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The Merlin VIP Annual Pass

Rick said:
but I'm not so sure - particularly now it's been christened the VIP pass and whatever you call it, it will always be the 'top' option with a bunch of benefits associated with it.
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I don't think that just because someone wanting to spend more money to get a better product makes them a "very important" person. In my opinion, a genuine VIP would be someone specially invited to the park by management, senior Merlin management themselves, or senior management from other theme parks coming to view the park... and not a lot else.
 
Burbs said:
To me, I don't think that just because someone wanting to spend more money to get a better product makes them a "very important" person. In my opinion, a genuine VIP would be someone specially invited to the park by management, senior Merlin management themselves, or senior management from other theme parks coming to view the park... and not a lot else.
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True, but there's still a distinction between a VIP and a VIP passholder. Any of those groups that you mention won't be paying for a pass, they won't be paying anything at all and will be treated much differently than a VIP passholder. If people are delusional and don't know the difference, then I guess that is a problem.

I get where you're coming from, perhaps it would solve it - but I am not sure we'll find out! I think it's very hard to rebrand the product at this point, particularly if we want to see a price increase. A higher cost for something that doesn't sound as good.
 
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Rick said:
True, but there's still a distinction between a VIP and a VIP passholder. Any of those groups that you mention won't be paying for a pass, they won't be paying anything at all and will be treated much differently than a VIP passholder. If people are delusional and don't know the difference, then I guess that is a problem.
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A VIP pass sounds like a pass for a "very important person" though, doesn't it?

Rick said:
I get where you're coming from, perhaps it would solve it - but I am not sure we'll find out! I think it's very hard to rebrand the product at this point, particularly if we want to see a price increase. A higher cost for something that doesn't sound as good.
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Oh it won't happen, I just wish it would. :)
 
Burbs said:
A VIP pass sounds like a pass for a "very important person" though, doesn't it?
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Or Impatient person. How important are you if they want you to pay a good chunk of most people's monthly salary for it?

I get what you mean, I do. I just can't get annoyed about it because it's never impacted my day. If a couple of factors changed with my job and my ability to visit the parks in the way I do, I'd probably buy one too.
 
Rick said:
Or Impatient person. How important are you if they want you to pay a good chunk of most people's monthly salary for it?

I get what you mean, I do. I just can't get annoyed about it because it's never impacted my day. If a couple of factors changed with my job and my ability to visit the parks in the way I do, I'd probably buy one too.
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Admins in the VIP group welcome new members by saying we have a very impatient passholder, as a joke of course

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You could put the price up by £100 for several years and enough people would still buy it.

Once people get into these cliques and it becomes a way of life, they'll only grudgingly give it up. Many season ticket holders at the football are the same. They'll swear they're not going to renew their season tickets as the team is playing crap, the board aren't buying better players and their ticket price has gone up, but at the start of the next season they'll be there again in the same seat next to their mates.

It would take a large increase in price to put people off these VIP passes now. Even if they change the name of it now, the cat is out of the bag with regards to the cliques and behaviour.
 
BarryZola said:
You could put the price up by £100 for several years and enough people would still buy it.

Once people get into these cliques and it becomes a way of life, they'll only grudgingly give it up. Many season ticket holders at the football are the same. They'll swear they're not going to renew their season tickets as the team is playing crap, the board aren't buying better players and their ticket price has gone up, but at the start of the next season they'll be there again in the same seat next to their mates.

It would take a large increase in price to put people off these VIP passes now. Even if they change the name of it now, the cat is out of the bag with regards to the cliques and behaviour.
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The thing is several current VIPs aren't renewing and a few have even let passes expire!

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That may well be the case, but it's probable that there will be others who will be happy to buy passes for the first time.
 
I will repost this as it appears to have been deleted by the original poster. An open letter to Merlin from someone with a MAP who visits regularly (non-enthusiast however) regarding the park.

A fairly apt summation of the situation in general. Particularly the part where he describes VIP users as "obnoxious queue-jumpers" - and seems quite accurate to the userbase of the pass that he was easily able to identify the VIP users as the heightened sense of self-importance that comes with the purchase means they have a compulsion to wear the hideous lanyards on full display at all times.
 
The original post is still there, page 133 of the 2018 general discussion thread. I’ve spoke to a few people who I know were there who are claiming what’s written in the post isn’t the full story (or had bits added in)
 
spinba11 said:
The original post is still there, page 133 of the 2018 general discussion thread. I’ve spoke to a few people who I know were there who are claiming what’s written in the post isn’t the full story (or had bits added in)
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Ah, must have missed that. It was posted on the previous page and deleted which I thought was the original!
 
I just don't understand people who walk round the park wearing their passes round their necks (both premium and vip), I'd rather keep my (premium) map safe in my wallet.

Don't have any issues with the VIP pass though, never seen anyone doing the whole don't you know who I am to staff when I've visited either.
 
Alastair said:
I will repost this as it appears to have been deleted by the original poster. An open letter to Merlin from someone with a MAP who visits regularly (non-enthusiast however) regarding the park.

A fairly apt summation of the situation in general. Particularly the part where he describes VIP users as "obnoxious queue-jumpers" - and seems quite accurate to the userbase of the pass that he was easily able to identify the VIP users as the heightened sense of self-importance that comes with the purchase means they have a compulsion to wear the hideous lanyards on full display at all times.
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What's wrong with us having lanyards on show as long as we aren't shoving them in people's faces.
Why shouldn't we especially considering merlin advise us to wear them.

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John_P said:
I just don't understand people who walk round the park wearing their passes round their necks (both premium and vip), I'd rather keep my (premium) map safe in my wallet.

Don't have any issues with the VIP pass though, never seen anyone doing the whole don't you know who I am to staff when I've visited either.
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It makes getting discounts a bit easier, personally I wear my lanyards (I have 3, all at same time) to show all my pins which make my love of the park obvious.

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ihaveaspergers said:
It makes getting discounts a bit easier, personally I wear my lanyards (I have 3, all at same time) to show all my pins which make my love of the park obvious.

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Don't you have to go into your wallet to get money/card out anyway to pay, which presumably is where your annual pass would be if it wasn't being shown off round your neck?
 
Burbs said:
Don't you have to go into your wallet to get money/card out anyway to pay, which presumably is where your annual pass would be if it wasn't being shown off round your neck?
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No, I use Google pay on my phone (normally in my hands) and plan on getting an android watch with Google pay support.

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