The Merlin Annual Pass

[Alex]

So are they including the celebration ticket as an entry ticket and the platinum fastrack then?

[Dan]

So are they including the celebration ticket as an entry ticket and the platinum fastrack then?

No, they said that I can use one to get her in and one to get a platinum fastrack. So basically if I wanted her to get in and fastrack all the rides for free like a VIP can then I'd have to use both.

[Alex]

Thanks for clearing that up Dan

[Aidan Lowe]

Feel a dork now for using both of mine, taking my cousin for her 16th and buying her a platinum wristband. Could of saved myself a lot of money there #-o

[Paul_richard]

Chessington trip report,

Fantastic VIP treatment from start to finish, the experience here is much like Legoland whereby a member of staff meets you, gives you your wristbands and supplies you with a phone number in case you have any problems.

Walked straight through the Hotel and brought out by the Meerkats! Staff at Fastrack entrances told us to use the exit several times which was great, and the staff at the ride exit were expecting us as well so they obviously told them over the radio.

Leaving was so much easier in the Hotel parking, typed code in and barrier up and out onto main road with no waiting.

Alton towers planned but already know not to expect any VIP treatment so at least we won't be disappointed!

[Paul_richard]

London Dungeons report with VIP.

Absolutely outstanding service from start to finish. Walked to the gift shop, staff saw VIP lanyard and then took our passes to scan us in (and obviously passed our details around)

VIP host took us straight to get our photo done, bypassed everyone queuing. Then she grabbed my hand and told us not to let go and took us all the way to start of the tour, a few people could be heard saying "why are they going to the front, the host told them because they're VIP!)

The first actor handed us a wax sealed letter and had a quick read and then handed a bag of coins for use later in the tour.

Won't go into detail so I don't spoil it but we were both involved in the tour.

The effort the team went to was outstanding considering how busy it was and will return for Halloween special.

10/10

[awsomelycoolboy]

That's interesting. I didn't know you could get VIP for the dungeons, but not only 5 star treatment, but you were actually involved with the tour? That is awesome!

[Aidan Lowe]

Yesterday was a pretty bad day for me. On arrival I queued up for the turn stiles and getting to it was told I had to join the back of the queue for annual passmembers as we had to be scanned in manually.

Got in and the girl at the box office couldn't find the wristbands and had to ask her supervisor, fair enough, then made my way to x-sector and showed the guy my wristband who kept insisting I showed my ticket instead, ended up showing him my membership card.

Made my way to Nemesis around mid-day only to find the fast track queue was closed, dispatch at this particular time was pretty poor, took me around 25 mins to get one ride.

[Count-Vonduel]

I think the VIP passes are a bad thing for the park in the long run, as ever since the pass came out, normal paying guests have been put second to VIP's, For example, on a recent AT trip, I had just finished queuing for The RMT when I managed to get on the front, After the lap bars had been checked, the ride was about to start when a couple with VIP Passes came rocking up the ride's exit and asked to sit at the front so the staff opened the lap bars and asked me to sit somewhere else. And I was told I could ride the front row when the VIP's were done, but after the ride, The VIP's asked to go round again on the front so I asked the ride attendant and was told that they are not allowed to say no to VIP's, I then left the ride to make a complaint and was given a free Fast Track.

I think Merlin need to Fix the VIP Pass or remove it because at the moment VIP's are being treated like royalty (at the expense of the normal paying customer) and it made me consider not going again (still am but only because I'm an enthusiast)

[Aidan Lowe]

As long as their is demand for them they will continue selling them as they are a business, its a good thing they put a limit to the number of passes. I do partially agree with you, the only privilege passholders should get is the fast track jump as stated anything else makes everyone else feel a devalued customer.

Atm I currently have no plan to renew mine, it was an impulse buy at an acceptable price. But AT is starting to become a bit :bored: still need to make a trip to thorpe but cba the drive.

[Dan]

CVD it's people like that who give most VIP pass holders a bad name.

For a start they shouldn't have used the exit. Then they shouldn't have demanded the front row, especially if there was already someone sat there. But the worse bit is that they were allowed to stay on the ride without getting off, which is a breach of their very strict H&S policy around re-rides.

But a lot of that is down to the ride host who allowed them to do this. A lot of VIP holders wouldn't attempt something like this, and would accept being told to use the Fastrack entrance.

But like said above, Merlin will have made a killing out of these passes, so I can only see an amendment being made to the perks, not their removal.

[pob]

Count-Vonduel - that sounds appalling and certainly not the way I've been advised to use my VIP pass. I just use the fastrack entrances unless told differently by the staff on the gate, and I never demand the front row. I have been offered the front row occasionally on Rita however.
Were these definately VIP annual pass holders or could they have been on the VIP experiences days which include front row access http://www.altontowers.com/VIP-Experiences/

[Adz]

Definitely a worrying development.

Pretty certain it wouldn't be a VIP Passholder though, as that level of service (although wrong) tends to be reserved for those on the top level VIP Package you can buy for the day.

[Count-Vonduel]

As a loyal enthusiast it saddens me to see this happening to AT and I'm also Worried because if this keeps up or gets worse then it could become a real threat to the parks future as guests start to feel riped off and stop coming

[Dan]

As a loyal enthusiast it saddens me to see this happening to AT and I'm also Worried because if this keeps up or gets worse then it could become a real threat to the parks future as guests start to feel riped off and stop coming

As Adz has said above CVD it was probably someone who had bought a VIP upgrade on the day rather than a VIP Annual Pass holder who did this.

Either way you shouldn't have been removed from the ride once the safety bars had been locked, if I were you I would have taken the ride hosts name and gone straight to Guest Services. Obviously a VIP for the day should expect some preferential treatment but to remove someone who is already seated on a ride is just plain wrong!

[Paul_richard]

That's interesting. I didn't know you could get VIP for the dungeons, but not only 5 star treatment, but you were actually involved with the tour? That is awesome!

It really did make us feel VIP, it was the effort they went to that made our day and the fact they've added extra bits just for VIP.

Well worth a visit!

Can 100% say the reported event at Alton Towers wasn't a VIP annual pass holder, there is no way they would allow us to do that. If you even dare ask for front row on Rita we got told our pass doesn't allow a choice of seating and if you want front row you have to join the normal queue, also like that for the other rides.

Does everyone just queue and wait at Alton Towers to get manually scanned in? After I park up I call the VIP number and someone comes over and walks us straight in and sorts the wristbands out. That's the only bit of VIP treatment annual pass holders get.

[Aidan Lowe]

Anyone know what the problem is at AT regarding annual passes and having to be hand scanned. Somebody mentioned its been like this almost a week and we end up getting into the park when the majority of other queues have gone in.

[Paul_richard]

Have noticed other VIP'S waiting but on the past two days I've been I've used the VIP phone number and then been met by our host and then escorted straight into the park.

[Momoffour]

Checking the passes due to pass sharing, looking on the Alton towers page, someone crying their passes got taken off them as they "accidently" letting their friend hold the pass at the gate instead of the ticket obviously lent it to his mate and got found out. Naughty naughty

[swalesuk01]

The irony of this now is that Alton have removed the AP gate this year. They used to have one gate for years but I noticed last year they seemed to stop using it even at busy times and my wife and I would get turned away from it when ever we tried to use it.