Saving the Family Money During Your Theme Park Vacations This Summer

Heading to the theme parks

this summer for vacation? If so, you aren’t the only one! Walt Disney Parks and

Resorts had a whopping 119,100,000 visitors in the year 2009, with Magic

Kingdom leading the pack at 17,233,000. We love taking our kids to these places.

So far we’ve been to Disney in California when our oldest turned two and Disney

in Florida when our youngest turned two. This year we are skipping the mouse’s

playground and my mom and I are heading to Sea World, land of the fish, for a

girls weekend getaway. My daughters have never been and this is their big

summer vacation surprise.

It’s not cheap, though. If

you’re heading off to a theme park this summer, you may expect to drain your

wallet – and that’s before you even step inside the gates of play town.

Admission tickets can range from $50 and up for children and adults, and while

some parks offer special prices – for instance, Disney gives Florida residents

a break, and most of them will honor discounted tickets for teachers and

military/policemen – you can’t always find a great deal.  This means a family of four can spend nearly

$300 before stepping foot inside the pearly gates of child heaven, and that’s

not including a hotel room and food.

What can you do to cut down on costs this summer if you are planning to take

the kids to a theme park?

1. Plan well ahead. This post may be a bit late to

   help you prepare for your trip, but planning ahead can save you some

   money. Discounted room rates can often be found, and by following the

   theme park you hope to attend you can sometimes catch good deals on

   admission tickets. For instance, Sea World offers a buy one day, get one

   day free pass that we’ll purchase; my mom will receive a discounted ticket

   because she’s a teacher.

2. Shop around for rooms. Think outside of the box

   when it comes to a place to stay. We’re staying at a resort just outside

   of the theme park area. It offers transportation to and from the parks,

   but the rate is lower because it is not right on the property. In

   addition, the rooms offer full kitchens, so we can take food in and cook

   there. Meals can break the bank when it comes to vacation, and those with

   kids are often better off finding a place – condo or resort – with a

   kitchen.

3. Take lunch with you. My husband and I have done

   this since back in our college days, when we were both poor, starving

   students who still wanted to go out and have some fun. Consider packing

   peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crackers, fruit, and drinks in a

   backpack, which can be stored in a rental locker (still cheaper than

   purchasing food at the park!) until it’s time to eat. We take along drinks

   in our girls’ lunch boxes along with a few cooler packs. If anything, we

   have to purchase cold drinks while at the park – and of course the good

   treats like waffles with powdered sugar on top and ice cream!

4. Use

   Discount Disney gift cards.

   Maisie Knowles, founder of BestBabyStuff.com,

   suggests purchasing discounted Disney gift cards on GiftCardGranny.com prior to

   heading out to Disneyland in order to save up to ten percent at Disneyland’s

   ticket counters, stores, restaurants, and food stands once there. You’ll have

   to purchase some items there anyway, so you may as well save some money while

   doing so.