Disneyworld Park Tickets

How to get big theme park thrills on a small budget

(ARA) - Since The Cyclone first drew thrill-seekers to Coney Island in 1884, theme parks have become an ultimate family destination. Today, the U.S. boasts more than 400 amusement parks, and with summer's heat and crowds subsiding, now's the ideal time to plan a trip to the rides.

However, hauling the whole family somewhere, especially to a theme park, can turn into a big budget buster. These five tips can save you money so you can make your theme park vacation a reality. Your kids (and your bank account) will thank you.

1. Opt for a regional park

Fifty percent of Americans plan to visit an amusement park within the next 12 months, according to a survey by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. While national theme-park chains may have the most marketing dollars to spend on advertising, visitors can bag great savings and avoid major crowds by hitting up smaller regional theme parks. At Carowinds, a 337-acre park that straddles the North and South Carolina border, prices start at $42 for a single-day ticket when purchased online. Colorado's Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park costs about $38, also when purchased online. In comparison, a day at Disney World will set you back $85 for each person age 10 and older. Many regional parks offer discounted tickets, so check local businesses like banks and grocery stores for special offers.

2. Buy online

Consumers also can save a significant amount of money by purchasing tickets online before visiting rather than purchasing admission at the gate. Some regional parks offer more than $10 off, and even bigger parks, such as Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, offer an online special for $25 off the general admission price. Search the Internet for the theme park name plus "discount" or "coupon," however make sure you are dealing with a reputable website before purchasing.

3. Go after 4 p.m.

Some parks offer deep discounts on "Twilight Tickets" that are valid during evening hours. If the park is open until 10 p.m., that means you can spend up to six hours in the park without the sun beating down on you (a double bonus of savings and comfort).

4. Watch extra costs

It's easy to plan for known costs like airfare, hotel and admission tickets. It's the little things that will get you: $15 a day parking, $6 bottles of water and $10 funnel cakes. Buying burgers and fries for a family of four might cost you the price of a nice steak dinner at home. Saving for the trip ahead of time and being conscious of prices while in the park can help alleviate the money headache once the gates shut behind you.

New Disney World Ticket Policy Going Into Effect August 3 2011 ...

Whenever it comes to Disney ticket policy, I find it’s best to start with a deep breath.  Breathe in.  Exhale.  Okay.

Disney is amending their ticket policy, which will go into effect beginning August 3, 2011.  This change was only confirmed in writing today.

Current policy : Magic Your Way tickets may be upgraded and days may be added within 14 days of first use of the ticket.

New Policy : Magic Your Way tickets may be upgraded and days may be added only if “entitlement value remains” on the ticket.

Example 1 : Previously, Magic Your Way tickets could be upgraded any time within 14 days of first use of the ticket.  For example, let’s say you bought a five-day base ticket on November 10th and used it for the first time on December 10th.  You would have until December 23rd to use all five days.  Let’s say you spent December 10th, 12th, 15th, 16th, and 18th at Disney World theme parks and thus used up all five days.  Now let’s say you wanted to visit another theme park on December 22nd.  Previously, you could take your completely used ticket to any ticket window on December 22nd and add a sixth day for only the cost of adding the sixth day to a five-day ticket, which is currently $8.32 with tax.  Beginning tomorrow, you will not be able to add a sixth day to the ticket on December 22nd because it has been completely used and holds no further entitlement value.

In our previous example, we visited a theme park for the fifth time with a five-day ticket on December 18th.  With the new policy, we would be able to add additional days at any point between December 10th (the date of first use) and December 18th (the day when no future entitlements exist).  However, we would not be able to add a sixth day on December 19th – 23rd because no entitlement value exists.

Example 2 : In this example, we will purchase a five-day base ticket with the Water Park Fun & More upgrade that costs an additional $58.58 with tax.  Under the new policy, your ticket will have entitlement value until you use all of your major theme park entitlements and all of your Water Park Fun & More entitlements or December 23rd, whichever comes first.  For example, let’s say you visited the major theme parks just as in example one – December 10th, 12th, 15th, 16th, and 18th but did not use any Water Park Fun & More entitlements (that is, visited no water parks, golf courses, Disney Quest, etc).  Here, your ticket still holds entitlement value after December 18th.  You would be able to add additional theme park days to the ticket until you used all of your theme park entitlements or Water Park and Fun entitlements.  However, the ticket would still expire in its entirety on December 23rd as it did before (14 days from first use).

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