Sealife Centre, disabled ticket, tesco ticket

[SleepingStandingUp]

Aibu to think that I could use my Tesco entry ticket for the 3 year old and then get in for free as an essential carer for him?

Will they allow this do you think or would I need to pay full price for him to get in free as an essential carer?

I bought a ticket to use before he turned 3 but didn't get chance and I don't have enough tesco vouchers for a second one

Usually with Merlin attractions you take the free Tesco ticket to the ticket office to get changed into a Merlin ticket. Then you show proof of disability and you get the free carer ticket. I've never had any problems getting a carer ticket with free/reduced tickets at Merlin attractions.

You'll have to look at the sealife centre to check what proof of disability you need. My family member has a blue badge which works fine at the theme parks. (apart from the whole leave it in the car and also take it to the ticket office simultaneously issue!)

Why the he'll would I be buying a disabled ticket if my child wasn't disabled?? What is wrong with people that they'd even think that

Because some people do do that sort of thing

I have no idea what is actually wrong with people don't let them upset you Op

I think his DLA letter and my carers letter is all I need

Yeah, I shove plastic tubes over his face and up his nose for shits and giggles and the gastrostomy tube is cello taped on.

Don't worry about it sleeping, I only pretend DS is autistic. I fake his sensory issues because I absolutely love having a child dictate to me what I can and cannot eat based on what smells and visuals/colours he can tolerate. I made up his sleep issues because I like nothing better than staying awake until after midnight every night. I invented his anger control problems because I love being kicked and slapped by my child. I was overcome with delight at having to give up my career to care for him.

I do it all because I really, really, really want those free entry tickets that being his carer entitles me to.

What freeloading cheeky fuckers the disabled & their 'lucky' carers are eh? Why don't we all just stay at home and stop inconveniencing the normal people with our cheeky demands? 🙄

I've used a half price ticket and got in free on a careers ticket before. It was though a bottle voucher but I don't see why that would be any different

Why don't we all just stay at home and stop inconveniencing the normal people with our cheeky demands?

Exactly! Why should our children expect to be afforded the same opportunities and access to experiences as their children?

Ah but they are Motherfork , there's a ramp to get in & 2 blue badge spaces. 😉

In seriousness though, I see someone upthread has mentioned the CEA card and would also like to recommend this. Costs a fiver and you can apply online, your child's carer gets free entry to the cinema. It doesn't even have to be you, it can whoever is taking them. I think they have to be 7 or 8yo to qualify but it's great for when they get obsessions and absolutely must go see a specific film over and over and then demand to leave once they've seen the one scene they love , also great when the film isn't what you expected and you have to leave, or you spend the whole film going back and forth to the loo or don't get to watch any of the film because if you take your eyes off your DC for even a second he will pour the entire extra large, very blue, Ice Blast into your handbag "for later".

Max Card is invaluable too, your local council are the ones to contact for it. Not only does it get you free or discounted entry, it also gives you queue jumpers at some places or allows you to stand in the fast track/priority queue if you need to. We went to Jorvik one school holidays, queue right up the street, and we didn't have to wait in it because we had our Max Card so the staff at the door took us straight to the next available till which was amazing as DS really struggles with queues/waiting.

Ah but they are Motherfork , there's a ramp to get in & 2 blue badge spaces.

Equality at its finest

Last time I took DS to the Sealife Centre we had lunch in the café. I had fish and chips and was really enjoying it until he asked me "is that what they do with the dead ones from downstairs........?" It put me off a bit.

Wtf has happened to mumsnet?

Some ppl on this thread should be ashamed. You’re awful humans.

The ‘this is my child’ campaign seems like a lifetime ago.

It really does, This Is My Child needs a revival.

And to add..... Vanjie..... Vaaaaaaaanjie

Is the Max Card fairly widespread? My local authority doesn't offer it, and not sure if it's just them being asshats, or quite common not to get it.

This Is My Child was for MN publicity, not for the benefit of the families.

@SophieMumsnet told me in January that she'd approached their campaigns team about better awareness of what families of people with additional needs go through, but they obviously decided it wasn't a priority.

We have a Max Card but never see anyone advertising it, really should have a look what's local over the holidays

If anyone wants a free carers ticket they can take ds out for me during the holiday. I bet they will last all of 10 minutes.

CrochetBelle this my child was very agist. no one over 18 could be involved....yep mine was just 18 at the time.

I think that’s a big issue in general, people seem to forget that children with disabilities grow into adults with disabilities!

Sorry Sleeping but this thread has made me smile.
The OP was perfectly clear but you didn't leave a valve for outrage, now you have random misguided outrage.

Start the thread saying Sealife are Capitalist scum trying to fleece people with disabilities and someone would have replied about free entry with Tesco vouchers to demonstrate their altruistic tends.

I really couldn't care less if anyone on here disagrees with that - when you're living with the severity of disability or health condition a child must have in order to be entitled to DLA at the age of 3 you don't have the energy to be bothered by such things.

Totally with you Maiya. I am a lone parent, I get no maintenance. I work full time despite being disabled myself (but not disabled enough for PIP apparentky) and claim DLA and CTC for DS. In the school holidays I can usually afford one big day out for him, but if I get a free carers ticket I can sometimes manage 2! Sometimes my DSis or DParents come to help. The only one of us who pays full price is DSis (DPs are OAPs). Trips out take a lot of planning, whereas other Mums I know can just bung the kids in the car and go. For us it's a military operation, planned over several weeks with all eventualities covered.

Sometimes the disabled child may only be able to cope with the place they are visiting for a short visit so it is reasonable the family as a whole pay less. The parent may also be doing far more caring whilst they are there than the parent of a non disabled child.

Yes to this! You've not lived until all 5'3" of you has had to carry a 10 year old who is freaking out about walking over the glass walkway at Sea life, or just bypassed it entirely. We've had to bypass the glass tunnel too, and the shark tank because DS gets too anxious and freaks out. If DS gets hungry, thirsty, knocked by another child, doesn't get his turn during an activity (because he doesn't push like other kids and then they tend to all push in front of him), the lighting isn't right, it smells funny and so on, I will need to remove him immediately. I often miss out on the attraction myself and leave the rest of the family in there. Sometimes one of them will take DS for me (usually DF as he is very patient and calming with DS, always has been) and i actually get to see stuff. But that only works on the trips where I'm with others. When I'm on my own that's usually the day over!

OP, it's perfectly reasonable to try what you've suggested. I've managed to get in to Sealife on a half price child ticket plus free carer before. It may be different now of course as Merlin has tightened up some of their rules, certainly at their amusement parks.

Just posting to say whilst I don't have a disabled child, it's never occurred to me to begrudge the discounted tickets that people with disabilities get .

Even if the sole reason for them is to help make someone's life a little bit less tricky then I'm all for it- I say this as someone on a fairly low income btw.

Thanks Cheshire x

yes you can get a carers ticket.

I've done it with my DS who has Autism and gets DLA. We HAVE to take both adults with us when we go, ExH watches DD and I am there for DS as he needs constant supervision and often reassurance and company while DD goes and does/looks at things that he can't handle.

There is no shame in claiming and using what you're entitled to when life is difficult enough on day trips out.. going out with a disabled child is a WHOLE other fucking ball game than going out with non-disabled kids. I have one of each, I know.

Seems only fair to get the carer entrance BUT I would personally not take my kids to Sealife with their appalling track record when it comes to animal welfare. Figures by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) showed that in the previous year, 1 in 3 animals died. There were some undercover reports on their terrible conditions.