Entertainment & Amusement Parks

Photo by: pauldineen

Ignore most of the supposed whistle-blowing on how "un-green" amusement parks are. Many theme parks have made huge changes in how they do business—from composting waste to offering bio-degradable flatware, the Looney Toons gang is jumping aboard the green train.

General manager of Busch Gardens Tampa, Donnie Mills, says that in construction of a new coaster, one of the main components is Trex, a composite product made of recycled material.

While these are great steps toward maintaining a healthier environment, don't expect it to be cheap. When you plan a trip to an amusement park on a budget, keep these things in mind to get the biggest bang for your buck:

• Buy tickets for multiple days
  The more days you plan on visiting a theme park, the cheaper your daily rate will be. To give you an idea of how much you'll save, a two-day pass (with fast pass) to the four main parks in Disney is $158 adult/$133 child. Enjoy the same liberties with a five-day pass for just $229 adult/$195 child. If you are going to make the big family trip, take a few extra days for virtually no additional cost. Sea World offers a second day free ticket for $73 adult/$69 child.
• Search for tickets online
  Our favorite spots for hot tickets include Tickets2You.net, Six Flags main site, Ticket Mania, and Official Ticket Center. The most attractive reason for buying online is the low cost of multi-day passes and you'll also find reduced rates for single day visits.
• Use your club cards and memberships
  If you belong to AAA, Sam's Club, Costco, or other wholesale clubs, discount tickets are usually offered in conjunction with your membership. Many of their discounts include full package deals with hotel and attraction bundled. Check your current discounts from AAA.
• CityPass and Entertainment Book Coupons
  Depending on what you plan to do during your vacation, CityPass and Entertainment Book Coupons may save you hundreds of dollars in food and park admission. The Southern California CityPass gives you 30 percent reduced admission to Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and the San Diego Zoo. Review your itinerary before purchasing. Had my husband and I bought the Chicago CityPass instead of paying for individual admission to our favorite spots we would have saved $60 per person.
• Food savings
  Plan to eat one meal at the park. It's just not fair to be at Disney or Six Flags and only eat packed tuna fish sandwiches. Brings snacks and drinks but also enjoy a lunch to avoid feeling left out. If you eat outside of the park choose a location from Restaurant.com to pay just $10 for a $25 gift certificate.

Disney World is the antithesis of frugal. But in exchange for a lifestyle of reasonable living habits, you have the ability to splurge and enjoy. Always save up cash for your vacation, don't bust out the credit card, utilize the tips above, and you'll have an exciting time for less.

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