
Merlin Annual Pass Weighing Up the Pros and Cons

On Saturday, we were deciding where to go to have a family day out. The park was out of question as it the weather was not good. While googling for ideas, one thing that came up was SeaLife and Legoland discovery at the Trafford Centre. When I went to see how much it would cost to visit, I seen the January sale on Merlin Annual Passes. We had been contemplating getting passes ever since we visited Alton Towers a few years ago. So I weighed up the pros and cons again and decided after doing so to get the family the pass.
Merlin Annual Pass Weighing Up the Pros and Cons
I tend to always weigh up the pros and cons when making decisions. In 2014 when Cbeebies Land opened at Alton Towers and with some good deals on tickets, we could afford to visit and take J. We were able to visit a couple of times that year for the same price it would have cost for a single visit at normal price. Dave and I were able to spend our anniversary there while Scarefest was on, I also got to have my first ever ride on a roller coaster – Oblivion.
The following year J wanted to go back to Cbeebies land but we were not able to afford it added with finding out I was pregnant with Ro. He hasn’t stopped wanting to go back, and although we tried we were not able to go last two years either. Between Ro being born, job changes, car issues and money we just were not able to although did take him to Legoland Discovery Centre on his birthday as a treat.
I really wanted to let J go again and let Ro experince CBeebies Land, also to take the family to Sea life again and Legoland. Both J and Ro love lego/Duplo. So here was the key things I considered:
Weighing up the Cons:
Cost- Is it worth the outlay:
I wanted to know if it was value for Money and if it would be worth it. In the sale per person on a family pass was £109 for a standard pass and £139 for a Premium Pass. So for the 3 of us it was a big outlay £419, as Ro is under 3 we didn’t need to get her a pass thanks to free entry for under 3’s. They provide a calculator, and according to a few visits to attactions I would save £199.84 with a Premium Pass.
Standard or Premium Decision:
The standard ticket has restrictions on visiting in the summer holidays on weekends, so for me and working it is more likely weekends would be the time I would want to attend locations. You can still visit if you pay extra for a ticket but it reduces any savings on getting one. The premium pass doesn’t have those restrictions and also includes free parking.
The Pros:
Unrestricted visits:
One big pro for me, was the ability to visit Alton Towers, Blackpool Tower, Sealife Centres, Legoland and other places as many times as we like this year. J is lego mad and I would love to be able to take him to Legoland Windsor.
Savings:
With the Pass you also get discounts on food and drink and some things in the gift shops too. What you also get with the premium pass is some vouchers to bring a friend at a discount ticket rate, so this gives me the opportunity to take my stepson and his Fiancee to Alton Towers this year.
So after weighing it all up, I swayed to the pros and got the premium passes. I was able used them on the same day, taking the kids to the Trafford Centre where J was so excited to be going to see all things lego and ninjago.
If you are thinking about it, try weighing up the pros and cons and use the calculator to see if it’s worth it for you.