Disney, Busch Gardens, Hershey Park, Six Flags……Let The Fun Begin

It’s prime time for amusement parks. And, we know many of you center your vacations around them. Last summer, Eileen and I went to 3 theme parks…Busch Gardens Tampa, Six Flags Great Adventures and Hershey Park. Although we had a blast, we realized amusement parks cost a pretty penny. We bought an all day dining pass we didn’t necessarily need, we didn’t buy a meal plan when we needed it, we missed out on parking discounts, we walked to an amusement park when we should have drove and we didn’t use any shopping coupons. Some things are worth paying for and other things are better left behind. But, who knows when to spend extra money and when to keep it in your pocket. Who wants to waste their money? We don’t…and we know you don’t either!  

With all the added features to an amusement park ticket, it can be hard to decide what’s worth it and what’s not. That’s why I’m going to give you some “amusement park” savvy tips so you can get the most for your dollar 🙂

• Your “Amusement Park” Personality: If you are the type of person who wants to cover every inch of the amusement park and close it down (like me and Eileen), then buying the whole kick and caboodle will be worth it. The quick queue/quick queue unlimited (Busch Gardens Tampa) or the flash pass (Six Flags Great Adventures) will allow you to by-pass long lines at the most popular rides. Purchasing your admission and parking tickets online will save you time and money. And, dining/meal plans (one-time use or unlimited) are more cost effective than buying food as you go. The ride, dine and play pack gives you the freedom to get down to business. However, if you sit on the sidelines and is designated as the “hold the personal belongings” person, then spending money on extra amenities is useless. Now suppose you are not at either end of the spectrum. You don’t have the “ride baby ride” all day mentality nor do you sit on the sidelines, then you need to decide what is important to you. If you hate wasting time on long lines, then buying your admission and parking tickets online and paying a little extra for a quick queue or flash pass will make sense for you. But, if you want to go some rides and spend more time playing games then a play pack is the way to go. It all depends on your “amusement park” personality.

• Time Is Ticking..Tick Tock: Time is of the essence. Not everyone can close down the park like me and Eileen. Sometimes, time is a factor. So, in this case, it’s smart to think about which time factor you need to take into account. If you come to the amusement park with a group of people and there is a certain time to leave, then you might want to buy a quick queue or flash pass to make sure you get on all of your favorite rides. Then, you need to consider the other time factor….the day you go to the amusement park.  Obviously, there are less people at the amusement park on a Wednesday afternoon then on a Saturday. With that in mind, if you go in the middle of the week, then purchasing a quick queue or flash pass will be a waste of money. Now, here’s another time factor you need to think about….the time of the year. During the off-peak season, Eileen went to Six Flags Great Adventures twice. She went once with me in September and the other time she went was on Columbus Day weekend. Same place but two different experiences. With me, there wasn’t a waiting time for the rides. But Columbus Day weekend, she waited on line forever. Sometimes, the quick queue or flash pass is well worth it and other times it’s best to keep your money in your pocket.

• Location, Location, Location: We hear real estate agents say this all the time. It’s applicable with amusement parks too. At Busch Gardens, we brought an all day dining meal pass. We were able to eat unlimited at different dining places. However, we ate just enough food to break even with the cost of the meal plan. Because of our Busch Gardens experience, we decided not to buy the meal plan at Six Flags Great Adventures. Big Mistake! News Flash…things are more expensive in the NY/NJ metro area than in the Tampa Bay region. We ended spending nearly $30.00 for food, beverages and snacks. And, the worst part was a meal plan at Great Adventures would have cost less than $14.00. Also, we missed out on using a parking coupon at Great Adventures and ended up paying full price. So when we went to Hershey Park, we decided to walk to the park to cut back on parking expenses. Later, we found out the parking was only $12.00. Yet again, we were reminded costs are more expensive in the NY/NJ area than other cities. So, remember the location of the amusement park is a vital role in where you should spend your dollars.

• The Company You Keep: If you know you’re going to the amusement park with a bunch of kids, older parents and in-laws and you are footing the whole bill, then the ride, dine, play pack is the way to go (Hershey Park). In most cases, the package deal is only a couple of dollars more than the regular admission ticket. And, you’ll have all the bases covered. Or, if you go with your church or another organization, then you can get discount tickets. More people will put green in your pocket.

• Rain, Rain, Go Away Come Back Another Day: We make plans and God laughs. Unfortunately, it started to rain before we entered Busch Gardens. We sat in the car and waited for the rain to subside. And, later in the day some of the roller coasters were shut down for an hour because of the weather. Ironically, the same thing happened at Great Adventure and some of the most popular rides were closed for a while. Anyway, several times at Busch Gardens, me and Eileen didn’t have to wait on long lines nor did we got on rides at the same time as people who brought a quick queue. Rainy days attracts less people. With that said, don’t bother spending extra moola on quick queue or flash passes.

Well, if amusement parks are part of your travel plans, I know this will help you out. Trust me; we will be smarter for our next round of amusement parks. We learned from our mistakes and we’re passing it on to you. That’s what savvy chicks do! Drop me a line and let me know your favorite theme parks. That’s it for now and talk to you soon!

Hugs,

P.S. We’re going on a thrill-seeking amusement park vacation really soon. And, of course we’ll let you in on the action!

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