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Merlin Annual Pass

Majority of visitors don't have any form of annual/season pass - or rather that was the case up to the end of last season.
 
5. Discovery Pass exclusions:
5.1 The Discovery Pass does not allow entry to any Merlin attraction on the following:
5.2 Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays).
5.3 UK bank holidays. For 2020 these are the following dates: 25th December and 28thDecember. For 2021 the dates are 1st January, 02nd April, 05th April, 03rd May, 31st May, 30thAugust, 27Th December and 28th December.
5.4 School holidays. For 2020 these are the following dates: 21st December – 31st December (inclusive). For 2021 the dates are 15th February – 21st February, 05th April – 18th April, 31stMay – 06th June, 19th July – 31st August, 18th October – 31st October and 20th December – 31st December (all dates inclusive).
5.5 The following peak dates in 2021: 08th October, 15th October and 05th November.
Merlin may, at any time, in its absolute discretion, add any further exclusions which shall be applicable to the Discovery Pass
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Just some of the T&C’s, of course parking is charged too.

Not sure why anyone would buy at the moment but it now makes the park only passes seem too expensive if they can give this out on promo for £69.
 
I'm just looking at the FAQ page.

"As of 24th September 2020, we are no longer selling Standard and Premium Merlin Annual Passes and we can now confirm that these products will not go back on sale. Based on your helpful feedback, we will be releasing two brand new Merlin Annual Passes instead which we are excited to share more about with you soon, keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more information!"

However...

"If you’re currently a Standard or Premium Merlin Membership holder, you’ll be able to continue rolling your monthly payments for the Standard or Premium Merlin Pass product you have already purchased, and nothing will change for you. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more information about our exciting new products coming soon!"

So looks like if you're on the Merlin Membership scheme you'll be fine (for now). Certainly be interesting to see what the other pass they release will be.
 
ringo said:
Just some of the T&C’s, of course parking is charged too.

Not sure why anyone would buy at the moment but it now makes the park only passes seem too expensive if they can give this out on promo for £69.
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I don't know if the £55 park only passes will return next year or not. I expect any pass the has no restrictions will be over £100 going forward, even single park passes.

But £69 (or £89 after the introductory price ends) is a good deal really if you regularly visit weekdays and avoid school holiday time. Only need three or four visits to save money.

For those who in the other threads predicted empty parks on weekdays if they get rid of cheap season passes, get a cheap annual pass instead. Even at £89 this is cheap.
 
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If I renew my pass next season, it'll pretty much certainly have to have parking included. I'll be interested to find out what the other new pass options will be. If you're planning on attending quite a bit by car there's little point in getting a cheap pass if you have to pay for parking on each visit.
 
5.5 The following peak dates in 2021: 08th October, 15th October and 05th November.
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This specific restriction, along with no weekends essentially means this pass will not be valid at any Halloween or Firework events across the parks.
 
For those who would rather see a visual of when the pass is valid instead of the exclusions list, there is a calendar (click view calender under what's included) https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/compare-passes/new-passes

Oh also there is no discounts available with this pass (hence I guess why it is the discovery pass and not an annual pass).

The FAQ also states the existing standard and premium annual passes will NOT go back on sale, two new passes are coming soon.
 
So prebook will still be happening but they are updating the system to let you modify bookings.

Do I need to pre-book tickets with the Merlin Discovery Pass?


Yes. As with our other Annual Passes, you will need to pre-book your tickets before heading to the attractions. This is to ensure we are managing the capacity at our attractions and keeping our guests safe. You can pre-book your tickets online and will soon be able to amend your booking with our new booking system. Once you have made a booking, you will be sent an email with a link to your digital tickets.
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This is probably the pass which is most compelling for me - presuming it has all the same discounts across the resort (minus parking) I might be tempted in normal circumstances.
 
Talking of discount, is the £100 transaction limit new?

Wonder if the standard / premium pass replacements will follow other territories with Gold & Platinum
 
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