Sunday 15 September 2019

All you need to know about a Merlin Pass.

Hey readers,

If you like going to the top attractions in the UK then one way to save money on days out is to purchase a Merlin Pass. 


What is a Merlin Pass? 

A Merlin pass is a pass that you pay for to enter 30 top attractions (see further down of all the attractions available on the Merlin pass).

You can either pay monthly or annual and each type of pass opens up different offers to you such as reduced food, car parking costs. 


How much does it cost?

There are two types of Merlin pass that you can buy - standard annual pass and premium annual pass, each comes with a set of their own perks that you can use during the time at a Merlin attraction. 

Standard annual pass. 

Annual prices. 

Individual price (adult or child) - £179.00 or family price per person. 3+ ( max 3 adults. Adults aged 12+).

Renewal price - prices from  £109.00  per person. 

Monthly prices. 

Individual monthly price - £8.99 per person plus joining fee £29.99 per person.

12-month minimal term. Total of 12 months cost £137.87.

Premium annual pass. 

Annual price.

* (adult or child) £229.00 per person. 

Family - 3+ (max 3 adults 12+) £189 per person.

Monthly price.

 £11.99 per person plus £34.99 joining fee per person. 

12-month minimal term, a total of 12 months cost £178.87. 

Perks.

Entry into UK attractions.

Free Royal Mail Delivery (3-5 Working Days).

Up to 20% discount on food, beverage and retail.

Short Breaks offers and discounts with Merlin Holiday Club.

Invites to exclusive Passholder Preview Events.

Discounted entry for family & friends.

Free car parking at our Theme Parks and Warwick Castle.

Visit anytime without restrictions (Subject to T&Cs).

Exclusive Passholder pack.

Priority entry to UK attractions (subject to availability).

Additional bits.

 A complimentary carer pass
 - this is a pass for any carer to help assist with a disabled person. It is not allocated specifically to one person but to the carer at that time of visiting. 

 This pass is free so you don't have to pay any cost towards the ticket. There must be at least one responsible adult in the visiting party (the party means the disabled guest and the guest using the carer Pass) in order for the party to enter an attraction.

To apply for the carer pass you will need to provide proof of disability when getting the pass issued, this can be any of the following documentation:

* Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

* Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

* Blue Badge (photo ID required).

* Signed letter from GP (photo ID required).

Documentation should be dated within the last 24 months, documentation dated later than this maybe rejected.



Type Talk.

When speaking to us via the telephone we accept all Type Talk calls. All of our agents are fully trained to use this service.

Hearing and Assistance.




Many of the attractions have the hearing assistance service for anyone uses a hearing aid.

Ride Access Pass.

Guests with certain disabilities are able to get a disabled access pass which means they can enter via the ride exit to avoid the queuing.


Buggy hire.

There are a limited amounts of buggies to hire at Merlin attractions. You would be wise to come early so you won't be disappointed. 

The cost of hiring out a pushchair for the day is £10 and a refundable deposit of £10 is required. 

Buggies must be returned, at the very latest, 30 minutes prior to the advertised Park closing time to guarantee that the deposit is returned.

Buggies cannot be taken through any queue lines and therefore must be left outside the entrance of the rides, keeping the entry point clear.

Please note items left in buggies or prams are left at the owner's risk. 

Wheelchair hire.

There are a limited number of wheelchairs and not all Merlin attractions due them such as Madame Tussauds. However, the theme park based ones do. 

The cost to hire out a wheelchair is  A £20 refundable deposit is required and a rental charge of £10 applies to guests who cannot show documentation confirming their eligibility. 

You can hire them at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Pop badges. 

Pop badges are collectible badges that you can collect at different Merlin attractions and put them on your passholder lanyard.  

They all have different designs and different ways to get them. I have only got a few but I explain below the ways in which I got them. 

Legoland Windsor - can get a Legoland pop badge when you purchase a kid's meal at any restaurant within the resort. 

Thorpe Park - Didn't have any in the shop they claimed so don't know how you get them. 

Alton Towers - didn't bother been told you can get them from a machine in the sea life centre within the resort at a cost of £2. 

We are planning on going back in a few weeks and test out that theory and shall update to let you know. 

After Thorpe park and visit to Legoland, I was so disheartened trying to get pop badges for my two little children but the time we visited Alton Towers I had completely given up on the idea of getting them. 


Circus, Blackpool - Main tower reception you can pick a circus pop badge up. 

Blackpool Tower - Tower shop you can pick up a badge with no purchase needed. 

The Blackpool Tower Dungeon - You need to purchase a dungeon guide for £2.60 with a Merlin pass and the assistant will give you a set of for each Merin passholder.

Blackpool Sea Life centre - one at the rock pool area and completing an activity sheet with children (answers are upside down on the sheet). You can collect the pop badge from the shop at the end. 

Blackpool Madame Tussauds - visit at the nice assistant at the shop and she will give you a few pop badges with your choice of the image such as Groot or Spider-Man, etc. 



When to buy a Merlin Pass.

The best time to buy a Merlin Pass is in January as they have a sale on and you grab a fab deal. 

Friends and family ticket.

With being a Merlin passholder you can save up to 50% with getting day tickets for family and friends. You can even book the tickets online to any of the resort theme parks. 

Each valid Merlin Annual Pass allows for the purchase of up to 5 friends and family tickets.

 Failure to present a valid Merlin Annual Pass when collecting your friends and family rickets will result in a non-refundable the ticket being charged at full gate price. 

Terms and Conditions. 

This is collect at the attraction ONLY ticket. 

* Tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. 

* The friends and family ticket is for standard entry only. 

* Tickets are valid for one visit to the specified attraction.

Prices are subject to availability.

* A valid standard, premium or V.I.P. Merlin passholder must be present when collecting the tickets. 

* Failure to present a valid Merlin annual pass when collecting your friends/family ticket will result in a non-refundable ticket being charged at full gate price.

Attractions.

Chessington World of Adventure. 

The London Eye. 

Thorpe Park Resort. 

Alton Towers Resort.

Warwick Castle.

National Sea Life Centre Birmingham. 

Sea Life Brighton. 

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester.

Legoland Windsor resort.

Blackpool Tower.

Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham.

Madame Tussauds Blackpool.

Madame Tussauds London.

Sea Life Blackpool.

Sea Life Bray.

Sea Life Great Yarmouth.

Sea life Loch Lomond.

Sea Life London.

Sea Life Manchester.

Sea Life Sanctuary Hunstanton.

Sea Life Scarborough.

Shrek's Adventure.

The Blackpool Tower Dungeon.

The Edinburgh Dungeon.

The London Dungeon.

The Warwick Castle Dungeon. 

The York dungeon.

Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park. 

  Attractions in order of location. 

North England. 

Blackpool - Sea Life Centre, The Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Blackpool Tower, Madame Tussauds. 

Manchester - Legoland Discovery Centre.

Scarborough - Sea Life Centre. 

Weymouth  - Sea Life Adventure Park

York - The York Dungeons. 

East England. 

Great Yarmouth - Sea Life Centre.

Sanitary Hunstanton (Norfolk) - Sea Life Sanctuary.

South-West England. 

Weymouth - Sea Life Adventure Park.

South England. 

Bray - Sea Life Centre.

Brighton - Sea Life Centre.

Chertsey - Thorpe Park Resort.

London - Chessington World of Adventure, Madame Tussauds, Shrek's Adventure, The London Dungeon, Sea Life Centre, The London Eye. 

Windsor - Legoland Resort.

West Midlands. 

Birmingham - National Sea Life Centre, Legoland Discovery Centre. 

Alton (Staffordshire)  - Alton Towers Resort. 

Warwick - Warwick Castle, The Warwick Castle dungeons. 

Scotland.

Edinburgh  - The Edinburgh Dungeon. 

Loch Lomond - Sea Life Centre.


Is it worth it?

You need to add up the total and then work out how many attractions can you get to which will determine whether it is value for money. 

I live in the midlands so better lengths to travel and more options as a pose to someone who lives in Edinburgh say. 


 Blackpool

The other week we went to Blackpool as there is were six Merlin attractions in the area so makes a lovely trip away with the family. 


In the Blackpool Tower, there is a circus there which is fantastic and definitely recommend. 

You do not need to book but it would be advised so you don't miss out. 

You can pay for tickets on the day however Merlin advise that it can take 60 minutes queuing for the tickets. 

Alternatively, you can book online and guarantee to have tickets for the day you visit. 

However, it does come with an extra cost on top of the Merlin Pass costing £5 for standard seats or £5.75 for second-row or £7.95 for front row seats. 

Both the £5.75 and £7.95 come with complimentary ice cream or popcorn (the popcorn is excellent quality and comes with a sealed back with a weight of 170g ish, which is a lot and definitely not expecting such a huge amount). Along with a soft drink of your choice.

Cheers for reading X 

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