Parents scrambling for May half-term ideas may not need to travel far this year after a new “25 miles of adventure” map revealed families can visit some of the UK’s biggest attractions all within easy reach of each other.
From rollercoasters and PAW Patrol rides to the London Eye and Madame Tussauds, Merlin Entertainments is bringing together eight major attractions into one giant family-friendly adventure zone running throughout half term from May 23 to 31.
This comes as Sainsbury's has launched a new partnership between Nectar and Merlin Entertainments, allowing shoppers to turn everyday grocery points into discounted tickets for some of the UK’s biggest attractions.
This includes the likes of Alton Towers Resort, LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, Thorpe Park and the London Eye.
The new family savings trick parents are spotting
And the biggest surprise for families is that Nectar points will now be worth double their normal value when redeemed through the deal.
That means £5 worth of Nectar points instantly becomes £10 off tickets.
The new partnership covers more than 20 Merlin attractions across the UK, including:
- Chessington World of Adventures Resort
- SEA LIFE London Aquarium
- Warwick Castle
- Cadbury World
- Madame Tussauds London
- The London Dungeon
Families simply open the Nectar app, select the Merlin offer and book directly through the dedicated redemption page.
The move comes as Merlin launches a huge push for May half-term, with new attractions including the World of PAW Patrol at Chessington and late-night Thorpe Park openings already creating buzz online.
Other ways to save
Alternatively, non-Nectar customers can purchase a London multi-attraction ticket from £49pp and add on additional attractions to their visit.
Multi-attraction tickets can be purchased from any of the London attraction websites.
- Chessington World of Adventures Resort tickets start from £32pp when booked online. Chessington World of Adventures short breaks during May half term start from £73pp based on Bed & Breakfast with two adults and two children under 15 years staying in a standard bedroom in the Safari Hotel. Book both day tickets and short breaks online at www.chessington.com.
- LEGOLAND Windsor Resort tickets start at £32pp when booked online. LEGOLAND Adventure Golf tickets start from £8pp per round. LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort short breaks during May half term start from £127pp based on two adults and two children staying in Woodland Village Lodge. Book both day tickets and short breaks online at www.legoland.co.uk.
- Thorpe Park tickets start at £32pp when booked online. Thorpe Park short breaks during May half term start from £89pp based on four people sharing a standard room. Book both day tickets and short breaks online at www.thorpepark.com.
- Shrek’s Adventure! London tickets start at £21pp when booked online at www.shreksadventure.com.
- SEA LIFE London Aquarium tickets start at £28pp when booked online at www.visitsealife.com.
- London Dungeons tickets start at £27pp when booked online at www.thedungeons.com/london/.
- Madame Tussauds tickets start at £27pp when booked online at www.madametussauds.com/london/.
- London Eye tickets start at £29pp when booked online at www.londoneye.com.
Why families could save hundreds on Merlin attractions
With ticket prices for major attractions climbing sharply in recent years, many families have started searching for loyalty point tricks and supermarket reward hacks to cut costs.
The new Nectar partnership effectively turns routine food shopping into discounted family experiences - something experts say could become increasingly popular during the cost-of-living squeeze.
A family using £25 worth of Nectar points, for example, could now receive £50 off attraction tickets.
Merlin says the partnership is designed to make attractions more affordable and accessible for families across the UK.
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Attractions included in the deal
The partnership includes:
- Alton Towers Resort
- Thorpe Park
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Chessington World of Adventures
- The London Eye
- SEA LIFE aquariums
- Warwick Castle
- Cadbury World
- Madame Tussauds
- The London Dungeon
Stan Swinton, Merlin’s Chief Growth Officer, said the deal comes at the perfect time, with major new launches including Bluey attractions at Alton Towers and the new PAW Patrol-themed area at Chessington.
Will you be making use of this deal to visit some attractions? Let us know in the comments.
