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Merlin VIP Annual Pass


AstroDan

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VIP passholders had extra time in the park?

Disgusting.

Could be worse - I remember at towers last year in the front row queue for Rita , one train was broken and vip pass holders were re-riding the only open front row meaning the front row queue was liturally at a standstill...

Have no problem with perks after park close - don't effect everyone else and for the cost of it its fair. 

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I am a VIP passholder and as already said the hospitality we've got this weekend doesn't affect any other guests.

Exclusive ride time only happens after the ride queue has closed. I guess you can argue fastrack hindered everyone but that's an argument that'll never change and there will always be fastrack regardless.

Chessington also have VIP hospitality next weekend, it's a push by Merlin ready for the next set of passes to go on sale.

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You are spot on, John! What amuses me is that the staff in the parks literally HATE the VIP passes. From divisional directors to area managers to ride hosts. I haven't spoken to a single member of staff who has a good word to say about them as they only create guests with a massive sense of 'entitlement'. Of course, neither is it the guests fault because they have spent stupid money on them in the first place - but ultimately, they do need something for their outlay.

 

I wish they would stop selling them - it is quite literally two fingers up at the rest of the guests and in no circumstances should limitless Fastrack be available. If they must allow Fastrack to VIP passes, then make it limited to once per each ride per day.

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I expect that was last year, Merlin did themselves no favours as we kept getting told different things about where to queue and what was on offer.

Last October we all got updated info clearly stating where to queue and each parks procedures. If the parks didn't want to sell the pass they wouldn't be making the new efforts that were discussed today. The pass is here to stay but will be refined.

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The pass is presumably here to stay because head office are insisting on it. Staff at Lego, Alton and the rest all detest it!

 

I hope they increase the charge to £1000 to really make it limited and put people off buying them.

This isn't a dig at you, Paul - by the way. More a dig at the system which I cannot stand.

 

:)

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Every guest should be a VIP.

It is that philosophy which should guide customer service principles at the Merlin parks.

:)

I see your point , and your right every guest Should be treated to the same standard regardless of what they've paid.

Maybe they could brand it better - maybe as a platinum pass or somthing. Don't have a problem with what the product is personally, if people are happy to pay that much then a buffet and a few rides after park close is fair enough IMO

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Marc has a point and it's part of the feedback that a few of us have given them, they sold the VIP brand on being just that, VIP - the first few weeks of the pass it was just that but after that the experience became different at each park (Alton being the best to now the worst) the updated info last October is supposed to standardise the experience between attractions. The name platinum has been thrown around a few times.

It's ironic you mention Alton Dan, as it's well known by us holders that Alton hate it. Maybe there is a few demanding people who ruin it for us who only expect what we're entilited to but if there are it should stop from this season.

Also even if the price did increase then I'd still expect it to sell, not only the fastrack but the fact you get 4 tickets which give 4 people park entry and fastrack for the day - at Thorpe's prices that's over £500.

I don't mind talking about the pass and flaws, notice there isn't much of it on here. There are issues but it's Merlin who's created them. :)

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I agree it is Merlin who created it.

 

The reasons that it is not liked at Alton Towers is because there are individuals who believe that the pass is a sense of 'entitlement' to effectively break the rules. Rightly or wrongly, there is a no re-ride policy at Alton Towers on thrill coasters. However, I am aware of a few occasions where due to the holder being a VIP passholder, they have created issues for ride staff and this has then been taken to guest services. Such complaints then lead to management and ride teams not liking the pass at all.

 

Simply one of a number of issues that the VIP pass has created and I hope the parks have made this very clear to Merlin.

 

My own view is that if you have to pay for VIP treatment, then it isn't truly VIP!

 

If they insist on maintaining this absurd class system of passes, then they should be 'Basic', 'Standard' and 'Premium'. But I maintain that under no circumstances should limitless Fastrack be available.

 

Perhaps a mod wants to make a separate topic for the VIP pass discussion?

 

:)

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That sort of behaviour isn't on, but again at Alton were giving out mixed messages on re-rides. I know on coasters they don't allow it but when they notice your wristband / pass and your on a ride such as the Flume, rapids etc they actually say "oh you go round again you don't want to get off" (at least they did last summer) 

There was also the case of certain staff on Air telling us not to use the fastrack and go to disabled and then the host at disabled saying no and arguments started as it was then "well he / she told us to use it" 

A dedicated thread would be good, might get other VIP's to talk as well.....I'm sure I'm not the only one on here lol

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Rerides aren't part of the pass, I guess sometimes people will ask and staff say yes as they don't want an issue. Last year water rides at most attractions the staff would say you can stay on if you like (that's the staff offering not guest asking) those that demand it are wrong.

I wouldn't say the pass is wrong, just the name.

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Going to have to disagree there. I'm very anti the premium and standard pass thing, VIP is just a whole new level. Multi tier systems shouldn't exist. If they are to exist then the pass above should be made better without affecting the one below it. Something Merlin has not done.

The vip pass diss not affect your premium / standard pass. Fastrack is going to be there regardless. A vip pass holder simply gets a ultimate faetrack ticket from the allocation so imo don't really affect me as a premum pass holder.

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Personally, I think the standard and premium passes should be merged into one, the "spremium pass". This pass should include all the benefits of both standard and premium including free car parking and no event charges. These benefits should be included in the standard pass in the first place and should not be an upgrade.

Then I think they should scrap the VIP pass. Now that they have started it, there is always going to be a demand for it and thus it will never go; however I really don't think it's fair to offer such a teir that only the wealthy can afford because they can't be bothered to queue. I'm sure if the VIP pass was removed, the amount of fastrack passing through would reduce as the VIP passes can use fastrack as and when they please, even on the quietest days.

I don't have anything against what the pass has to offer, users are paying a small fortune to access these perks; I just disagree with the whole tiered system in the first place, especially the difference between the Standard and Premium passes.

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There was a group of VIP's reriding swarm over and over late in the day, but they were at least getting off the ride and nipping through a gate back to the front of the ride queue, we had walk around the entire queue length when we did our re-rides, but for the extra they paid I can't hold that against them, for the cost they deserve some perks.

I might feel differently on a hot summers afternoon if I've been stuck in a queue for two hours though lol.

Merlin have made a rod for their own back though, even if they want to get rid of the VIP's you can bet the VIP's will complain against it.

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If anything, the number of VIP passes will increase. Merlin have a history of diluting the concept of several of their passes after all and if the market is there of willing buyers, there can be no doubt that it's not only here to stay, but that it will also grow.

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The Fastrack for VIP's is the only thing that really bothers me.

It does affect allocations because VIP passholders by definition can use it where and when they wish. Alton Towers could certainly do without extra Fastrack guests on days like Fireworks Saturday - but because the VIP passholders actually don't make them much money at all, compared to actual Fastrack revenue, they still sell the same amount of daily Fastrack.

As others have said - Merlin have made a rod for their own back with it.

Make it £1000.

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