How to Hit an Amusement Park on the Cheap

[29yrswithaGApass]

Source: Wall Street Journal

How to Hit an Amusement Park on the Cheap

By KELLI B. GRANT

June 3, 2008 3:34 p.m.

 

Consumers sick of riding this year's bumpy economic rollercoaster can find great deals to the real thing at amusement parks nationwide.

 

Concern that high gas prices and a weakened economy may keep people home this summer has prompted parks to slash admission prices and offer more promotions than in years past. Six Flags dropped gate prices by $10 at many of its parks, citing the need to stay competitive in challenging economic times. "We want to be that affordable option for families," says spokeswoman Sandra Daniels.

 

Although the industry is anticipating slight declines in attendance this year, don't mistake the deals as a sign of desperation. "There's typically so much discounting going on at parks that few people actually pay the gate price," says John Gerner, managing director of Leisure Business Advisors LLC, a Richmond, Va.-based consulting group. Promotions are more about positioning the park to draw in visitors who had more grandiose vacation plans that fell through. "If it's too expensive to travel a long distance, they know people will visit parks closer to home," points out Paul Ruben, editor of Park World, an industry publication. Destination park companies like Walt Disney, on the other hand, have the advantage of international draw from travelers buoyed by the weak dollar.

 

Cheaper gate prices are a good start, but savvy consumers can cut admission costs even more. Here's how:

 

Visit on weekdays

 

Saturdays are parks' busiest days, so many offer discounts for weekday attendees, says David Mandt, a spokesman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group. AAA triples its regular $4 discount on Six Flags theme parks tickets to $12 on Wednesdays, while Wet 'n Wild knocks $30 off the price of its season pass (regularly $80) if you want weekday access only.

 

Buy online

 

Ticket prices are often 35% cheaper, plus you'll save time waiting in line. Online-only promotions are also more plentiful this year — because the date-specific tickets let parks estimate headcount, they can cut overhead on slow days, says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Cedar Fair's flagship Cedar Park launched an online specials section this year, with bargains like an "Amusement Stimulus Package" of four adult tickets for $132 (a $40 discount off the gate price) and a "Pay Once, Visit Twice" deal that gets you an additional day in the park this season for just $10 (a $32 discount). Both offers are available through June 15.

 

Scale back

 

lots to see and do — and long lines for everything — aiming to visit multiple parks in one day is overly ambitious for many people, says Danielle Courtnay, a spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Save with a single park pass for short visits. At Walt Disney World, it's $45 cheaper than a one-day Park Hopper, while Universal Studios charges $8 less.

 

Pay with plastic

 

Discounted theme park admission is a common credit-card perk. Check with both your card brand and issuing bank for specials. Through Aug. 31, for example, American Express offers $10 off at SeaWorld, Aquatica or Busch Gardens, plus a $10 rebate when you buy through its Going Once site.

 

Go late

 

Arrive at the park once the afternoon rush has dispersed, and you can easily save 20% or more with so-called twilight entry passes, says Mandt. Knott's Berry Farm cuts its $50 ticket price in half after 4 p.m., which gives you four to seven hours in the park. Disneyland charges $43 instead of $56 starting at 4 p.m. or six hours before closing, whichever is earlier.

 

Watch what you eat

 

Look for coupons on the groceries you buy, and at the restaurants you frequent, urges Ruben. McDonald's stores in Tennessee, for example, hand out coupons for $1 Wednesday admittance to Chattanooga's Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park (regularly $5). Or bring any Pepsi product to Kennywood Amusement Park in Pittsburgh to save $5 on adult admission ($32).

 

Consider a season pass

 

Passes typically pay for themselves in just two visits, and offer additional value through freebies and special access, says Niles. Six Flags Great Adventure's $100 season pass includes free passes for a friend on 32 specific dates, free access to 15 other Six Flags parks nationwide and $300 of in-park coupons. The $100 VIP season pass at King's Dominion provides first-in-line ride access, early entry to the attached water park, half-price deals for friends and free, specially-designated parking.

 

Check your wallet

 

Employers, banks, professional organizations and clubs may offer discounts or specially-priced tickets. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers employees $34 tickets to Carowinds (regularly $45), and a $20 discount at Six Flags Over Georgia ($40). Even your driver's license may be helpful in securing a deal. Walt Disney World offers Florida residents discounts on both daily tickets and annual passes. A three-day park hopper would be about $148 — $100 cheaper than out-of-state visitors pay.

[GAcoaster]

There are lots of examples of great deals within a park too. At GA there are a bunch of great deals, especially if you are there with a group of people.

 

 

 

 

A bunch of people can eat and drink all day for a relatively small amount of money per person with the deals available.

[The Master]

They don't pop the popcorn fresh anymore? That stinks.

Edited June 4, 2008 by The Master

[Thunderbolt]

There are lots of examples of great deals within a park too. At GA there are a bunch of great deals, especially if you are there with a group of people.

 

 

~$10 for cotton candy is outrageous. The *ONLY* decent deal is the souvenir soda for medium drink price with SP coupon. Does that offer include free first day drink refills?

[darkridedan]

Grrr. I'm a water kind of guy. The only deal for me is the water fountain.

 

I'm using the season passholder book for the first time in a few years tho. Very good value!

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

Water person here myself, but I have been looking at using some of the coupon book myself. I think the values are decent especially if you are doing it with a few people and not just one. You wanna see bad just go over to Papa Johns and try to buy a full pie.