• ℹ️ Heads up...

    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.

Merlin Annual Pass

Zipperdipper said:
Pretty much nothing on the email T&C wise. The discovery, gold and platinum passes were all available as well as the AT gold pass.
Click to expand...

This is a guess, but the silver pass is relatively new, so the upgrade from day ticket to pass email was probably created before the silver pass was added.

The MAP website says the only way to upgrade a day ticket to a pass is in-person at the park.
 
Yep I had it earlier. Sounds like the booking system has been abused and are cracking down on it. Although the last few times I've been to Towers and the one time at Thorpe this season, our prebook comfirmations were not checked and we just scanned our passes at the turnstiles.

Does anyone know if you don't prebook and scan your pass, are you still let in?
 
I’ve not prebooked the last couple of times I’ve visited Towers and gotten in fine. But perhaps that’ll change now it’s the summer holidays. More chance of being turned away at the turnstiles.
 
Skyscraper said:
Probably because people have been deliberately booking and not turning up (why?)
Click to expand...

Because the system is crap.

If I think maybe I'll turn up in the afternoon if it's quiet and I am free by then, I can't just turn up any more. So I pre-book a month out and no-show if the queues are too big or I'm not free, or if I decide I don't want to.

This new restriction won't bother me actually because I don't book that often.

I think they ought to offer a cancel option if they can't scrap the pre-book all together. (why do I have to pre-book again?)
 
I think I've only pre-booked for one of my visits to Towers this season, I think they only really have it in place to be able to forecast guest numbers more accurately.

Do they not give an option to cancel reservation? Can't really bring in this policy without giving a means to cancel, as circumstances do change.
 
I always pre book because I’m nervous about being turned away, but the only place that actually seems to care about checking and enforcing pre books are legoland Windsor, legoland discovery bham and sea life bham. LLW seemed to be particularly strict with it - I saw people having to step to one side at the gates to quickly book in before being allowed in. With the two midway attractions I get it due to much lower capacity and having time slots. Towers have never checked, chessington didn’t check, and neither did Thorpe. Warwick Castle gave a cursory glance at the pre book but I don’t think they properly looked as we were waved through very quickly.

Interesting that you can still get in with your pass without booking, seems like a bit of an over sight, their systems should surely be talking to each other with regards to that, you put your pass number in when you book, so it shouldn’t be that hard to link it in some way I’d have thought. But if they’re going to enforce this, I think they should make it easier to cancel, a button on the portal that does it instantly rather than having to fill a form in and waiting. Give people less of an excuse not to cancel in the first place and no shows would be less of an issue.
 
A friend of mine recently went to Bear Grylls Adventure, and it's a major issue there. The activities are booked out months in advance, but people just don't show up. The high ropes course was supposed to be fully booked all day, but only their group arrived.
 
I have a platinum pass and I certainly wasn't sent this email. Is it for all level of passes?
 
The theme parks haven’t been close to hitting capacities lately have they? So it’s not like pass holders are booking a place that could be sold to a day ticket holder.

I suspect this is more of an issue in the midways where numbers are more limited, Merlin might be loosing revenue by saving places for pass holders who don’t turn up when they could have sold that place to someone else.

I guess it’s easier to bring this cancellation rule in across the board, rather than just apply it to certain attractions. They definitely need to make cancelling much easier though, it shouldn’t require a form that someone in an office somewhere needs to manually action.
 
I don’t think they are having issues at the theme parks (none of them have sold out this season as far as I know) but I guess it’s the smaller mid ways that have issues. If loads of pass holders book to visit a sealife and don’t turn up, I guess you are stopping others coming, or they are expecting to be busy but it isn’t.

Personally I’m not a fan of pre booking, as it’s a bit of a faff, but as least now a days you can do it on the day if it’s not sold out.

However I’ve yet to be asked for a pre book this year at towers, Thorpe or chessie. And as such I just don’t even bother pre booking anymore.
 
Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere - but I am getting frustrated using the booking system. So I just bought a Gold MAP, I'm looking at adding 2 friends to a booking at Thorpe Park, I get the option to add guests at £29 - but the next screen asks for a barcode. Do I need a voucher to get these prices?
 
Meister71 said:
Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere - but I am getting frustrated using the booking system. So I just bought a Gold MAP, I'm looking at adding 2 friends to a booking at Thorpe Park, I get the option to add guests at £29 - but the next screen asks for a barcode. Do I need a voucher to get these prices?
Click to expand...
Yes you should receive friends and family vouchers, although I think they are posted to you physically as opposed to digitally emailed to you. Have you received your physical pass yet? They should come together in your welcome pack.
 
Thanks for the reply Skyscraper. I only ordered the pass on Thursday so guess I'll have to wait for the pack. It's a bit confusing on the system as it looks like you can just add F&Fs to any pre booking.
 
I was under the impression that the vouchers that come in the post are the share the fun ones, for £15 tickets for platinum passes only.

The friends and family tickets don’t need voucher codes, have you tried entering your pass number again when it asks for a barcode?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top