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Paultons Park: General Discussion

Paultons Park is extremely middle class - they charge more, it keeps the clientele at a certain level shall we say - and therefore as the price per head is high on entry, the parks attendance is actually modest. I am not saying this is a bad thing, as the park make their own choice. Europa-Park and Phantasialand are not dissimilar (although both are massively larger scale).

This is unlike the Merlin parks, Pleasure Beach and others where you can routinely find admission for around the £30 mark or inexpensive season passes.
 
So out of interest, why are most people ok with the idea of a park charging, what are for many, unaffordable prices in order to “keep the riff-raff out” yet simultaneously not ok with the concept of fastrack.

I believe that neither the Pautlons pricing strategy or the concept of fastrack are particularly inclusive. I often find myself priced out of both of these options. I just find it strange that everyone is so quick to condemn fastrack but are singing the praises of Paultons’ pricing structure, and lack of any discounts, which literally prices lots of people out.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
So out of interest, why are most people ok with the idea of a park charging, what are for many, unaffordable prices in order to “keep the riff-raff out” yet simultaneously not ok with the concept of fastrack.

I believe that neither the Pautlons pricing strategy or the concept of fastrack are particularly inclusive. I often find myself priced out of both of these options. I just find it strange that everyone is so quick to condemn fastrack but are singing the praises of Paultons’ pricing structure, and lack of any discounts, which literally prices lots of people out.
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They don't charge for parking though and the upkeep of the park is first class and puts other UK parks to shame.

When you factor in everything Paultons is still well priced for me. We loved our one and only visit. Just a shame we live 4hours away or we'd go a lot
 
Enter Valhalla said:
So out of interest, why are most people ok with the idea of a park charging, what are for many, unaffordable prices in order to “keep the riff-raff out” yet simultaneously not ok with the concept of fastrack.

I believe that neither the Pautlons pricing strategy or the concept of fastrack are particularly inclusive. I often find myself priced out of both of these options. I just find it strange that everyone is so quick to condemn fastrack but are singing the praises of Paultons’ pricing structure, and lack of any discounts, which literally prices lots of people out.
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I don't think they are pricing to keep the "riff raff" out. Just charging a fair price for a day out without relying on discounting. Right now Paulton is only £4 more than Chessington to book online (£41 vs £37). Its only if you are lucky enough to buy Kelloggs cereal at the right time of year to get a voucher that its much cheaper and even then it drops to £32 each for chessington.

Yes for some people they can only afford to visit due to those Kelloggs vouchers, but theme parks often are expensive days out and people don't always realise that you might save a few £s on entry but it will cost you in other ways.
 
jon81uk said:
I don't think they are pricing to keep the "riff raff" out. Just charging a fair price for a day out without relying on discounting. Right now Paulton is only £4 more than Chessington to book online (£41 vs £37). Its only if you are lucky enough to buy Kelloggs cereal at the right time of year to get a voucher that its much cheaper and even then it drops to £32 each for chessington.

Yes for some people they can only afford to visit due to those Kelloggs vouchers, but theme parks often are expensive days out and people don't always realise that you might save a few £s on entry but it will cost you in other ways.
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Not just Kellogg’s. Many other UK parks are available on Tesco Clubcard Deals meaning that my family and me are literally able to enter Merlin, BPB, Oakwood and Drayton Manor for free using the Clubcard vouchers which we’ve earned through buying food and other everyday essentials.

Paultons has never been part of this scheme but it’s a scheme which really goes a long way in saving lots of families a lot of money. I constantly have non-enthusiast friends and colleagues asking me where they can get discounts for Paultons and are always pretty disappointed when I tell them there aren’t really any.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
So out of interest, why are most people ok with the idea of a park charging, what are for many, unaffordable prices in order to “keep the riff-raff out” yet simultaneously not ok with the concept of fastrack.

I believe that neither the Pautlons pricing strategy or the concept of fastrack are particularly inclusive. I often find myself priced out of both of these options. I just find it strange that everyone is so quick to condemn fastrack but are singing the praises of Paultons’ pricing structure, and lack of any discounts, which literally prices lots of people out.
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It’s pretty simple really. You go to Paulton’s, pay your admission fee and everyone enjoys the park with a pleasant experience that is fair and equal for all guests.

Whereas at Merlin parks for example you pay your admission fee yet it’s an unequal experience as others who have chosen to pay more make the queues longer for those that haven’t (and you’ve also got a broken RAP system that again makes queues longer).

It’s not really that hard to understand. Paulton’s is also better maintained than the Merlin parks and you tend to spend less of your day in a queue at Paulton’s compared to the Merlin parks and there’s arguably a nicer atmosphere there as well.

With regards to pricing, I’m not sure if it actually is that much more expensive. Let’s say I was going to book tomorrow for a family of four, it would cost £41.75 per person giving a total of £167 and that’s all I’d pay as parking is free. I was to book at Towers for tomorrow I’d be paying £39 per ticket plus £7 parking giving a total of £163. Given that the price is broadly the same I think I know which park I’d have a nicer experience at.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
Not just Kellogg’s. Many other UK parks are available on Tesco Clubcard Deals meaning that my family and me are literally able to enter Merlin, BPB, Oakwood and Drayton Manor for free using the Clubcard vouchers which we’ve earned through buying food and other everyday essentials.

Paultons has never been part of this scheme but it’s a scheme which really goes a long way in saving lots of families a lot of money. I constantly have non-enthusiast friends and colleagues asking me where they can get discounts for Paultons and are always pretty disappointed when I tell them there aren’t really any.
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But there are plenty of places too that do accept Tesco vouchers but offer a worse deal to those who use them. At the Black Country Museum and the Eden project you normally get a years entry with a ticket, but using Clubcard you don't. WM Safari Park normally gives a free return visit, but if you use a clubcard voucher you don't get that.

Sometimes just need to accept that the price is the price for certain places and experiences and its not possible to get a discount. There are many stores and brands that rarely discount. Then there are others which are on offer so often its not worth paying full price (does anyone buy Pringles at full prices?).
 
I’ve heard from a lot of parents it feels very safe too. They’ve really homed in on the target market, and there’s no chavy teenagers trying to sneak a bottle ‘o’ rum in (yes I have seen that at Chessington. Yes that probably never actually happens, but you get the point!) It’s all kids, and adults, and for what it’s worth, al of my family seems to enjoy it a lot. Now, all they need is a dark ride. I wonder how good that would be…
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
It’s pretty simple really. You go to Paulton’s, pay your admission fee and everyone enjoys the park with a pleasant experience that is fair and equal for all guests.

Whereas at Merlin parks for example you pay your admission fee yet it’s an unequal experience as others who have chosen to pay more make the queues longer for those that haven’t (and you’ve also got a broken RAP system that again makes queues longer).

It’s not really that hard to understand. Paulton’s is also better maintained than the Merlin parks and you tend to spend less of your day in a queue at Paulton’s compared to the Merlin parks and there’s arguably a nicer atmosphere there as well.

With regards to pricing, I’m not sure if it actually is that much more expensive. Let’s say I was going to book tomorrow for a family of four, it would cost £41.75 per person giving a total of £167 and that’s all I’d pay as parking is free. I was to book at Towers for tomorrow I’d be paying £39 per ticket plus £7 parking giving a total of £163. Given that the price is broadly the same I think I know which park I’d have a nicer experience at.
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Everyone who is in the park enjoys it with an equal experience. If they can afford to make it to the park in the first place.

In terms of pricing, as has already been pointed out, most other major UK parks (not just Merlin) have lots of third party discounts, two for ones, or free entry through the Tesco vouchers. Pautlons has none of this. They therefore price people out.

At least at other parks, things like fastrack are optional. I mean if you visit the parks on a rainy day line we did recently, nobody’s buying fastrack anyway, so it’s not as if it’s impossible to enjoy those parks without it. Incidentally, our recent rainy visit to Thorpe was paid for entirely in Tesco Clubcard vouchers, an option which would t be available at Paultons.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
Everyone who is in the park enjoys it with an equal experience. If they can afford to make it to the park in the first place.

In terms of pricing, as has already been pointed out, most other major UK parks (not just Merlin) have lots of third party discounts, two for ones, or free entry through the Tesco vouchers. Pautlons has none of this. They therefore price people out.

At least at other parks, things like fastrack are optional. I mean if you visit the parks on a rainy day line we did recently, nobody’s buying fastrack anyway, so it’s not as if it’s impossible to enjoy those parks without it. Incidentally, our recent rainy visit to Thorpe was paid for entirely in Tesco Clubcard vouchers, an option which would t be available at Paultons.
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Blackpool Pleasure Beach also doesn't really discount, the only option is Tesco Clubcard which doesn't help those who shop at Aldi. Also now you've used those points on Thorpe its unlikely most people would have built up enough points to get into another park this year anyway. Need to spend £1850 at Tesco to get one free ticket to Thorpe Park. Most families probably spend £100 on groceries a week, so might just get two or three free tickets a year. Doesn't really help those people who can only afford to shop at Aldi.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
Everyone who is in the park enjoys it with an equal experience. If they can afford to make it to the park in the first place.

In terms of pricing, as has already been pointed out, most other major UK parks (not just Merlin) have lots of third party discounts, two for ones, or free entry through the Tesco vouchers. Pautlons has none of this. They therefore price people out.
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Respectfully, I think you are missing point. Several people here have pointed out that Paulton’s park isn’t actually that much more expensive when you work out the cost of the ticket prices compared to Merlin park prices even with the BOGOF, yet for some bizarre reason you refuse to acknowledge this even though you have been presented with the figures.

I think you are getting too blinkered by the idea of some parks having a big shiny BOGOF offer and Paulton’s not having one to realise that the price can work out broadly the same anyway! Now please, any chance we can get this thread going back to the actual park and not just the same rebuttal of the facts about pricing again and again?
 
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Enter Valhalla said:
Everyone who is in the park enjoys it with an equal experience. If they can afford to make it to the park in the first place.
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That goes for literally every theme park, and every pay to enter attraction everywhere, very much including Merlin and the others that discount and accept Tesco vouchers. And if we are talking about financial cost of travel plenty of free attractions and events.

Someone that really needs their Tesco club card money will be spending it on groceries, not go carts, so does that make the whole industry, or all entertainment, in some way unacceptable to you?

Where's your cut off point in the apparently elitist concept of having to pay for something that has cost someone else millions to provide?

How dare my £19 Ryanair flight not take me to Barbados.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
Respectfully, I think you are missing point. Several people here have pointed out that Paulton’s park isn’t actually that much more expensive when you work out the cost of the ticket prices compared to Merlin park prices even with the BOGOF, yet for some bizarre reason you refuse to acknowledge this even though you have been presented with the figures.

I think you are getting too blinked by the idea of some parks having a big shiny BOGOF offer and Paulton’s not having one to realise that the price can work out broadly the same anyway! Now please, any chance we can get this thread going back to the actual park and not just the same rebuttal of the facts about pricing again and again?
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Not at all. I’ve worked out all the costings when I’ve been planning family visits and have seen first hand how less affordable Paultons is.

I’ve directly compared the cost of Paultons against the cost of its UK competitors and the latter nearly always come out cheaper. Speaking for myself, I’d rather visit a more affordable park and have the option of not taking up the extras like fastrack, than visit a more expensive park and be told that it’s somehow better value because they don’t have the option of fastrack, a product which I barely ever buy anyway.

To be honest I find it pretty insulting that you’re implying that I haven’t worked out the prices and am just sucked in by a BOGOF. You’re essentially implying that I’m too stupid to budget for these things myself, which simply isn’t the case, I’ve worked it out plenty of times.

If you’re looking for a more premium priced product, then great, Paultons is right up your street, but based on my experience, it represents less value for money that a lot of other parks I’ve visited. That’s just me though, and what we look for in a day out, and therefore consider good value is subjective. And respectfully, that’s a point that you don’t seem to want to acknowledge.
 
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Enter Valhalla said:
I get that, but a lot of the reason for Paultons being a less stressful experience is because they have low attendance. This is how they can talk about having no fastrack because they have short queues.

If Paultons was as popular as, Chessington for example, there’d be demand for things like fastrack and the queues would be long even without a fast stack system. It wouldn’t be a thing to boast about. Like it or not, people in the UK like the idea of being able to pay a bit extra to get shorter queues. The fact that Paultons can boldly say “we have short queues so you don’t need fastrack here” is literally only because they happen to have lower attendance.

I visited Chessington and Thorpe in the late 90s before fastrack was a thing and the queues were still pretty long.
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Yeah, you’ve got a point - I guess it comes down to being a different business model (regardless of whether Paultons could match other parks’ attendance or not), there’s less people, we got on more rides and we spent a lot more - I don’t think I’ve ever released the purse strings as much as we did at Paultons - happy punters spend more.
 
There is another side to the cost argument. Visiting any theme park is expensive, so with that in mind, you want a guarantee that the experience you have will be a good one. Paultons excel at that; they deliver an excellent experience consistently. That means that, whilst their entry prices are high, families can visit in the knowledge that they will have a brilliant experience for their money.

As much as I love BPB, for comparison, if you visited as a family of four and hit the park on an off day you would feel absolutely fleeced. It's hit-or-miss, as are most other UK parks, whereas Paultons is always at the top of its game.
 
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