Summer is here; the kids are out of school and are antsy. Where can you go without having to take out a second mortgage on your home to afford? Try a theme park.

For the admission price, a theme park can make a great vacation destination this summer at an affordable price, if you plan ahead and do a little creative budgeting.

Definitely check out the theme parks’ websites. You will find a lot of discounts including on-line-only tickets offered at a great discount, discounted season passes, or multi-day / multi-park tickets at a reduced rate.

When getting your theme park tickets, be on the lookout for hotel discounts. Most of the parks have contracts with nearby hotels where guests can stay at a discount. If you decide to book your own hotel, check with the hotel staff to see if they offer a shuttle service to the theme park. Not only will this alleviate some of the stress of driving in an unfamiliar city, it will save you up to $20.00 in parking fees.

If you are a theme park enthusiast and have a few days to spend in Southern California, I would suggest the City Pass. The pass is a multi-park pass that includes admission into Universal Studios Hollywood, Sea World and a three-day park hopper pass to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. At $199 for adults and $159 for children, it is a definite value!

Of course, once you get your admission into the theme park, your expenditures are far from over. Once inside you’ll be tempted to spend your hard-earned green on food, drinks, and souvenirs. This is where the creative budgeting comes in.

Before entering the park, take your family to a nearby restaurant off the venue grounds. A simple meal of burgers and fries for a family of four could cost your up to $60.00 inside the park gates. So eating prior to entering the park will save you a nice chunk of change.

If possible, take a break outside of the park midday for lunch or dinner. Universal Studios Hollywood offers City Walk right outside its gates, which features a wide-variety of restaurants with affordable prices (at least, compared to the prices inside the park.) Similarly, Downtown Disney located near Disneyland has restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, most of which are much less expensive than their counterparts inside the theme park.

Souvenirs can be tricky. Souvenirs can be a lot like those impulse items that are strategically placed next to the cash register at department stores, they seem tempting at the time, but chances are if you pass them up you won’t miss them later. Before you buy that $50.00 t-shirt with the theme park’s name embroidered on it, ask yourself if you or you kids will ever wear it again. Instead, the best souvenirs of your theme park trip are pictures from your camera. Sipper cups and t-shirts wear out and will be forgotten over time, but pictures are affordable and last a lifetime.

California offers several top-notch theme parks including The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Universal Studios in Hollywood, SeaWorld in San Diego and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, just to name a few. Knowing which theme park to choose depends on your families’ personal preference and how old they are.

To help you decide which one to choose, here’s a summary of some of California’s top parks:

Six Flags Thes parks are 90 pecent roller coasters and are geared toward the adventurous adults and teenagers over 48 inches tall. So if you have young children, this may not be the best option for you since attractions for the younger park-goers are limited.

General admission is $59.99 for adults; $29.99 for children. However, to illustrate the deals available on-line, at the time this article was being written, Six Flags was offering a 25 percent discount on all adult tickets purchased through its website.

Disneyland Resort and Disney’s California Adventure Of course, when you think of theme parks the name “Disney” automatically pops into our head. The Disneyland resort in Anaheim is a great choice for a fun-filled family theme park adventure. Between the two major theme parks and the nightlife of Downtown Disney, there is something for the entire family. The Disney Resort offers a wide-variety of ticketing options including multi-park tickets, multi-day tickets, as well as hotel/theme park combos. Visit their website see which ticket combo is best for you.

Knott’s Berry Farm Located in Buena Park, just a short drive from the Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm is a themed venue taking you back to the old western days including cowboys and a real steam-powered train. This is a good choice for a family theme park vacation as the rides are diverse enough for the young and old. The park offers many wares reminiscent of the days of the wild-wild west such as pulled taffy and an outdoor BBQ.

SeaWorld SeaWorld, in the beautiful ocean city of San Diego, offers several eclectic attractions. Though well-known for its shows featuring whales performing choreographed tricks, SeaWorld also offers several rides including a water roller coaster and smaller rides and attractions for the youngsters. Combined with the San Diego Wild Animal Park, this is a great fun-filled trip for the entire family. Sea World offers one day tickets and combo tickets that include the theme park, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, check out their website for web-only discounts.

Universal Studios Hollywood As the park’s name implies, the attraction is still an active studio where TV shows and feature films are filmed and produced. But the studio also operates as a full-service theme park. This park definitely has something for the entire family. The attractions are entertainment themed, of course, including attractions such as Back to the Future, the Ride, Jurassic Park, and live-action stunt shows. Much like the Disney Resort, Universal Studios offers a wide variety of ticketing options to suit any sized families’ budget.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.