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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a ‘family ticket’

45 replies

ViaRia01 · 10/04/2025 08:45

I’m planning a local day out for my household and another household.
Household A: 2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant (free)
Household B: 2 adults, 2 children.

pricing is:
£32 - family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children)
£14 - adult
£10 - child
£0 - infant.

If I buy 2 x family tickets it will be £64 altogether.
If I buy 1 family ticket, 2 adults, 1 child, it will be £70.
If I buy 1 family ticket and 2 adults, it will be £60.

So the cheapest way would be for the child from household A to go in with family B on their family ticket. We’re attending as one big group, not just getting through the gate and going our separate ways But is this generally not permitted? Will they pull us up on it? WWYD?

I’m generally a rule follower. I would never stuff my 2.5 year old in a pushchair to try to get them in for free as an infant (for example). But this situation just feels a bit more … OK … to me.

Interested to hear others thoughts, particularly if you’re usually a bit more like me and try to follow the rules. We can afford it either way. If we pay for two families, then so be it. But I don’t like to throw money away if it’s perfectly acceptable to rearrange families for ticketing purposes.

OP posts:
MellowPinkDeer · 10/04/2025 08:49

As long as you arrive together it would never occur to me that this would be a problem. Everyone has a ticket and off you go! I think you’re over thinking it!

KebabCancelled · 10/04/2025 08:49

of course you buy one family ticket snd 2 adults.

no one cares about the genetics - a family ticket us just a ‘group save’ which you are doing .

Seriously - you are so over thinking this.

no one is ever going to ‘pull you up’ qnf demand proof of address or genetic relationships!

stonebrambleboy · 10/04/2025 08:49

MellowPinkDeer · 10/04/2025 08:49

As long as you arrive together it would never occur to me that this would be a problem. Everyone has a ticket and off you go! I think you’re over thinking it!

Nailed it.

Branster · 10/04/2025 08:49

You have two families with the required number of children. It says up to 3 children per family.
Just buy 2 family tickets. Job done and enjoy yourselves!

Deliaskis · 10/04/2025 08:49

Yes of course, it isn't a requirement to be an actual family, to get a family ticket. It's no different to getting a family ticket when a child's friend is invited along for a day out without their own families.

The only complication is if you are splitting the cost, who gets to 'benefit' from the saving.

Poledra · 10/04/2025 08:50

Wouldn't think twice about it - I'd be temporarily adopting that child straight away! It's more like a group ticket, and you're still paying for all the adults (which is generally where the profit is).

AtomicBlondeRose · 10/04/2025 08:50

If I was bringing my own child and a friend I’d get a family ticket so I really don’t see the issue.

Mareleine · 10/04/2025 08:50

You'll be fine. No one's going to check the kids' birth certs or ask you to do a Jeremy Kyle style DNA test on the door.

ExtraOnions · 10/04/2025 08:51

That’s a lot of heartache for £4 … that the venue won’t even notice

Branster · 10/04/2025 08:51

I'm being so stupid OP, sorry I see what you mean.
It seems fine to me to do what you propose 1 family with 3 children plus 2 separate adults. But it's not worth it for £4.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 10/04/2025 08:54

You're way overthinking this.

Even if they do pick up on the fact that one of the children on the family ticket belongs to a different family, I very much doubt that this is against the rules or that they will care, for the sake of £4.

ButterCrackers · 10/04/2025 08:55

Check the ticket terms and conditions. Usually it’s a family group and this includes members not related as such but for peace of mind read what they are selling.

Original poster
ViaRia01 · 10/04/2025 08:55

Yes, makes sense thank you.

I can see why it looks like I’m overthinking it. I do that a bit I suppose but please do NOT think this is keeping me up at night! I have all the detail I could in the OP in case of follow up questions.

The long term arrangement between these two families is relatively loose in terms of bills and payments. The difference in saving is small and I don’t think anyone would quibble. Family B needs a family ticket anyway and so if they take in the extra child from family A they’ll save £2 while family A saves £4.

OP posts:
Burnout50 · 10/04/2025 08:56

Branster · 10/04/2025 08:51

I'm being so stupid OP, sorry I see what you mean.
It seems fine to me to do what you propose 1 family with 3 children plus 2 separate adults. But it's not worth it for £4.

Not worth it? No one is trying to pull a fast one here, no ones doing anything wrong, and you save 4 quid ... why wouldnt you???

Gizlotsmum · 10/04/2025 08:57

Done this several times with friends. Never been questioned

maddening · 10/04/2025 08:59

I would be buying 1 family ticket and 2 adults

SpringIsSpringing25 · 10/04/2025 08:59

Branster · 10/04/2025 08:49

You have two families with the required number of children. It says up to 3 children per family.
Just buy 2 family tickets. Job done and enjoy yourselves!

But the point is one family ticket and two tickets is cheaper than two family tickets

@ViaRia01

You are overthinking this. Reframe it in your mind as a group ticket. (because that's what it is) and one family ticket and two adult tickets is just fine.

Go, have a great day and buy a couple of mini milks with the difference.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 10/04/2025 09:00

It will be absolutely fine. I’m a rule follower too, but I wouldn’t think twice about doing this. Family ticket specifies the number of adults and children it covers, it does not specify that they must be related. I used to be sent on Christian summer camps as a child and I remember once on a large group outing they used family tickets, just grouped three kids and two adults together as many times as they could, paid for the rest individually, and then split the cost equally between us all. Why I remember this in this much detail after thirty years I couldn’t say, but I think if a bunch of devout christians did it without thinking it’s definitely okay! 😂

Branster · 10/04/2025 09:00

You are right @Burnout50
My comment wasn't intended to be dismissive.
And saving £4 is actually ok.
I'm a bit tired of all this arithmetic gymnastics we all have to do everywhere nowadays, for example when food shopping. I made it a rule in my head that if the savings appear to be under £10 at first glance, then I don't have the energy to make the required combination of products. But I appreciate this is my own rule.

Moonnstars · 10/04/2025 09:00

I don't see it is an issue. How would they know whose child belongs to who. As long as someone is paying and everyone has a ticket it's not going to be a problem.

ZenNudist · 10/04/2025 09:01

This is fine!

clarrylove · 10/04/2025 09:01

Of course you do that. Seems obvious.

BeaAndBen · 10/04/2025 09:02

You do understand the family ticket is just the name of that type of ticket, right?

No one has to be actual family to use it.

Two adults and three children are covered by that type of ticket, not Only Parents And Their Legal Offspring.

It could be me, my demon lover and three child sacrifices to Baal for all the shit the venue gives. Just as long as each person entering has a ticket.

Dueanamechange2025 · 10/04/2025 09:03

I always check the best way of making the discounts work for the group of people going. Definitely nothing wrong with it.

idontunderstandwhy · 10/04/2025 09:05

I’ve taken dc + friend places before and bought a family ticket, even when they are a different race no one has every questioned if they are actually both my children.

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