The summer is fast approaching, and some of you may be itching to find the ultimate in entertainment with a theme park vacation. However, the hurting economy and expensive entrance fees can stand in the way of planning your great adventure. Before you get discouraged, come discover 10 of the country’s top theme parks that offer summer fun on a budget.
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Walt Disney World
Featuring four theme parks and two water parks, Walt Disney World invites you to travel the globe and even the universe with the cost of admission. Within the resort, you can traipse around the world at Epcot, take a ride through outer space at Magic Kingdom, go on safari at the Animal Kingdom, or go behind the movie scenes at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
With so many things to see and do, it's important to plan your time and spending wisely, especially the latter since the resort can be a bit pricey. You can save by booking a vacation package through a provider like United Vacations, which offers sales and deals throughout the year. Also, check for special offers available on the Walt Disney World website.
(Photo: wdwnews)
Walt Disney World
Featuring four theme parks and two water parks, Walt Disney World invites you to travel the globe and even the universe with the cost of admission. Within the resort, you can traipse around the world at Epcot, take a ride through outer space at Magic Kingdom, go on safari at the Animal Kingdom, or go behind the movie scenes at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
With so many things to see and do, it's important to plan your time and spending wisely, especially the latter since the resort can be a bit pricey. You can save by booking a vacation package through a provider like United Vacations, which offers sales and deals throughout the year. Also, check for special offers available on the Walt Disney World website.
(Photo: wdwnews)
Hershey Park
Beyond chocolate, candy bars, roller coasters, and other rides, Hershey Park (in Hershey, Pennsylvania) has added two new water attractions, the Shore and the Intercoastal waterway, to its already popular Boardwalk. Now, you can enjoy a day of riding roller coasters while also getting your feet wet.
Tickets to the park start at $52 for one-day admission for adults and $31 for kids, but you can buy a flex-pass (two any-day admissions during the season) for $70 for adults and $52 for kids. You can also get in free for a few hours on the evening before you're scheduled to visit the park, as long as you purchase your ticket at least two-and-a-half hours prior to the park closing. Just present your ticket after 7:30 p.m. (on the days the park closes at 11:00 p.m.), and enjoy all the rides and shows for free. This is also a great way to plan your itinerary for the next day. There are additional ways to save through the Hershey Park website.
(Photo: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts)
Kings Island
With more than 80 rides and attractions, the 364-acre Kings Island amusement and water park, 24 miles north of Cincinnati, is sure to make your brood smile. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the world's longest wooden roller coaster, the Beast, as well as the grand opening of Diamondback, a new death-defying roller coaster. Plus, you can enjoy more than 30 water slides in the Australian-themed water park Boomerang Bay.
General adult admission typically costs $48, but you can save $15 if you purchase your single-day tickets online. However, if you pay the full $48, you can visit the park any two days during the regular season. And for an extra $13, you can get an all-you-can-eat picnic meal.
(Photo: Kings Island)
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens in Williamsburg offers visitors a chance to experience a taste of European culture in the heart of Virginia, alongside heart-stopping rides. Plus, this year marks the 25th anniversary of one of the world's first suspended roller coasters, the Big Bad Wolf, which sends thrill seekers plummeting 99 feet into the Rhine River before catapulting them back into the air. This is only one of the many intense rides you'll encounter in the park, so the fainthearted should beware.
General admission costs $60 per day for adults and $50 for kids. Special offers are available for annual passes and Virginia residents through the Busch Gardens website.
(Photo: Busch Gardens)
Aquatica
With 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons, and more than 80,000 square feet of beaches, Orlando's Aquatica is the place to cool down this summer. Here, you will do more than just get wet, you can also ride underwater through a 250-foot clear tube alongside black-and-white dolphins in the Dolphin Plunge, try to catch a wave in the world's only side-by-side wave pools in the Cutback Cove or Big Surf Shores, or splash through 1,500 feet of rapids, waterfalls, and geysers in Roa's Rapids.
General daily admission to the park costs $45 for adults and $39 for kids, but you can save by buying combination tickets to Aquatica and other parks in the area such as SeaWorld or Busch Gardens. Vacation packages are also a way to cut corners when planning a trip for longer than a few days.
(Photo: SeaWorld inc.)
Disneyland
With many of your favorite childhood characters, thrilling rides, and eye-popping entertainment, Disneyland Resort turns your small world into a grand adventure. Experience eight different "lands" offering entertainment and a trip down memory lane, including a bobsled ride on the Matterhorn, a visit with Winnie the Pooh, and a journey into a pirate's lair on Tom Sawyer's island.
One-day Park Hopper tickets start at $94 for adults and $84 for kids. You can save by buying multiple day passes online, such as the six-day Park Hopper for $209 for adults (about $35 per day) and $179 for kids. Special offers for lodging, vacation packages, and tickets are available through the Disneyland website.
(Photo: wdwnews)
Holiday World
Now you can celebrate the spirit of the season all year long at Holiday World and Splashing Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, where you can ride a wooden roller coaster which promises 24.2 seconds of weightlessness, soar 45 feet in the air on the HallowSwings, or float down a river through a darkened tunnel on the Raging Rapids. This year, the park also introduced the Pilgrims Plunge, the world's tallest water ride with a drop of 131 feet.
General admission for one-day entrance to both parks costs $40 per adult and $30 per child. You can save $4 when you purchase your tickets online. Plus, several discounts are available through the website.
(Photo: Holiday World)
Universal Studios
Movie buffs the world over come to Universal Studios Hollywood to step into the action. The park features rides designed around popular films like the Revenge of the Mummy thrill coaster, the Jurassic Park 84-foot raft plunge, and the Simpsons ride. Guests can also go behind-the-scenes on a real movie studio tour.
One-day general admission costs $67 for those over 48 inches tall and $57 for those under 48 inches. If you purchase your tickets online, you can get a second day free. Special offers are available through the park's website.
(Photo: Universal Studios Hollywood)
SeaWorld San Antonio
Everything is supposedly bigger in Texas, and SeaWorld San Antonio, the world's largest marine life park, is only further proof of this statement. The park offers rides for any level of daredevil, marine life shows featuring Shamu, and a water park ideal for beating the warm Southern sun. Guided tours are also available to learn more about sea life and to interact with some of the ocean's main characters.
Single-day admission costs $57 per adult and $49 per child, but you can buy an adult ticket at a kid's price if you purchase your tickets online. Packages, including kids stay and play free promotions, are available on the SeaWorld San Antonio website.
(Photo: SeaWorld)
Six Flags
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, brings you chilling rides designed for the brave at heart, where Superman and The Dark Knight are the inspiration. After you've tapped into your inner superhero, you can then try your hand as a pirate involved in a mutiny in the newly opened Buccaneer Battle. However, not all the attractions are designed for thrill seekers and there is plenty to do for those who prefer to stay off the rides.
General admission costs $55 for adults and $35 for kids, but all tickets are sold at kids' prices if you purchase them online. A season pass costs $70, and can be a great value if you plan on spending several days or returning later in the summer.
(Photo: Six Flags Great America)
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