Find Discounts to Theme Parks for Your Summer Vacation/Staycation

Theme Park vacations, or for some of us, theme park staycations, can be expensive and that doesn't even include dining at the park. As the spring unfolds into summer, many Americans are planning their summer vacations. Building coupons and discounts into your theme park vacation plans is vital to reducing the cost of your vacation or staycation to a budget friendly level. Do you know where to find discounts to theme parks? Below I list the best places to find discounts to theme parks, based on my past experience and tips gleaned from friends.

Look for theme park discounts on their website

Taking a few moments to visit the park's website can save you a bundle. For instance, Kings Dominion offers a $10 off a regular admission if you purchase your ticket online. For a family of four, that is a savings of $40 over just showing up at the park and pulling out your wallet. That's $40 that can go toward food, which is not discounted at theme parks. So, if you are considering a theme park vacation or staycation, be sure take the time to search the park's website for discounts before packing up your cooler and heading down the highway.

Drink Coke or Pepsi products to save money on theme park tickets

Theme parks are closely tied to beverage companies and taking a look at that can of Pepsi before you put it in the recycling bin could translate into theme park savings. Soda is bottled locally, so theme park discounts on soda cans will be local to the area. Last fall, my sister saved four Coke cans for us which saved us a few dollars off admission to the Frederick County, Maryland Fair. Redeeming the cans saved us enough cash to buy us all some fries. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your cans prior to taking them to packing them for the trip.

Military or DoD can get discounts through their MWR's ITT office

Members of our armed services as well as DoD employees are eligible for discounts through the Morale office at military bases. Discounts available via the MWR may not be the best possible discount available, but in my experience, the special pricing was indeed the lowest pricing available to me at the time. Currently, Anheuser-Busch is offering a promotion called Here's to the Heroes found at herosalute.com. Under the Here's to the Heroes program, active, drilling, reservist and National Guardsmen and woman can register for a free, complimentary admission to an Anheuser-Busch theme park, including Sea World, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place and Water Country USA. Also included in the free admission is that of up to three other dependents. Disney is offering a similar program called Disney's Armed Forces Salute where active and retired military members are eligible for a 5 day pass to a Disney theme park through December 23, 2009. Links to both programs appear below as sources.

Stop by the grocery store to save money at theme parks

Grocery stores that are local to an area also are likely to offer discounts to certain theme parks. When seeking Hershey Park tickets, be sure to stop by a CVS or Giant to inquire about discounted tickets. For discounted Disney World tickets, Mousesavers.com suggests stopping by the Walmart on Vine in Kissimmee, where consumers can buy certain tickets at a 5% discount. Considering the cost of a single day admission is pretty steep, that 5% discount can add up quickly.

Theme park vacations are rarely spur of the moment and proper planning into finding discounts to theme parks can add up to substantial savings on ticket prices. Using the above tips will help you get the most bang for your theme park bucks this summer.

Sources:

http://www.herosalute.com/cavatx/eligibility.html
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwtixdiscounts.html