Annual Pass Entrance

[JAMMYD777]

Hi all,

Just wondering, if entering with a Merlin Annual Pass do you have to queue in a special queue to enter the park instead of the usual makeshift zig-zag queue set up at the beginning of the day. Also, can my non annual pass holder friends enter the same way as me with their regular tickets as I don't really want to split up from them.

Many Thanks

[jmgpannal]

The annual pass entrance is to the right of the main gate. It is signposted and you generally have your pass manually scanned.

Ticket holders go through the turnstiles. But my guests have gone in via the AP queue before without issue. As long as they already have their tickets it shouldn't be an issue

[RideAddict]

The Annual Pass entrance pisses me off. It takes longer if there's several people waiting to get in, and why they don't let you through with the main turnstiles like at Chessington and Alton I don't know.

[Fred]

Alton don't let you through turnstyles, you have to go via a dedicated annual pass entrance.

[RideAddict]

Not when I've been, there's usually 2 members of staff waiting by about 4 turnstiles, and they're like "Scan your pass on any turnstile."

[Pickles]

Actually, I've been through the normal queue with my annual pass plenty of times. Look at the scanners next time you go.

[Fred]

They introduced alton's annual pass entry midway through last season.

As for thorpe, I use any turnstyle as it accepts it.

[RideAddict]

Actually, I've been through the normal queue with my annual pass plenty of times. Look at the scanners next time you go.

I've been through the normal turnstiles most times I've been to Alton Towers. I've sometimes had my pass scanned by a hand-held scanner and gone through the metal gate. Look at which scanners, the ones on the turnstiles which say "Welcome" ?

They introduced alton's annual pass entry midway through last season.

Well I haven't seen it, I went in May and September last year. And if you class a metal gate with someone standing there holdimg a hand-held scanner as an Annual Pass entrance, then it's awful!

[JAMMYD777]

So can I just use the normal zig-zag queue to the regular turnstyles with my friends instead of being separated? Do the turnstyles scan Merlin Annual Passes or does it have to be handheld scanners. This is for Thorpe btw.

Many Thanks

[TPJames]

So can I just use the normal zig-zag queue to the regular turnstyles with my friends instead of being separated? Do the turnstyles scan Merlin Annual Passes or does it have to be handheld scanners. This is for Thorpe btw.

Many Thanks

Yep. You should be fine- all the scanners at thorpe etc. are programmed to accept your merlin pass - at least with me anyway

Have a great time when you go and enjoy the swarm backwards

[RideAddict]

I went recently and the parking barriers didn't seem to scan Premium passes that were bought at Chessington. Does anyone know if this problem has been fixed?

The reason I ask is because my annual pass is due for renewal soon, and I drive to Thorpe more than when I get public transport to Chessington. Chessington is almost on my doorstep and far easier to go to renew.

[jmgpannal]

My recently renewed annual pass from Chessie worked fine on the parking barriers last week!

[RideAddict]

Nice one. Barriers at which park?

[Crafty]

do the annual pass people tend to get security searched often? I know its meant to be random but from my experience the first batch through the door get searched - which is ironic as they queued the longest just to be the last in

[Inferno]

I went recently and the parking barriers didn't seem to scan Premium passes that were bought at Chessington. Does anyone know if this problem has been fixed?

This is true. The Annual Passes bought during the January Sale at Chessington do not work at all at Thorpe, at both the barriers and the turnstiles.

I have one of these duff passes myself

I've visited Thorpe 3 times since opening day, and the pass hasn't worked on any occasion. The Staff are aware of it though and they always apologise and say they're looking in to it, so it doesn't have any affect on anything to be fair. It's just a pain. (and a bit embarrassing when you get rejected by a barrier!)

On my latest visit they made a note of my pass number and said they were looking in to it.

[JoshC.]

Ah, that explains why my Mum's AP has been dodgy the past couple of visits! Strange...

[jmgpannal]

My recently renewed annual pass from Chessie worked fine on the parking barriers last week! Sorry! Thorpe!

[BigBobJones]

We have had a complete nightmare with our passes, got 4 during the January sale at Chessington and they don't work anywhere else than Chessington.

Can't get into the park, can't get the car park barriers to work.

• Went into Thorpe Guest Services who denied they could do anything at all
• Thorpe Annual Passes shrugged their shoulders and didn't want to help
• Drove to Chessington to be told "Wait it will update" But after 3 months it hadn't
• Chessington Guest Services were unable to help, but did ask Welcome to re-issue our passes
• Went to Chessie welcome to get them re-newed, took 30 mins in the cold with only one person selling tickets and a long queue behind us and lots of talking to her line manager to re-issue 4 passes
• Yet again just like the 4 original passes, details were incorrect, had to get them re-issued
• Got Welcome to call the sweet shop so we can get our new cards clipped for our Annual Pass Quencher
• Went to the Sweet shop to get them clipped
• Two days later, still unable to get into Thorpe or out of the car park, complained to Guest Services and Dominic logged a call with Merlin IT who would respond in 5 days
• 7 days later - still not working - back to Guest Services, Dominic called Annual passes to re-issue from Thorpe
• Went to Annual Passes who were now able to help
• 30 mins to re-issue 4 passes, and guess what, ALL 4 of them were wrong, not only have we got incorrect surnames and date of births wrong, but 3 passes had 3 weeks taken off and one pass 6 weeks off the end date... re-issued again to correct
• Then had to get the shop in the dome called so we can get our new passes clipped
• Go to the shop in the dome - clipped and done.

Not tested them at Chessington, but some simple questions:

• If the problem is so well know, why has it not been fixed?
• Why does everyone deny they can fix it unless you are really pushy and demanding.
• What is the point of an Annual pass queue when you go to Alton Towers and everyone else gets through the gates but you hold up all the pass holders as your pass won't scan....
• And why do the staff keep on making mistakes with the details, three times I have given the correct details on the paper form, but every time we have had passes issued, they are always wrong and three of our four still have errors on them
• For a universal pass which can be used at any Merlin attraction, why do they have this Galaxy system which doesn't speak to any other park and no park can edit your details and even Guest Services don't have access

And to make things even worse they gave us the old passes which didn't work which have the clip for the drinks re-fill, well that's good, one quick flash and all my friends can gets unlimited drinks this year as we still have last years cup and the staff don't seem bothered which one they fill up as long as you have a clipped pass which is in date.

[Mitchada04]

Strangely my pass (which was bought at Chessie last year) decided to play up today. Haven't had this before but glad to see it's a general problem and not just my pass. The staff member on the gate just turned to me and said 'get that from Chessington? Just come through the middle' so at least the staff are aware of this issue.

[BigBobJones]

It matters when you cant get out the car park and people are beeping their horns behind you, it matters when you try to get in and you cause a queue and you turn the Annual Pass queue into the slow queue. It also matters when you try and order food and they can't enter in your pass for your MAP discount.

[RideAddict]

You're the person in the car behind, blasting his horn!

Well I've renewed mine at Chessington, and I hope there's no endless problems this year. I hope it's OK when I go to to Alton Towers too. Surely the designs on the passes can't differ from each park? I've noticed the design has been modified this year.

[TPJames]

You're the person in the car behind, blasting his horn!

Well I've renewed mine at Chessington, and I hope there's no endless problems this year. I hope it's OK when I go to to Alton Towers too. Surely the designs on the passes can't differ from each park? I've noticed the design has been modified this year.

Yes, I have the new pass which I got from the london dungeon with a pass voucher. It is absolutely fine, works for all discounts, all entry etc.

The question is, why do the maps from chessie NOT work? And this is a question I think no be has the anwser too.... Maybe they should stop issuing maps at chessie?

[Mad Coaster Man]

Merlin have never got my date of birth right on any of the 7 or 8 passes that I have owned.

[JoshC.]

Isn't it only on passes issued at Chessie during the January Sale?

If so, it could be a mistake on their system there during that period. It's not affecting anywhere else, and it's not a general problem with passes from Chessie. It should eventually be sorted so people who are unaffected by it should stop worrying about it.

[RideAddict]

Maybe they should stop issuing maps at chessie?

Yeah, I can see that happening. Can you imagine the uproar from families, especially as it's a family theme park?

Isn't it only on passes issued at Chessie during the January Sale?

That's what I heard. My mate got one from there, and when we went to Thorpe Park the other week he drove us, and tried to scan his pass at the car park barrier on the way out, and it was having none of it! Now, considering I only renewed mine days ago, it would be interesting to see if mine scans the next time I go.

[jmgpannal]

For the record I have a pass bought from Chessie during the January Sale but only redeemed (printed) 2 weeks ago. This pass has worked at Thorpe fine. Including on the car park barriers.

However my old pass, printed at Chessie in 2012, didn't work anywhere at Thorpe. I was told it was a fault with any pass from 2012 upto Feb 2013 printed at Chessie. A reprinted pass now would solve the issue.