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This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks. - Thread starter Rob
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- Batman: Gotham City Escape
- The longer 8 week period to renew your pass after expiry ends on 8th September. After this date, you will need to renew within 4 weeks of your pass expiry date. If your pass has been extended due to closures during national restrictions, the 4 week period starts from your revised expiry date which you can confirm on the expiry date calculator.
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Merlin Annual Pass
That seems mean, considering that only the Platinum passes are valid on those days and there is an £80 difference between that and the gold pass. Looks like they are stinging pass holders twice. Might as well go for the gold pass and pay for the day tickets for the fireworks, would work out cheaper.
That's OK, but I usually spend 3 days plus at the scarefest and all 3 days at the fireworks (both Alton Towers events). That's my 3 day pre-book allocation used up before we even get to booking the fireworks
jon81uk
TS Member
you need platinum pass to be able to book fireworks and in that case you get the ability to book six days.
yoursilentface
TS Member
£20 charge for alton towers fireworks now too unless your platinum
NuttySquirrel
TS Member
Is that the same upcharge as for general admission?
yoursilentface
TS Member
There isn't normally an upcharge for premium and standard
We're booked into the enchanted village and still have to pay apparently with premium passes....so a nice £80 extra for me
Every other year park entry has been included for passes when staying in hotels...even with the reservation fee they'd introduced for fireworks the last few years
jon81uk
TS Member
On day tickets the fireworks are included in the £39 price.
jon81uk
TS Member
Have you asked? There is nothing in the AP terms that should exclude premium passholders or make them pay more I think.
My guess is the park has "forgotten" about the old pass types and only thinking of the new gold/platinum where is seems clear that only platinum gets in.
yoursilentface
TS Member
I haven't asked personally no....but i've seen screenshots from people who have and the people on the AT/MAP socials are saying MAP hotel guests still have to pay
To be honest though they do get a lot wrong...i'm sure there'll be official word on it before long
I'll have to look into this for next year.
jon81uk
TS Member
I wonder given the bad press last year with annual passholders not being able to pre-book how many new passes they will sell? Prices have gone up quite a bit compared to a few years ago, and although I think its still pretty good considering the number of different attractions included, you'd need at least seven visits to cover the first year of the gold pass (£219 for the pass and theme park day tickets around £34).
The prices needed to go up, I think they had reached a point of too many guests in the parks, but I expect there might be more people complaining in a years time that they didn't get good value from it.
AT86
TS Member
Info for those renewing. There have been changes to the previous 8 week window that pass holders has to renew:
‘Passes that expired from September 2020 – 2ndAugust 2021 now have one week left to benefit from our magical renewal rate.
From 9th September, all existing Passholders will now have one month from your current expiry date to renew for another year of EPIC!
For passes that have been extended, this will be your new expiry date with extensions applied.’
‘Passes that expired from September 2020 – 2ndAugust 2021 now have one week left to benefit from our magical renewal rate.
From 9th September, all existing Passholders will now have one month from your current expiry date to renew for another year of EPIC!
For passes that have been extended, this will be your new expiry date with extensions applied.’
BarryZola
TS Member
My original expiry date was at the start of August 2020 (as stated on the card). However, the pass got extended for several months due to Covid. Just tested putting my card number in online to see if it would let me renew but it's not recognizing my details. I'm guessing it's not counting the added Covid bit then as the expiry cut off? Shame really as with summer out of the way I might have bought a renewal but I'm not paying an extra £70 now when my original expiry didn't miss the cut-off by too long.
Craig
TS Administrator
They will take it from the extended expiry date, however an August 2020 expiry would only take you up until May 2021. With that expiry date you'd have needed to renew by July 2021, so I doubt you'd get away with it even by contacting them
.
BarryZola
TS Member
They will take it from the extended expiry date, however an August 2020 expiry would only take you up until May 2021. With that expiry date you'd have needed to renew by July 2021, so I doubt you'd get away with it even by contacting them
Yes, you are right I think. I must have misinterpreted what was said in the quote slightly. I thought it was meaning that if your card expired at any point between those dates (Sep 2020 - August 2021) that they were giving a one off week from now to renew if you wanted to. I've obviously taken a different meaning from that from what was actually meant. I'll just wait until next year then and see what other cards/offers become available
Craig
TS Administrator
Yes, you are right I think. I must have misinterpreted what was said in the quote slightly. I thought it was meaning that if your card expired at any point between those dates (Sep 2020 - August 2021) that they were giving a one off week from now to renew if you wanted to. I've obviously taken a different meaning from that from what was actually meant. I'll just wait until next year then and see what other cards/offers become available
Yeah the way they explained it was a bit awkward, you're not the only one confused by it going by Twitter/Facebook! The easier way to word it would've been to cut the "magical" references and just say something along the lines of:
AT86
TS Member
Nothing for now, those that have them can continue using as normal for the same price.
Rick
TS Member
Is there any indication as to what their motivation is for this? It feels somewhat odd. I wondered if it was a risk/logistical nightmare to try and migrate us off them. Plus, I've no idea how many of them there are 'in circulation', I assume a not insignificant number were cancelled during the lockdowns.
The "joining fee" might have provided some longevity, with us having paid that it's perhaps not as straightforward to change the product as it would be if it was a straight up monthly charge.