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Special Consideration Essential Companions
As a small, family-run attraction with lived experience of disability in our own family, we believe in fair treatment and common sense. Our standard pricing already includes discounted Carer Tickets, but we recognise that some guests may still face genuine barriers to entry.
To help address this, we’re trialling a Special Consideration Essential Companion scheme. Under this trial, requests for free carer entry will be reviewed individually. This will help us learn more about our guests’ needs and continue to improve accessibility, while still keeping the park financially sustainable. We appreciate your patience and honesty as we trial this approach.
At a Glance
- What is it?
A way to request free entry for an Essential Companion instead of a discounted Carer Ticket.
- Who is it for?
Disabled guests who face a barrier to entry even with our discounted Carer Ticket, for example if a carer has to attend solely to provide disability-related support and would not otherwise be visiting.
Please remember that for most family visits with disabled children, we would consider a standard discounted Carer Ticket a fair and reasonable adjustment, when taking into account -
- All under-18s must be accompanied by a paying adult.
- All adults (including parents and guardians) must pay to enter.
Click here to book standard discounted Carer tickets
- How long does it take?
- We aim to process special consideration requests within 2 working days.
- Nimbus Access Card / Digital Access Pass applications can take up to 7 days (if you don’t already have one).
Eligibility – What You Need
To qualify for a free Essential Companion Ticket you will need these three things:
- A full-price entry ticket for the disabled guest
- A SUCCESSFUL request for Special Consideration
See “Requesting Special Consideration” below.
- One of the following in the disabled guests name:
- A Milky Way Digital Access Pass with a +1 or +2 symbol, or
- A physical Access Card with a +1 or +2 symbol
These are issued by Nimbus Disability, a leading authority on accessible ticketing run by and for disabled people. Please note that a +1 or +2 symbol is only awarded when significant, disability-related support is required beyond what can reasonably be expected from family or friends.
See "How to Apply for a Digital Access Pass / Card" below.
Requesting Special Consideration
To request a free Essential Companion Ticket, please email [email protected] using the subject line “Essential Companion Special Consideration”.
In your email, briefly include:
• When you are hoping to visit.
• Whether you already have a Nimbus Access Card with a +1 or +2 symbol
• The circumstances – nature of the disability and the companion’s relationship to the disabled guest/s.
• Details of your group – approximate number of adults and children, and how they're related.
• Why paying for a discounted Carer Ticket would be a financial barrier for the disabled guest/s on this visit, when this barrier wouldn’t exist for non-disabled guests.
To be eligible, in most cases you will need to demonstrate that:
• The companion is attending solely to provide care related to the disability, and
• They would not otherwise be part of the visit (e.g. it is not a family day out / they would not need to be there to fulfill parental responsibilities).
We aim to reply within two working days with either:
• approval,
• a request for more information, or
• a clear explanation if we are unable to approve the request.
Please note: This scheme is a trial and may be amended or withdrawn if misused. Providing misleading information may result in your visit being terminated without refund.
How to Apply for a Digital Access Pass / Card
Click the button below to apply for a free Digital Access Pass (for use at The Milky Way) with Nimbus Disability – you will also be given the option to upgrade to a physical Access Card for £15 which is valid for three years and widely accepted across thousands of venues in the UK.
As part of the application, you will need to provide relevant evidence and a narrative about your access requirements. To qualify for an Essential Companion Ticket you must be awarded the ‘+1’ or ‘+2’ symbol, so please make sure you apply for this.
