Money Saving Tips for Your Next Themepark Adventure
Lego New York at Miniland, Legoland California -Bridget Smith
If you are traveling with kids, chances are a visit to a theme park is in your future. Attractions like Six Flags, Sea World, or Legoland are a convenient source of family fun. They provide a great opportunity for families to spend time together. Still, amusement parks also have a down side. Admission, food, and parking can turn a fun adventure into a pricey vacation. Here are some tips to help keep your amusement park adventure affordable.
Las Vegas Adventuredome, Nevada-Bridget Smith
Admission
Shop Around
If you are traveling to an area that has more than one theme park it may pay to shop around and spend more than one day at the one that offers the most value. For example, Sea World in San Diego sells a Fun Pass for the price of a regular admission ticket. Pay once and return unlimited times for the rest of the calendar year.
Go Card or City Pass
If you are in the mood to visit multiple attractions, these discount programs will get you in for one low price.
In Southern California a City Pass will get you into Disneyland, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Wild Animal Park for around $100 less than if you purchase full price tickets separately.
Go Cards allow your family to enjoy even more destinations. You pay for them by the day with the value of the card increasing the more days you buy. For example, the San Diego Go Card includes admission most major San Diego attractions. It also gives you complementary admission to many of San Diego’s wonderful museums and other kid friendly destinations.
Be sure to plan ahead, decide where you want to go, and calculate how much you will save. These cards may not cover every attraction that you have on your must see list.
Tinker Bell, California Adventure Electric Parade, California-Bridget Smith
Discount Coupons
If you don’t live near the attraction that you will be visiting, these may be tough to obtain. Still, it may be worth checking E-Bay or Craigslist. Look for coupons from fast food restaurants near the park. Local attractions also may offer coupons to other amusement parks. A few times, I have been offered an extra coupon by a local while I was waiting in line. I was very grateful for the opportunity to stretch the budget.
Discount Tickets
Check with the Costco or local supermarkets near your destination. Costco offers some great discounts on admissions, short term passes, and annual passes. This has been our second summer enjoying the Three Month Legoland Membership that is only sold at Costco.
Become an Annual Pass Holder
If you will be visiting the same attraction on multiple days this is worth looking into. Theme park pass holders get access to great special events, and the price of an annual pass is often only a few dollars more than a two or three day visit. Be sure to explore getting a premium pass that includes free parking for one family member. Paying $12 + dollars for parking at every visit is a real disincentive. Explore whether pass holders get discounts on food, souvenir’s etc. This makes the pain of an overpriced snack a little more bearable.
Thomas the Tank Engine, Six Flags Magic Mountain, California-Bridget Smith
Food
Know the Rules- Then Bend Them!
Most Theme Parks have specific rules about outside food and beverages listed somewhere on their website. In practice, however I have seldom seen items confiscated from visitors. In my opinion it is worth trying to bring food in. You can always take it back to the car or discard it at the entrance if absolutely necessary.
Be Discrete
A small lunchbox will get your further than a rolling cooler.
Bring Your Own
Bring a reusable water bottle or share a refillable cup purchased on site. All that fun can make your family hot and thirsty. Be sure to have a plan to stay hydrated.
Come With a Plan
Which light meals and snacks will you bring from home? What do you plan to buy? Share this information with your kids ahead of time to minimize whining. I like to spend my theme park food budget on a special treat like ice cream or Legoland’s famous Granny Apple Fries.
If All Else Fails …
Have A Picnic or A Tail Gate Party. It may be worth eating before you enter the park, or taking lunch break in the middle of the day.
Discount Coupons and membership perks are great, but free theme park passes are even better! Family Adventure Guidebooks is giving away four Park Hopper passes to Legoland California. Contest ends October 2, 2009. Stop by and enter today.
For other great theme park tips, check out The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook.
Photo Credits: All photos by Bridget Smith
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15 Responses
Excellent tips, bridget! i’ve learned so much. now, we can’t wait to go! thanks for sharing these – it will make a difference!
What I discovered with the Costco Passes to places in my neck of the woods..they started selling them the week after we were scheduled to go. It could have saved us $32 to wait a week, but then we wouldn’t have had a place to camp because the campground was booked through the summer.
Thanks for all your awesome tips! You ROCK!
jo
All great tips!
Also if you live locally, look out for deals for the resident of the state. When we live in FL, we can get great discount in Walt Disney World for their FL resident deal.
I had no idea Costco sold short term passes! Thanks for the tip.
Meredith, Hopefully they are available on line, but if not the Costco off Palomar Airport Road sells them just a few blocks from Legoland.
-Bridget
Amy, We have Southern California Select passes for Disneyland. Your right it can be much more affordable.
Great tips & great pics! Thank you!
Also check out Entertainment books and compare if the coupon discount is worth the price of the book. Normally, you can get the book for under $30 and there will be several attraction coupons.
Another tip is check out local school fund raising program. My coworker just sold me $20 worth of coupon book to support their school and I found several attraction coupon that already paid for itself.
I can’t agree with the Go Card recommendation more! I’ve saved a ton of money that way.
Thinking of going to Disneyland early next month. I think the CA resident special is $33 for a park hopper…THEN you have the option of paying an add $40 to upgrade to a season pass. Great deal, right?
Love the picnic and tailgate party idea. Just make sure that the park has in and out privileges if you are planning a break.
Another tip- $1 store candy. If you are gonna have candy- might as well get the movie size for non-movie prices from the $1 store. Once again- discreetly packed inside your purse.. a great pic me up before or after lunch.
Great tips! Another cool thing about the SeaWorld Fun Pass is that you get free parking (normally $13) with it!
Helpful, we travel frequently and I just learned of this site. The San Diego info will prove useful to us, thanks!
Didn’t realize that Costco sold short term passes – great info!
I am so glad that I stumbled across this post. Since reading “Financial Purity” by Jessica V. Psalidas I have been trying really hard to follow it. The book helps people get their finances under control so that they can get rid of financial burdens and enjoy life- like go on a vacation. My family hasn’t been on a vacation in 6 years… it is time! This post has given me some great tips to help me follow the Financial Purity plan of planning a family vacation!