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| Kings Island |
Hey Mr. Theme Park, everywhere I look I see theme park discounts. Most of the
regional theme parks offer online discounts and push the heck out of their own
season passes. Which is the best for me and my family? There are 4 of us and we
like to visit several times a year.
-Kevin T.
from Richmond, Virginia
Well Kevin, you are among the majority of people who visit theme
parks. Last year, over 375 million people visited leisure attractions in the
USA. Season pass programs have grown in both popularity and value. 25 years
ago, season passes accounted for about 5% of a park’s annual attendance. Today,
season passes in most regional theme parks can be responsible for as much as
45-50% of a park’s total attendance. In 2009, season pass attendance at all Six Flags theme parks accounted for 30% of the total. In 2014, that number increased to 50%.
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| Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
Keep in mind parks continuously offer premiums to their
season pass programs; they offer silver, gold, and platinum statuses. There are
now monthly membership programs like a gym membership. Different levels offer special advantages
like free parking, bring a guest for free during the season, free soft drinks, and
special discounts on park purchases. There are a ton of different options
available.
Today, in most regional parks a season pass costs about what
it costs to visit 2 times during a season. So if you know your family will
visit more than 2 times, you can save money on several different fronts as
indicted.
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| Kentucky Kingdom |
One more thing, early adopters often times get special
advantages. Parks want to have buyers purchase early so they can gauge the
upcoming season, thus having a good idea about their projected performance. A lot
of parks have structured payment plans as well to make it more palatable for
families. Take advantage if your park has this program. It is a great way for a
large family to not have to “eat all the elephant in one bite”. All in all, season
passes and memberships offer great value to the frequent user.
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| Kings Island |
Let’s take a look at some of the early pass programs offered today for the 2016 season.
Six Flags theme parks begin selling 2016 passes September 3 and were not included in this report. Prices are subject to change. Please verify with each park.
Thanks for reading and please don't forget to visit Mr. Theme Park's website. Submit your question today!
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