Annual Passes Terms & Conditions

Discovery Pass Terms & Conditions

These are the terms and conditions ("Terms") on which we supply Merlin Discovery Passes ("Discovery Pass") to you ("Passholder" or "you"). Please read these Terms carefully before you submit your order for any Discovery Pass to us. These Terms tell you who we are, how we will provide the Discovery Pass to you, what to do if there is a problem and other important information.

We are Merlin Attractions Operations Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, with company number 06272935 and our registered office address is at Link House, 25 West Street, Poole, Dorset BH15 1LD ("Merlin" or "we"). You can contact us by writing to us at info@merlinannualpass.co.uk or Merlin Annual Pass Team, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NE. If we have to contact you, we will do so using the contact details you provide when you purchase a Discovery Pass.

These Terms are integral to each Discovery Pass and are independent of any other contract and cannot be varied (other than in accordance with Term 21). Purchase and use of a Discovery Pass is in accordance with the regulations of each individual Attraction (as defined below in Term 1), copies of which are available at each Attraction or can be obtained online at https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/information/discovery-pass-terms. Please ensure that you are willing to be bound by these regulations before purchasing your Discovery Pass.

When you place an order for a Discovery Pass on our website our acceptance of your order will take place when we email you to accept it, at which point a contract will come into existence between you and us. We will assign a number to your order and will tell you what it is when we accept your order. It will help us if you can tell us the order number whenever you contact us about your order.

You can contact us within 14 days of entering into this contract (which happens when you purchase your Discovery Pass as described in paragraph 4 above) to cancel your contract and receive a refund as follows: contact us during the 14 day period with the completed model cancellation form at the end of these Terms or email us during the same period at info@merlinannualpass.co.uk. The Discovery Pass starts immediately after your purchase as requested by you on the website at the time of purchase (by clicking the relevant box just before payment). If you have used your Discovery Pass during the 14-day cancellation period before contacting us to cancel your Discovery Pass, you must pay us the amount proportionate to the value of the services supplied before cancellation. We shall be entitled to set off any such payment you are required to make against the amount to be refunded.

A Discovery Pass will only be valid when it is used and/or presented by the named holder, it displays a clear photograph which must be a true likeness of the named holder, and it is within the Validity Period (as defined in Term 3). Any use or attempted use of a Discovery Pass in breach of these Terms or the relevant Attraction's regulations will result in the Discovery Pass being revoked without a refund and/or compensation.

For the avoidance of doubt, pass sharing is a breach of these Terms and any attempted use of a Discovery Pass by someone other than the photographed and named holder, regardless of the reason, will result in access being refused and the Discovery Pass being revoked without a refund and/or compensation. For this reason, you should ensure that the Discovery Pass is kept in a safe and secure location where others will not have access to it.

  1. The Merlin attractions that are part of the Discovery Pass scheme are: Alton Towers Resort Theme Park, LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Theme Park, THORPE PARK Resort Theme Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort Theme Park, Warwick Castle, DreamWorks Tours Shrek's Adventure! London, Madame Tussauds London, the London Eye, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre (Birmingham, Manchester), the Blackpool Tower Attractions (the Blackpool Tower Eye, the Blackpool Circus, the Blackpool Tower Ballroom), Madame Tussauds Blackpool, SEA LIFE Centres & Sanctuaries based in the UK (Birmingham, Blackpool, Bray, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Loch Lomond, London, Manchester, Hunstanton, Scarborough, Weymouth), The Dungeons (London, Edinburgh, York, Blackpool) based in the UK, The Bear Grylls Adventure (5 specific activities, see attraction website for full details), Cadbury World and Peter Rabbit™: Explore & Play. (All of these attractions shall be collectively referred to as "Attractions" and "Attraction" shall be interpreted accordingly).

1.1 The Attractions that are part of the Discovery Pass Scheme are listed above (Term 1). No other Merlin attraction will be part of the Discovery Pass scheme unless expressly stated by Merlin. If you turn up to any attraction which is not listed in Term 1 above, the attraction staff have the right to reject your Discovery Pass and require you to buy a non-refundable full price ticket for entry into the relevant attraction on that day.

1.2 Before booking or visiting an attraction, please check if your pass is valid at that attraction on the Website or contact Merlin Annual Pass directly, using the contact details set out in the second paragraph of these Terms.

  1. The prices of each of the Discovery Passes are notified to you before you purchase a Discovery Pass. However, you are recommended to check the following link for any updates to such prices: https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/compare-passes/new-pass.
  2. Subject to Terms 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 30, a Discovery Pass entitles the holder to admission to the Attractions for a period of 12 months from the date of issue ("Validity Period") and is subject to the operating calendars of each Attraction and any applicable exclusion dates, and Term 4 below. The ʻvalid untilʼ date will be displayed on the digital Discovery Pass when issued and Passholders can use their Discovery Pass up to and including the ʻvalid untilʼ date. Please check individual Attraction opening and closing dates on the relevant Attraction's website and the Discovery Pass exclusions and restrictions set out at Terms 4, 5 and 6 before your visit. Please note that not all Attractions are open all year.
  3. Merlin, in its absolute discretion, reserves the right to vary the opening and closing dates of the Attractions, to require pre-booking for any Attraction (for which a small fee may apply), to impose or vary limits on the numbers of persons (or of particular categories of persons based on matters including but not limited to what type of pass or entry ticket they may intend to use) allowed to book entry for or to enter any Attraction on any given day/ at any given time, and to close, remove or cancel all or any part of the rides, events or facilities within the Attractions, in each case for any reason including, but not limited to, technical, health and safety, legal, regulatory and/or operational reasons or due to special events or private functions. Any such variation, requirement or other change shall take immediate effect upon its adoption by Merlin. Unless you have exercised your right to cancel your Discovery Pass within 14 days of entering into this contract as described above, the full value or any part of the value of the Discovery Pass will not be refunded nor will any compensation be payable if any of the Attractions become unavailable or if any or part of any of the Attractions are closed or removed from the Discovery Pass scheme. Merlin will endeavour to publish relevant information as soon as possible if an Attraction requires advance booking, is operating under capacity restrictions, has reached capacity, has booked out of all or certain categories of entry slots at certain times/ on certain days, is closing or where certain rides or part of an Attraction becomes unavailable. Passholders are advised to check the Merlin Annual Pass Facebook feed, https://www.facebook.com/merlinannualpass/ and the Website, https://www.merlinannualpass.co.ukfor any cancellations or closures and special events (which may have additional costs) taking place on the relevant date and/or time of their proposed visit. Please note that some Attractions are subject to adverse weather conditions and therefore Passholders are advised to check the relevant Attraction website before travelling.

4.1 Planned Maintenance Closure Dates

4.1.1 Please note that the London Eye will be shut for maintenance for up to three weeks in one month of each year. For 2024 this shall be between 8th January and 5th February (inclusive). Please check www.londoneye.com for details of closure. The London Eye River Cruise will also close for scheduled maintenance for a period in January. Please check www.londoneye.com for details of the closure.

4.1.2 The Blackpool Tower Eye and Dungeon will be closed for maintenance from 01st January 2024 – 28th March 2024 inclusive. These dates are subject to change and additional maintenance dates may be required throughout 2024. For further information on The Blackpool Tower Dungeon opening times please visit https://www.thedungeons.com/blackpool/.

Merlin may, at any time, in its absolute discretion, add any further maintenance closures which shall be applicable to the Discovery Pass.

4.2 Discovery Pass Exclusion Dates

4.2.1 The Discovery Pass does not allow entry to any Merlin attraction on the following:

Select dates. For 2024 the following dates are restricted;
January - 1st, 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
February - 3rd, 10th à 24th
March - 30th, 31st
April - 1st à 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th
May - 4th à 6th, 25th à 31st
June - 1st, 2nd, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
July - 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th à 31st
August - 1st à 31st
September - 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
October - 4th à 6th, 11th à 13th, 18th à 31st
November - 1st à 3rd, 7th à 10th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
December – 7th, 14th à 31st

Merlin may, at any time, in its absolute discretion, add any further exclusions which shall be applicable to the Discovery Pass as determined by Merlin.

4.3 Planned Seasonal Attraction Operating Dates

The Discovery Pass is subject to the operating calendars of each Attraction Please check individual Attraction opening and closing dates on the relevant Attraction's website as outline below. Please note that not all Attractions are open all year.

Alton Towers Opening Times

Chessington World of Adventures Opening Times

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Opening Times

Thorpe Park Resort Opening Times

The London Eye Opening Times

Shrek’s Adventure London Opening Times

Madame Tussauds London Opening Times

The London Dungeon Opening Times

SEA LIFE London Opening Times

Warwick Castle Opening Times

Cadbury World Opening Times

The Bear Grylls Adventure Opening Times

SEA LIFE Birmingham Opening Times

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham Opening Times

SEA LIFE Manchester Opening Times

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester Opening Times

The Blackpool Tower Opening Times

Madame Tussauds Blackpool Opening Times

The Blackpool Tower Dungeon Opening Times

SEA LIFE Blackpool Opening Times

Peter Rabbit™: Explore & Play Opening Times

The York Dungeon Opening Times

The Edinburgh Dungeon Opening Times

SEA LIFE Brighton Opening Times

SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth Opening Times

SEA LIFE Hunstanton Opening Times

SEA LIFE Loch Lomond Opening Times

SEA LIFE Scarborough Opening Times

SEA LIFE Weymouth Opening Times

  1. The Discovery Pass is subject to additional charges including, but not limited to, entrance fees, reservation or pre-booking fees (where applicable), parking fees, and/or booking fees for entry into:

5.1 Any concerts taking place at the Attractions, any themed and/or special events taking place at the Attractions including, but not limited to, Dungeon LATES, Shrekʼs Adventure! London LATES and SEA LIFE After Dark along with other events including (but not limited to) those managed by third parties;

5.2  All Christmas event openings including, but not limited to, the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Christmas add-ons and Chessington World of Adventures Resort Christmas add-ons;

5.3  Secondary attractions at Chessington World of Adventures Resort Theme Park including, but not limited to, VIP experiences, the Savannah Splash Pool and Gym, selected Halloween mazes and all attractions at Go Ape;

5.4  Secondary attractions at Alton Towers Resort Theme Park including, but not limited to, the Alton Towers Waterpark, Extraordinary Golf, and Scarefest Mazes.

5.5  Secondary attractions at THORPE PARK Resort Theme Park including, but not limited to, Fright Nights Mazes;

5.6  The Blackpool Tower Circus (including additional fees for entry to The Royal Box, V.I.P. seating areas and second row seating) other than the standard seat on the day of their visit which is included within the Discovery Pass in accordance with Term 7,

5.7  The Blackpool Tower Dungeon Escape Room;

5.8  Pirate Adventure Golf at SEA LIFE Weymouth;

5.9  Any other event as determined by Merlin (acting reasonably) from time to time;

5.10  Parking at the Attractions; and

5.11 Any secondary attractions at Warwick Castle including, but not limited to, the Castle Dungeon, which are be subject to additional charges.

5.12 Special events taking place at SEA LIFE Centre Manchester (certain dates apply) are subject to additional charges. Merlin may, in its absolute discretion, add any further restrictions to the list set out in this Term from time to time which shall be applicable to the Discovery Pass as determined by Merlin or in accordance with Term 4, 5 & 6

  1. The Discovery Pass will not guarantee immediate entry to any Attraction or any event at any time. At Attractions or events which allocate individual time slots for entry or where pre-booking is required, Merlin Passholders are required to book an available time slot or pre-book their entry in advance in order to access the Attraction or an event, otherwise they will not be permitted entry. Please note that all time slots are subject to availability, and that there may be different allocations of time slots for different categories of customer (eg based on ticket or pass type), so early booking is recommended. Passholders are able to book an available time slot online by registering an account at www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/prebook. When any Passholder has booked a timeslot (irrespective of Pass type), the Attraction may ask such Passholder to leave the Attraction at the end of their allocated timeslot.

6.1 Discovery Passholders are entitled to up to three active pre-books, per attraction, at any one time.

  1. A Discovery Pass entitles the Passholder to one standard seat in the Blackpool Tower Circus per Passholder on the day of their visit, subject to availability.
  2. A Discovery Pass is only valid for standard London Eye tickets. A Discovery Pass may not be used for any of the following (without limitation):

8.1  Admission on to the London Eye River Cruise;

8.2  Pre-booked capsules;

8.3  Private capsules;

8.4  Civil ceremonies or weddings;

8.5  Champagne Experience;

8.6  Themed seasonal tickets; or

8.7  Packages, such as restaurants, hotels, theatre and combination tickets.

  1. To use a Discovery Pass, the Passholder must show their digital Pass at the admissions office, turnstile or other authorised entry point of the relevant Attraction. Entry to an Attraction by use of a Discovery Pass will only be permitted if a valid digital Discovery Pass can be presented alongside a valid pre-book ticket bookable in the Passholder Pre-book Portal found at https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/prebook. Failure to present a valid Discovery Pass will result in a charge of the "on the day" admission rate applicable to the relevant Attraction, which will be non-refundable. Re-entry to the same Attraction on the same day requires a hand stamp which will be given to the Passholder by the Attraction on exit from the Attraction.

9.1 Please only make bookings using your Pass if you are able to visit on that day. If you do not visit the attraction using your Pass before closing time on the day of the booking, we reserve the right to mark your Pass with a 'no show' and you will receive an email from us confirming this the same.

 If you are a 'no show' three times within a 90-day period, we may also pause your Pass. If this happens, we will email you, and you will not be able to make any further bookings for 14 days after receipt of that email. 

 If you would like to discuss or query any 'no show' status, or to cancel any bookings*, please contact our call centre on 01372 751411 (local rate number) on Monday - Friday from 9am - 4pm or fill in our contact form at https://support.merlinannualpass.co.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new to chat through your options with us.

  1. All Discovery Passes remain the property of Merlin and can be withdrawn at any time. Passholders shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a Discovery Pass is kept secure at all times and any Discovery Pass which has been lost, stolen and/or damaged should be reported to the relevant Attraction pursuant to Term 17. Discovery Passes are non-transferable and cannot be sold, loaned or given away to or used by a third party. A Discovery Pass will automatically be deemed void and shall be revoked without a refund and/or compensation if sold, loaned or given away or if any attempt is made to sell, loan or give it away. In the absolute discretion of the relevant Attraction, access will be denied to any or all Attractions and the relevant Passholder's pass revoked, if Merlin considers the Passholder to be guilty of (i) fraud or attempted fraud in respect of the Discovery Pass, (ii) misuse of the Discovery Pass (e.g. abuse of the Discovery Pass benefits); and/or (iii) inappropriate conduct. Inappropriate conduct includes, but is not limited to, displaying any sign or visible representation of any kind which is, or could reasonably be judged to be, threatening, abusive or insulting to any member of Merlin staff and/or other members of the public visiting the Attractions, or allowing or assisting a third party to attempt to gain unauthorised or improper access to any Attraction with a Discovery Pass of which they are not the valid holder. For the avoidance of doubt, no refund and/or compensation will be given in such circumstances.

10.1 Merlin reserve the right to discontinue any Merlin Annual Pass product provided Merlin serve you with at least 45 days’ notice.

  1. An individual who has their Discovery Pass revoked in accordance with Term 10, 14 or 28 shall be prevented from obtaining a replacement Discovery Pass and, in the future, is required to purchase a full price entrance ticket to enter an Attraction and this will be non-refundable. A year after the date an individual has their Discovery Pass revoked, such individual can contact Merlin to purchase a new Discovery Pass and Merlin will assess the revocation or ban at the time. The issue of any new Discovery Pass in accordance with this Term 11 is at the absolute discretion of Merlin and is subject to availability. Customers who are permitted by Merlin to purchase a new Discovery Pass in accordance with this Term 11 shall be required to pay the full purchase price applicable at the time of purchase.
  2. An Annual Pass will automatically be deemed void and shall be revoked without a refund and/or compensation if Merlin reasonably believes a Passholder to be a convicted child sex offender or subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, or subject to the Sexual Risk Order, Child Abduction Notice, or any other restrictions or requirements that protects the safety and welfare of children, or which Merlin reasonably judges could give rise to a breach of its commitment to the safeguarding of children. For the avoidance of doubt, no refund will be given in any such circumstances.

 

  1. An individual who has their Pass revoked in accordance with Term 12 shall be prevented from obtaining a replacement Pass and access will be denied to all or any of Merlin’s Attractions which in this instance shall be deemed to include any other resorts or attractions which may be operated by Merlin at any point in the future.
  2. A Discovery Pass that is discovered to have been purchased through illegal methods (including, but not limited to, the use of fraudulent debit/credit cards) and/or through unauthorised third party channels, will be revoked without compensation. Should you require any further information regarding Merlin's approved third party suppliers, please contact info@merlinannualpass.co.uk.
  3. The management of the relevant Attraction, acting reasonably, reserves the right to refuse admission, or to refuse to allow pre-booking, at any time and for any reason including, but not being limited to, the Attraction being at full capacity.
  4. All Merlin Passholders are subject to a bag search on entry to any Attraction. Refusal to allow a search may result in access to the site being denied on the date of visit.
  5. In the event of a lost, stolen and/or damaged Discovery Pass, the Passholder should contact Merlin directly to have the relevant Discovery Pass blocked. Contact details are set out at the beginning of these Terms.
  6. Unless stated otherwise, a Discovery Pass cannot be used in conjunction with any promotional offer, voucher, advance booking or with any discount or retail/restaurant incentive. The Passholder is only entitled to the discounts stated in these Terms or such other discounts as made available to Passholders at Merlin's discretion from time to time.
  7. Once a Discovery Pass has been purchased, the Passholder can only cancel the Discovery Pass as described in paragraph 5 above. If you do not exercise your right to cancel within 14 days of entering into this contract as described above, your Merlin Discovery Pass is non-refundable.
  8. Merlin is entitled, in its absolute discretion, to change the price payable for its Discovery Pass at any time and for any reason and may from time to time offer pricing or promotional offers for purchasing the Discovery Pass at specific Attractions, online, or through third party channels. Please note that Merlin does not price match the price payable for a Discovery Pass. If Merlin changes the price payable for its Discovery Pass, it will advise Passholders on the website. For the avoidance of doubt, any changes in pricing will not apply to existing Discovery Passes retrospectively.
  9. Merlin reserves the right to vary these Terms by giving Passholders no less than 30 days' written notice of such variation by using the details provided to Merlin when the Passholder purchased a Discovery Pass and by making a note of such changes available on the terms and conditions page of the website at https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/information/discovery-pass-terms so please review the website periodically for changes. If you do not accept the amended terms, this may affect our ability to provide certain products and services to you.
  10. Visitors under 12 years of age to Alton Towers Resort Theme Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort Theme Park, THORPE PARK Resort Theme Park and Warwick Castle must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. Visitors under 16 years of age to SEA LIFE Centres and Sanctuaries must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over, excluding SEA LIFE Blackpool, SEA LIFE London and SEA LIFE Scarborough. Visitors under 14 years of age to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Theme Park and SEA LIFE Scarborough must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. Visitors under 15 years of age to the Blackpool Tower Attractions (as defined in Term 1) must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. Visitors 15 years and under to the London Eye, SEA LIFE London, the London Dungeon, DreamWorks Tours Shrek's Adventure! London and Madame Tussauds (London) must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. Visitors aged 15 and under to the Edinburgh Dungeon must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 16 years or over. Visitors under 16 years of age to the York Dungeon must be accompanied, at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. With regard to LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre (Manchester), all adults aged 18 years or over must be accompanied by a child 17 years or under and all visitors 17 years and under must be accompanied at all times, by an individual aged 18 years or over. All participating guests at The Bear Grylls Adventure must be over 8 years of age, for guests 8 and 9 they must be accompanied on the activity by a participating adult (High Ropes, Climb & Archery). The Shooting activity at The Bear Grylls Adventure is suitable for guests over 10 years of age and guests between 10-15 years of age must be accompanied on the activity by a parent or guardian aged 18+.
  11. Visitors under 90cm may enter Chessington World of Adventures Resort Theme Park, Thorpe Park Resort Theme Park, Alton Towers Resort Theme Park, LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Theme Park, Warwick Castle, Shrek's Adventure! London, the London Eye, Madame Tussauds (London & Blackpool), Cadbury World, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre (Manchester & Birmingham), the Blackpool Tower Eye, Peter Rabbit™: Explore and Play!, SEA LIFE London and other SEA LIFE Centres and Sanctuaries free of charge when accompanied with a Passholder over the age of 18 and upon presentation of a free Under 90cm ticket bookable through the Pre-Book Portal here [link to booking portal]. Visitors under 15 years of age may enter the Blackpool Tower Ballroom free of charge (limited to a maximum of two such free entrants per Passholder aged 18 years or over per visit). Visitors under 5 years of age are not permitted to enter the any Merlin Dungeons attraction, and parental guidance is advised (please see attraction website for full details).
  12. Height, weight, age restrictions and medical warnings apply to certain rides and attractions. Some rides at LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Theme Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort Theme Park, THORPE PARK Resort Theme Park and Alton Towers Resort Theme Park will require visitors who only just meet the minimum height requirements to be accompanied by an individual aged 16 years or over.
  13. All Passholders, their family members and friends entering a Merlin Attraction by virtue of a discounted entry ticket are required to comply with the booking and entry conditions (including without limitation any restrictions relating to height, weight, age (including the ages for which children are required to be accompanied by an adult) and any medical warnings) set out on Merlin's website. Passholders should check the relevant Attraction's website before booking a visit or visiting.
  14. If we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for any direct loss or damage that you suffer provided that such loss or damage is a direct consequence and foreseeable result of our breach, and provided that you use all reasonable endeavours to mitigate such loss and/or damage. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us during the ordering process. We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so.

Provision of Data and Merlin's Processing

  1. In order to implement and manage these Terms and to enable Merlin to comply with its contractual and statutory obligations, Merlin will require to process certain Personal Data relating to each Passholder as set out in Terms 27 to 32 inclusive. This is detailed in a separate Fair Processing Notice which will be provided to the Passholder under separate cover. For further details on how this may apply in practice, the Passholder may contact Merlin using privacy@merlinentertainments.biz.
  2. Each Passholder will be issued with their own digital Discovery Pass and will be required to supply the following data: (a) their first name and surname; (b) their date of birth; (c) their residential address; (d) a contact telephone number; (e) a contact email address; and (f) a photograph which must be a true likeness of the holder, and which must conform to UK passport photo requirements.
  3. Each Passholder will be issued with their own digital Discovery Pass and, for the avoidance of doubt, will be required to supply the details listed in Term 28 The purchaser of a Discovery Pass must be 18 years or over (and if purchasing a Discovery Pass on behalf of a minor (under 18s) the purchaser confirms that they are a parent or guardian of the minor and are authorised to share the minor's personal data (as set out in Term 28).
  4. If a disabled person has purchased a Merlin Discovery Pass and completes a Carer Pass application online, at their own discretion, providing documentation demonstrating a disability (for example by producing a doctor's letter setting out the disability, proof of receipt of disability living allowance or a disabled parking badge), that disabled Passholder shall be entitled to a free digital Carer Merlin Discovery Pass ("Carer Pass") which enables them to bring their carer into an Attraction with them at no additional cost.
  5. Carer Pass: A carer pass will be issued with a disabled Passholder's Discovery Pass where evidence of the disability has been provided by the relevant Passholder via the online application form and approved by Merlin. Once documentation has been approved, Merlin will provide a unique code and link for the Passholder to process their digital Carer Pass. Carer Passes are issued solely at Merlin's discretion and cannot be obtained at attraction or over the phone. Carer Passes will be reviewed annually. The Carer Pass can be used by any family member, friend or carer of the disabled Passholder who is 14 years or over. Each time a disabled Passholder visits an Attraction with a carer, they shall also supply their Carer Pass in order for the carer to be granted entry. If a disabled Passholder has forgotten their Carer Pass and wishes to have a carer present during their visit to an Attraction Merlin may, at its sole discretion, issue the carer with a day ticket. The Carer Pass entitles the designated carer admission to the Attractions only and does not entitle the designated carer to any other benefit. The details and photograph associated with the Carer Pass must be that of the disabled Discovery Passholder. Use by the Passholder and/or their carer of either the Discovery Pass and/or the Carer Pass in breach of these Terms may result in both the Discovery Pass and the Carer Pass being revoked without compensation
  6. Ride Access Pass: Whilst a Discovery Pass entitles the holder to admission to the Attractions, it does not automatically entitle a disabled person who is the holder the right to receive a priority entry pass for the rides ("Ride Access Pass"). Ride Access Passes are issued at the theme park Attractions and give holders priority entry to the rides so that queuing time is reduced. A Ride Access Pass will be provided at Merlin's discretion where Merlin is satisfied that that a Passholder is unable to queue at an Attraction, and provided that such Passholder is accompanied by someone aged 14 years or over. The terms and conditions of the Ride Access Pass may vary for each Attraction and therefore we recommend visiting the Attraction's website to view the terms ahead of your visit.

Fair Processing Notice

Merlin Attractions Operations Limited ("Merlin") is a British-based entertainment company, with a registered office at Link House, 25 West Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1LD, whose business is about creating unique, memorable and rewarding visitor experiences. A list of the Attractions and a note of the companies that make up the Merlin group which help to achieve this is available at https://www.merlinentertainments.biz/our-brands/ ("Merlin Group"). Merlin values the privacy of those individuals that it provides Merlin Discovery Passes to. This fair processing notice ("Notice") sets out the basis on which Merlin processes and protects the personal data we collect from you in connection with the Merlin Discovery Passes.

As Merlin is the company which was originally responsible for collecting information about you, it will be the Data Controller and can be contacted using the details set out below. You should be aware that although Merlin is principally responsible for looking after personal data collected in connection with a Discovery Pass, information is likely to be held in databases which can be accessed by other Merlin Group companies, and other entities in the Merlin Group may also be Data Controllers where they control the use or processing of such data. In the context of the Merlin Discovery Passes, Merlin will however be the single point of contact for all Merlin Group Data Controllers who can be contacted using the details set out below.

What personal information do we collect from you?

In relation to potential, historic customers and current Passholders, we collect "Personal Information". This refers to information which identifies or is capable of identifying you as an individual. We collect the following data directly from you in the course of administering or promoting our Discovery Passes:  Information that you provide when applying for a Discovery Pass. Details of any concerns if you contact us with a query or issue. When you complete a survey to tell us how your experience of our attractions was and how we can improve, although you do not have to respond to them. Details of transactions you carry out to purchase a Discovery Pass including your credit/debit card details.

Your name, address, telephone number and/or email address and any other data fields noted in Term 28 in order to contact you with details of your Discovery Pass or in the unlikely event that we need to contact you urgently about your Discovery Pass. These details are mandatory and failure to provide means that we cannot provide you with a Discovery Pass.

We comply with principles of "data minimisation", and only collect the types and volume of Personal Information required to achieve the purposes set out in this Notice.

What purposes do we use your personal information for and what is the legal basis?

We will use the Personal Information we collect for the purposes of:  contacting you in relation to service information, including, but not limited to, information about changes to these Terms, expiry reminders for your Discovery Pass; ensuring the security and safety of our attractions as covered by your Discovery Pass; and carrying out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and ensuring we receive payment as required. We may also send you marketing materials (where we have appropriate permissions) as explained in more detail below. Merlin does not however send marketing materials to any child under the age of 13.

We will also need to use your personal data for purposes associated with our legal and regulatory obligations, including in relation to ensuring the health and safety of Passholders at any of our Attractions.

In the majority of cases, the processing of your personal data will be justified on one of the following bases: (i) it is provided for in the Merlin Discovery Pass Terms and Conditions, and therefore necessary to give effect to that contract (purposes A and C described above); (ii) it is necessary for us to comply with a legal obligation (purpose B described above); or (iii) it is in our legitimate interests as a business, and our interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms (marketing purposes described below, save where opt-in consent is required by other data protection laws in which case our legal basis shall be your consent for the purpose of GDPR). That legitimate interest is our freedom to operate as a global organisation and to ensure that our Attractions are promoted.

PLEASE NOTE: If we have previously told you that we were relying on consent as the basis of our processing activities, going forward we will not be relying on that legal basis unless we have said that in this Policy.

Where a Discovery Passholder provides evidence of a disability in accordance with Term 29 in order to apply for a Carer Pass or Ride Access Pass or in the event that a health and safety incident occurs at an Attraction, the Discovery Passholder acknowledges that Merlin will be collecting special categories of personal data (e.g. health information regarding a disability, impairment or injury). Merlin shall only process such special categories of data where necessary to perform the contract, and where the Discovery Passholder has consented to providing such data or where Merlin is relying on a specific exemption provided under local laws of EU Member States and other countries implementing the GDPR. Where possible, Merlin shall seek to minimise the collection and use of such sensitive personal data, and shall ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect such special categories of personal data.

Merlin only collects special categories of personal information about individuals under the age of 13 where the parent or guardian has provided "consent" on behalf of the relevant minor while purchasing a Discovery Pass in respect of that minor.

PLEASE NOTE. If you provide your explicit consent to allow us to process your special categories of data, you can withdraw your consent to such processing at any time. However, you should be aware that if you choose to withdraw your consent we will tell you more about the possible consequences, including if this means that certain services (in particular where you have applied for a Carer Pass) can no longer be provided).

Direct marketing

We may use your personal data to send you direct marketing communications about our Discovery Pass. This will be in the form of email, post, SMS or targeted online advertisements. Where we, or any members of the Merlin Group, require explicit opt-in consent for electronic direct marketing in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations we will ask for your consent. Otherwise, for non-electronic marketing or where we can rely on the soft opt-in exemption under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, we will be relying on our Legitimate Interests for the purposes of GDPR as further detailed above. You have a right to stop receiving direct marketing at any time - you can do this by following the opt-out links in electronic communications (such as emails), or by contacting us at campaigns@merlinentertainments.biz. We will keep a suppression list to ensure you don't receive further marketing unless you opt-in again, but we will still send you service messages - e.g. details about attraction opening times or updates the terms linked to your Discovery Pass.

How long do we keep your personal information?

We will retain your personal data for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes listed above. In particular, where there has been no interaction from a Passholder (e.g. a purchase, newsletter sign up), a record will be archived after 2 years and deleted after 6 years. Where we are required to do so to meet legal, regulatory, tax or accounting requirements, we will retain your personal data for longer periods of time, but only where permitted to do so, including so that we have an accurate record of your dealings with us in the event of any complaints or challenges, or if we reasonably believe there is a possibility of legal action relating to your personal data or dealings. We maintain a data retention policy which we apply to records in our care. Where your personal data is no longer required and we do not have a legal requirement to retain it, we will ensure it is either securely deleted or stored in a way such that it is anonymised and the Personal Data is no longer used by the business.

Who do we share your personal data with?

We share data with other Merlin Group companies in order to carry out the purposes outlined above. We also share Personal data with third parties, which include:

  • Service Providers, who help manage our IT and back office systems, and assist with our Customer Relationship Management activities, such as Salesforce, Experian Marketing Services; Cheetah Digital; CTI Digital; Merkle; Avius Insight; Zen Desk; and HH Global (formerly Adare International.) Third parties that act as data processors are required to act only on our instructions as is necessary to perform services on our behalf and are required to comply with applicable legal requirements;
  • Social media platforms, including Facebook;
  • Regulators, which include the ICO, as well as other regulators and law enforcement agencies in the E.U. and around the world; and
  • Solicitors and other professional services firms (including our auditors).

Furthermore, if required, we may disclose Personal Information in response to official government or regulatory requests; to law enforcement authorities to prevent physical harm or prevent or detect crime; or in the event of merger or acquisition.

Transfer of your personal information across borders

Some entities in the Merlin Group, with whom we share your data, and our service providers who have access to your personal data, are located outside the European Union. We will always take steps to ensure that any international transfer of information is carefully managed to protect your rights and interests, in particular for internal group transfers we have in place an intra group data transfer agreement which incorporates the EU Model Clauses pursuant to Article 46(2) of the GDPR. For external group transfers, we will either:

  • only transfer your personal data to countries which are recognised as providing an adequate level of legal protection in accordance with Article 45 of the GDPR; or
  • ensure that transfers outside the European Union are subject to an appropriate legal safeguard - for example, the EU Model Clauses pursuant to Article 46(2) of the GDPR and/or the EU - U.S. Privacy Shield for the protection of personal data transferred to the US (for further details, please see https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-transfers-outside-eu/eu-us-privacy-shield_en).

You have a right to ask us for more information about the safeguards we have put in place in relation to any data transfer agreement under which your personal data is transferred. Any data transfer agreement made available to you may be redacted for reasons of commercial sensitivity.

Protection of your information

We have implemented reasonable physical, technical and administrative security standards to protect Personal Information from loss, misuse, alteration, destruction or damage.

Your rights

You have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

  • Access: to obtain a copy of your personal data together with information about how and on what basis that personal data is processed;
  • Rectification: to rectify inaccurate personal data.
  • Right to be Forgotten: to erase your personal data in limited circumstances where it is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or processed;
  • Restriction: to restrict processing of your personal data where: (a) the accuracy of the personal data is contested; (b) the processing is unlawful but you object to the erasure of the personal data; (c) we no longer require the personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, but it is required for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim;
  • Objection: to challenge processing which we have justified on the basis of a legitimate interest;
  • Portability: to obtain a portable copy of your personal data, or to have a copy transferred to a third party controller; and
  • We do not carry out automated decision making which would trigger Article 22, but if we do in the future, we will notify you of this and set out your related rights.

To exercise your rights you can contact us as set out below. Please note the following if you do wish to exercise these rights:

  • We take the confidentiality of all records containing personal data seriously, and reserve the right to ask you for proof of your identity if you make a request.
  • We will not ask for a fee to exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data, unless your request for access to information is unfounded, repetitive or excessive, in which case we will charge a reasonable amount in the circumstances.
  • We aim to respond to any valid requests within one month unless it is particularly complicated or you have made several requests, in which case we aim to respond within three months. We will let you know if we are going to take longer than one month. We might ask you if you can help by telling us what exactly you want to receive or are concerned about. This will help us to action your request more quickly.
  • Local laws, including in the UK, provide for additional exemptions, in particular to the right of access, whereby personal data can be withheld from you in certain circumstances, for example where it is subject to legal privilege.

CONTACT US

For changes, such as modifying your Personal Information where it is no longer accurate, and to exercise any of your rights, please contact info@merlinannualpass.co.uk with the subject heading "Exercise of Data Subject Right(s)".

If you have a complaint about how we have handled your Personal Information you may contact us in the first instance and we will attempt to resolve the issue as soon as possible. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection supervisory authority at any time. In the UK, the supervisory authority for data protection is the ICO (https://ico.org.uk/). We do ask that you please attempt to resolve any issues with us first, although you have a right to contact your supervisory authority at any time.

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