor in the between £500-£1000 it would prob cost to visit these exact attractions that I would want to visit anyway.
As previous peopl have said I could be offered a season ticket with free travel to all games for £5 and this would be no value for us since we dont enjoy football.
Just my two pence worth but value is indeed subjective and I dont see the pass as monopolisation since unless very well off no family would be able to visit a dozen or so individual transactions at "independent" parks to get the same family benefits.
For example.
I got my first AP with a Tesco voucher last year, in turn I had to buy one for my wife because I really didn't see me nipping off to AT once or twice a month going down to well with or without the kids (under 3) but effectivley buying that one extra pass meant all of us could go to AT whenever we wanted and although as people have rightly said the "magic" can lessen the more often you go as an adult it really doesn't reduce for my two kids, my son giggles with glee just from ridding the monorail everytime we go.
So in these terms taking out any other spending I would do at the park (i could take F&B but dont) The one pass I paid for has returned a year of joy for all of my fmily and stopped me having to say no to a fun day out becuase we are a week away from pay day (who doenst have that as an issue sometimes)
Fast forward to this year and I have no Tesco voucher, I have paid the best part of £400 for passes for the Kids, me and my wife. Why? Value for money perhaps? Yes but again only if we use it and ENJOY it.
For me the enjoyment is being able to say yes to a trip out without thinking and planning a month or two in advance, not only that but having not visited London in a few years mean i can plan a romantic weekend away with my Wife and a family weekend in Blackpool for us all without having to factor in the between £500-£1000 it would prob cost to visit these exact attractions that I would want to visit anyway.
As previous peopl have said I could be offered a season ticket with free travel to all games for £5 and this would be no value for us since we dont enjoy football.
Just my two pence worth but value is indeed subjective and I dont see the pass as monopolisation since unless very well off no family would be able to visit a dozen or so individual transactions at "independent" parks to get the same family benefits.
Jordan
TS Contributor
I think a price cut on renewals, even a smallish one like this, is very interesting indeed.
I wonder whether an average family really does return to a particular Merlin attraction after they've visited once? I have a suspicion, especially for the midway attractions, that this is usually not the case. I certainly could live without going back to Madame Tussauds or a Dungeons attraction for a couple of years.
A family looking to do a bit more in the UK, who live close to a big cluster of attractions - London, or the North West, for example - could be easily tempted by the pass for a year. But, come renewals time, I doubt there's much they'd actually want to do again in the following year, aside from an annual visit to a theme park where they can get BOGOFs.
I wonder whether an average family really does return to a particular Merlin attraction after they've visited once? I have a suspicion, especially for the midway attractions, that this is usually not the case. I certainly could live without going back to Madame Tussauds or a Dungeons attraction for a couple of years.
A family looking to do a bit more in the UK, who live close to a big cluster of attractions - London, or the North West, for example - could be easily tempted by the pass for a year. But, come renewals time, I doubt there's much they'd actually want to do again in the following year, aside from an annual visit to a theme park where they can get BOGOFs.
djtruefitt
TS Team
It might also be the case that a large amount of people just wait till January and buy a new pass which is much cheaper than renewing! Even with the renewal reductions it was still £15 to buy in the sale.
Jonathan
TS Member
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- Helix <3
I went to the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek today to renew my Pass (and upgrade to Premium 
), but I did know that I'd only be able to get the voucher there and would have to get it all finalised at a major attraction. However, I didn't realise that it hadn't been date-stamped until after I'd left, and it would've been too late for me to go back and have it stamped - I would've had to wait for two hours in Gweek until the next bus. Is this going to be a problem when I actually get the renewed Pass?
), but I did know that I'd only be able to get the voucher there and would have to get it all finalised at a major attraction. However, I didn't realise that it hadn't been date-stamped until after I'd left, and it would've been too late for me to go back and have it stamped - I would've had to wait for two hours in Gweek until the next bus. Is this going to be a problem when I actually get the renewed Pass?
Jonathan
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- Helix <3
I'll drop them another email. I sent them one last night/this morning, and they replied very quickly, which surprised me!BULBOUS said:I'd say ring Gweek (the local number should be on your receipt) and explain what's happened. It could be that you just have to write the date on yourself (not a massive hassle!)