How to get the best deals on theme park ticketsBy Robert Niles Whatever you do, please don't wait until you arrive and buy your theme park tickets at the park's front gate. That's the surest way to ensure that you miss the best deal on your theme park tickets - not to mention costing you valuable time early in your visit that you could spend riding rides when their wait times are shortest. Theme Park Insider readers have compiled some great tips over years about where and how to find the best value in theme park vacations, including on how to pick the right Walt Disney World tickets and Universal Orlando tickets, which many visitors need help figuring out.
At the bottom of the page, we'll provide links to where to find the best current discounts on theme park tickets and where to buy them. In the meantime, here are our best tips for planning an affordable theme park vacation - the things you need to know before you buy: 1. Make a budget After your vacation, you should have warm memories, not a mailbox of bills. One Theme Park Insider reader developed this great vacation planning spreadsheet [click the link to download it] that he uses to estimate, and then keep track of, all his vacation expenses. Use it, and you won't be surprised by expenses on your trip. Which brings us to... 2. Save the money; don't borrow it The easiest way to save 10-20 percent, or even more, on your family vacation is to pay for it with your own cash, and not borrowing it from the bank through a credit card. (Or even worse, doing something truly foolish like paying for a trip with a home-equity loan.) If you put your vacation expenses on a credit card and leave them there for a year, you'll end up paying not just the cost of the vacation, but 10-20 percent more for the interest charges on that balance, too. Pay off your vacation when you take it, and you save those extra interest charges. Plus, if you squirrel away your money into an interest-paying account during the year, you can consider the interest you earn a second discount on the cost of your theme park vacation. Charge the trip to a points-paying card, then pay it off immediately with money from an interest-bearing account, and you are three times ahead. Start by writing down every single thing you spend money on for the next week. Then look at that list and decide what you can cut out and instead put that money toward your vacation: Bringing lunch from home instead of going out? Buying a cheaper cup of coffee in the morning, or brewing it at home? Skipping a couple weekend getaways for a better week-long vacation? Figure out how much money you can set aside each week to pay for your vacation. Then do it. Transfer it into a savings account and leave it there. Count your pennies, too. Put a jar on the night-stand and dump your spare change into it every night. Have your kids do the same with their own jars. You might be surprised how much "walking around" souvenir money you've saved this way by next summer. 3. Plan when to go You get the most value out of your theme park ticket when you can use it to ride the most rides and see the most shows. So try to schedule your visit when the park isn't so crowded. Weekdays during the school year are the best. During vacation times, the Orlando-area theme parks tend to be least busy during weekends - most folks travel on those days. But in California, Disneyland is busiest on days when discount annual passholders are not blocked out, especially Sundays. Whenever you go, arrive at the park before it opens in the morning, to get on as many attractions as you can before lines build up for the day. 4. Consider on-site hotel benefits You can get extra value from an Orlando theme park vacation by staying at one of Walt Disney World's or Universal Orlando's on-site hotels. You'll pay more per night, so weigh the advantages against the extra cost. At Disney World, you get "Disney's Magical Express," a free (okay, to be more accurate, we'll say "no extra charge") bus service to and from the Orlando International Airport to your hotel. They'll get your bags from the airline (and check them in at the hotel on your return). People staying at Walt Disney World's hotels also get "Extra Magic Hours," no-extra-charge admission to extended hours at one theme park each day, open only to other Disney hotel guests. This is a great way to ride extra rides with much shorter waits. At Universal Orlando's three on-site hotels, guests get an even better perk - they can skip the line at almost all of the attractions in the Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure theme parks. Universal's hotels also are located within walking distance of the two theme parks, unlike at Disney World, where you'll have to ride a bus (or boat or monorail) to get to the parks. 5. Plan ahead to save money inside the park The golden rule of saving on a vacation: Never buy anything inside a theme park that you can buy outside the park. You can get sunscreen, pain relievers, bandages, baby supplies and a refillable water bottle at home or a nearby grocery for a fraction of the cost you'd pay inside the park. So do. Bring a stash of waterproof, re-sealable plastic baggies, too. While digital cameras have eliminated the need for you to stock up on film before you enter the park, having those waterproof baggies will come in handy in keeping that digital camera and your cell phone dry when you ride on a flume or any other water ride. When you order food inside a theme park, save money by watching how much you order. Don't get light in the wallet and fat in the waist by ordering full meals for all at every opportunity. Get something from the kids' menu or split an entree with someone else. Or go for one unique, filling snack instead of a full meal. (Fish and chips or a turkey leg should easily do for lunch or dinner. Heck, two people could split one of those theme park turkey legs.) Give your kids an allowance (or, better yet, make them earn it) before you go, so they can spend their own money on souvenirs, instead of begging you inside the park. Finally, when you do buy souvenirs, either buy them at the end of the day, or use the free package check service that many parks offer so you don't have to carry your packages around the park all day. Ask about package check before you buy. 6. Consider an annual pass If you'll be visiting a theme park for more than one day this year, you might be better off buying an annual pass than several single-day tickets. Remember that a Six Flags annual pass is good at all Six Flags parks across the country, too. The SeaWorld/Busch Gardens chain and the Cedar Fair chain (including Knott's Berry Farm, Kings Island and several other parks) also sell platinum-level annual passes that are good at the other parks in those chains. Keep those in mind if you'll be traveling to several parks on your family vacation. Even if you're going to just one park or resort, an annual pass might make sense. Compare the cost of the pass to how many single-day tickets you want to buy and go for the better deal. Keep in mind that most annual passes include in-park discounts on food and souvenirs, as well as free or reduced-price parking. (Parking can cost more than $10 a day at most theme parks.) At Walt Disney World, you can save on future visits even if you don't get an annual pass by buying the no-expiration option on your "Magic Your Way" tickets. That gets you up to 10 days of visits that you can use in the future, at today's prices. (Disney raises its ticket prices at least once every year.) Don't add Disney World's "park hopper" option, though, unless you are a Disney World veteran who knows how to use the transportation system well to get the most out of jumping from park to park during the day. One park a day is about all Disney World rookies can handle. :-) 7. Buy tickets in advance, online In the past, consolidators and roadside ticket booths offered the best deals on theme park tickets. These days, though, the best deals are often found on the parks' own websites, where they can offer last-minute deals. Many parks also offer even better discounts, or even free tickets, for active and retired military members and their families. Be sure to check your local ITT/Tickets & Tours office, or visit the ticket office at the Shades of Green resort, for Florida-based theme parks. Here are the links to major theme parks' websites, where they offer advance sale or print-at-home tickets, special offers, annual or seasonal passes, as well as (at the Florida and California parks) discounts to local residents: Walt Disney World: Special offers | Buy tickets, annual passes and resident discounts Disneyland: Special offers | Buy tickets, annual passes and resident discounts Universal Orlando: Hot deals | Buy tickets | Annual Passes | Florida resident discounts Universal Studios Hollywood: Special deals | Buy tickets | SoCal resident deals Six Flags: Season passes | Buy tickets SeaWorld Orlando: Buy tickets | Annual passes | Florida residents SeaWorld San Diego: Buy tickets | Annual passes | Southern California residents Busch Gardens Tampa: Buy tickets | Annual passes | Florida residents Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Special offers | Buy tickets | Annual passes | Virginia residents Cedar Fair: Knott's Berry Farm tickets and passes | Cedar Point tickets and passes | Kings Island tickets and passes For other theme parks, just follow the links to them on Theme Park Insider's park listings pages. Sometimes, you can find coupon codes for parks' online ticket stores through RetailMeNot.com. For more advice: Visit our Travel tips for visiting theme parks page. Read our front page "Blog Flume" daily for the latest theme park news and discounts, as well. Got questions? Ask them on our Theme Park Insider Discussion Forum and let our other readers help you plan your dream vacation.
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