Sour times for the parks can mean sweet savings for you if you're savvy and a little flexible on when you go.
Consumers sick of riding this year's bumpy economic roller coaster can find great deals on the real thing at amusement parks nationwide.
Declining attendance has parks slashing prices at the gate. Wet 'n Wild in Orlando, Fla., for instance, is advertising its "best deal ever": unlimited visits to the park in 2009 for the regular single-day pass price of $45. (That's half the price of its regular annual season pass.) Southern California residents can snag a three-day pass to Disneyland at a special rate of $99, compared with $180 for other visitors. In fact, discounts on admission are pretty much standard these days.
"There's typically so much discounting going on at parks that few people actually pay the gate price," says John Gerner, the managing director of Leisure Business Advisors, a consulting group in Richmond, Va. Cheaper admission prices are a good start for families watching their wallets, but savvy consumers can cut costs even further by using a few smart moves. Here's how:
Visit on weekdays
Saturdays are amusement parks' busiest days, so many offer discounts for weekday attendees, says David Mandt, a spokesman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group.
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., offers $23 off its regular $53 one-day pass, through the end of July, if you skip Saturdays.
On select "Summer Savings" days, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is offering a $30 pass (regularly admission would cost $44.99), while Wet 'n Wild knocks $40 off the price of its season pass (regularly $89.95) if you opt for weekday access only.
Buy online
Ticket prices on the Web are often as much as 35% cheaper; plus you'll save time by not waiting in line. Online-only promotions are also plentiful this year -- because the date-specific tickets let parks estimate head count, they can cut overhead on slow days, says Robert Niles, the editor of
ThemeParkInsider.com.
Buy online at Knott's Berry Farm and you'll save $18 off the regular one-day pass.
Stick to one park
With plenty to see and do -- and long lines for everything -- aiming to visit multiple parks in one day is overly ambitious for many people, says Danielle Courtenay, a spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Save with a single park pass for short visits. At Walt Disney World, a one-day,
one-park ticket is $75, while a one-day Park Hopper pass is $125. You'll save $50.
Arrive late in the day
Arrive at the park once the afternoon rush has dispersed, and you can easily save 20% or more with so-called twilight entry passes, says Mandt.
Knott's Berry Farm cuts its ticket price in half after 4 p.m., which gives you four to seven hours in the park.
Clip coupons
Look for amusement park coupons on the groceries you buy and at restaurants you frequent.
Coca-Cola is offering two-for-one weekday admission or $15 off weekend admission to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., on specially marked cans.
Get a season pass
Season passes typically pay for themselves in just two visits, and offer additional value through freebies and special access, says Niles. Six Flags Great Adventure's 3-Park Combo
season pass for 2009 costs $100 and includes free passes for a friend on specific dates, free access to 15 other Six Flags parks nationwide and $300 worth of in-park coupons.
The $100 VIP season pass for 2009 at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., provides first-in-line ride access, early entry to the attached water park, half-price deals for friends and free, specially designated parking.
Check your wallet
Employers, banks, professional organizations and clubs may offer discounts or specially priced tickets. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
offers employees $34 tickets to Carowinds (regularly $47) and a $20 discount at Six Flags Over Georgia ($40). Even your driver's license may be helpful in securing a deal. Walt Disney World offers
Florida residents discounts on both daily tickets and annual passes. For Sunshine Staters, a seven-day park hopper is $238 -- $40 less than what out-of-state visitors pay.