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Original poster

Am I tight-fisted, or have prices shot up?

105 replies

Shufflebumnessie · 18/08/2021 17:09

I was looking at booking a day out/activity to do with DS and DD during the holidays as we've just had yet another Covid related disappointment. I am shocked at the prices!
A 90 minute swim session at a pool with slides etc would be £45 for 2 adults and 2 children.
Two games of bowling (approximately 40 minutes in total according to the website) is £52.
A day out at a local Country Park (which is lovely but nothing for the adults apart from walking around) is £70. It was £45 before lockdown.
A 90 minute session at a local farm for £42. Previously this was the cost for the full day.
Am I just being a miser, or have prices increased substantially?

OP posts:
Original poster
Shufflebumnessie · 18/08/2021 19:17

[quote Beautifulday345]@SnitchyBitch my first thought was coral reef when I read the post, and welly country park 🧐[/quote]
@Beautifulday345 you are absolutely correct!

OP posts:
TerraNovaTwo · 18/08/2021 19:18

Everything has shot up in price. I feel as if I'm being charged for the air that we breathe.

Zenithbear · 18/08/2021 19:19

We had a couple of pub meals recently and felt that the prices were at least 30% higher. We walked out of a normally nice cafe the other day as every table was filthy so no extra cleaning there!
Businesses know that people are desperate to get out and do stuff and assume that everyone has had grants and nothing much to spend on for months.

PinkPurpleParade · 18/08/2021 19:23

Yep, we've noticed the same. I used to take DD to our local zoo all the time. Used to be £15.50 for a child, £18 for an adult. She asked to go for her birthday and I nearly fell over at the prices! £28 for an adult, £24.50 for a child! We were taking a couple of friends with us and we were looking at nearly £200 to walk around the zoo with a few toddlers! Shock

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/08/2021 19:23

Zoos I can understand the high prices... their food bill must be enormous (Yorkshire Wildlife has 8 Polar bears, 9 lions, three leopards 4 tigers etc... plus all the improvements recently).

Theme parks can work out good value (compared to funfairs for example)

They definitely are irregular treats though. We have season tickets for YWP so go frequently, but we only live a mile away.

Original poster
Shufflebumnessie · 18/08/2021 19:25

[quote Beautifulday345]@SnitchyBitch my first thought was coral reef when I read the post, and welly country park 🧐[/quote]
@Beautifulday345 you are correct!

OP posts:
SmidgenofaPigeon · 18/08/2021 19:26

EIGHT polar bears at Yorkshire wildlife park?! That can’t be ethical surely. Polar bears don’t live in packs like that Sad

girlmom21 · 18/08/2021 19:27

The same country farm type place we paid £6.95 for each last year is now charging £17.95 each, including for a 2 year old!

Meredusoleil · 18/08/2021 19:27

OP have you considered the Guildford Spectrum instead of the Coral Reef Waterworld? We much prefer to go there as it takes us about half an hour to both, but there is at least free parking at the Spectrum!

countrytown · 18/08/2021 19:28

EIGHT polar bears at Yorkshire wildlife park?! That can’t be ethical surely. Polar bears don’t live in packs like that

It's the largest centre outside of Canada I think.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/08/2021 19:29

@SmidgenofaPigeon

EIGHT polar bears at Yorkshire wildlife park?! That can’t be ethical surely. Polar bears don’t live in packs like that Sad
Four young males in Polar 1. Mother and 3 cubs in Polar 2 the opposite end of the park.

The males have three different enclosures they move around. Its one of the biggest enclosures for polar bears in the world.

Window1 · 18/08/2021 19:29

I've noticed a few of the farm park places used to offer a family ticket which would shave a bit off the total price, but these seem to have disappeared which increases the overall cost when there are several of you.

Mammyloveswine · 18/08/2021 19:29

Went to flamingo land the other week as got a cheap deal...noticed full price tickets for children aged FOUR and over is now £42 EACH!

SmidgenofaPigeon · 18/08/2021 19:32

I see. Wouldn’t have thought eight polar bears is that sustainable long term though.

Whipsnade claim to have brown bears but I didn’t see anything. Maybe glimpsed some brown fur up the far end but could have been a rug for all anyone could tell 😂

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/08/2021 19:34

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I see. Wouldn’t have thought eight polar bears is that sustainable long term though.

Whipsnade claim to have brown bears but I didn’t see anything. Maybe glimpsed some brown fur up the far end but could have been a rug for all anyone could tell 😂

The polar bears get moved around for the breeding programme apparently, they don't chose what they get.
LowlandLucky · 18/08/2021 19:34

Edinburgh zoo was £100 and then they had the audacity send a member of staff along the outside queue in the pouring rain to sell plastic poncho's for £5 each. Will never ever be back.

CaurnieBred · 18/08/2021 19:35

I would check out the prices for London shows. There are still tickets available across all price bands as those that would normally be taken by tourists are obviously not being bought. We have been able to get tickets last minute for shows recently at good prices.

TheChosenTwo · 18/08/2021 19:55

Yeah things have hiked up in price due to the many aforementioned reasons.
However my wages haven’t also doubled in the last year and a half and unfortunately sometimes people just can’t afford to pay for these treats anymore. I can’t see the prices going down again when they no longer have to ensure Covid safe policies must be adhered to either!
We also went to coral reef last week. I won’t be hurrying back!

GintyMcGinty · 18/08/2021 19:55

Many of these places have had no income for 18 months

And all running costs have gone up:
Its a nightmare to recruit staff at the moment and average wages for new staff are up by 10%
Gas, electricity running costs are up
Insurance is up.
Food prices are up.
Extra cleaning costs
Providing hand sanitizer everywhere
Signage etc

The list of costs for these places are endless

Beautifulday345 · 18/08/2021 19:58

@Shufflebumnessie couldn’t mistake those extortionate prices! Have you considered the look out? I believe it’s free unless you go in the science museum

SnitchyBitch · 18/08/2021 20:16

@Meredusoleil

OP have you considered the Guildford Spectrum instead of the Coral Reef Waterworld? We much prefer to go there as it takes us about half an hour to both, but there is at least free parking at the Spectrum!
Coral Reef was free parking to be fair, just give your reg when booking online. One bonus from the day!
ILiveInSalemsLot · 18/08/2021 20:25

That is expensive!
I’ve never been paid for entrance to country parks, expect for parking. Our local one has a few animals too.
This holiday, I’ve paid
£3 per child for swimming
£10 per person for sea world aquarium
We’ve only paid for fuel, parking and food (mixture of packed lunches and cafes/restaurants) and have been out loads.

Icannever · 18/08/2021 20:31

We’ve just spent a lot of time at the beach, swimming, kayaking, body boarding, cooking sausages, digging holes. Seems to work for all ages, even teenagers as longs as you can find some friends to join you.

The days out we’ve done have been very expensive mostly because there is no family deals and no discounts at all. The sun tickets to merlin parks have saved us a fortune though.
I found it was cheaper to put my kids into a water sports club for the week than to pay for family days out with the bonus that they make new friend and you get peace 😀.
Sadly as we are in Scotland none of the swimming pools with slides have opened up yet so at least you’ve got an option to go even if it’s expensive 😬

CovidCorvid · 18/08/2021 20:48

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I see. Wouldn’t have thought eight polar bears is that sustainable long term though.

Whipsnade claim to have brown bears but I didn’t see anything. Maybe glimpsed some brown fur up the far end but could have been a rug for all anyone could tell 😂

I think YWP rescue the polar bears from dodgy zoos, they certainly did with victor the first one, and the lions.

When I last went there they only had 2 polar bears in two different enclosures and the enclosures were massive habitats.

I know what you mean about not been able to see animals at times. I get why they do it, the animals need to be the priority and have hidden places to go and feel safe. I’m not sure the spectacled bears at Chester are real, never seen them! 😆

SmidgenofaPigeon · 18/08/2021 20:54

@CovidCorvid that’s interesting- thanks. I have really mixed feelings about zoos, so it’s good that YWP are rescuing some of their animals from less desirable zoo conditions, there are a lot of cramped and miserable zoos in the world Sad

Totally get why the animals can’t be ‘on show’ and I hate London zoo for this where some of the animals have no choice but to be on display to the crowds and screeching children because of small enclosures, but Whipsnade has definitely gone to seed a bit. I don’t think they actually still have a lot of their animals anymore- couldn’t see otters or meerkats either for example. Elephants glimpsed very briefly from the train.