Nothing beats an amusement park when it comes to having fun, but that fun can be rather expensive. This is doubly so when you have a large family in tow. If you love going to amusement parks but find yourself shying away because of cost, you may be doing yourself a disservice. There are ways to mitigate the costs.
Here are several really cool tips to save money at an amusement park:
Never buy entrance tickets at face value
When you head to the amusement park, you should already have your tickets in tow. Buying these at the amusement park entrance will cost you a fortune and you will be under the weight of that cost throughout your visit. Instead, buy your tickets far in advance through any number of discount chains. You can usually find them in grocery stores, department stores, magazines, coupon blasters, drink and snack companies and even area restaurants. These awesome promotions can often save you up to 70% or more off the regular admissions.
Use the power of the Internet
Like anything else, getting online can save you money. Of course, you will need to be very careful about who you buy from and what the circumstances are. Most amusement parks have some type of program that can save you money on a visit. Just get online and see what is there. Nothing stinks worse than going to the park and discovering a $20 coupon was on your computer for the taking. Theme park Facebook and Twitter accounts are notorious for offering great deals.
Try the offseason
Theme parks and amusement parks are rarely busy all the year through. There is generally a time when things slow down and the park is not nearly as crowded. Figure out when that is and plan your trip for then. Yes, you might have some obstacles or certain rides may be closed for maintenance, but the savings may make it well worth it.
Buy very little on the park grounds
The real expense at an amusement park is the extras. The drinks, foods, pictures with characters and various other games and extras will literally burn a hole in your wallet. If you want to save some serious cash, bring along a backpack with everything you might need. Backpacks can even come with a cooler built in now for drinks and food items that need to stay cool. Resist the urge to pay the exorbitant prices for their food and drinks especially. The pictures can be offset by bringing your digital camera and being satisfied with your own shots.
Souvenirs
Let’s have a little quiz. Within ten seconds, tell me where to find your last souvenir bought at a theme park is. If you can, then you get to buy another one on your next trip. If not, like the vast majority of us, you should skip out on the item that falls into oblivion within moments of getting home. Nobody really needs these things. Simply get a postcard or shoot plenty of pictures. The memories will be much more powerful and not disappear right away.
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