Search Results for: amusement park

Spending Less at the Amusement Park

Last summer, in one big end-of-summer foray, we took the kids on a number of day trips. The “What I did over the summer…” essays would be due soon, and that gave us some parental guilt. While we did have fun, there was nothing big for them to write about, so off we went to make some memories. One of the kids favorite things to do was to visit a large amusement park. They had a lot of fun and still haven’t stop talking about it. Since it was such a great experience, we are going to put it on … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Get Amusement Park Discounts

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Do you think that you have to pay hundreds of dollars to visit an amusement park? Well, sure, if you don’t know the secret to getting amusement park discounts. Combine the strategies that work best for you and save big when you have a fun family day at the park. Save the difference for souvenirs, lots and lots of souvenirs, another trip back again, or a trip somewhere else! End of Season Discounts The end of the summer or early fall may mean that you can score some great end of the season discounts at the amusement parks. As the … Continue reading →

Pregnant Amusement Park Adventures

Going to the nearby amusement park is something my husband’s parents do every year. We have accompanied them on several occasions. When they asked us to go this year all I could think was that pregnancy and amusement parks really do not go together. The rides that I usually enjoy are not safe for expecting mothers and I really have to wonder if the hassle of parking, the crowds, and the lines would really be worth the trip this year. For the sake of the grandparents and for the potential fun that our son might have, we went anyway. As … Continue reading →

Avoiding Amusement Park Sticker Shock

How much would you pay to fly through the air on a ride that features two pendulum arms that swing through 230 degrees of rotation, reaching 81 feet high and 45 mph? The family thrill ride, dubbed “Barnstormer” is yours for the boarding this summer at Dollywood theme park in Tennessee. Now, would you pay more or less to ride the Barnstormer than the Rev-O-Lution at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut? The ride features 24 outward-facing seats on a spinning disk that moves back and forth along a halfpipe-like track? Fortunately, you won’t have to dig too deep to experience … Continue reading →

Amusement Parks

We recently took our son to an amusement park. This was part of a dream my father had of having his two grandson’s at the park together (along with their parents). This would put the whole family in one place at one time. The amusement park would also provide a child-centered event where the kids could spend time together, see some new sights, and have all of the attention on them. I later learned that there were other reasons to have the whole family there. Unfortunately this was not possible. An illness prevented my nephew from attending. Since we had … Continue reading →

More Big Amusement Park Fun For a Little Bit of Money

In a previous post I raved about Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay. While the nation’s other mega-amusement parks may dwarf the historic Wisconsin theme park in regards to size, if you are looking for big savings, shorter lines and massive family fun, then Bay Beach can’t be beat. Fortunately, you don’t have to trek to the Dairy State to get more bang for your buck. The country is filled with smaller amusement parks that offer major savings to budget conscious travelers. Take a look: OREGON Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon, has been in business since 1905. It … Continue reading →

Big Amusement Park Fun for a Little Bit of Money

Visiting Mickey Mouse and friends or Bugs Bunny and pals can put a real dent in the family budget. Fortunately, the United States is peppered with smaller, family-owned amusement parks that give cash-strapped parents more bang for their buck. If the struggling economy has forced you to cancel a summer trip to a major theme park this summer, then consider salvaging the season for your kids by taking them to one of the following smaller amusement parks that offer cheaper admission, lower ticket prices, and shorter lines: WISCONSIN Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin is my family’s favorite … Continue reading →

Snapping Keepers at the Amusement Park

I’ve been to my share of amusement parks in the last three decades, but for some reason I never thought to bring along a camera (even to Disneyland)… until I became a parent. It may have taken me a while to discover how photo-friendly theme parks are, but I made up for lost time in the last few weeks. This summer I’ve snapped more than 300 photos of my daughter having a ball at Six Flags Great America and several other local amusement parks. Why it took me until I had a child of my own to realize that a … Continue reading →

The World’s Most Beautiful Amusement Park

I’ve been to many an amusement park in my life—-Disney, Six Flags, Coney Island, Knott’s Berry Farm, and a slew of others, but one word that doesn’t immediately come to mind to describe them is beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, most were very clean and aesthetically pleasing, but if you want beauty to go along with your thrills and chills you would be better off visiting Copenhagen, Denmark, home of Tivoli Gardens. The famous 165-year-old amusement park has just been named the most beautiful theme park in the world. One trip there and you can see why. Tivoli is Copenhagen’s … Continue reading →

Amusement Parks Go High Tech and You Pay the Price

They are the No.1 destination for families. Whether they are located in North America, South Korea or Dubai millions of visitors flock to amusement parks each year. And what a difference a few years can make. Gone are the days when rickety wooden roller coasters took center stage. These days amusement parks are high-tech experiences and guests want to make sure they get their monies worth. (And with admission averaging about $45 per adult it’s not hard to see why.) Modern theme parks make the most of technological advances. For example, the Kingda Ka roller coaster at New Jersey’s Six … Continue reading →