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Merlin Parks & Attractions: Quick Questions.

Early Ride Time at Chessington is for hotel guests and pre-booked ticketers only. It only runs during school holidays in this way and has been trialling recently. The Explorer Gate is closed until 9:30 hence why they only operate it from the Lodge Gate.

Wristbands need to be collected from the booth by the turnstiles. From 9am just the zoo is open (excluding Wanyama and Creepy Caves) and from 9:30am Scorpion Express, Vampire, Fury, Kobra, Monkey Swinger, Tuk Tuk, Temple of Mayhem and Jungle bus open. The rides are obviously accessed through Fastrack entrances/exits.

ERT has only been running like this since May 1/2 Term. Annual pass holders only get zoo access.

:)
 
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It's an awful idea to continue it past main park opening - but Chessie goes round and round in circles with this. They introduced Fastrack in the mornings for AP holders before, then changed it to last hour before realising it just totally screws everything over. So they do it again.

Have a proper ERT, that's fine. Don't let it crawl into the main park opening though as that's how queues build up ridiculously quickly and gives a bad impression at start of day.
 
Surely having a MAP counts as having a "pre-booked ticket". I've paid for my ticket in advance, so what's the difference?
 
It definitely doesn't. Pre-booked would only count if you'd say "i'm attending on this date" so they'd know your attendance.

I imagine going down the line they'd introduce ERT to thorpe and chessie. It makes sense with hotels, and it makes sense in pushing pre-books AND MAP sales. Eventually anyway.
 
I would assume that the reason behind not providing ERT for annual passholders is to try and reduce the size main queues get after 10.

I usually stroll around the zoo in my first hour anyway, so it doesn't really effect me! :p
 
I'd actually assume it's cos they're trialling it - those frequent visitors being MAP holders don't enjoy being told that somethings changed - so even if this is a trial, if they were to use Early Rider now, then this be removed they'd get grumpy.

Safer to ensure it works first before implementing it fully (plus you don't want thousands of MAP holders using Fastrack first half hour either).
 
Why don't they copy a ERT system that work fine. The Alton Towers system for example.
 
^ I think its because Chessie have two entrances, so it would be much harder to replicate what Towers have in place. For example having the staff around the park to check tickets would likely be much more tricky than you would thing!

They couldn't just open one entrance as the one by the hotels (Lodge Gate) has a significantly smaller car park, so not all pre-booked tickets and annual pass holders could park there, its just that small!
 
To be fair even towers don't seem to know what they want to do with ERT. Over the past few years it has changed so many times, from blocking people on towers street, then only letting ert guests through the gates, then having staff at entrances, then no staff at all, then the ert gate near battle galleons, to now staff at cbeebies land and x-sector. So it doesn't surprise me that chessie don't know what to do either.
 
I think that ERT should be similar at ALL Merlin parks that want to do it, otherwise you end up turning up for an ert you're not meant to have or vice versa.
 
I'm pretty sure it's usually the Thursday. No idea why. I know it was this year.
 
Its been a Thursday for the past few years, Chessie usually opens on the Wednesday. I guess they do it because it will be quiet so means staff can train and they can iron our any problems.
 
Can anyone tell me the on-the-day prices for both Chessington and Thorpe this year? I can't seem to find it on their websites. Cheers.
 
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