Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Yorkshire Wildlife Park

52 replies

Heyduggee123 · 13/04/2021 15:59

Am currently sat seething on hold to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. My parents bought us annual passes for Christmas. I've just gone online to book to see if there is anything available this weekend. Not surprisingly there isn't much left. I don't know why I thought to look on the paid tickets section. Well fuck me I can go on Sunday morning at 9am if I'm willing to pay £42. How can they possibly limit annual pass holders?

AIBU or is this totally nuts!! We've not managed to actually use them yet! No email offering a part refund or to extend the expiry date of the annual passes.

OP posts:

Thesearmsofmine · 13/04/2021 16:02

I’m just looking and it says the earliest slot for tickets on Sunday is 2.30pm for non pass holders.

Original poster

Heyduggee123 · 13/04/2021 16:04

when I looked it said 9am, I've even sent them photographic evidence lol

Also it says there is absolutely no availability for annual pass holders for Sunday

OP posts:

Newnormal99 · 13/04/2021 16:04

Same with Merlin last year. To be fair I can see their point......if they can only hVe 1/3 capacity they don't want it all passholder a who have already paid and bring no more revenue!

Lockheart · 13/04/2021 16:07

Their sandbox, their rules. Like it or lump it I'm afraid.

Having an annual pass does not give you priority for tickets at other places (e.g. National Trust).

Thesearmsofmine · 13/04/2021 16:07

It’s tricky, I would guess they have a set amount of slots held for pass holders and the rest for general sale. I would try and book slots as far in advance as possible, it’s similar to national trust where we pay for membership but don’t get first dibs on tickets, they are open to all at the same time.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 13/04/2021 16:10

I don't really understand why you're so angry - it's pretty obvious to me that they just can't afford to have the place filled with pass-holders who aren't paying entry fees.

It's just not sustainable to do that after they've been closed for the best part of a year and are subjected to limited capacity on top.

BlowDryRat · 13/04/2021 16:20

That's not fair. If it was 'no priority' then fair enough, it's their call, but less than equal access with people booking day tickets isn't on.

Beseigedbykillersquirrels · 13/04/2021 16:34

I don't think that's fair, either. You have already bought tickets (or tickets were bought on your behalf) on the understanding that they could be used when you wanted to, but they are not letting you redeem the tickets.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 13/04/2021 16:39

@BlowDryRat

That's not fair. If it was 'no priority' then fair enough, it's their call, but less than equal access with people booking day tickets isn't on.

I really don't think that's what's happened, though.

I suspect they've said "x number of places each day go to pass-holders, then the rest are paid spots", and OP is just too late to get a pass-holders spot as they've been booked up well in advance.

They won't be able to afford to give all the spaces away to pass-holders who aren't paying an entrance fee :/ it's nothing to do with fair - it's business.

Being a pass-holder doesn't mean you get priority booking, it just means you don't pay for your space. OP can still go on Sunday if she pays for her ticket.

thebillyotea · 13/04/2021 16:40

It's not right

I could understand not having priority, but to be specifically pushed at the bottom of the queue is not fair.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 13/04/2021 16:46

@thebillyotea

It's not right

I could understand not having priority, but to be specifically pushed at the bottom of the queue is not fair.

But she's not pushed to the bottom of the queue, is she? There are just no more spaces for pass-holders that day.

Demelza82 · 13/04/2021 16:48

You're being unreasonable and quite bratty to be honest. How do you cope with real problems in real life?

I have the same issues with local attractions that I have an annual pass for however I have critical thinking skills and realise the world doesn't revolve around my wishes so I recognise that they need to make money somehow in this shitty time for charities/tourist attractions and they will have plenty of space in the coming weeks. Take into account that probably a number of those annual pass holders that have booked might not even turn up because they havent committed financially above the annual pass and they are most likely working on reduced visitor numbers. If you want things like this to be around in 5 years time wind your neck in.

Floralnomad · 13/04/2021 16:51

If they let all the available spaces go to annual pass holders there wouldn’t be a park to go to next year , same for all the other places that do annual passes . I think it’s a bit silly moaning that you can’t get in for this weekend when it’s only a few days aways and during a school holiday . Unfortunately during these covid times you need to plan in advance a bit more .

thebillyotea · 13/04/2021 16:52

You're being unreasonable and quite bratty to be honest. How do you cope with real problems in real life?

are you always so rude, or just enjoying being nasty on this forum because you had a crap day today?

Mumof1andacat · 13/04/2021 16:54

Paultons park and longleat arec treating annual pass holders like this too

Jumpers268 · 13/04/2021 16:57

YANBU. We have Merlin passes (which are not cheap!) and can't book anything. But we can if we don't have passes. I mean eh. I've ended up booking (and paying) as a non pass holder to go to a theme park this week. And I've raised it with Merlin (although I think they're inundated with similar complaints). Oh the rage it gives me 😂.

Jumpers268 · 13/04/2021 16:57

@sunflowersandbuttercups

I don't really understand why you're so angry - it's pretty obvious to me that they just can't afford to have the place filled with pass-holders who aren't paying entry fees.

It's just not sustainable to do that after they've been closed for the best part of a year and are subjected to limited capacity on top.

Then they need to refund the annual passes.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 13/04/2021 17:02

Then they need to refund the annual passes

But OP would be worse off without her pass, as she'd have to pay £40+ each time she wanted to go. An annual pass means she can go as often as she likes and pay nothing - she just needs to be a bit more organised.

I think if they refunded every single pass holder, then they'd probably go under. I really don't think some people understand how much these businesses have suffered due to the pandemic.

Jumpers268 · 13/04/2021 17:12

@sunflowersandbuttercups but she wouldn't be able to go at all? I'm super organised but they only release a certain amount of passholder places every 3 months (for theme parks). I queued in an online queue to book a theme park for August and 4 hours later they were all sold out. It's cost me WAY more for my Merlin passes than if I'd just booked and paid (as I've been able to go twice).

ihavethehighground · 13/04/2021 17:13

They have to get income after being closed for so long

Daisyhoney · 13/04/2021 17:18

If you look on their website it states they are extending passes - we have passes for our local zoo and they have been extended automatically by 9 months for the three lockdowns ( which is longer than they were closed for ).
I can't book for our zoo atm as each day I check it's all booked up both for passholders and non passholders but tbh I'm just happy that people are visiting.
Give it a bit more time ,they've just reopened and everyone seems to be rushing to do everything straight away. It will calm down and you'll be able to book then. Zoo passes are definitely worth having even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment .

gingerbiscuit19 · 13/04/2021 17:19

You're been dramatic. It isn't sustainable to allow unlimited pass holders screws to the park. They've never make any money. You just need to be more organised and plan ahead.

twoshedsjackson · 13/04/2021 17:19

The annual passes give them predictable income. If too many pass-holders get hacked off at getting no use from them, that predicable income may slowly dwindle.....

sunflowersandbuttercups · 13/04/2021 17:23

[quote Jumpers268]@sunflowersandbuttercups but she wouldn't be able to go at all? I'm super organised but they only release a certain amount of passholder places every 3 months (for theme parks). I queued in an online queue to book a theme park for August and 4 hours later they were all sold out. It's cost me WAY more for my Merlin passes than if I'd just booked and paid (as I've been able to go twice).[/quote]
There's no suggestion in the OP that that's the case, though.

All she's said is that she couldn't book tickets for five days time (the last weekend of school holidays) while capacity restrictions are still in place. Social distancing should come to an end by July, which means zoos etc. can go back to normal and she should be able to get in fine.

I mean, she didn't even pay for the passes to start with so she's not out of pocket either way.

Jumpers268 · 13/04/2021 17:26

@sunflowersandbuttercups very true haha. Obviously it just struck a nerve for me! 🙈😂.

Flip

1 2 3