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Merlin Parks & Attractions: Quick Questions.

Can anyone tell me about parking at Thorpe? I’ve not been for a few years (I think Swarm launch year) but have read something about it being online or something?
I’m hoping to go in the not too distant and just the change worries me. Can you say how easy or difficult it is? What needs to be done?

And Chessington? Is that similar?
 
Alolan Diglett said:
Can anyone tell me about parking at Thorpe? I’ve not been for a few years (I think Swarm launch year) but have read something about it being online or something?
I’m hoping to go in the not too distant and just the change worries me. Can you say how easy or difficult it is? What needs to be done?

And Chessington? Is that similar?
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I believe you can pay for parking in a similar manner to how you did before, but it will cost more to buy parking on the day. Thorpe reverted to ANPR to control its parking for this year, so I think they’re trying to encourage online booking, but I’m sure there is a way that you can still pay for parking on the day if you wish to.

I don’t know if a member with more knowledge of the matter could offer more up-to-date knowledge, however. I don’t know for sure, but I’d be extremely surprised if they don’t let you buy parking on the day, even if for an increased fee.

As for Chessington, I think it’s similar to Towers, as that park doesn’t have ANPR yet.

But as I say, I could be wrong.
 
Alolan Diglett said:
Can anyone tell me about parking at Thorpe? I’ve not been for a few years (I think Swarm launch year) but have read something about it being online or something?
I’m hoping to go in the not too distant and just the change worries me. Can you say how easy or difficult it is? What needs to be done?

And Chessington? Is that similar?
Click to expand...
Thorpe is very easy now, buy the parking via online and enter your reg and it’s as simple as driving up and the barrier opening.

https://www.thorpepark.com/tickets-passes/extras/parking/

Chessington is a barrier exit but not ANPR and requires scan of barcode
https://www.chessington.com/tickets-passes/extras/parking/
 
How does parking for pass holders work at Thorpe now? I understand when you buy a pass you can enter your reg but if you haven’t done that do you just scan your pass at the barrier as usual?
 
Rick said:
There are a few people that have stayed at the parks the whole time but not many, there were also a number of Tussauds alumni who created Merlin in the first place.
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Cheers for answering! Im still quite shocked how different the Parks are nowadays, though I guess most of the remaining Tussauds members are with mostly refurbishing the Tussaud era attractions.

Do you think it's theoretically possible for a
renaissance for the Tussauds era in a new way, If Merlin were to go bankrupt, or sell one of their parks?
 
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Trooper Looper said:
Do you think it's theoretically possible for a renaissance for the Tussauds era in a new way, If Merlin were to go bankrupt, or sell one of their parks?
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We've talked about this before, I think the Merlin ownership is in part due to a 'style' but also down to economic and cultural realities. If you look at parks that remained in the same ownership during the same period, the approach has changed massively, look at the Pleasure Beach or Drayton Manor for much of the period since the mid 2000s vs. the 1990s.
 
Yeah I think without the Merlin ownership Tussauds would have continued okay but they weren’t invested in well during the DIC ownership right before Merlin.
But one of the parks on their own would probably struggle in the same way Drayton does. Alton Towers would probably do okay I guess.
 
Trooper Looper said:
Cheers for answering! Im still quite shocked how different the Parks are nowadays, though I guess most of the remaining Yussauds members are with mostly refurbishing the Tussaud era attractions.

Do you think it's theoretically possible for a
renaissance for the Tussauds era in a new way, If Merlin were to go bankrupt, or sell one of their parks?
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Really? I'm not. The park was not a radically different place after as opposed to before the Merlin takeover. Pretty much every problem the parks have compared to the 90s can be traced back to quite a way before the transaction took place - poor food options, accommodation quality, maintenance, paid Fastrack, parking charges, reliance on offers, lack of flats... you name it.

In fact, the early Merlin era was seen as an improvement - specifically Mutiny Bay was praised for being a decent quality complete feeling development, unlike Rita, Spinball... even Air to some extent being rather lacking in terms of theming.
 
Skyscraper said:
Bump!

How busy do we approximately think Thorpe could be on an April weekend? I'm potentially going on the 23rd (Saturday).
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Anything but as busy as it was last spring. Thorpe Normally the least busy out of the 3 UK Merlin Parks, but last year, they took the cake as the busiest.

Was my worst trip I ever had at a Theme Park there in last April. Only managed to barely get on 3 rides, even the lesser attractions had over 45 minutes!!

Fingers crossed it'll have pre covid attendance level.
 
Does anyone know when the current Merlin "membership" sale runs until? I've had a quick scan of the website and can only find it advertised as "limited time".
 
Does anyone have an idea as to when 2022 Thope Park Student tickets will be available on the website? Or are they already available through Student Beans or TOTUM?
 
There isn't really an ideal topic for this, as it's not limited to Merlin parks - but what is it with parks in the UK opening for paying guests before the park is ready? Blackpool have rides nowhere near completion yet are fleecing guests for a full price £39 admission, Alton have rides not yet built up for the new season, yet allow private enterprise to buy the place out at great cost, and we often see the same from the parks down south.

I mean, parks shouldn't open till they are ready - know what I mean?
 
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