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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Original poster

Free Entry for Carers

44 replies

beldaran · 13/06/2009 07:50

Hi,

Just thought i'd let anyone in Staffordshire know that Shugborough Hall and Estate offers free entry to carers for the whole site! Now when a site ticket costs £12 per adult its quite a nice saving.

We didnt have to provide proof of entitlement but i took it along just in case.

So, DD, friend, friends DS and myself had a lovely few hours wandering around for free!

I also believe that Chester Zoo offers free entry for Carers.

Anyone know of any others? Feel free to share the info.

OP posts:
missmama · 13/06/2009 07:55

Drayton Manor used too. Probably still does.

vjg13 · 13/06/2009 08:02

A lot of places do and I think it's always worth asking!

Disneyland Paris
Knowsley safari park
Trentham Monkey forrest
Eureka

sorry run out of steam but will think of more soon!

Original poster
beldaran · 13/06/2009 08:05

Now i didnt know the monkey forest did discounts and we got there quite a lot.

I think i need to start asking more!

Shame we cant get cards (like credit card sized) saying that we a registered carers (the same for those in receipt of DLA), saves me having to carry letter about.

waits for someone to come along and tell her that they do this already

OP posts:
vjg13 · 13/06/2009 08:56

Beldran, do you have a cinema card, it allows the adult in free?

It would be great to have some type of general carer card, I think some London boroughs do.

daisy5678 · 13/06/2009 10:51

Legoland do too.

Glitterknickaz · 13/06/2009 17:29

Spinnaker Tower too

misscutandstick · 14/06/2009 09:19

Nottinghamshire:

White Post Farm
Twinlakes (some kind of discount)
Anston Butterfly house
Wheelgate Park
Hollywood Bowl
Flamingo Land
Lightwater Valley

Devon:
Milkyway (some kind of discount)
Wildlife and Dinosaur park
Exmoor Zoo (some kind of discount)
Creally adventure park

On the carers card front, i know SOME towns do it, I know Sheffield does, but nottingham arent doing it yet.

misscutandstick · 14/06/2009 09:25

ooh just to mention, dont forget in lots of theme parks that when you get a discount for disability, they do exit passes too (but not all)

I did hear (supportman) that lots of the camelot parks are now only offering discounts to those who have regisered beforehand as disabled, with a DLA award, letter from GP/Specialist stating that the disabled person is unable to stand in queues! probably want it in triplicate signed with blood no doubt!

r3dh3d · 14/06/2009 09:42

Most zoos give free carer passes. As do most council leisure places - big swimming pools, that sort of thing. National Trust has a thing called an "admit one" card, you have to email their disability people and they post you one that is valid for a year.

Wherever you go, it's best to phone in advance. I find most places let carers in free or do big discounts but often the Saturday job teenager on the desk doesn't know about it: it's a lot easier if when you arrive you can say "I spoke to Karen in the office earlier and she said..."

Woooozle100 · 14/06/2009 10:25

I'm taking dd to some shows at local arena - the wiggles (wow can't wait for that one ) and disney on ice thing. My ticket was free - just had to pay for the one child ticket. And there's loop system and good wheelchair stalls so she should be able to hear and see it too. Woohoo!

have got free festival ticket as carer in the past

agree about phoning up. Jumped massive queue and got free ticket at paignton zoo but was advised that its better to organise in advance

Peachy · 14/06/2009 10:55

Bristol Zoo were very good, noted the DLA's and then worked out how best to let us in- came to £19 for 6 of us IIRC

Also Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire, though I wuld say not very ASD friendly in some areas- fab for other kids though
MissC&S is right, some palces have tightened up massively- we were looking at Legoland but the boys wouldn't qualify for exit pases (not a massive issue yet) and they don't have disability related disocunts anywhere we could find now.

Oakwoods did DLA entry but no carers entry.

DS1 would benefit from an exit pass some days, but the medical check a few sites now ask for would be enough to push the whole trip into the impossibility zone as he ahtes that sort f thing. As such, we avoid it altogether and find soemwhere else.

silverfrog · 14/06/2009 15:25

Peachy, I have just got back from Legoland, and dd1 got an exit pass no problem

the criteria now is "the person must not be able to understand the concept of queuing" - easy one to prove there then.

I took along a copy of a report used for Statementing (still haven't sorted out DLA), which stated dd1 is ASD (somewhere - one sentence I think lol) and waved it at the nice girl in Guest Services (still had to queue to see her [hmm} but at least that meant dd1 was performing nicely )

she didn't even read the letter (didn't ask for it tbh - she thought I was queuing for a carer's pass (don't need as we have Merlin passes) but maybe they would have asked at the ticket booth otherwise.

but the exit pass was easy to get, and made the day possible for us as went on my own with the girls (dd2 was worse behaved, actually, but she is only 2)

bramblebooks · 14/06/2009 16:03

Chester Zoo are apparently now only doing free entry for carers of children who are members. [hmmm] Not good eh.

I think Blue Planet, Ellesmere Port give free carer entry.

We were recently in Italy. Both carer and disabled child were given free entry and taken to the front of the queue - places like Leaning Tower of Pisa, Uffizi in Florence.

We were also 'fast passed' for the British Museum; both skipping queuing at the front and for dinosaurs. A blessed relief as DS2 would not have coped medically with either.

bramblebooks · 14/06/2009 16:03

... National Trust also offers free carer entry.

jennybensmummy · 14/06/2009 19:19

twycross zoo dfo it cheaper for a sn child and then free carer but i cant remember how much it is so i know im no use but hey!

MaryBS · 14/06/2009 19:30

Peachy, at Legoland, I was surprised, but even I qualify for an exit pass, so both DS and I are "red stamped". I've told them I don't need a carer for me (DS has DH as carer), but they still offered me one yesterday. And because we have annual passes, they just carried the details over from last year - no need to prove anything.

When we went to the science museum in London, and wanted to go in the "Launch pad" area, there was a massive queue, so I grabbed an assistant, who FORTUNATELY happened to be the disability advisor, who showed us through without queuing. It was brilliant, DS loved it (up to that point we were having minor meltdowns), and it made his day.

MayorNaze · 14/06/2009 19:32

think longleat do good carer discount, poss even free? (can't remember exactly but know we saved a lot which was v nice )

SirSupportman · 14/06/2009 22:16

Ah yes misscutandstick, that was for the exit passes, they do reduced price entry but they didn't say if the new rules applied to that to.

I have found that everywhere we have been there is some sort of discount avaliable if not free for carers. I can remember one place though that gave a HUGE discount of about 60p. (for something that was over £30) As there was 4 of us we could have had a family ticket at nearly the same price.

ChopsTheDuck · 17/06/2009 07:51

I didn't have to prove anything with legoland neither. I actually keep a mini copy of ds's award letter in my purse for these things!

Some of the legoland staff are really nice, and will bend over backwards to help, depends who you get on the day.

If you have a blue badge can get this guide for free which lists loads of good things, most of which admit a carer for free.

Original poster
beldaran · 17/06/2009 08:40

This is great...i had no idea so many places did things like this.

Im going up to Trentham Gardens this afternoon to see if i can get a free annual Carers pass (wow!) and as DD is under 5 i think she will get a free annual pass too.

I think my new motto is going to "if you don't ask you will never know".

Just ordered that Rough Guide too.

Fantastic

OP posts:
jennybensmummy · 19/07/2009 13:26

bumped for tracy if any of these are any good for you!

trace2 · 19/07/2009 14:51

arhh thank you jenny ill look now!

ChopsTheDuck · 26/07/2009 19:29

we went to Hampton court palace on sat. Was ACE!

free entry for carers, reduced entry for ds.

Disabled parking on site, but limited, but managed to get a disabled bay at the BR station 5 mins walk away. Loads disabled loos.

Escorted past the queue to be fast tracked to buy tickets, and from then on the staff bent over backwards to accomodate us. We had a great day. Only one lift, but the lift operator was ace, even politely telling some elderly ppl to bog off when they tried to shove in past ds. Then they open secret doors all the way round so can see all the top floor. Only three small steps to manage.

ds also got to stroke a falcon, and turn a spit in the kitchen. The fell over the spit, but luckily not into the fire!

Would really recommend it.

lou031205 · 26/07/2009 19:37

Marwell zoo - reduced entry and carer goes free.

Tigerlion · 27/07/2009 20:53

I get carer's allowance for my son who has DLA. What do I need to bring to get the reduced/ free entry? Will a letter confirming the DLA and carer's allowance do the job?