Fright Nights Pre-Book only

[marc]

I am not sticking up for merlin at all I just find it hard to belive people are getting so upset over £2 when they say it will mean a better day. I do not agree with half of what Merlin do, but with this I dont see a problem seeing that I am used to paying extra for Halloween stuff. Merlin could have charged £15 for this and they are not.

They could have made people leave the park at 6pm and then only let in people with the correct ticket, this is done in BGA and Universal Orlando. DLP give you a wrist band and people without them have to leave the park and trust me when I say Thorpe put on more than DLP do.

Don't go to Halloween events in the USA then as they charge $30 for the extra tickets and pass holders have to get them as well, unless they have the top pass.

Ollie you paid £10 for ert on one coaster in Germany for an hour, this on top of the normal ticket. So what is £2, did you buy your pass or use club card points? Did you have to pay for the Saw media day?

I dont even have a pass as I did not want to waste my money and did not have enough Tesco points and I could not use my mums as I dont live there.

 

[Mark]

I don't think it's the fact that it's only £2 that people are complaining about and more the fact that there is a charge. People buy the annual passes (for quite alot of money) to visit the park throughout the year. And then to go and make people pay for each visit just seems like an excuse to get more money.

Well they are not being charged for EACH visit. Just the one to a special event!

And even more amusing is they fact that if they had bothered to read the terms and conditions they would have known this is a possibility.

Lets make it really simple ay...

If you don't like it. SIMPLY DONT GO
If you really don't care that much. PAY THE £2 (after all, if it proves a success (and it might) next year it will probably be more!)

 

[Aaron]

Did anyone actually say they aren't going to GF as a result of this?

I think it's cheeky, but it is in the Ts&Cs, and it is fair for them to do so, and if it means I have to pay £2 to get in instead of just getting in for free then so be it...

This does raise an interesting question about the mazes though, I love them and do them every year, are they pay per maze now then?

 

[marc]

No Az they are included, but you can pay extra to jump the queues.

 

[Aaron]

OK awesomez

We did that one year and did all three mazes within 1/2 hour... but then last year we just queued strategically and did all four in an hour anyway

 

[marc]

Yes people do not tend to have a problem paying extra for that lol

What I am a bit shocked by its to buy a ticket is £30 with nothing extra added to the cost.

Anyway last on it from me, I do see why people are upset but it is no different from a lot of other parks but you better get used to it as I think it will be the same from now on. Probably Lego Land and Alton will follow this as well.

 

[Mark]

Can I just mention to the people that are whining about the £2 thing. You do know that the passes are not valid on the London Eye and Madame Tussauds on select dates don't you? Meaning if you want to go, you have to buy a normal ticket.... It is totally up to the said venue...

Whats more, I've had to pay full price for Fright Nights on a couple of occasions even though I had been actually working for the company and therefore had a staff pass. Staff Passes, yes the people that actually bust their balls for the company, have EVEN MORE restricted dates. Ironically, I couldn't find anyone to do a BOGOF with me for the day, as everyone I know has an Annual Pass. Did anyone wanna split the cost with me to make it a bit cheaper for me since they were still getting in free... **** NO!

Did I like it, No, Did I have a choice, No, and why.. Those are the rules for that pass. I simply paid the ticket price or didn't go.

Perhaps that is how I am able to put it all in perspective because for me it just smacks of how ungrateful people are when earlier in the year they are being given free entrance for special events (ok, so it didn't pan out the way TP wanted, but that wasn't exactly their fault either!), then on opening day taking free Re-Entry tickets, even though they are pass holders anyway. If you use your pass effectively you can save a shed load of money, you can save way more then the actual cost of the pass in the first place and then you complain about a bloody £2 fee.

I can understand, possibly, if people were refused entry with an AP point blank and they had to buy a full ticket (after all, it happens to the staff), but even then, they do retain the right to refuse AP entry AT ANY TIME.

 

[A-Kid]

Its £2 for a potential bit of extra quality during the visit... I can't see what the issue is tbh.

 

[Mark]

Its £2 for a potential bit of extra quality during the visit... I can't see what the issue is tbh.

Thats exactly what I thought. The only reason people are being so down on it is because it is Merlin and furthermore, because it is Thorpe. Thorpe are easy targets. Like I said, people seem to neglect to remember that APs are not valid whatsoever on other days at other attractions too such as Valentines day!

Potentially, if Thorpe were to receive enough advance bookings for any said day for Fright Nights, they could just refuse entry to pass holders outright. They can just bring in similar restrictions that exist on the staff passes.

 

[Swat]

Thorpe could of just refused all AP's and made everyone pay full price. £2 is a respectable price given what they could of done.

 

[MouseAT]

If I'm expected to shell out extra to get in this year, in return I'll be expecting numbers within the park to be more reasonable than they were last year. If this leads to manageable numbers on park and reasonable queue times, fair enough, but if Thorpe just pack in the numbers again, I suspect this'll be my last Merlin annual pass, and therefore my last Ghosterforce, at least for a few years.

 

[nealbie]

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:wink:

 

[Slash]

^ What does your hair getting cut have anything to do about it .

I think the £2 is a great idea as long as they do limit the park that way everyone will be happy. I wouldn't mind paying just £2.

 

[Screaming Coasters]

And then 5 quid in September and then what, 7 after that?
See, I don't know when I go to a theme park, I just get up and go.

 

[Nicky]

With the whole Opening Day thing I know my Dad got a free re-entry but he only got that because he wasn't renewing his pass and he actually went and spoke to the people sorting out Annual Pass holders. I only renewed mine. (And it looks like we aren't even going to use it now).

The idea is good in principle but I guess it is just seeing how it pans out.

Always seen the special events on the T&C and wondered when it was going to be used for Halloween stuff. £2 is barely anything when we always had to spend £50 in petrol to get there anyway. It may hit on passing trade but I think Thorpe can cope without that.

I am just waiting to see whether it has an effect on queuing times. If not cue a topic moaning about it again.

 

[Screaming Coasters]

Its like Merlin are doing us a favor...

 

[Karen]

Poo all this pre-booking however much/little it will cost may mean that Myself and Phil may not be able to attend as there is a possibility I might be needed somewhere else on those dates and i won't know till nearer the time! Might pre-book at £2 and hope for the best. Oh and we all need new passes before GF........£150 x 4 = £600! Poop!

 

[marc]

And then 5 quid in September and then what, 7 after that?
See, I don't know when I go to a theme park, I just get up and go.

Yes I agree Erol, but in this case the day is planned.

It was the same for us in Paris and Orlando, we have to go to the park on a certain date for the extra events.

 

[Aaron]

Just had an internal email confirming the terms for the staff pass...

it IS valid... until the 20th Oct...

I have replied asking if there is going to be a similar system with regards to pre-booking, but I don't hold much hope...

Looks like for the first time in 5 years I might need to pay to get into thorpe... :O

 

[marc]

^was the same for Mark in 2007, but in 2008 they allowed them to be used..