York residents can take advantage of free entry to plenty of top visitor attractions during the Residents Festival at the end of January. Among those offering free entry are;
Free entry tends to related to 29 & 30 January during specific times so worth checking out the details before setting out. More details available at York Visitor Attractions free entry.
Liz
Merlin Pass - your queries answered, (updated 15/12/10)
There has been plenty of debate over the past 48 hours as to the proposed changes in terms and conditions for Merlin Passholders and in particular the free parking perk. Here we have tried to make sense of the official guidance that has now been issued by Merlin Attractions.
Will I continue to receive free parking with my Merlin Pass?
All current passholders will continue to receive free parking for the duration of their current Merlin Pass.
Will I receive free parking with a new Merlin Pass?
No this free parking perk will no longer be available to new Merlin passholders who renew after 3 January 2011- you will have to pay the standard parking charges as stipulated at each visitor attraction.
If I renew my Merlin Pass, will I receive free parking?
If you renew your Merlin Pass before the 3 January 2011, you will be under the old terms and conditions and will not have to pay for parking for the duration of your pass.
If you renew your pass after this date, the free parking perk will not be available.
I have converted my Tesco clubcard vouchers to a Merlin Pass voucher but haven’t yet picked up my new Merlin Pass. Will I get free parking with this new Merlin Pass?
If you redeem your Tesco Merlin voucher/s before the 3 January 2011, you will be under the old terms and conditions and will receive free parking. If you redeem your Tesco Merlin voucher/s after this date, you are under the new terms and conditions and will have to pay for parking. You can upgrade to a Premium Pass for £30 per person with Tesco Merlin vouchers and this will give you free parking.
Will Blackpool Attractions to be included within the Merlin Pass in future?
Yes, Blackpool attractions will be added during the year but with some restrictions. Those to be added will be;
Blackpool Tower at Legoland Discovery Centre
What other changes are coming into force with the new Merlin Passes?
2011 Merlin Passes will also see the following changes;
How can I regain my free parking perk?
The only way to keep this free parking perk is to move to a Premium Merlin Pass. A Premium Merlin Pass gives your free parking and does not have any restrictions upon use. However there are rumours that the free parking perk for the Premium Merlin Pass may only be for 2011? We await further clarification on this matter.
Can I use Tesco clubcard vouchers to purchase a Premium Merlin Pass?
Whilst Premium Merlin Passes are NOT currently available under the clubcard scheme, you can use your Tesco Merlin vouchers and upgrade to a Premium Pass for £30 per person.
So why not just to switch to a Premium Merlin Pass?
In a word…money! For a new customer an individual Premium Merlin Pass would put you back £175.
Merlin are allowing customers to upgrade their standard to a premium Merlin Pass for £30 per person throughout the year.
Alternatively, existing passholders can renew to an individual premium Merlin Pass for £129.60.
One thing to keep in mind is there have always been plenty of deals around on standard Merlin Passes, (Capital FM are currently offering standard Merlin Passes for £80).
Alton Towers Oblivion bears
Any deals coming up for Premium Merlin Passes?
See renewal prices above.
So what price will this be for a Premium Merlin Pass?
New customers will pay £175 for an individual pass. Existing passholders can upgrade at any time in the year for £30 per person or take advantage of the renewal offer that is running all year, see above.
So is an upgrade to a Premium Merlin Pass worth it?
We DO KNOW that a Premium Merlin Pass will cost you £175 for new customers.
We DO NOW KNOW renewal and upgrade costs for both a Merlin and Premim Merlin Pass.
We DO KNOW that you are in for some pretty hefty parking charges if you stick with a Merlin Pass.
We DO NOT KNOW if the free parking perk will continue with the Premium Merlin Pass after 2011.
If like me, you have managed to get hold of Merlin Pass for around £75, WE DO KNOW you are looking at a hefty increase in subs to the Premium Pass.
In a nutshell, it’s planning out which attractions you wish to visit, how many times and whether this will be peak or non peak time….and then it’s doing the maths!!
Want to keep up to date with deals and discounts then subscribe to topdogdays and sign up for our email newsletter on the right hand side of the screen.
Planning some indoor fun to a Sea Life Centre around the country, then check out these deals and discounts.
2 for 1 voucher for Sea Life Centres; check out this 2 for 1 voucher from moneysupermarket that is valid until 31 December 2010. For more details go to Sea Life Centre 2 for 1 voucher.
Sea Life Centres & Blue Peter Badges; flash a Blue Peter badge and you can gain free entry to Sea Life Centres. Free entrance is strictly for Blue Peter winners between 6 & 15 that can show the badge and accompanying Blue Peter badge card.
20% off discount voucher for Sea Life Centres; check out these vouchers from Discount Britain that offer you 20% off admission for up to 6 people. Simply select the top attraction you wish to visit & print off the associated voucher at Vouchers for Sea Life Centres.
Merlin Annual Pass & Sea Life Centres; as part of the Merlin Group, Sea Life Centres are part of the Merlin Pass package. More information available at Merlin Pass Deals & Benefits.
Sea Life Centres & Tesco Clubcard Vouchers; use your tesco clubcard vouchers by redeeming them for days out tokens. For every £5 tesco clubcard voucher, you will receive £15 off your admission charges.
Want to keep up to date with deals and discounts for top attractions, why not subscribe to topdogdays and sign up to our email newsletter.
Considering a Merlin Annual Pass for Christmas this year? Here’s a few of your queries answered;
Where will a Merlin Annual Pass gain you access to?
Theme Parks;
London Attractions;
Other Attractions;
What added benefits come with a Merlin Annual Pass?
I’ve heard there are Restaurant deals with a Merlin Annual Pass?
Flash your Merlin Pass and you can secure the following:
I’ve seen half price Merlin Pass deals in the past?
Any other deals for Merlin Annual Passes?
Are the terms & conditions changing for a Merlin Pass?
It looks likely that the free car parking perk is now going – it certainly is for those purchasing a Merlin Pass through Capital FM. This is a substantial loss for those that make good use of their pass throughout the year. There also appears to be more restrictions on use during busy periods.
Why not Sign up to topdogdays to keep up to date with all the deals and discounts on top visitor attractions.
More details on the Capital FM reduced price Merlin Pass at Merlin Pass deals.
Liz
Considering an Annual Pass for a loved one this Christmas, then check out these deals available:
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Season Pass at half price; currently on offer until 31 December, the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Platinum Pass offers unlimited access to all the rides during the 2011 season. At less than half price, this annual pass is currently on offer for £90 per person. More details available at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Platinum Pass half price offer.
Blackpool Tower at Legoland Discovery Centre
Legoland Full Annual Pass deals; plenty of deals for this annual pass! Buy a Legoland Full Annual Pass online before 8 December and receive a 25% discount. Alternatively shop at Legoland Windsor this weekend and spend £85 or over to receive a Legoland Full Annual Pass free of charge. However there are tales coming back that the selection of lego products available can be pretty limited.
Use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to purchase a Merlin Annual Pass; beat the 6 December deadline when tesco clubcard vouchers reduce in value and pick up a Merlin Annual Pass for just £40 in clubcard vouchers, (£50 in clubcard vouchers from 6 December).
Pleny of deals for Christmas out there!
Liz
Tesco clubcard vouchers are a great way to reduce your spend on days out. Here’s a great tip from moneysaving expert that shows you how to retrieve old tesco clubcard vouchers you’d forgotten all about.
The clubcard site allows you to check out your current voucher balance and highlights any issued clubcard vouchers that have yet to be redeemed. You can then redeem any remaining vouchers instantly using the online code given. I’ve found £27 in clubcard vouchers myself that I’ve already redeemed towards my next mini-break!
For all the details, terms & conditions go to retrieve old tesco clubcard vouchers.
For more information on tesco clubcard deals, go how to max out your saving with tesco clubcard vouchers.
Tesco clubcard vouchers are reducing in value on 6 December. To max out your savings on your Tesco clubcard, cash in your vouchers before the deadline. Struggling for ideas, check out topdogday’s selection:
Disneyland Paris: new to Tesco clubcard is tickets to Disneyland Paris. If you are planning a trip, you can find more information at Disneyland with Tesco clubcard.
Annual Memberships from Tesco Clubcard: these deals can offer the best value for money by giving you unlimited access to top attractions plus plenty of additional benefits to maximize your savings. Check out these options:
Merlin Annual Pass: this gains you entry to Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, London Eye, Chessington, Legoland and plenty more. In addition you can secure Early Ride Time at Alton Towers, (great for queue busting), free parking plus 20% off food, drink & souvenirs at many of these settings!
English Heritage Membership; with over 400 historic settings to choose from throughout England, not only are you gaining new places to discover but helping to conserve our heritage to boot!
Hotel vouchers with Tesco Clubcard; currently every £10 will secure you £40 worth of hotel vouchers which is a great way to afford a mini-break. Check out our ideas for topdog luxury with tesco clubcard hotel vouchers.
Plenty of deals galore with this loyalty card!
Liz
Merlin Passes offer much more than just theme park entrance and so whilst Alton Towers is shut, there is no need to lock away your annual pass! A Merlin Pass offers winter admission to the following;
Legoland Discovery Centre; set in Manchester this interactive lego play park is great for Lego fans. See our tips to beat the queues at Legoland Discovery Centre.
Oblivion at Legoland Discovery Centre
Chessington World of Adventures; whilst the theme park is closed, the Zoo & Sealife Centre remains open weekends and school holidays.
The London Eye; why not treat yourself to one of London’s most popular sights and, whilst not included, the Eyeskate looks fun too!
Madame Tussauds; always a pull this one to get up close and personal with your favourite stars.
Sea Life Centres & Sanctuaries; dotted around Scotland & England including London Aquarium, (next to London Eye) – if it’s free, it’s worth a look!
London Dungeons;another London tourist attraction you can sometimes forget is included in your Merlin Pass.
Warwick Castle; open every day until 5pm, (except Christmas Day – remember that fiasco last year?) and as with all the above, included in your Merlin Pass.
A Merlin Pass also offers you plenty of restaurant deals that people are just not aware of such as 2 for 1 at Prezzo, kids eat free at Hard Rock & 20% off your bill at Cafe Rouge.
Looking for a deal on a Merlin Pass, we’ll keep you posted. Passholder events are a great way to pick up a half price Merlin Pass and last year there was a great deal running just after Christmas.
Why not pick up a Merlin Pass for just £40 in Tesco Clubcard Vouchers before clubcard points reduce in value on 6 December.
To keep up to date with all the deals & discounts for top attractions subscribe to topdogdays .
Liz
Here’s a deal offering half price entry to Sea Life Centres from moneysupermarket. This voucher is valid until 31 December and offers half price entry to the voucher holder only. As the voucher states only one voucher per transaction, it’s worth splitting into smaller groups at the ticket kiosk if this is possible to maximize your savings.
For further details and to download a voucher, go to Half Price Sea Life Centre Voucher.
Ensure you max out your benefits with Tesco clubcard vouchers.
1. If you spend them in store, you only manage to save the value of the voucher, (or just two times their value when voucher exchange promotions are running.)
2. Redeem your tesco clubcard points before the 6 December to ensure you receive up to four times their value. More information on changes being introduced by Tesco at Tesco clubcard benefits reduced.
3. From 6 December, it is still more cost effective to redeem your clubcard points for vouchers at three times their value rather than in store at cost!
Find cost effective deals in the brochure.
1.Whilst reward vouchers can be redeemed for up three/four times their value, some deals effectively offer you less than this.
2.For value for money, calculate how the vouchers are best spent for your family taking into account other promotions, vouchers available and the needs of your family.
Combine tesco deals with other offers to max out your savings.
Use your tesco clubcard reward vouchers wisely to ensure best value. For example for a family of four off to Alton Towers, combine a 2 for 1 voucher with two tesco day entry rewards, (wise to split into twos at the kiosk to avoid the one offer per transaction!) This way you can bank additional Tesco clubcard reward vouchers for your next day out too!
Rollercoasters galore
Additional clubcard points promotions.
Clearly this is what Tesco want you to do, but it is worth keeping an eye out for additional points promotions to build your rewards as long as you are buying necessary household items!
Annual Memberships from Tesco Clubcard deals can potentially offer the best value for money in days out.
1. Not only do annual memberships give you unlimited access to your favourite top attractions, they often come with plenty of additional benefits to maximize your savings. Check out these options:
Merlin Annual Pass: this gains you entry to Alton Towers, Thorpe park, Warwick Castle, Legoland, Chessington, London Eye and plenty more. In addition you can secure Early Ride Time at Alton Tower, (great for queue busting), free parking plus 20% off food, drink & souvenirs at many of these settings!
English Heritage Membership; with over 400 historic settings to choose from throughout England, not only are you gaining new places to discover but helping to conserve our heritage to boot!
Tesco clubcard vouchers can offers value for money and, if used wisely, will save you a fortune on days out!
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