Merlin Discount Codes April 2026

2 Current Deals

Until 30 June

Selected packs only. Includes Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland & more

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

The amount of discount 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 (a school inset day for example), that’s when you’re likely to get the biggest discounts.

Here’s the full list of eligible Cadbury chocolate:

Dairy Milk Freddo multipacks
Dairy Milk 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 any specific branding for the offer, so you'll need to make sure you've picked up the correct chocolate.

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

Once you’ve bought your chocolate, enter the barcode and batch code (found on the back of the packaging) at the Cadbury website. You’ll be asked to enter some personal info, including your name and email address. MSE Hope submitted her details and received an email one minute later, which contained a booking link and a unique code.

Go via the link in the email and then select your attraction and visit date. Once you’ve picked your date, you’ll be asked to enter your unique code before paying for your entry tickets. The deal runs until Tuesday 30 June, and the discount can be used on up to four tickets.

MSE Hope spent 99p on her 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.

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Book by 19 April

Alton Towers, Legoland, Thorpe Park & Chessington

Merlin is running a ‘Twice the Fun’ promotion at several of its theme parks, where if you book to visit Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington or Thorpe Park, you can visit another of the attractions, or the same one again, for free.

Tickets must be booked by 11.59pm on Sunday 19 April, and you’ll need to have completed both theme park visits by Friday 15 May.

You’ll need to book your first visit and use the unique barcode number from your first ticket to claim your second 'free' ticket. You can either return to the same attraction or visit one of the other attractions mentioned above.

Tickets must be booked under the same name and attended by the same guests. The lead booker may be asked to provide proof of identity too.

How good is this deal?

This is essentially a 2for1 deal that's only a good if you’re definitely going to visit two attractions (or the same attraction twice) by Friday 15 May. This promotion can’t be stacked with any other offers, so make sure you have two visits in mind. If you only plan on visiting one time, use our cheap theme park tickets guide to find other ways to save on entry.

MSE Hope says: “Tickets to each of the four theme parks in this deal start from £32 for a midweek visit. Prices across the theme parks are broadly similar. However, the cheapest weekend entry I spotted was at Chessington for £34 on Sunday 19 April. Book your cheapest theme park first, and get entry to a more expensive theme park, such as Alton Towers (£37 to £39 on weekends) for free.

“If you’re able to visit midweek on your first trip and redeem a weekend ticket for free for your second visit, then this is the best way to use this promotion. But because this offer falls inside term time, visiting midweek won’t be possible for most families.”

It's worth noting that children under 90cm go free at Alton Towers, Legoland and Chessington, and guests under 120cm go free at Thorpe Park. While you won’t have to pay for any guest who is under this height, they will need to be added onto the first booking to generate that barcode.

Not a theme park fan? Check out our cheap days out round-up for other boredom-busting ideas.

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Expired

A stay costs from £62 per person and comes with a Merlin Pass that's normally £139

Entertainment company Merlin is running a ‘stay for a night, play for a year’ promotion at several of its theme parks and attractions.

What's the deal?

When you book an overnight stay at Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle, Legoland or Alton Towers, you'll get an 'Essential' Merlin Annual Pass for free, giving you access to 20+ attractions for 12 months.

You'll need to book your overnight stay by 11.59pm on Sunday 1 March, and stay between March (exact start date depends on the attraction – see eligible dates below) and Sunday 26 June.

Merlin told us passes are digital, and can be activated at any point from the date of booking, but you will need to activate any passes before your stay, as it gives you access to the attraction.

Why's this a good deal?

The Essential Merlin Annual Pass normally costs £139. When this deal launched on Tuesday 3 February we saw prices from £62 to £95 per person (based on four people in a room) depending on which attraction you book – all guests over the age of three get an annual pass. As an overnight stay can now cost up to £77 less than the regular price of the Merlin Annual Pass, this is a great way to make a saving if you're planning to visit multiple Merlin attractions over a year.

How much do overnight stays cost and when do I need to go?

Below are the cheapest prices per person we spotted for each attraction, and the eligible stay dates. Weekdays are typically cheaper than weekends. Easter is included, but from what we've seen you'll likely pay more. For example, we spotted overnight Easter stays from £95 at Thorpe Park and £152 at Legoland.

Overnight stay prices & eligible dates

Attraction	Overnight stay price per person (based on four people)	Stay dates
Thorpe Park	From £62	27 March to 26 June
Chessington World of Adventures	From £72	20 March to 26 June
Warwick Castle	From £77	28 March to 26 June
Legoland	From £94	14 March to 26 June
Alton Towers	From £95	14 March to 26 June

MSE Hope says: "I found an overnight stay starting from £58 per person per night at Thorpe Park from Tuesday 28 to Wednesday 29 April. The catch? The theme park is closed on the Wednesday. However, with a Merlin Annual Pass, you can go back on most days (more on this later) in a 12-month period."

"If you do want a second day at the theme park, the next cheapest price I found was £62 per person on Monday 4 May to Tuesday 5 May – bear in mind though that prices can change. I found these prices on Tuesday 10 February and they're based on four people sharing – I looked for two adults and two children aged seven and 10."

"Overnight stays at Chessington World of Adventures are the next cheapest, starting from £72 per person. I found one at this price on Friday 24 April – although there were other dates at this price too."

What do you get with an overnight stay?

Each stay includes a night at a themed hotel, breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi, plus of course with this offer you also get the Merlin Annual Pass for each guest.

Individual attractions also include bespoke extras. For example, at Thorpe Park, guests get a one-hour fast track pass on their second day as well as 10% off snacks and merch at on-site shops. At Warwick Castle, it’s free evening entertainment for guests, and Legoland Windsor dishes out Lego for kids.

What does the Essential Merlin Annual Pass get me?

It includes entry to over 20 UK attractions, including:

Alton Towers Resort
The Legoland Windsor Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Thorpe Park
The London Eye
Madame Tussauds
The Dungeons
Warwick Castle
Shrek’s Adventure! London
Legoland Discovery Centre
Cadbury World

Entry is excluded for 25 days of the year, typically at popular times such as Christmas, bank holidays and select weekends that usually fall within school holidays, and doesn’t include free parking.

Who's this deal best for?

The deal is best for families with children who are older than three and taller than 90cm. This is because at most Merlin attractions, kids under this height get free entry, which means you only need to pay for anyone taller than that height. If your child is under three and you book a break, they won't receive an Essential Merlin Annual Pass.

Normally, a full-price Essential Merlin Annual Pass is only cost-effective if you’re planning to visit five or more different attractions within a 12-month period. If you intend to visit just one of these attractions more than once in a 12-month period, you’re often better off buying a pass just for that attraction. And, if you’re only visiting an attraction once, purchasing a ticket in advanced online typically works out the cheapest.

Merlin has come under fire recently for proposed changes to its ride access pass for disabled visitors. It has since announced it won't go through with these changes, which you can read more about at this BBC News article. We're featuring the above deal as it's strong, and deals is what we focus on.

Check out our cheap theme park tickets round-up for more ways to save on attractions.

Expired

Passes include entry to over 20 UK attractions

Entertainment company Merlin has reduced the price of two if its annual passes in its Black Friday sale, which is running until Sunday 21 December.

The Essential Merlin Annual Pass is currently on sale for £79, reduced from £139. The pass includes entry to over 20 UK attractions, including:

Alton Towers Resort
The Legoland Windsor Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Thorpe Park
The London Eye
Madame Tussauds
The Dungeons
Warwick Castle
Shrek’s Adventure! London
Legoland Discovery Centre
Cadbury World

Entry is excluded for 25 days of the year, typically at popular times like Christmas and the half-term holidays.

The pass is only cost-effective if you’re planning to visit three or more different attractions within a 12-month period. However, 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.

If you’re only planning to visit one attraction, you’re better off buying tickets in advance online. We’ve rounded up deals, vouchers and cheap tickets for UK theme parks, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Legoland Windsor, so you can save on entry fees.

Attraction	At the gate price (one-day ticket)	Online in advance price	Individual Annual Pass	Merlin Annual Pass - Essential
Alton Towers Resort	£68	From £34	£64	£79, ~~£139~~
Legoland Windsor	£68	From £34	£64	£79, ~~£139~~
Chessington World of Adventures Resort	£66	From £34	£64	£79, ~~£139~~
Thorpe Park	£66	From £33	£64	£79, ~~£139~~
The London Eye	£39	£29	-	£79, ~~£139~~
Madame Tussauds	£39	£29	-	£79, ~~£139~~
Warwick Castle	£39	From £22	£44	£79, ~~£139~~
Cadbury World	£28	From £19	-	£79, ~~£139~~

The Gold Merlin Annual Pass is currently on sale for £199, reduced from £239. Entry is covered on 364 days of the year but excludes entry to special events like the Alton Towers Fireworks.

Gold pass holders can also get free parking, 'up to 20% off' breaks, 20% off in shops and restaurants, 10% off fast track/reserve and ride passes, 20% off VIP experiences and 50% off discounted tickets for friends and family.

The Platinum Merlin Annual Pass, which costs £299, has not gone into the Black Friday sale.

All passes and entry tickets are only required for guests who are taller than 90cm.

Important: Don’t allow yourself to be taken in by the hype around Black Friday and be sucked into buying something you don’t need or can’t afford. Always do your own price comparisons to ensure you are getting the best deal possible.

See our Black Friday 2025 guide for all our analysis. Check Deals & Vouchers for the latest offers on now.

Martin's Money Mantras

Use them

Before spending

If you answer 'NO' to any of the following questions, don't buy.

Are you

Not skint? Ask:

Will I use it?

Is it worth it?

Are you

Skint? Ask:

Do I need it?

Can I afford it?

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