I’m mourning the loss of a dear friend – my Merlin Membership is no more.
The Merlin Membership was a BRILLIANT idea from Merlin, it allowed you to pay for you Merlin Annual Pass by Direct Debit, no upfront costs, and just a 12 month commitment. For £15.99 a month I had unlimited access to all the Merlin Attractions in the UK, 20% off Merchandise, Food and Drink and Free Parking. I certainly got my money’s worth, I’ve had countless days out and trips with my Merlin Membership, and the relatively small amount of money each month didn’t break the bank. I wrote about the scheme back in 2013, and weirdly, it’s one of the most read posts EVER!
Unfortunately in late 2014 they stopped accepting new Merlin Memberships, but those, like me, already in the scheme were able to continue using our passes.
After perusing my online banking, I spotted something odd – my Merlin Membership Direct Debit was cancelled in February. I was a bit confused – I certainly hadn’t cancelled it (had I?!), so I messaged the Merlin Annual Pass Team via Facebook. I was told that I’d been written to in January about the Membership scheme coming to an end – the letter had gone to my old house! They took my new address and sent me a copy of it –
In short, my Membership was now free until September 30th 2016, and then it would be cancelled, and if I want a Merlin Annual Pass I’ll have to buy one at their discounted rates. It’s not the end of the world, but I much preferred paying monthly rather than stumping up over a hundred pounds in one hit. Thankfully because we’re Ambassadors for LEGOLAND Windsor we get a lot of trips there. Plus Thorpe Park have issued us with Annual Passes as part of their Ambassador scheme we can go there whenever we like, but I’d still like the flexibility of access to all the Merlin Attractions.
It’d be great if they looked at reinstating the scheme in some form in the future, but for now – I’ll have to get saving to replace my pass after September!
UPDATE – January 2019 – IT’S BACK! Read more here.
I had no idea they even did that scheme! Would have used that if I’d known!
Was gutted that they stopped doing this scheme. It was perfect for me and my now hubby.. To find that money for a pass upfront is quite a bit for us so this was the perfect solution! Gutting! Hopefully they will think about another option in the near future!