Half Price Merlin Pass

Whilst the Merlin Pass Sale has officially ended early, there is still a way to get hold of a half price Merlin Pass until 31 January 2012!

Simply send an email to merlin.annualpass@merlinentertainments.biz to  explain you were planning to purchase a half price Merlin Pass before the 31 January.  They, in turn, will send you a confirmation email allowing you to make the Merlin Pass purchase at the sale price of £78 for an individual Merlin Pass. It seems you must take this confirmation email with you to the selected Merlin Attraction to take advantage of this deal. 

Alternatively, if you can make it to Alton Towers Hotel this weekend, ( 28 &29 January between 2 & 8pm) you can pick up a half price Merlin Pass without requiring the confirmation email.

Merlin Pass Half Price Deal

This offers relates only to individual standard Merlin Passes at a discounted price of just  £78 per person, (standard price £156 per person).

To take advantage of this offer, you must purchase & collect your half price Merlin Pass in person from one of the following Merlin Attractions;

• Alton Towers Resort
• Blackpool Tower
• Legoland, Windsor, (selected dates)
• Chessington World of Adventures
• The London, York or Edinburgh Dungeon
• London Eye
• Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester
• Madame Tussauds London
• Madame Tussauds Blackpool
• SEA LIFE centres or Sanctuaries
• Warwick Castle

Unfortunately, you cannot purchase half price Merlin Passes at  Thorpe Park with this deal. Worth checking opening days & times at the Merlin Attraction of your choice before setting off & ensuring you have a confirmation email from Merlin, (see above).

Merlin Pass Half Price Deal

Are Premium Merlin Passes Half Price Too?

Only individual standard Merlin Passes are being offered at half price.  You can upgrade your standard Merlin Pass to a Premium Merlin Pass if you pay an additional £35 per person in cash.  So you could purchase a standard Merlin Pass in this half price sale and upgrade to a Premium Merlin Pass for a total cost of £113 per person, (£78 + £35).

Parking & Merlin Passes

It’s worth noting in the new terms & conditions for Merlin Passes it states that…’Parking is not included with the Standard Merlin Annual Pass, and is subject to availability for Premium Passholders.  Mmm, that’s news to me!

Are Family Merlin Passes Included in this Half Price Sale?

No, only individual Merlin Passes are included in this sale.  Renewals are also excluded from this deal.

Half Price Merlin Passes & Unexpired Time on Current Merlin Pass

There remains some confusion as to whether unexpired time on a current Merlin Pass can be transferred onto a new half price Merlin Pass purchased in this deal.  The official Alton Towers response is that if you have 8 weeks or less on your existing pass, this can be transferred onto your new pass.  However, we are hearing reports of others securing larger extensions to their passes or being issued with vouchers rather than passes that can be redeemed on your next visit, (thanks Steve).  Certainly worth shopping around.

More Information on the Half Price Merlin Pass Sale & Alton Towers

Here is an update from Alton Towers regarding purchasing your Merlin Passes from this popular setting….’The official line is that the Merlin Annual Pass sale that is currently running is a walk up only offer – its only available if you visit the attractions. Only one member of the party needs to be present, but you’d need to bring along photos of the other members in the party. If your pass expires in the next 8 weeks we can add the time onto your pass from the date of your old pass expiring. If you are planning to visit the Resort to buy an Annual Pass the best thing to do is email us in advance to confirm we’ll be open for sales – annual.pass@alton-towers.com’

Thorpe Park & Merlin Pass Deals

The Merlin Pass Offer

A standard Merlin Pass offers entry to over 40 plus visitor attractions around the UK including;

• Alton Towers, (including Early Ride Time)
• Thorpe Park
• Legoland, Windsor
• Chessington
• Legoland Discovery Centre
• London Eye
• Blackpool Towers & many more…

Whilst standard Merlin Passes no longer receive free parking and there are some restrictions on use, (see below), this half price Merlin Pass deal offers value for money if you intend to visit a number of Merlin Attractions throughout the year.  It is also worth taking into account some of the passholder perks associated with the standard Merlin Pass that includes;

• Up to 20% off food, drink & souvenirs
• Early Ride Time at Alton Towers
• Deals on photographic souvenirs
• 20% off Alton Towers Waterpark

Remember restrictions on use with a standard Merlin Pass will include;

• No access to London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon & Sea Life London during August
• No access to Legoland, Windsor before 2pm during August
• No access to the London Eye on 14 February, 29-31 October
• No access to Blackpool Tower 22-30 October
• Passholder fee for Fright Nights at Thorpe Park

However if you discount the August restrictions, (& I wouldn’t fancy visiting some of these London Merlin Attraction in peak summer time anyway), there is plenty of choice for all the family and works out as great value for money.

How to Get the Most from your Half Price Merlin Pass

This Half Price Merlin Pass deal is particularly cost effective if you take steps to reduce your spending on each visit rather than see them as a free day out!  Simple steps such as taking a picnic, investing in a Photo Pass & following our Tips to Beat the Queues will save you plenty of money throughout the year!

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Liz