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Merlin Entertainments: General Discussion

I think Merlin are financially in the poo poo. Years of misman
John_P said:
Only renewed my Merlin Pass this week and now the only places I use it outside of the theme parks will no longer be valid from 1st January 2026.

Hadn't realised but Merlin had handed operating control of the Sandcastle back to Blackpool Council quite recently as well.
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If you bought it online you should be able to cancel within 14 days
 
Jb85 said:
Seems like something you would do when you are preparing to float. Or split the business up
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I can't see them floating Merlin, especially as they not long took it private because they had less control over business (which all three current owners had large stakes in anyway). I do think however that splitting the business up isn't entirely of the cards, I don't think it's something that'll happen instantly but I could see them split into two different companies.
Structure would be something like
A business with a name like Lego attractions group - take all the LEGOLAND parks, LEGO discovery centre's and a the chunk of Merlin magic making that designs stuff for Lego parks. This part is the bit I assume Kirkbi would take, and I imagine is close, if not, 50% of profit out of Merlin.
And then perhaps the other part that may stay called Merlin or they may rename (bring back the Tussauds group name maybe?), I assume the other owners would take this part, perhaps bringing another owner onboard to help finance. This would be everything else.
This honestly wouldn't surprise me, and this shedding of loss making attractions and franchising names could all be part of a long term strategy to head in this direction.
 
Why would you want to buy the theme parks, isn’t the land under Alton, Chessington and Thorpe owned by a 3rd party?

A bit like buying a football club and not owning the ground. Utter madness.
 
Ash said:
A bit like buying a football club and not owning the ground. Utter madness.
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With all due respect, it's the norm with ice hockey with the team renting ice time at a ice rink which I know sounds mad but there you go.
 
Ash said:
Why would you want to buy the theme parks, isn’t the land under Alton, Chessington and Thorpe owned by a 3rd party?

A bit like buying a football club and not owning the ground. Utter madness.
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A bit like Wimbledon?
A lot of american football teams have jumped grounds as well, it happens, renting!
I think Tesco did very well out of renting early on as well, frees up capital for other things.
 
rob666 said:
A bit like Wimbledon?
A lot of american football teams have jumped grounds as well, it happens, renting!
I think Tesco did very well out of renting early on as well, frees up capital for other things.
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Not to mention a good portion of the British population buy houses/flats etc that they lease the ground of.
 
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