Theme park deals & MoneySaving tips

Selected packs only. Discount's off the online price for Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland & more

If you buy selected packs of Cadbury chocolate, you can get 10% to 50% off the online price of an entry ticket to Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland, Thorpe Park and more.

The discount amount depends on when you visit, so peak tickets typically get a 10% discount, while off-peak tickets will get up to 50% off. When we checked, 20% was the biggest discount we saw for a weekend ticket. If you can go midweek, that’s when you’re likely to get the biggest discounts.

Here’s the full list of eligible Cadbury chocolate:

• Dairy Milk Freddo multipacks or Freddo Caramel multipacks

• Dairy Milk Buttons multipacks

• Fudge multipacks

• Dairy Milk Little Bar multipacks

• Curly Wurly mutipacks

• Mini Animals 99.5g

• Mini Fingers 96.5g

Unlike in some previous promotions, the packs don't have specific branding for the offer, so you'll need to make sure you've picked up the correct chocolate.

MSE Hope got a four-pack of Freddo bars from her local Farmfoods for 99p:

How to get the deal

• Buy one of the eligible chocolates listed above and enter the barcode and batch code (found on the back of the packaging) at the Cadbury website.

• You’ll receive an email with a booking link and a unique code. Go via the link in the email and select your attraction and visit date, then enter your code to get the discount.

The deal runs until Tuesday 30 June, and the discount can be used on up to four tickets.

MSE Hope says: "I spent 99p on chocolate but racked up a discount of up to £7.20 per ticket for entry on a Saturday, taking a £39 ticket down to £31.20. For a family of four, this would mean a saving of £28.80. Midweek visits proved to have the biggest savings, with a Thursday ticket for £16 per person, normally £32."

Including Alton Towers, Eden Project, Longleat Safari and many more

Convert Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers and on many attractions you get two-times the vouchers' face value to use on tickets, for example £5 in points converts into £10-worth of vouchers. They can be used at theme parks, wildlife parks and more.

Here are some of the popular theme parks you can choose:

• Alton Towers

• Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort

• Chessington

• Drayton Manor

• Legoland Windsor

• Thorpe Park

And some of the other attractions:

• Eden Project

• Blackpool Zoo

• Longleat Safari

• National Sea Life, Birmingham

• Cadbury World

For how to fully maximise Clubcard points, see our Boost Tesco Clubcard guide.

For up to six people with a valid train ticket (we've a trick if not travelling by train)

If you register with Days Out Guide and buy a National Rail ticket, you can get 33% off the online advance ticket price for Merlin theme parks and attractions, including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland, and Thorpe Park – see 'More info' below for the full list.

How to get 33% off

• Choose which theme park you want to visit at Days Out Guide and you'll be given a 33% off code.

• Go via Days Out Guide to the theme park's own website and use the code to book advance tickets online. You can book up to a maximum of six tickets per code. You'll need to do it by 11pm the day before you want to visit.

• On arrival at the theme park, you'll need to present your tickets alongside a valid train ticket (one for the station nearest the attraction) dated for the same day. Each person needs a valid train ticket.

Some dates are excluded, and tickets are limited during peak times. See full terms & conditions.

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

If you're not travelling by train but this deal would still work out cheaper for you, you can buy a cheap single ticket (usually for a couple of quid) to the nearest station to your attraction – just get a train ticket from the next station along.

For example, £32 Alton Towers advance vs £68 on the day

Theme park tickets aren't cheap, but you can often make big savings by planning ahead and buying tickets online in advance, rather than buying on the day at the gate. The ideal time to book varies by theme park, but as a general rule, it's best to book more than two days in advance to get the best price.

Below, we've outlined how much you could save by booking in advance at several major theme parks, based on the cost of an adult day ticket. Since online prices are demand-based (you'll often pay more on weekends and during the summer), the savings you make may vary depending on when you want to visit.

Includes entry to over 20 UK attractions

Merlin Annual Passes start from £139 and come in three tiers: Essential, Gold and Platinum. Each pass includes entry to over 20 attractions such as Alton Towers, Legoland, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, Madame Tussauds and more, though the cheapest pass has several blackout dates.

With the cheapest £139 pass, it’s only cost-effective if you’re planning to visit five or more attractions within a 12-month period.

If you’re planning to visit just one of these attractions more than once in a 12-month period, you’re better off buying an individual Annual Pass – these are usually £64 for the major theme parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland, and are worth considering if you're visiting more than twice in one year.

Are Merlin Annual Passes ever discounted? Yes, while passes start from £139 normally, we’ve seen them sold from £79 during Black Friday in November. If you’re after a pass, and can wait, it may be worth holding out until later in the year, though of course that does miss out on this current season.

Via Blue Light Card. Includes Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington & more

If you have a Blue Light Card (it costs £4.99 for two years), you can get up to 15% off entry to Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington, Thorpe Park and Warwick Castle. No code is needed, the discount is automatically applied when visiting an attraction's site via Blue Light Card's app or website.

Tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, so you can’t book them on the day. Merlin says it carries out spot checks for proof of employment/membership, so make sure to have these details to hand, if needed.

Don't assume 15% off will always be the best deal. Check it against other offers to make sure you're getting the best saving.

If you work for the NHS or emergency services, see our NHS discounts guide for more ways to save. If you're a teacher, we've got a guide full of teacher discounts.

Via cashback sites or certain bank accounts

It's often possible to get cashback when buying theme park tickets. Check the following:

Topcashback. When we checked, you could get 2% back at Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures.

Quidco. When we looked, you could get 1.6% back at Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.

Bank accounts & credit card offers. Certain banks and credit cards offer cashback deals, and we've previously spotted theme parks included. For example, we've seen Halifax give 10% cashback on Merlin attractions such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures.

Of course, you shouldn't open an account, or sign up to a credit card, just for these offers – see our Best current accounts and Credit card rewards guides first. Always read carefully before choosing a card to make sure it'll work for you, and pay it off IN FULL each month to avoid getting hit with interest.

It's important to note that cashback is never certain, as things can sometimes go wrong, such as your purchase not tracking properly. Always see cashback as a bonus, not a guarantee. See our Top cashback sites guide for full info.

Set in Staffordshire, Alton Towers has 40 rides and attractions, including 10 rollercoasters. Its top attractions include The Smiler, Nemesis, Oblivion and CBeebies Land.

Day tickets

• One-day theme park pass: Tickets start from £32 per person when booked in advance online. On the day entry at the gate starts from £68 per person.

• Want to head to just the waterpark? Tickets start from £18 per person when booked in advance online. Turning up on the day, you’ll be paying at least £25 per ticket. For a midweek visit, a parent and toddler (five and under) can visit Alton Towers Splash Landing from £23 per ticket.

• Student tickets: Get reduced entry via Students Beans, with tickets from £24 per person.

Annual passes

• An Alton Towers Annual Pass: Starts from £64 per person per year. You'll need to visit the park at least two or three times for the pass to be cost-effective.

Overnight breaks

• Short breaks: These start from £42 per person but don’t include park tickets for a second day. Breaks that do include a second day of entry start from £79 per person.

Other need-to-knows

• Queues: Alton Towers has a free app (Google Play/iOS) which can be used to check queue times on the day of your visit.

• Fast pass: These start from £45 per person.

• Car parking: From £13 per vehicle when booked in advance. It’s more expensive to pay on the day.

• Refunds: Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has over 35 rides, including The Big One, Icon and Valhalla. Got younger kids? There’s also Nickelodeon Land, and a Wallace and Gromit ride. It also boasts a roster of A-list fans, including Hollywood Director Tim Burton and actress Lisa Kudrow.

Avoid big queues

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort Director of Marketing and Social, James Cox, told us it's best to leave the bigger rides until the end of the day. This is because most visitors head for these rides first thing, leading to longer queues. He said: “Leave the bigger rides to the end of the day when it’s a touch quieter.”

“The last time you can join a ride queue is 5.59pm [if the park closes at 6pm]. If it’s busy, we will extend opening hours from 6pm to 7pm.” Extended opening hours and on-the-day discounts will be communicated through the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort app (Google Play/iOS) via push notifications.

Day Tickets

• Unlimited Ride ticket: From £29 when booked 14 days in advance online (on the day, entry starts from £60).

• Nickelodeon Land ticket: £25 at all times.

• Non-rider ticket: £20 (for those who don’t plan on going on any of the rides).

Concessionary tickets

• Student tickets: Get 10% off entry price tickets to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort via Student Beans.

• Employee discount scheme: Employees from more than 500 companies, including Asda, Aldi, Greene King, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, can get up to 10% off the price of an entry ticket. It's worth checking your work benefits scheme.

• Local resident discount: People who live in the local area can get a Gold Pass for £85. It’s a season pass for July and August, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.

Annual passes

• Platinum season passes: Start from £125 per person for 2026. Includes entry to seven other theme parks in Europe, such as Europa Park Resort, Liseberg, Efteling, PortAventura World, Emerald Park, Tripsdrill and Isla Magica.

• Autumn season passes (for October & November): Start from £88 per person.

As with any pass or membership, you will need to work out whether you'll get your money’s worth. For example, you’d need to visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach at least five times during its summer season for the pass to be cost-effective.

Overnight breaks

• There are two hotels at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort: Big Blue and BLVD. We spotted midweek breaks from £30 per person based on four people (two adults and two children) staying at the Big Blue Hotel. Weekend breaks were slightly dearer at £39 per person. Overnight stays between Sunday to Friday receive a complimentary ticket to the resort, excludes Saturdays.

Other need-to-knows

• Fast pass: ‘Speedy passes’ start from £32 per person.

• Car parking: Starts from £15 in the East and West car parks, and from £18 in the North car park

• Refunds: Visitors can swap the date of their visit for free but will need to pay a price difference – if there is one. Otherwise, tickets aren’t refundable.

• Leaving and returning: Parkgoers can leave the park and have a picnic at the beach before heading back into Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Located in Surrey, Chessington World of Adventures has over 40 rides and attractions, with highlights including a Jumanji-themed land, a family-friendly Gruffalo boat ride, and a zoo.

Day Tickets

• One-day tickets: Start from £34 per person when booked in advance online. Tickets bought on the gate start from £66 per person.

• Zoo tickets: Start from £14 per person either online or on the day.

• Adult & pre-schooler ticket: Valid for one adult and one child under the age of four during a mid-week visit. Tickets start from £29.

• Remember: Children under 90cm visit free, so don’t pay for your child if they’re under this height.

• Student discount: Tickets start from £24 via Student Beans.

Annual pass

• These start from £64 per person, which means you’d need to visit the theme park at least twice in a 12-month period. However, our calculations don’t factor in the cost of discounted tickets, so you’ll probably need to visit three times for the annual pass to be truly cost-effective.

Overnight breaks

• Short breaks: There are two on-site hotels at Chessington, but for the cheapest deals you’re better off staying at a 'nearby' hotel (quite often a 20+ mile drive away). For example, we spotted overnight breaks at Holiday Inn Express London Heathrow T5 starting from £29 per person, based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a room. Breaks include an overnight stay, breakfast, free parking and the second day of park entry with early ride time.

Other need-to-knows

• Queues: Download Chessington's free app (Google Play/iOS) for on-the-day queue times.

• Fast pass: Starts from £15 per person (can be used three times).

• Car parking: From £12 when booked in advance online.

• Refunds: All tickets are non-refundable, but if you have a change in circumstance, you may be able to change the date of your visit within 12 months of the purchase date – you'll need to go to 'My Account' in the online portal to do this.

• Leaving & returning: You can head back to your car to pick up items for free, but you’ll need to get your hand stamped by a member of staff first.

Diggerland has four locations across the UK. These are in Kent, Devon, Durham and Yorkshire, each with over 20 drives and rides. Visitors can drive real machinery such as diggers, dumpers and miniature Land Rovers.

Day tickets

• One-day pass: Tickets start from £25.95 per person when booked in advance online, while on the day entry at the gate starts from £39.50 per person.

• Over 65s: Tickets start from £12.97 per person when booked in advance online. On the day entry at the gate starts from £19.75 per person – you’ll need some ID to prove your age.

• Remember: Children under 90cm get free entry to Diggerland when accompanied by a full-paying adult, so don't pay if your child is under this height.

Managed to find a discount voucher? Diggerland says discount vouchers cannot be redeemed online. This means you’ll need to present your voucher at the park on arrival, so make sure your discount is better than the price of buying a ticket online.

Diggerland isn’t partnered with Tesco Rewards or Blue Light Card, however, NHS staff and British Forces personnel can get discounted entry into Diggerland. The discount is against on-the-day rates, so can’t be used against online bookings.

Other need-to-knows

• Booking fee: A £5 fee is added to bookings made in advance online.

• Fast pass: None. Diggerland say its queues are generally cleared within 20 minutes even on its busiest days.

• Car parking: Free.

• Refunds: Generally not issued. If a park needs to close, then pre-booked tickets can be rescheduled for a later date in 2026. Diggerland does not grant refunds because of inclement weather.

• Leaving & returning: You can head back to your car to pick up items for free, but you’ll need to get your hand stamped by a member of staff first.

Located in Tamworth, Staffordshire, Drayton Manor is home to over 100 rides and attractions, which are divided across six theme areas. Popular rides include Shockwave, the UK’s only stand-up rollercoaster, Apocalypse drop tower and Accelerator. It’s also home to Thomas Land, which features 20 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends themed rides and attractions. It’s also home to a zoo and an onsite hotel.

Day tickets

• One-day tickets: Start from £27.50 when booked in advance online for visitors aged between four and 65. Tickets for children aged between two and three cost £15.

• Remember: Children under 23 months visit free, so don’t pay for your child if they’re that age.

• Student tickets: Get discounted entry tickets via Student Beans.

Annual pass

• Starts from £75 for a full-paying adult for an off-peak pass, which means you’d need to visit the theme park at least three times for the pass to be cost-effective.

Overnight breaks

• Short breaks: Drayton Manor has one onsite hotel. We spotted breaks from £29 per person based on a family of four (two adults and two children) sharing a room. Breaks include a buffet breakfast, a round of mini golf, free parking, Wi-Fi, and a second day of free entry when you book a break up to Saturday 31 October.

Other need-to-knows

• Fast pass: Starts from £24.90 and is valid for up to three rides

• Car parking: From £9.90 when booked in advance online – it’s more expensive on the day.

• Refunds: Generally not allowed.

Tips from the theme park

Drayton Manor Managing Director Victoria Lynn told us: “Get to Drayton Manor early and get on the big rides as soon as possible, and make sure to stay until the actual closing time. Often people decide to leave later in the afternoon, so stick around for the last hour.”

The theme park will let guests know at midday if they’re keeping rides open later, and they’ll relay this information on digital screens at the park. A new app, which will feature information and discounts, is slated to launch in June.

Victoria named several overlooked rides, including Blasting Barrels in Frontier Falls. She said: “The Thomas Train that gets you to the zoo is another, and there’s also a play area for kids called Spencer’s Playground. I’d also recommend Adventure Cove, Maelstrom, and the stage shows that take place in the centre of the park, including our new fountain show.”

Located in North Yorkshire, Flamingo Land Resort has 40 rides, attractions and play areas. It also has an on-site zoo, which is, yes, you guessed it, home to flamingos and other animals, including ostriches, cheetahs, tigers, lions, rhinos and many more.

Day tickets

• One-day tickets: Flamingo Land Resort divides its day tickets into two types – main and low season. Tickets are dynamically priced, which means you’re most likely to get the best deal when they’re booked more than seven days in advance. Low season tickets start from £30, compared to £46 for main season tickets (usually weekends and school holidays).

• Remember: Children under three get free entry, but you might be asked to provide some ID, such as a passport, to prove a child's age.

Family ticket

• Covers two adults and two children or one adult and three children. Low season family tickets start from £114, while main season prices start from £168.

Annual pass

• Starts from £199 per person per year. You'll need to visit the park at least six times for the pass to be cost-effective in the low season and four times for it to be cost-effective in the main season. Passes are valid for 365 days.

Overnight breaks

• There are seven different accommodation options at Flamingo Land Resort. We spotted overnight breaks from £41 based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a room for two nights. Breaks include entry to the theme park, zoo and splash zone from the day of arrival to close on your departure day, evening entertainment and Wi-Fi. Lodges come with kitchens, which means you can make food in your lodge, but dining plans can also be purchased at an additional cost.

Other need-to-knows

• Queues: Flamingo Land Resort has a free app (Google Play/iOS), which can be used to check queue times on the day of your visit.

• Keeper talks: These are free, but encounter experiences, such as meeting select animals, start from £50.

• Fast pass: VIP ride passes start from £50 per person.

• Car parking: Free.

• Refunds: Tickets are non-transferable and refunds generally aren’t issued.

Located in Berkshire, Legoland Windsor is home to over 55 rides and attractions, including ‘The Dragon’ rollercoaster and its log flume ride, Pirate Treasure Chest, and its latest ride, the Minifigure Speedway.

Day Tickets

• One-day tickets: Start from £34 when booked in advance online, while gate entry starts from £68 per person.

• Student tickets: Get discounted entry to Legoland via Student Beans.

• Remember: Children under 90cm get free entry to Legoland when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

Annual Pass

• Start from £64 per person, which means you’d need to visit the theme park at least twice within a 12-month period. Our calculations don’t factor in the cost of discounted tickets, so you’ll probably need to visit more than twice for an annual pass to be truly cost-effective.

Overnight stays

• There are three hotels at Legoland: the Woodland Village, the Windsor Resort Hotel and the Castle Hotel. We’ve seen midweek bed & breakfast stays from £55 per person based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a room. Breaks that come with a second day of entry free start from £74 per person. These stays run from Sunday 19 April until Wednesday 30 September.

Other need-to-knows

• Fast passes: From £15 per person (valid for up to three rides).

• Car parking: From £12 when booked in advance online – it’s more expensive on the day.

• Leaving & returning: You can head back to your car to pick up items for free, but you’ll need to get your hand stamped by a member of staff first.

• Refunds: Non-transferable, but if you need to change the date of your booking you will need to complete a form, and a member of staff will be in touch.

Tips for visiting

• Celebrating your birthday? Anyone who has a birthday during their visit can get a birthday badge from Guest Service, which might mean you can get little treats on the day – let us know if you do.

• Gold POP Badges: Visitors who spot – and ask for a gold POP badge – that's on a member of staff's lanyard can get a free entry ticket into the theme park. Legoland wouldn't tell us where parkgoers can find the gold badges, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for one.

• Miniland: Opens 30 minutes before the rest of the park, so explore there first before the rest of the park opens. It means you won’t cut into valuable time in the theme park.

Set in Hampshire, Paultons Park is perhaps most well-known as the home of Peppa Pig World. Spread across 140 acres, Paultons Park is home to over 70 rides and attractions, including nine Peppa-themed rides, and new for 2026 is Valgard, a Viking-themed land set to open on Saturday 16 May.

Day Tickets

• One-day ticket: We’ve seen online tickets from £46.75 online, while gate entry starts from £61.50 per person.

• Remember: Children under 100cm go free, so don’t pay for your child if they’re under this height.

Annual passes

• Start from £172 for newbies or £153 for those who are renewing. For a pass to be cost-effective, you’d need to visit the theme park at least four times within a 12-month period.

Overnight breaks

• Short Breaks: Paultons Park doesn’t have any onsite accommodation, but parkgoers can book to stay at an external hotel as part of its overnight break packages. We’ve seen midweek breaks starting from £74.25 per person based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a room. Weekend breaks are likely to cost more. Breaks include an overnight stay, breakfast, free parking and the second day of park entry.

Other need-to-knows

• Queues: Download the free Paultons Park app (Google Play/iOS) to be kept up-to-date with queue times during your visit.

• Fast pass: Only available through the VIP package, which starts from £285.

• Car parking: From £9.90 when booked in advance online – it’s more expensive on the day.

• Refunds: Generally not allowed.

Set in Surrey, Thorpe Park has more than 30 rides and attractions, including Hyperia, the tallest rollercoaster in the UK. Other popular rides include Nemesis Inferno and Colossus.

Day Ticket

• One-day tickets: Start from £32 per person when booked in advance online.

• Remember: Guests under 120cm visit for free, so don’t pay if your child is under this height.

Annual pass

• Start from £64 per person, which means you’d need to visit the theme park at least twice in a 12-month period. Our calculations don’t factor in the cost of discounted tickets, so you’ll probably need to visit more than twice for an annual pass to be truly cost-effective.

Overnight stays

• Thorpe Park has themed onsite accommodation (its Shark cabins) and access to nearby hotels too. We’ve seen midweek breaks starting from £71.75 per person based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a room. Weekend breaks are likely to cost more. Breaks include breakfast, free parking, free Wi-Fi, 10% discount in gift shops, two days of theme park entry and an hour of fastrack on the second day of visiting.

Other need-to-knows

• Queues: Thorpe Park has a free app (Google Play/iOS), which can be used to check queue times on the day of your visit.

• Fast passes: From £9 per person (valid for up to three rides).

• Car parking: From £12 when booked in advance online – it’s more expensive on the day.

• Leaving & returning: You can head back to your car to pick up items for free, but you’ll need to get your hand stamped by a member of staff first.

• Refunds: Tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change/amend a ticket, you’ll need to go through the Account Portal, which may incur a fee.