Confused families blast major UK theme park for announcing admission fees have been axed – before hinting it was an April Fool joke

Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishOne of Britain’s biggest theme parks announced its plans to remove admission fees – but the move has been branded a ‘sick’ April Fools’ joke by families grappling with the cost of living crisis. Drayton Manor took to social media on 1 April to declare it has scrapped entry fees amid its 75th anniversary – indicating it’s now free for thrill-seekers to visit the park.  The post drew a mixture of delight from hard-up families looking for a cheap way to entertain their kids, and suspicion from those who suggested the seemingly generous move was nothing more than a ‘cruel’ April Fools’ hoax.  A few hours after their initial announcement, the park appeared to have confirmed the news was an April Fool’s joke – drawing ire from visitors who had recently forked out hundreds for a season ticket – but then compounded confusion by adding: ‘…Or is it?With the attraction now fully open for the season, a spokesperson revealed Drayton Manor is ‘changing how much visitors pay when they visit,’ with further details set to be revealed in the following weeks – keeping families in suspense.This year sees the park celebrate its 75th anniversary, with a packed calendar of events celebrating fun through the decades, monthly fireworks extravaganzas, Easter egg hunts, and Thomas the Tank Engine’s 80th birthday party.In a post uploaded to its Instagram, X and Facebook pages, a cryptic graphic reads: ‘Free to enter Drayton Manor. We’ve scrapped our admission fees! April Fools… or is it?’They added: ‘Imagine not having to pay to get into Drayton Manor… Oh wait, you don’t!’ Drayton Manor took to social media on 1 April to declare it has scrapped entry fees amid its 75th anniversary – indicating it’s now free for thrill-seekers to visit the park (Pictured: the park’s first announcement this morning) Drayton Manor took to social media on 1 April to declare it has scrapped entry fees amid its 75th anniversary (Pictured: the park’s second announcement today) A few hours after their initial announcement, the park appeared to have confirmed the news was an April Fools’ joke – but then compounded confusion by adding: ‘…Or is it?But the park’s plan to remove entry prices has left hundreds of fans scratching their heads in confusion, as the news comes on April Fools’ Day, an occasion where even reputable companies fool their customers with playful jokes to drum up publicity. Some social media users further accused the attraction of playing a ‘sick and cruel’ joke on struggling families dealing with the cost of living crisis, especially as Brits now face fresh hikes to council tax, energy, water, NICs and vehicle duty. On top of that, a rise in the rate of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for businesses could see prices rise everywhere from supermarkets to the local pub as firms seek to pass on their increased costs.Taking to Drayton Manor’s Facebook page, one person described the park’s announcement as ‘poor form.’Another wrote: ‘That’s one sick and cruel April Fools’ Day joke – so many families struggling right now just to eat and probably thought they could actually afford to take their kids for a day out – not impressed.’A third said: ‘Disgusting April Fools joke. Some can’t afford or struggle to get money together for days out. ‘Imagine if a child sees this and gets all excited about the family going out and the parents then have to tell them they can’t afford it.’ One person added, ‘This is such a mean and cruel joke. Shame on you,’ while another commented, ‘I know it’s April Fools’ Day but this joke is in very poor taste. Read the room!’  The park’s plan to remove entry prices has left hundreds of fans scratching their heads in confusion as the news comes on April Fools’ Day  Some social media users further accused the attraction of playing a ‘sick and cruel’ joke on struggling families dealing with the cost of living crisisMeanwhile, annual and flexi ticket holders were left baffled about the current status of their seasonal passes in light of the news.One frequent visitor fumed: ‘Please explain yourself as we have spent £400 on season passes.’ In response, one person reasoned: ‘It could be an offer to celebrate their big 75? Having season passes will still be exceptional value for money considering it won’t be free to visit everyday and this “offer” if real will be for a very limited time only.’Further announcements regarding free admission have not yet been revealed, though, though entry tickets are still available to purchase at their usual price on Drayton Manor’s website.It comes after the cast for the upcoming Beatles biopic was confirmed on Monday – but unimpressed fans of the British band were left convinced it was an April Fool’s joke.Sony confirmed the four English and Irish acting heavyweights set to be the stars at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas on Monday.The films about The Fab Four will see Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.