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Merlin Annual Pass Reviews 

1,802
TrustScore 4 out of 5

3.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 127 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the annual pass for its significant cost savings and excellent value, making family days out across numerous UK attractions more accessible and affordable. Many find it a brilliant and economical way to explore, with the pass often paying for itself quickly and enabling memorable experiences. However, some customers noted concerns regarding service and pricing. Many found food and drinks overpriced and of low quality. More significantly, a small portion of people were dissatisfied with recent changes to the ride access pass system. These changes are described as challenging, making park visits difficult for neurodivergent individuals and prompting some long-term pass holders not to renew.

What people talk about most

Service

Clients share negative opinions on service, particularly regarding recent changes to the Ride Access Pass... See more

Product

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of the product, with many customers expressing satisfaction with the... See more

Price

Consumers express significant dissatisfaction with pricing, finding many aspects to be too expensive, such as... See more

Value for money

Customers had ambiguous experiences with value for money, with many reviewers finding the annual pass to be a... See more

Subscription

People report ambiguous experiences with subscription, with many expressing dissatisfaction and stating they... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

We had a great time at Alton Towers recently and before at Chessington World of Adventures. We all loved rides like ‘The Wicker Man’ and my son and I loved Galactica and Nemesis all at Alton Towers... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

We come extremely often to the number1 team park Alton Towers indeed.All though we have platinum passes, we have NO desire to go anywhere else.The staff are absolutely magical with us , they go out... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

First time at Alton Towers. It's a great place for the brave. We went on a very hot Friday in July. We knew it would be busy but were date restricted. The park was inundated with school trips (as we... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Expensive but the perks this year are much better, appreciate the free fast-track per visit, which helps as the queues are just ridiculous!!

Company replied


Company details

  1. Theme Park
  2. Aquarium
  3. Historical Landmark
  4. Holiday Park
  5. Zoo

Written by the company

Unlock unforgettable in 2025 with a Merlin Annual Pass - the ultimate passport that unlocks epic days out at the UK’s biggest & best attractions! Get access to Britain’s most thrilling and awesome experiences, plus exclusive discounts and perks. Say YES to an EPIC season of fun! Merlin Annual Pass is your portal to incredible adventure, heart-racing rollercoasters, and so much more. With a Merlin Annual Pass, you can visit over 20 attractions including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, The London Eye, and SEA LIFE Aquariums. You’ll never be bored during the holidays again, whether it’s a soggy Sunday, a wickedly fun Wednesday, or a terrific Tuesday filled with thrills. Grab your Pass for an epic adventure for the whole family!


Contact info

3.8

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

2K reviews

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3.8

All reviews

(1,802)

131 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

The park is nice and clean

The park is nice and clean. Well kept and the gardens are beautiful. My gripe is that the food outlets are way too expensive. £9.75 for one Hot Dog. And it isn’t even a real sausage. Just a brine cooked one. When there are four of you this make a huge dent in your wallet. Then there is a drink and later maybe an ice cream.
Everyone is struggling financially and this park is getting beyond the reach of most families.

Take the fast track. I stand in line for hours only for people to basically pay to queue jump. Again. This isn’t fair. Just because they have the disposable income to afford to buy the tickets, it’s creating a have and have not almost class system.

Come on Merlin. Make it a place where everyone is equal regardless of money availability

June 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Julie,

Thank you for sharing your feedback.. We are pleased to hear that you found the park clean, well maintained, and that you enjoyed our gardens.

We understand that a day out can be a significant expense, particularly for families, so we regularly review our pricing and offerings to ensure we provide a range of options across our outlets that are suitable for everyone. As with many of our competitors, our prices can vary depending on location and the products on offer

Regarding Fast Track, we appreciate your comments. Fast Track is a service we offer designed to provide guests with flexibility in how they experience the park. We understand it may not be suitable for everyone, and we are always reviewing our operations to ensure we continue to balance guest experience across all our visitors.

Once again I thank you for sharing your thoughts and can assure you we are constantly reviewing guest feedback.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Merlin annual pass

We purchased the Essential Merlin Annual Passes and have absolutely loved having access to so many different venues this year. As a family with a 4-year-old who is a total thrill-seeker, it has been fantastic!Alton Towers is our closest venue and we have already visited 4 times, alongside amazing trips to SEA LIFE Birmingham and Warwick Castle. We also have Chessington and Legoland booked for October, and plan to add Cadbury World soon.The pass offers incredible variety, and it has easily paid for itself. We will definitely be renewing next year and are even considering upgrading to the Gold Pass for the extra perks. If you are debating getting a pass for younger children, we cannot recommend it enough!

June 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Dawn, 

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback.

To hear that you have been able to enjoy these experiences is amazing, and it’s truly lovely to hear that you will continue this into next year and are potentially considering upgrading to our Gold Pass. 

We are delighted to be able to offer a range of attractions suitable for all different ages, and it’s wonderful to know that even your adventurous 4-year-old is able to experience the thrills we strive to provide. We’re also pleased to hear that you find great value for money in your visits, making it even easier to enjoy everything we have to offer.

We can't wait to welcome you back soon.


Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It saves money

It saves money

April 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you for your review. We’re pleased to hear that you feel our passes offer great value for money, and that they’ve enabled you to explore all of our attractions.

We look forward to welcoming you to one of our attractions soon!

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great pass, amazing memories

Great pass, so many different options and locations to explore, having a merlin pass means we make time for family days out without the worry of high costs except food (picnic) and parking, before the pass I would rely on the sun newspaper for theme park visits, I regret not paying for the option with parking included, wish there was an option to add as didn't need any of the other add ons of the better option as bought the whole family passes, wanted to do this for years but couldn't justify the price a great Christmas present we've had a great year so far currently planning a trip this weekend 😊. Only downside you cannot turn up, needs to be pre booked and school holidays can book up fast, infuriates me that I then can't book with my pass but could pay for tickets and attend hadn't realised when I bought I had visions of us spontaneously going on days out, booking process pretty simple. If you need help staff are very helpful and get back to you quickly. Highly recommend, the pass pays for itself after one trip to Londond with some careful planing shrek, London eye, sea life and London dungeons all located together. Great way to get the kids out of the house and off of their device.

June 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Guest,

Thank you for sharing your feedback.

I am pleased to hear that you are able to plan family days out and create magical memories together. Our aim is to make our attractions accessible for everyone, and we are always reviewing our pass types and the benefits included in each one. We understand that certain pass types may not be suitable for everyone, but we hope that across our range of offerings there is a pass that best suits individual needs. This is continually reviewed, taking guest feedback into account.

Regarding pre-booking, we ask guests to do this so we can monitor park capacity and ensure that health and safety standards are maintained, allowing all guests to feel safe and enjoy a great day out. Although pre-booking is required, this can be done at any time, including on the same day, should a spontaneous visit be planned. However we are aware on peak days this can be harder. We are pleased to hear that you have found the booking system easy to use. That is always our goal, so it is great to know it is working well for you.

It really makes us happy to hear that you have gained so much enjoyment and value from your pass. That is exactly what we aim for and we look forward to welcoming you back this wekeend!

Thank you again for sharing your feedback!

Kind regards,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

My son and I would like all the rides…

My son and I would like all the rides to be open when we arrive this is due to the amount of visitors if you spread visitors around the rides the cues may be better also even loading rides try to get them out full eg two people who don’t mode single riding to fill vacant spaces and shared boats on the rapids
Battle gallons guns were non operational so the ride was pointless and the falls weren’t working on the rapids

May 27, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Krista,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate that when some of our rides are closed, this can be frustrating, and there can be a number of reasons for this. However, we do not take the decision to close rides lightly. Health and safety across our parks is of the utmost importance. We aim to reopen rides as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest health and safety standards.

We also understand that this can have a knock-on effect on queue times for other rides, but I can assure you that we take every possible step to manage this as effectively as we can. We will continue to review our processes for situations like this and make ongoing improvements, all while maintaining our high health and safety standards.

We are always reviewing the offerings within our parks, and our teams work hard behind the scenes to keep our attractions up to date and to introduce new and exciting experiences for our guests.

We thank you again for sharing your feedback.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great offer on the Merlin pass

Great offer on the Merlin pass. Fab Christmas present for someone to enjoy many more treats for the whole year!easy to book.

December 16, 2025
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you so much for your feedback, it’s lovely to hear that you find the booking experience smooth and we’re delighted to be able to offer a product that can be enjoyed all year round, helping you create wonderful memories throughout the year

We can’t wait for you to enjoy more days out at our attractions.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great variety of attractions to go to

June 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you so much for your feedback! It’s wonderful to hear that the variety of attractions allows you to enjoy so many fantastic days out.

We look forward to welcoming you back again soon and creating more magical memories!

Kind regards,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Merlin Passes

Its okay, funny thing is with a student discount price is the same as when its discounted few times a year. Definitely not enough perks or major differences in perks from Gold to Platinum also fast track should Definitely be included for Gold and Plat members.

May 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Aahil,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

While we do run promotions throughout the year, we are proud to offer our student discount all year round, providing eligible guests with ongoing savings and value.

Last year, we reviewed the benefits available to our Gold and Platinum Passholders and took guest feedback into consideration. As a result, Platinum Passholders are entitled to a range of exclusive benefits, including complimentary Bring a Friend tickets, a One-Shot Fast Track for each visit, Freestyle Cup and refill vouchers, as well as a number of other perks designed specifically for Platinum members.

We understand that guests may have different views on which benefits should be included within each pass type, which is why we continually review our pass offerings and take customer feedback into account when considering future changes..

Thank you again for sharing your feedback.

Kind regards,

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely overcrowded and ridiculous…

Absolutely overcrowded and ridiculous prices of parking. Also parks look very dated. Not worth the money.

June 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Mateja,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. 

We are aware that our attractions can be extremely busy, particularly during peak periods. Our staff work hard during these times to ensure all guests have the best possible experience while maintaining the highest standards of health and safety.

We understand that parking prices have increased over the years, in line with many other attractions and competitors. This is one of the reasons why complimentary parking is included with two of our Annual Pass options, a benefit that many of our passholders greatly value.

I am sorry to hear that you feel this way. Our teams take great pride in maintaining our attractions to a high standard, ensuring they remain clean, welcoming, and enjoyable for all guests. We are continually investing in our attractions, with ongoing work taking place behind the scenes to enhance our parks and introduce exciting improvements and new experiences for our visitors.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very easy to book tickets for the…

Very easy to book tickets for the parks, QR code available very quickly. Thorpe Park has dedicated passholder entrance stiles, so less queues than standard ticket holders.

June 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you for your feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that our booking system makes it easy for you to plan and enjoy your visits with us.

Our teams work hard to make every stage of the guest journey as seamless as possible, so it’s wonderful to hear that this has had a positive impact on your visits.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love going the theme parks with my kids…

Love going the theme parks with my kids always a lovely day out.
Staff are always helpful and parks are always clean

June 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! We’re so pleased to hear that you love our theme parks and have enjoyed some wonderful days out with us.

We really appreciate your kind comments, and our staff will be delighted to hear them. They work incredibly hard to deliver fantastic experiences and memorable days out for all of our guests.

We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!

Kind regards,

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Website always glitches

Website always glitches, customer services always apologise for the “temporary issues”. Merlin in general clearly use an outdated system and an outdated customer service model. I’ve had response to issues months later, months after the day of the planned activity was due to happen. It’s an outright shambles and when trying to escalate a complaint to someone competent I just get the same generic apology.

March 15, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Kayleigh,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.

We understand that when our system experiences technical issues, it can be frustrating. Please be assured that our teams work hard to resolve any issues as quickly as possible and are continually looking for ways to improve and provide a seamless experience for our guests.

Due to a high volume of emails and calls over the past few months, our response times have unfortunately been longer than usual. Our customer service team is currently responding to enquiries as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

We endeavour to provide all of our guests with the highest level of customer service and take any concerns or complaints raised seriously. Therefore, I am sorry to hear that you feel this way and apologise that your experience has not met your expectations.

If you would like to discuss the issues you are experiencing in more detail, please feel free to call us on 01372 751411 between 9:00am and 4:00pm, Monday to Friday. we would be more than happy to assist you further.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Just brilliant membership to have for a…

Just brilliant membership to have for a family with young children and good value for money .

May 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Pop Adriana,

Thank you so much for your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying your Merlin Annual Pass.

It’s fantastic to know that it helps you and your family create memorable days out together. We’re also pleased to hear that you find it to be great value for money. We hope you continue to enjoy many more amazing experiences with your pass.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love the fact that I got it on an offer…

Love the fact that I got it on an offer and so many great family days out plus many more to come

February 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you for your review. It’s so lovely to hear that your Merlin Pass enables you to enjoy so many family days out. 

We take great pride in offering a range of promotions throughout the year, helping to make our passes accessible to as many people as possible.

We look forward to welcoming you to one of our attractions soon and helping you create even more wonderful memories.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Worth having as gives lots of free access.

Worth having as gives free access to a number of places, easy to book and worked well, as we were new to Merlin did not know what would be like but found it good. A minor point is there is no option to upgrade during the year of membership.

May 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your lovely review. I’m pleased to hear that you find the booking portal easy and stress-free to use. If you are thinking about upgrading, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of our team on 01372 751411 (9am–4pm, Monday–Friday) or email us at info@merlinannualpass.co.uk, and we will be more than happy to review your account and discuss this further with you.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well worth buying

Well worth buying. Weve visited numerous attractions, with Legoland being the favourite.

October 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest, 

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of our different attractions and make the most of your Merlin Pass.

We’re delighted to hear you love Legoland as much as we do. We look forward to welcoming you back to Legoland and our other attractions soon for even more fantastic days out!

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Every time we use marlin passes it’s…

Every time we use marlin passes it’s always an adventure

June 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you for your review, We really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us. We hope you continue your adventures with us and enjoy many more fantastic days out, creating even more wonderful memories along the way.

Kind regards,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love it we use all time

June 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Dear Guest,

Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you’re making the most of your Merlin Pass.

We can’t wait to welcome you back soon and help you create even more magical memories!

Kind regards,

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Spent nearly £600 on passes

Spent nearly £600 on passes, no email confirmation can’t add passes to the portal. Thank goodness I did a screenshot of the pass numbers- send emails but nothing in coming through to my email. Been in the phone three times today to find out what is going on and can’t get through. Really poor service happy to take the £600 but no email receipt or in for action of what to do next or any emails or acknowledgment from Merlin group.

June 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Bethany,

Thank you for taking the time to submit your feedback. 

I am really sorry to hear that you have not received any information regarding your passes. 

There are a few reasons why this may be the case, this could be due to a spelling mistake in the email address, autofill may have edited the details on the booking, or it may be that our email has been sent to junk or rejected by the server. 

If you could send through your order details to info@merlinannualpass.co.uk, I will be able to get this resolved for you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Gift Voucher - Huh - just an Email

I wanted to gift my family Birthday Vouchers - so 2 weeks ago I made the purchase, despite selecting the birthday gift card, all I ever received was an email with a click through to a pretty scraggy page that has the 3 links to claim the passes. I am now having to get creative and make some cards. Absolutely disgusted.

May 22, 2026
Unprompted review
Merlin Annual Pass logo

Reply from Merlin Annual Pass

Hi Richard,

Thank you for your feedback. 

When purchasing the gift cards, you will receive both digital and physical copies of the gift cards. These should be delivered to your chosen address within 30 working days via Royal Mail. 

If you would be so kind as to contact us at info@merlinannualpass.co.uk with your order details, I would be more than happy to look into why this has not yet been received.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

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