Pay For A Map?

[dave1710]

We had our first theme park trip this month (Bit late) and were looking forward to a new season. Thorpe Park was the chosen park. It's part of the Tussaud's group (Now Merlin) so we knew they're a bit money happy.

 

Entry prices are sky high but I think EVERYONE uses vouchers now so you kind of half the gate price. Not a problem.

 

What was a problem was being charged for a map! Not even a good map. I know this might help on wastage and might save a tree eventually but come on! I usually like to grab a couple of maps on the way out to keep as a souvenir but avoided it this time. They're really not worth it!

 

Is map charging a common thing elsewhere in the world?

[Janster]

I remember that Eftling in the Netherlands used to charge 1 euro for a park map. That was a nice high quality map, printed on thick paper and I know people who still use last years map (or even the year before, not sure).

 

But all parks should provide a simple "throw away" map for free.

[Airtime&Gravity]

Large SFGAM maps are available at SFGAM in Flags and Trudy's Sweet Shop for 3-5 dollars, but you are offered free large maps where you pay the $50 parking fee. I guess the point of selling them inside the park is, you didn't get one when offered, so now pay for one.

[dave1710]

Unfortunately these are still the simple throw away versions. A real rip off!

[bgwfreak]

I've never been charged for a map (I've only visited parks in the US East Coast and Midwest), unless it was a long time ago when some of the Six Flags, Opryland and even Carowinds use to sell large souvenir maps.

 

Most parks give you a free map. I hate though that Dollywood went to a large sheet of paper, instead of the trifold maps.

[Nicker211]

I agree with Janster, I think that you should get as many free, foldable maps as you want.

[bulldogmom]

I've never been charged for a small map either here in the US, but when you consider the exorbitant parking fees (up to $10!) it's sort of a moot point.

BTW, I bought a nice souvenir map of Cedar Point at CP for under $1, which I thought was very reasonable.

[IceDragon]

I generally know where all the rides are in pretty much any park anyway... I do understand what you are saying though... It's a real rip-off as there are some (smaller and less-developed) parks that provide free ones

[gax]

Chessington and Thorpe are both doing this now as far as I'm aware.

 

Alton Towers is charging for maps once in the park from guest services etc. but one map per party is given free at the entrance due to the size of the park and how easy it is to get lost.

 

(not that the crappy map really helps...)

[Spokker]

Does the map they sell still have advertisements or anything like that? If it did its even a bigger blow.

 

You have to realize that places like Disneyland and Six Flags only give out maps because they can get them sponsored and dont pay anything or very little to hand them out. If they couldnt find a sponsor for their maps I doubt they would give away free ones.

 

Either way, the park aint paying.

[TPDave]

There are no advertisements, but i don't think that makes it acceptable to charge. As has been said previously, it's not a high quality map, it rips easily and is generally just not worth paying for. The park has said that they charge because people were throwing them in the lake and they want to reduce waste, but surely they could cut down on waste in a way that doesn't charge the customer even more money...

 

That said, thorpe is very easy to navigate (even if you've never been before) so maps aren't really essential, but Chessington is a different story.

[dave1710]

I just like to keep one as a souvenir. If they produced a nice high quality map I'd buy that. I looked briefly but couldn't see anything. Mind you, if they did one it would probably be expensive.

[Fry]

Alton Towers is charging for maps once in the park from guest services etc. but one map per party is given free at the entrance due to the size of the park and how easy it is to get lost.

 

Are you sure, because I picked up a number of maps once inside the park on Sunday, none of which I was charged for, and they were all the standard size.

[peter_rowland1]

Look's like I'm not getting maps this year then.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

I almost always take a few free maps when I'm done at a park. They make great souvenirs. In fact, they are basically THE only souvenirs I get at parks (because they are free of course).

 

I have never had to pay for a map and don't plan on it. The only place I've missed picking one up was in Busch Garden's Europe this year, as I couldn't find one! It's a good thing I went with two BGE fanboys, because if I didn't I would have been highly mad with BGE and highly lost in there!

[Louise]

How much are Thorpe and Chessington charging?! Unbelievable. I always pick up an Alton map (well, one per year, I throw away any repeats) even though they're rarely used, but no way would I bother if I had to pay. The only time I'd ever heard of paying for maps anywhere is when somebody writes to/calls a park and asks for one, then sometimes they ask for a small fee, but I was not aware that this was a common occurrence just visiting a park.

[dave1710]

They cost 50p each (Approx $1). Now I know it's not much but that's not the point. It's still just the throw away folding map.

[Homer]

$1 for a map!? Geez, that costs as much as one of those souvenir maps you can pick up at Cedar Point!

[Louise]

They cost 50p each (Approx $1). Now I know it's not much but that's not the point. It's still just the throw away folding map.

 

That isn't too bad, I was expecting you to say £1-£2, but still, it's the principle of it, and it does seem silly.

[WillMontu]

I think someone in upper management has been playing too much RCT. What next? Charging to use the toilets?

[Jew]

There were a few parks in Europe that charged for maps when we did the TPR trip in 2005. Bobajahoweveryouspellitjanland being the one I can remember.

[alanjonesbath]

I noticed this problem at Chessington and Thorpe earlier this year. Wasn't a problem at Thorpe as its a very simple layout and we could remember where everything was, but Chessington is a bit more of a maze and without a map pretty hard to navigate. We ended up just using the maps they have stuck to boards around the park. Like you say, its not like 50p is a lot, its just the principle of the fact that they are now charging for something that they have given away free for years.

[SLUSHIE]

I don't think it's a big deal. When they are free people tend to take more than they need and throw them all over the place. This way people probably tend to hang onto them more.

[Adelleywelley]

This annoyed me too when I went to Thorpe Park last week. Yes the park is easy to navigate ride wise, however if you are looking for amenities like toilets and cash machines it's a right pain without a map. They have the larger standing maps dotted throughout the park, but I needed a map to find those

 

However, as a money saving idea, you can download the pdf of the map from the Thorpe Park website (haven't checked Chessington or Alton), so at least that'll save a bit of money.

[exmouse]

Perhaps someone should print out those PDFs and stand outside the park selling copies for 25p.