Best Non-Disney Amusement Parks in Florida: Summaries with Information on Florida Resident Discounts

As I explained in a previous article titled "Florida Residents: Play Tourist This Summer and Celebrate Your Vacation Hot Spot of a Town", I am a former resident now living up north who failed to take advantage of all the state had to offer while I lived there. Unfortunately now that I'm far away and there is no real turning back, I regret that I didn't play tourist more often to at least keep myself familiar with the breakthrough leaps and bounds the entertainment world was making right in my own neighborhood.

This article then is dedicated to those of you who are Florida residents and are interested in possibly visiting one of the many Florida amusement parks or attractions sometime within the next year. Listed here are the three amusement parks in Florida that I personally feel are the best, along with information on Florida resident discounts and how to obtain them.

Note that I avoided listing anything related to Disney because I feel that Disney does an over the top job at drilling into us, no matter if we are Florida residents or we live in Wisconsin, what is new and improved about their entertainment arenas as they all evolve.

Instead, these Florida amusement parks I have chosen are not as nationally known as Disney and I feel as well, they don't get as much credit as they deserve. Butt these are hands down the three non-Disney Florida amusement parks that I have concluded provide the best and most unique entertainment and simultaneous educational rewards.

Read below about the Florida Discounts available for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Seaworld Orlando and Wet 'n Wild Water Park.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3605 E. Bougainvillea Ave.
Tampa, Fl 33612
888-800-5447

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay combines real life educational experiences with wild and crazy (sometimes scary) thrill rides and roller coasters for a fabulous theme park experience the whole family can enjoy. Conquer the infamous roller coasters or ride the sky car to look down upon a huge habitat of wild and exotic animals. You can also play carnival games, visit the many unique shops within the park or attend a few of the live entertainment events.

There's always something fun at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the park keeps evolving so even those who have been to the attraction before will see something new.

Florida Resident Special: Purchase a Fun Card (adults $64.95 children $54.95) for a days pass to the park and get free admission for a year.
Valid 5/21/08- 12/31/08

Note there are also many seasonal/holiday specific theme events at Busch Gardens throughout the year that are free admission for those with a Fun Card. The only exception is the Howl O Scream Attraction, which requires a separate admission. But as for the others- Viva la Musica, New Years Eve, Summer Nights, Jack Hanna and Holidays at Busch Gardens, flash your Fun card and walk right on in without charge.

Seaworld Orlando
7007 Seaworld Drive
Orlando, Fl 32821
800-327-2424

Seaworld Adventure Park Orlando, Florida advertises its attraction and parks as being "as real as it gets." They really are not kidding. Seaworld Orlando is a wonderfully inspiring and educational type of fun place to get up close and personal with underwater sea life that you otherwise would have no opportunity to confront.

Seaworld Orlando offers fun thrill rides for the daredevils, play areas designed for the children and live animal entertainment performances by Shamu and other animals that the whole family can attend and enjoy. There are also many opportunities to learn about the aquatic life with a hands-on approach- such as a supervised petting session which is occasionally offered at one of Seaworld's big shark tanks.

Florida Resident Special: Sea World offers the same deal as Busch Gardens with a Fun card- pay one day at regular admission price and get in free the rest of the year. The price of a Fun Card for Seaworld are slightly higher, this time the adult ticket price being $67.95 and child price at $57.95
Valid 5/21/08- 12/31/08

Also for Florida Residents with a valid Florida I.D. are the following deals:

*Certain multi-day/multi-park adult tickets will be available at kid's prices.

*A Sea World single day ticket purchase gives you automatically a second day at the park free.

*Buy your ticket for Aquatica online and get into the park an hour earlier than the general public on weekends.

Wet 'n Wild Water Park Orlando
6200 International Drive
Orlando, Fl 32819
800-992-9453

Wet 'n Wild Water Park in Orlando, Florida was voted by Amusement Business Magazine as America's number one water park and is recognized as the first true water park ever to exist.

Anyone that has had the chance to visit this 30 acre large world of aquatic entertainment surely knows that Wet 'n Wild Water Park's highly acclaimed reputation is rooted in truth. And for those water park amusement enthusiasts who have visited a fairly large collection of water parks similar to this one throughout the country, just an hour inside the gates of Wet 'n Wild Water Park and it becomes glaringly obvious that this park truly is the best of its water park amusement park kind. Note that it is only open certain months of the year and has fun for all ages.

Florida Resident Deals: Florida residents can present Florida I.D. to receive a discount on a single day's admission ticket (Regular price is $39.95 adult, $33.95 children from ages 3-9 and the discounted Florida Resident price is $29.95).
Valid 1/1/08- 12/31/08