Many theme parks and attractions offer 'rainy day guarantees', meaning you can get a free return trip if your day is ruined by the weather. But just how generous are they?
Some attractions and theme parks offer a ‘rainy day guarantee’ which can mean a free return trip if the weather turns out to be a disaster.
Chessington, Legoland and Blackpool Pleasure Beach are some of the big names offering this and just one hour of rain could mean a free return trip.
What counts as a rainy day?
Claiming your free ticket isn’t just a case of putting up with a quick shower and being given a new one on the way out.
Most attractions have specific rules as to what counts as a ‘rainy day’ and how to claim a new ticket. These are all listed on their websites, and while in some cases it may just be a few spots, with others it can be anything from one to three hours of rain.
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Chessington and Legoland
With both Chessington and Legoland, the rainy day guarantee only applies to pre-booked online tickets and you’ll need one hour of rain before it kicks in.
To claim for a return trip, check back on the website which lists ‘rainy days’ and you can swap your old tickets for new ones on your next visit.
However you can’t just bowl up anytime for that return trip as small print on both sites states school summer holidays are excluded from the lists of free ‘return’ dates.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
With Blackpool Pleasure Beach's ‘rainy day returner’ you’ll need to put up with three hours of rain to guarantee a free ticket for the next day. So it's only handy if you’re a local or staying in the area.
If it’s wet just hang on to your wristband (which means keeping it on your wrist overnight) and pop back the next day to get in for free.
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Warwick Castle
Just one hour of rain is required to get a return ticket at Warwick Castle, but this is only available for tickets booked online or by phone, so if you’ve paid at the gate you’ll have to put up with any bad weather.
However as with most attractions you won’t know before leaving the grounds if your visit counts as a ‘wet day’ and details don’t go on the website until the following day.
[SPOTLIGHT]If you’re due a free return ticket, just show your old one at the ticket office within 60 days of your original visit.
Secondary attractions like the ‘Castle Dungeon’ are excluded from the rainy day deal as they are found inside.
Smaller attractions
One of the most generous ‘rain deals’ is at Pennywell Farm near Exeter. There are no rules on rain here; just a few spots and you’ll be given a free return ticket worth up to £13 on your way out, though these do need to be used within seven days.
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire also has a rainy day guarantee which means three hours rain or more and you’ll get another trip.
And at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park online ticket holders can get a replacement ticket if it rains for one hour or more.
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Train trips
You can even get your money back with train tickets if you’ve booked online with Southern Railways. If you’ve paid but don’t collect your tickets you can get a full refund, no questions asked.
It's part of its ‘money back guarantee’, so whether it’s wet weather or you just change your mind, you can get a full refund on tickets including Anytime, Off-Peak and Southern Advance.
Check the small print
Some places shout about their wet weather guarantees, but don’t seem to make it easy to come back for free.
Drayton Manor’s ‘rainy day’ deal usually runs during school holidays. To qualify for a free return trip you’ll need two hours of ‘continuous heavy rain’ and qualifying days are posted on its website.
But even if you’re claiming for a wet trip, it’s not just a case of checking the website and turning up as small print dictates that you’ve got to ring an 0844 helpline number at least 24 hours before you return and give details of your original tickets before you can go in for free.
If you don’t, you won’t get in for free and if you’re claiming for a wet trip during the May half term week (May 24th and 26th were classed as rainy days) you can’t go back for your free visit until September.
Cancelled events
What happens if festivals or outdoor concerts are cancelled due to bad weather?
If you bought tickets through a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, its code of practice means you should get a refund if an event is cancelled, whether due to bad weather or other reasons. Details of how to claim are usually posted on the venue website.
But while your refund covers the face value of the ticket, it may not extend to booking fees or postage costs.
With sporting events you may be due a partial refund depending on how much of the event is cancelled due to bad weather. Wimbledon has a wet weather policy which means ticket holders can get a refund if there’s less than an hour’s play on the court they’ve bought tickets for, and a 50% refund for one to two hours play.
Have you ever claimed on a rainy day guarantee? Tell us about your experiences in the comments box below.
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