Alton Towers Deals

Look for promotional packs of Cadbury chocolates, including Dairy Milk Giant Buttons and Crunchie Rocks (norm £1ish), to get a voucher for 2for1 entry at more than 20 Merlin attractions.

The voucher's valid until 31 July 2019 at Thorpe Park, Legoland, Alton Towers, Chessington, Sea Life centres, the Dungeons, Madame Tussauds and more. Some dates are excluded at selected attractions, including some in August - see 'more info' below.

'Pay for a day, come back all year/season for free'. That's how Merlin is billing its Thorpe Park and Alton Towers annual/season passes, but are they as good as they sound?

While it's true the Thorpe Park and Alton Towers passes - which are the same price for adults and kids - are either as cheap or cheaper than the most expensive on-the-gate tickets, easily-obtained 2for1 vouchers and discounted online tickets bought in advance mean you'd have to visit the same park at least a twice for the pass to save you any money.

The cheapest way to visit can depend on group size, how many kids are going and whether it's a peak or off-peak day. Our table below breaks down all the costs for Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland Windsor, so you can work out what's best. See our theme park guide for more deals.

The attractions are generally open every day from April to October, though pass holders sometimes have to pay an extra charge during special events and on peak weekends in Aug-Sep.

If you live near Thorpe Park, we think it offers the best-value pass - it's the only one that can be cheaper to buy than an on-the-gate ticket. However, if you live closer to one of the other attractions, or just prefer a different one, a pass may still save you money but you'll likely have to visit more times for it to beat using a 2for1.

Want to visit multiple theme parks?

If you plan to make multiple trips to Merlin attractions, you should consider buying an annual Merlin pass, which gets you unlimited visits to 32 attractions including Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Sea Life, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon, London Eye and the Blackpool Tower. They cost £179 per person at full price, or if you're buying for between three and five people (max three over-12s) you can get them at the reduced 'standard family' rate of £139 per person.

Merlin annual passes are usually discounted a few times per year, normally in January and June by £40-£50 (or £20-£30 for family rate ones). Given you could also go to many attractions using a 2for1 voucher (see our Theme Parks guide), you need to make multiple visits during the year to make it worth buying an annual pass, so you’d need to weigh up whether you’re likely to save money or not.

Look for promotional packs of Kellogg's cereal and snacks, including Rice Krispies, Frosties, Crunchy Nut and Squares (norm £2ish-£4ish at most supermarkets), to get 'free' adult entry via a voucher for 30 Merlin attractions until 30 Jun 2019.

Effectively this is a 2for1, as you must buy a full-price on-the-gate child or adult ticket to get the free adult entry, but this could actually work out better than a 2for1 ticket if you're an adult going with a child as generally child tickets tend to be cheaper than adult ones.

The vouchers can be exchanged for entry on the day at Merlin attractions including Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington, Sea Life centres and sanctuaries, the Dungeons and Madame Tussauds. Some dates are excluded and these vary between attractions - see 'more info' below.

Promotional packs will be readily available in stores until mid-April, after which they'll be harder to find. 

How strong is this deal?

While attraction prices vary, the most you could save with this offer is £57ish based on peak Legoland Windsor ticket prices (norm £60 each on the gate, so £120 for two, but you could get two for £63ish with this deal).

As it covers a large range of attractions and the vouchers are valid for over a year, this is a particularly strong deal if you and one other person are considering visiting one of the participating venues.

However, if you’re only interested in visiting a specific attraction, possibly more than once, and aren’t going in a pair, it’s worth checking to see what other deals are available. Find ticket prices for other attractions and see our round-up of theme park deals to check which works best for you.

You can also book online

To guarantee entry and beat the queues at selected attractions, there's also an option to book your tickets online in advance using unique codes found inside Kellogg's cereal packets (though you'll still pay the on-the-gate price). Technically, these codes can be combined with the physical vouchers to obtain two free adult tickets with two full-price child tickets purchased - see 'more info' for full details.

We've seen reports of a website called ukgroupdeals advertising 60% off Alton Towers tickets, which the theme park has confirmed IS A SCAM - so avoid and don't buy them.

Alton Towers told us it has "no affiliation" to this website. It added: "Customers should be warned this is a fraudulent site and [are urged] not to submit any personal details. We have notified and are working with the relevant authorities to remove this website."

For help if you’ve mistakenly bought these tickets, see What To Do If You’ve Been Scammed. And have a look at our Cheap Theme Parks page for genuine Alton Towers discounts.

Here's what to look out for (and avoid)...

If you pick up a promotional bottle of Carex hand wash (norm £1) or Carex shower gel (norm £2.99), you can use it to get a half-price on-the-gate adult or child ticket at Alton Towers or Sea Life centres until 31 May 2019.

Available in Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Wilko until Sep 2018, promotional bottles must be handed over at the attraction ticket booth. Carex says they must be empty, but if you need a ticket before you'd finish the bottle you could always decant it into another bottle before you go. See full T&Cs.

How much can I save?

As adult on-the-gate tickets cost £52.80 at Alton Towers, this deal could save you £25.40 if you buy the cheapest promotional bottle of Carex. Adult on-the-gate tickets at Sea Life London cost £26, so you can save £12 with this deal.

Whilst there are a few 2for1 offers for Alton Towers or Sea Life centres, this offer is useful if you're visiting with an odd number of people.

If you register and print a voucher from Days Out Guide then buy a National Rail ticket, you can get 2for1 entry to over 300 UK attractions, including SeaLife Centres, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor when you present both at the attraction. See the full theme park list or the zoo and wildlife list. 

You need to print a voucher for the relevant attraction (follow the link above and search for it) AND have a valid rail ticket bought from National Rail on the same day for a single or day return ticket, or within the days of travel for a return ticket. 

What if I live near the attraction/am travelling by other means?

It's worth doing this even if you are not travelling by train as a cheap single ticket can be available for a couple of quid, far cheaper than the entry ticket price (Legoland Windsor is the most expensive at up to £60 on the gate).

Just stop by the nearest station on your way and pick one up, then present both to get your 2for1. Crucially, your rail ticket must show that you have travelled to one of the stations nearest the attraction. So for Thorpe Park, you need to have a ticket with an end destination of Staines or Chertsey. 

The offer's ongoing, but check the voucher for each individual attraction's restrictions, as these vary. See the full T&Cs including which tickets are valid.

There are always ways to save money at Alton Towers, so even if there isn’t a cracking deal out there that works for you, don’t assume you can’t cut your costs further.

Ways to save include:

• Offers for email subscribers. If you sign up to the Alton Towers email newsletter you'll receive special offers direct to your inbox.


• Redeem loyalty points. You can get up to 75% off theme parks by converting Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco Boost tokens. See out Loyalty Points Boosting guide.


• Get an annual pass. If you’re planning multiple visits, you can buy an annual Merlin pass for 12 months' unlimited entry into a range of attractions including Alton Towers. It normally costs £169, or less per person if you're buying for a family, but look out for promotional discounts.


• Check out similar theme parks. If you’re not committed to visiting Alton Towers, have a look at other Merlin attractions including Legoland Windsor, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park.


• Want more? Read our Cheap Theme Parks and Cheap Days Out guides for more MoneySaving tips.


• Had a problem with Alton Towers? There’s a free online tool you can use to complain – it helps draft, manage and if necessary escalate your complaint. It’s offered by a firm called Resolver, which we like so much we work with it to help people get complaints justice – you can use it to complain to Alton Towers*.

If you spot any hot deals out there we have missed (we are human after all!), please let us know in the MSE forum, email us at msedeals@moneysavingexpert.com or via MSE Facebook and Twitter @MSE_Deals.

The London Dungeon*
Alton Towers*
Blackpool Pleasure Beach*
Chessington*
Drayton Manor*
Legoland*
Lightwater Valley*
Legoland Discovery Centre*
Longleat*
Madame Tussaud's London*
Thorpe Park*
Warwick Castle*

For how to fully maximise Clubcard points, see the Loyalty Schemes guide.