My whole family loves amusement parks. We rarely miss one when we’re in the area, and have often planned vacations with them as the center point. They can be expensive, though. With four kids, I’m always up for a way to cut costs. One way is by mystery shopping them. But there are many other ways that you can do that without the report. Here are a few:
Universal Studios Hollywood Buy a Day, Get 2007 Free!
Yeah, I had to read that to look for the fine print. There isn’t any! Well, except for the blackout dates which are reasonable. It’s true. For only $61.99, you can have a whole year’s worth of fun at Universal. The neat thing about this particular park is that it’s not just a theme park; it’s a movie lot as well. That means that while Mom and the teens are on the roller coaster, Dad can be watching the water show on the Waterworld Sets. Of course, there are many rides that combine the two, such as the famous studio tour tram where Jaws leaps out of the water. For this price, go when the traffic isn’t too bad, and leave before rush hour. You can come back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. If you live in Southern California, it’s a fantastic deal. But even if you just plan to make a vacation there this summer, it’s much cheaper to buy 1 day (and 1 year with the deal!) now that get there and decide you like it so much you’ll go again. There’s no expiration date on the promotion, so when they pull it, it probably won’t be back.
Six Flags Annual Passes
The thing about Six Flags is that the passes are all reciprocal. A season pass to any of the Six Flags Amusement Parks will get you into all of them! (Water Parks are not included in the reciprocity agreement.) Not all Six Flags charge the same amount! For instance, Six Flags Enchanted Village (the closest one to me) is $84.99. That gets you the pass. Period. The same pass is $69.99 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. If you have more than one park within driving distance, it can be worth it to make the trip to the cheaper one, especially if there are several of you. We’ve found the mother lode, though. If at all possible, buy your Six Flags Season Pass at Magic Mountain (near Los Angeles). Right now, if you buy an adult Play Pass good for the whole season (for the one day admission price of $59.99, they’ll give you a FREE child’s Play Pass! That’s two of you for $60 for the whole year! Plus, the adult pass comes with a value book that last year contained free parking tickets, a free ticket for a friend, a free admission to the waterpark, and tons of discounts on food, games, and concessions. All Six Flags are not created equal!
Now through April 26, 2007, everyone can get in for the kids’ price! Of course, that’s still $126 apiece for two days.
I can’t say enough good things about this park! If you think you might go more than once, an annual pass is a good idea. But if you’re just passing through, here are a few ways to save:
Wendy’s in the greater San Diego area have a promotion going on where you’ll get a coupon with a value meal that’s valid for a free child’s admission with a paid adult. Plus $5 off the adult tickets (up to 6). Valid through 04/30/07. If you’re a Costco member, you might want to check San Diego Costcos for discounted tickets as well.
Amusement parks are a lot of fun. They’re even more so when you’re not worried about breaking the bank to pay for their admission.
Do you know of other deals for amusement parks? Please post them here!