Is the Merlin quick break deal really price it for households? I’ve spent just a few hours making an attempt to work it out. Spoiler: sure.
Proper now you may guide a brief break at a particular Merlin resort and get a FREE Merlin Important Annual Cross included. Now, these passes are already a fairly whole lot – I’ve had my eye on them earlier than.
However, THIS is the time to purchase.
I’ve paid £299 for an evening at Splash Landings Lodge with free journey golf, breakfast, leisure and parking – and obtained three Merlin passes for the 12 months to maintain us busy.
Juggling a real-life price range however nonetheless wanting massive days out is hard – these entrance charges add up. This may very well be the reply.
What Is the Merlin Annual Cross Brief Break Supply?
Once you guide a keep at chosen Merlin resort inns (search for the ‘Merlin Cross Included’ tag), you obtain a Merlin Annual Cross per visitor.
These passes usually value £139 every, providing you with entry to as much as 20 UK points of interest together with:
Alton Towers
LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
Chessington World of Adventures
Thorpe Park
SEA LIFE London Aquarium
The London Eye
…and hundreds extra throughout the UK.
The important thing particulars:
You need to guide by 1st March.
Keep between March and June.
Solely inns with the ‘Merlin Cross Included’ label qualify.
The price breakdown for a household of three
We’re positively heading to Alton Towers in April. Usually, I’d use the toddler supply to get cheaper tickets — however Easter pricing meant that wasn’t obtainable so we have been caught with Alton Towers normal day tickets.
Commonplace Day Tickets:
3 individuals (above 90cm) = £102
Splash Landings Lodge:
A one-night keep at Splash Landings Lodge was exhibiting at £319.
BUT…Signal as much as the Alton Towers publication and also you get £20 off.
So we paid:£299
That’s £197 extra than simply shopping for day tickets.
However right here’s the place it will get attention-grabbing.
What we obtained for £299
For £299, we get:
✔ One night time at Splash Landings✔ Free breakfast✔ Free parking✔ Entry to mini golf✔ Resort leisure✔ AND a Merlin Annual Cross every
These passes give us entry to Merlin points of interest from mid-April this 12 months till April subsequent 12 months.
That features:
Summer season holidays
October half time period
Christmas break
Easter 2027 (which is early subsequent 12 months)
Is the Merlin quick break really good worth?
If the passes are £139 every, for 3 of us that’s:
£139 x 3 = £417 worth
We paid £299 whole.
Even in the event you take away the £102 we have been already going to spend on day tickets, meaning:
We’re successfully paying £197 further for:
A themed lodge keep
Breakfast
Parking
Leisure
AND year-round theme park entry
Realistically, we solely want to go to two extra occasions to make this fully price it.
However technically?
We may go to as much as 339 days.
(Do I plan to? Completely not. However I like the choice.)
Who this Merlin deal is finest for
This deal is sensible if:
You have been already planning a Merlin theme park go to.
You reside inside affordable driving distance of a number of Merlin points of interest (we stay about an hour from the Surrey ones, after which my mother and father are an hour from the Midlands ones).
You’d realistically go to not less than 3 times in a 12 months.
You journey throughout college holidays (when ticket costs are highest).
In the event you have been solely ever going as soon as, it’s not price it. However anymore than that, and it actually may very well be. I really feel like that is the proper 12 months for us to do that as Reggie begins college in September so we have now a complete spring and summer season of enjoyable forward, after which we will go at school holidays to.
Ultimate verdict: we booked it
For us, it labored.
We have been already spending £100+ on tickets.We turned it into:
A correct quick break
A lodge expertise Reggie will love
And a 12 months of UK points of interest locked in
For £299 whole.
For my part?It’s one of many strongest UK household days out offers I’ve seen this 12 months — in the event you have been planning to go anyway.
Considering of reserving?
Earlier than you do:
Test the lodge has the “Merlin Cross Included” label
Evaluate towards normal day ticket pricing
Be sure to’ll realistically use the passes
As a result of the very best deal isn’t the most affordable one – it’s the one you’ll really use.
And sure… I’ll completely be using The London Eye each time I’m in London now. The prepare from Portsmouth virtually drops me proper there.