Merlin Annual Pass Reviews 

Merlin discrimination against disabilities means we are no longer able to visit - if we did it would be a memorable experience for the wrong reasons and would likely have a lasting adverse effect on our daughter’s mental health and wellbeing.

I can’t believe company leadership would think this strategy to increase profits by discriminating would be accepted by anyone that has (or has loved ones with) a disability.

“Boycott Merlin”

Merlin theme parks are no longer accessible to our family. We are now unable to attend at all.

I’ve been unaware of the recent announcements from Merlin Annual Pass with their recent decisions to deem Autism, ADHD, and any other mental disabilities no longer eligible for their ride access passes for their fast track, until today. After today learning that Merlin have made the absurd decision to do this I leave myself with one question, at what means? Have you ever stood in a long queue for sometimes over 2 hours straight with no toilet break, no where to sit, strange noises, new smells, loud sounds, weird music, bright colours, fast rides, all at once? Then on top of that face hypersensitivity where everything is times by 1000 in your head? Plus being maybe 6 years old, sometimes below?
Now I can’t speak for every neurodivergent child because they are all different, but I can speak for mine, the reason he finds these attractions so fun, the reasons why they regulate him, why they’re a reward for good behaviour, is because they were adapted to his care. Legoland for instance has a wonderful sensory space. The ride access also was an adaption made to aid his disability. Something that meant he didn’t have to feel like it was a battle to have fun. Something that helped him learn how to regulate in the first place!! And to then go and decide to take that away at what cost? Over the years I’ve spent thousands in Merlin whether that be just for our passes or actually at the attractions, they have been regular visits for us as a way to regulate and rejoice. Well, I stand by and say this to all other parents of neurodivergent children, if you’re just as outraged at this then you should stand by your children too:
if Merlin rebuke the right for neurodivergent children to qualify for ride assess equally to any other disability then I will no longer be attending Merlin attractions, nor will I be holding my Merlin pass for any longer. It is an outrage to our children and what we stand for as a country! Moving towards the past instead of the future!

Merlin have poor ride availability, stripped back all extra entertainment and now do not recognise any disabilitiy that isn't physical. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Blatantly discriminating against people with hidden disabilities.

As loyal Merlin customers for over 11 years, we are no longer welcome at Merlin theme parks.

Having an autistic teenage son who has grown up with a passion for theme parks and rollercoasters has meant many days spent in Merlin parks over the years with Annual passes.

Having spent years out of education as school could not meet his additional needs, his love of theme parks have given him ambition and a sense of belonging.

But Merlin have taken that away as they have removed the reasonable adjustments that have made it possible for him to access the parks.

They have decided that his disabilities are not worthy of accessing their Ride Access Pass, which without, he is unable to access the parks.

Their RAP (Ride Access Pass) is not a queue jump system. It allows users to wait in a virtual queue which matches the length of time non disabled guests are waiting in the main queues. An app is used which 'times out' after going on a ride, so the next ride can only be accessed once the time of the queue has been waited, which the majority of disabled people value as a fair system for all. Many people use the time out period to rest or use quiet areas to regulate themselves, which enables them to continue enjoying their day.

RAP is only issued after submitting medical evidence to prove a need for it.

Merlin propose to offer purchasable sensory packs and quiet spaces instead of offering the RAP system to neurodivergent guests. These are measures that many people already use ALONGSIDE the RAP, which for many, make their day just about manageable. Even with these provisions, lots of neurodivergent people still find theme park days very overwhelming, but with effective support measures, they can also have massively positive effects on mental health.

Merlin are now excluding the majority of neurodivergent people from their parks as they, like my son, will be unable to manage a day out safely without the RAP.

They have decided that only those with physical, often more obvious to the eye disabilities will be eligible for effective reasonable adjustments and those with hidden disabilities are left with reasonable adjustments that are not fit for purpose.

Merlin say their reasoning for this is the difficulties in coping with demand for the RAP. Yet on the day they announced the changes, they began to advertise new Fast Track offers! So they can no longer support neurodivergent people to access their attractions but can increase the number of fast track passes that they sell. Fast track being paid for passes which enable people to access rides instantly, with no virtual queue. Whilst taking away accommodations from disabled people which provided a fair system for all.

Unfortunately we are no longer able to visit attractions. Life is hard enough, with more battles and challenges than most people understand, so we will not pay money to visit attractions who have made it clear we are no longer welcome at.

It is disappointing that such a huge corporation who regularly talk about their commitment to supporting disabled people, are not instead working to lead the way in providing equitable solutions that truly work, enabling disabled guests to feel valued and enabling them to experience the same opportunities that non disabled people enjoy. Especially as Merlin provide internships for neurodivergent young people, which would be an amazing offering if they weren't taking away the accommodations that enable the next cohorts of the internships to gain valuable ambition needed to engage in this valuable offering.

Digusting behaviour. Not caring about their nurodivergent customers.

I have anxiety and due to working majority of the time can't go on a quiet day. The rap helped me enjoy my day and you've changed the rules since and ferbuary which means I cant go now. Thorpe park was my happy autstic place and you've spoiled that now.

Discrimination of disabled guests that dont look disabled the recent change to the rap passes making it completely inaccessible for neurodivergent people. Complete disgrace

Sadly now totally inaccessible to my neurodivergent and disabled children. Only managed 1 visit last year with the new rap booking system and now longer able to use rap booking system. Cancelled membership after 8+ years having them

No longer disability friendly hidden disability

I want to be clear that I think moving to a digital system and app-based process for Ride Access Pass (RAP) could be a positive step. Modernising the system makes sense, and in principle it could improve fairness and efficiency.

However, the decision to remove “difficulties in crowds” as a qualifying need for a RAP is profoundly disappointing and deeply concerning.

For many neurodivergent adults and children — including those who are autistic, have ADHD, sensory processing differences or anxiety disorders — difficulty coping in crowded environments is not a preference. It is a recognised and significant disability-related need. Crowds can trigger sensory overload, distress, shutdowns or meltdowns. Excluding this need from RAP eligibility effectively excludes a large proportion of the neurodivergent community from reasonable adjustments.

This feels fundamentally at odds with the spirit and duty of the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. Removing recognition of crowd-related difficulties creates exactly that disadvantage.

The message this change sends to the SEN community is that visible physical disabilities are acknowledged, but invisible neurological disabilities are being minimised. That is not inclusion.

Families who have relied on RAP for years are now being told that their very real access needs no longer qualify. This is not about gaming the system. It is about ensuring that disabled guests can participate safely and with dignity.

I urge Merlin to urgently reconsider this policy. Accessibility should evolve with understanding — not move backwards.

Neurodivergent guests deserve to be recognised, supported and included.

We will not be renewing our Merlin Annual Passes this year untill a suitable resolution has been reached.

After being platinum pass holders since 2019 we are very disappointed with the decision to push people with hidden disabilities away from your parks. We are not asking to bypass the queue as we are happy to wait the time in the virtual queue, but for most people with neurodiversity it is impossible to wait in the physical queue. To choose not to accept people with the crowd symbol is an odd decision since the symbol is given to “people who find crowded environments or queues overwhelming or distressing”

Had a pass premium
Pass for last few years but now I will have to reconsider.
Merlin excludes neurodivergent guests by revising the Ride Access Pass (RAP) policy to ban many autistic and ADHD individuals with hidden disabilities from using virtual queues, prioritising physical disabilities over neurological ones, which is unlawful and discriminatory. They justify capping RAP for safety reasons but sell paid Fastrack tickets on the same rides and days, indicating capacity exists but is utilised for profit. Instead of providing access, they offer refunds and refuse service based on disability. Avoid if you have neurodivergent needs.

The recent changes Merlin has made to its Ride Access Pass (RAP) system are deeply disappointing and raise serious concerns regarding discrimination against neurodivergent guests and those with non-visible disabilities.

With no meaningful warning, Merlin has implemented changes that effectively exclude neurodivergent individuals from accessing its parks. The message now being communicated is that unless a guest has a physical disability, they no longer qualify for support. This approach appears to disregard non-visible disabilities entirely.

Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Neurodivergent conditions clearly fall within this definition, and service providers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to avoid placing disabled people at a substantial disadvantage.

Merlin’s current RAP criteria do not reflect the real needs of many disabled guests and families and disproportionately affect neurodivergent children and their carers, placing them at a significant disadvantage compared to non-disabled guests.

The suggested “alternatives,” such as sensory rooms or purchasable ear defenders, do not constitute reasonable adjustments to the core barrier faced by neurodivergent guests: the inability to tolerate long queues. A sensory room does not make queueing accessible, and ear defenders do not make prolonged waiting manageable. These measures do not remove the disadvantage and therefore fall short of meaningful access provision.

As a neurodivergent parent of a neurodivergent child, we are now unable to access Merlin parks in the way we previously could. We are far from alone. Thousands of families who have relied on RAP for years to access attractions safely and fairly are now affected by these changes.

What makes this particularly concerning is the contrast between Merlin’s public commitments to inclusivity and accessibility and the practical effect of these policies. Inclusivity cannot be claimed while whole groups of disabled people are excluded. Equality is not achieved by recognising only visible disabilities.

Neurodivergent people are disabled by environments, and these changes actively increase that disadvantage. Until the RAP system is reviewed and neurodivergent guests are meaningfully recognised in line with Equality Act obligations, Merlin’s parks cannot reasonably be considered accessible or inclusive. As a result, myself and many others are cancelling our passes.

Merlin don’t care if you are neuro diverse! The new RAP changes are truly out of order. You can cancel your pass due to the latest changes - says everything you need to know !

Are you deliberately trying to sink your entire company? I cannot believe that you have excluded neurodivergent guests from your RAP system. Over the years you’ve made some questionable decisions but this has got to be the worse. Who on earth thought this would be a good idea? Your business decisions baffle me. You cannot and should not exclude people with hidden disabilities from accessing the RAP. It’s disgusting that you think this is okay and I really and sincerely hope you listen to the many, many voices here who have supported you over years and no longer want to. You have marvellous parks, ones that for years have been inclusive and welcoming to all - do not kill the heart of your business by excluding some of the most vulnerable children and adults in our society. I cannot believe we are in 2026. You should truly be ashamed.

ETA After Merlin’s reply. Dear Merlin. I’m certain this is in the right place (Merlin have said I have posted this in the wrong place and tried to get me to remove it….).
I see that you failed to apologise to me in any capacity that your actions have made me and my family feel unwelcome at your parks. We all know what happened; the backlash you received and the U turn you were forced to do, so no need to cover that again but I do want to address some comments. I strongly dispute you are listening not when it really matters, you only listening where people are on mass. Over the years I’ve taken the time to give a lot of calm and constructive feedback on improvements you could make, I have experience both on a personal and professional level, so I’d say there is merit in my ideas. But every time I’ve had a weak reply with minimal effort - just a cut and paste ‘form of words’ that has been sent to thousands of others.

Maybe it would be an idea to stop saying you are listening when you aren’t really, sending out highly restrictive questionnaires and only reacting when you get significant backlash. Maybe, just maybe, if you do actually listen you’ll find the solution you are looking for.

Merlin Entertainments has changed their Ride Access Pass (RAP) policy to exclude people with the "Difficulty with Crowds" symbol, effectively banning many Autistic and ADHD guests from using the essential virtual queue.

Their new stance is unlawful and discriminatory for three reasons:

Hierarchy of Disability: They are prioritizing physical disabilities (standing) over neurological ones (crowds). The Equality Act protects both equally.

Profit over Safety: They claim they "have to" cap RAP numbers for safety, yet they continue to sell paid "Fastrack" tickets for the same rides on the same days. Capacity exists; they just want to sell it rather than provide it as a legal Reasonable Adjustment.

They are offering refunds instead of access. This is a refusal of service based on disability. Avoid if you have neurodivergent needs.

Formerly great theme parks that now discriminate against disabled people. They've decided that people who have "difficulty being in crowded situations or queues, often due to neurodivergence, anxiety, or other non-physical conditions" are no longer important to them.

We have had annual passes for many years, before they were even Merlin passes (Tuassards pass I think they were?!) but will be cancelling now after the shocking decisions made by Merlin to exclude children and adults with cognitive disabilities. It’s absolutely disgusting and shameful. I think their rival parks are all going to have a busy year as so many people are now unable to access Merlin parks and have been looking for alternative theme parks to visit.

I can’t see Merlin making a profit this year with such a huge loss of visitors. We went to Alton Towers approximately once a month when the park is open, including the Xmas events, pirate takeover etc. each time spending loads of money in the gift shops, restaurants etc as a large family. We will not be returning out of principle unless they sort this absolute mess out.

Very disappointed. My autistic son is now being discriminated, because of your new policy. I wonder how long before Merlin goes under?

Removel of RAP for those with non physical disabilities has now made our annual passes worthless