Oh dear, as a Premium Passholder who has no problem arguing the toss I'll be pointing to the section on my pass which says 'parking included' and telling the person he has a choice, let me out or call management.

Chessington is the only place we've been to so far that actively has a person operating the gate instead of you scanning your card though like at Thorpe.

Sadly that's not the case on the grass car park at the far exit. I remember a huge queue of cars at closing time because the barrier wasn't working and not a staff member in sight!

I emailed them about this and when we visited again in a few months, the exact same thing happened.

I also get riled by the congestion caused by Thorpe's barriers, even more so because they usually only have one member of staff to cope with four barriers.

If they're going to rip people off on the way out, at least have enough barriers/staff to cope with the demand.

(Or maybe they're planning to introduce car park Fastrack!)

Merlins annual pass holder terms and conditions do not allow for charges to premium pass holders for parking.

In fact having read the whole terms and conditions there doesn't seem to be a clause that allows them to charge for premium parking.

"12.6 Parking fees at the Attractions will be payable.

For the avoidance of doubt, the restrictions and additional fees set out in this Term 12 do not apply to the Premium Merlin Annual Pass"

These terms may not be changed without 30 days prior notice.

Before engaging in an argument confirm that Merlin have not changed the terms and conditions. They are able to change them without notification. If it is the case that they have not modified them then unleash hell, so to speak.

That is incorrect, even if it were not part of their own terms (which it is, term 31, any changes to t&c must be conveyed to pass holders giving 30 days written notice of the changes), it is the core principles of contract law that no contract can be retrospectively amended or modified without notice, and in most cases, without consent of both parties, this is why when your credit card company change their terms they write to you and say 'in 30 days your terms are changing, if you do nothing we will assume you agree', this is called a tacit agreement, I.e. you agree by silence to the changes, if Merlin were to withdraw the free parking, they would have had to do this over a month go, which they didn't.

Management don't really want to get into an argument with me over contracts, since that's kind of my field and I have a 100% success rate in Court over them

Edit, you beat me to it lol. The likelyhood is we won't be going back until August so I'd expect the person on the gate will be better trained by then, and I have a copy of the terms that were effective when I ordered the card so I welcome the challenge if Management is willing...

Yeah beat you to it

Must say I do enjoy reading those terms and conditions from time to time. Section 12 to me implies that they can not charge premium pass holders for parking at any point.

Also not entirely sure but when they say "like xyz but not limited to". I thought that it was too vague and so the court would rule in the defendants favour.

I could drive a truck through their terms and conditions they are that bad.

A lot of people would just pay it though and not argue, I see it all the time unfortunately, people jut put up with crap because they don't want to be 'that' person.

There are many things in it which you could easily throw back at them but I would want to read the attractions T&C's before saying anything for certain.

Any other place I would also not be "that" guy. However with Merlin I'm very happy to be the one which kicks up a fuss. Then again everyone here already knows that.

The Chessington annual pass t&c's are not available on their site, but it's quiet clearly still advertised as including free parking, and knowing Merlin has the same clause about changing terms requires 30 days written notice, so it just depends how bloody minded you are at the exit gate.

The terms and conditions of entry couldn't override the passes terms in relation to cost of entry or parking fees, they'd find themselves falling foul of the CPUTR2008 if they tried to pull that one. I'd suspect this is a case of left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing or it could be management trying it on, but someone will pull them up on it eventually (it would only take one person complaining to surrey ts) and I hate to say it, but by comparison, I am a pussycat when it comes to other cultures ability to kick up a fuss over things they don't like.

Lodge Gate is now for hotel guests and VIP parking as of this season. Hence the £10 charge.

Lodge Gate is now for hotel guests and VIP parking as of this season. Hence the £10 charge.

 

 

Absolutely amazing decisions once again, no wonder they're giving the other gate a shop...

That's a recent change then since we parked in the North car park (the tarmac one) about a month ago.

From Merlin Annual Pass Facebook Page:

 

 

Any Premium Wizard familiar with Chessington Resort will know how quickly Lodge car park can fill up when things are busy. This time, instead of using magic, we’ve had a bright idea (PING!)* and from June 3rd 2015 we’re moving Premium Passholders’ free parking to Explorer car park during the summer season and other peak times.

 

You can access Explorer car park via Explorer gate off Leatherhead Road, and Lodge car park will become Express Parking for all, available for £10 per car. Any questions?

 

What are peak hours? Good question – these are:

• Every day from June 3rd to September 3rd
• Weekends in September and October
• Every day from 23rd October to 2nd November (I.e. half term)

 

Don’t you have anything else to say? Why yes, we do. This change is good news for Premium Wizards: fairer parking, bigger smiles and much more FUN! See you soon!

 

*(That’s a lightbulb lighting up. Obviously.)

 

Do they STILL have to keep with the stupid wizard/magical idea?  By now I'd have thought they realised it just annoys people.

This park.

Unsurprisingly, no-one is happy about the change to the grass car park, because it's a dreadful car park...

 

Some people think they're losing free parking as well, which shows how awfully this has been put forward...

 

Also, their PRs are dreadful...

You'd think the person running Chessington has zero experience running a theme park (he hasn't). It's almost like they're trying to annoy people now, it really is.

 

When they fix up their dreadful, tatty theme park, which still sells attractions that made it famous in the 90's, I'll visit again, but right now the place is a dive. They should be ashamed how the park looks, and to leave Falls in such a state, shows you exactly their thinking; They don't give a damn, unless it pulls in a few pounds.

 

From a park that was one the best theme park's in the 90's, we watched as they slowly run it into the ground, taking all the excuses they throw at us.

If they are going to force people in to using the grass car park then they should do something about the roadway.

 

There are huge pot-holes on that roadway, and every time I drive in to that entrance, I am genuinely worried that my car is going to get damaged by either hitting one of those pot-holes, or have a stone fly through the windscreen having been flicked up by the car in front.

 

The parking situation is a total shambles!

Well, from a legal standpoint, they're still providing free parking for pass holders, so they're on the good side of thing there. I do hope they tell people before entering the North Carpark that it's £10 a day though, ouch.

Is this explorer carpark the one that's close to the land of the dragons entrance? For me parking in a field isn't a problem, spent the better part of every weekend during the 80's parked in a field somewhere around the country but I can see that some might not like it lol.

The amount of complaints they get about that grass car park on a standard day, should have been enough to have swayed a better decision, IF the park wasn't run by sales, over guest experience.

Well I guess they need to get the Smiler repair money from somewhere,

The grass car park is a massive place (much bigger than I expected) it to be and I think it's becoming the main entrance slowly.

£10 though for lodge is far too much and to not get it free on premium is a disappointment (plus it's a nicer entrance in to the park as well).

Good job I have no plans to visit Chessington until Halloween, and when I do chances are I'll be training it!

You're right, the main car park (the tarmac one) is a far nicer entrance to the park, but Chessington have obviously seized the opportunity to find a way to try to get people to pay a premium for parking.

 

If they seriously do plan to make the grass car park the main car park, then they really should get in to some sort of consultation with the Council and the Highways Agency to get some traffic lights and a proper right hand filter lane put there for traffic driving from the A3 (past the new VIP car park and the Premier Inn).

You can often find yourself waiting ages to turn right in to the entrance, and I have seen cars ahead of me zipping across with little room to spare from traffic coming in the other direction.  

Isn't this just going to add to the traffic chaos getting into the park?

Furthermore, the grass car park really wouldn't be any good for disabled people, and there is no hiding the fact that they are yet again cutting a perk from the pass after people have paid for it.

If this is what they want, then they need to invest making Explorer the main park gate (remember there's a few generations that have been using Lodge for years, so will need to adjust). Invest in Explorer and make it a better theme park first impression, than the add on it currently is.

 

Oh I used the word 'invest' and 'great theme park impression'. LOL

I'm really not happy about being sent to Explorer car park as a member of my group has a bad ankle and trekking up to the entrance will pretty much leave her in pain for the rest of the day. 

Well let's just hope they do a lot more work there as a new shop is not near enough to make it the park's primary car park.

Also, the entrance there isn't as picturesque or eye appealing as the lodge car park as instead of being greeted by the burnt stub mansion with lots of forested areas and animal enclosures in the distance, your immediately greeted by the backside of fury (no pun intended) which like 80% of the park needs some work done to it (fresh paint please) and upon entering feels immediately like you are immediately in the centre of the action too quickly which for first time visitors doesn't quite have the impressive aspect of walking up to the action areas and walking past the quiet bits to get there.

I hope they spend lots of money on the park next year, as they need too!

It's also way cramped at the Explorer entrance. The only place for groups to meet where they're not in the way would be down the hill on the grassy knoll but it's not ideal. Poor reindeer and otters are going to see a lot less people too. 

Lethal: Pair brought 'camouflaged hunting rifle' to Chessington

A man has been ordered to carry out community service after he took a "lethal" loaded air rifle to a Chessington car park.

http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/13337352.Lethal__Pair_brought__camouflaged_hunting_rifle__to_Chessington_World_of_Adventures/