If you can’t get past the theme park family vacation rut than you might want to check out the wonderful adventures you can have at Sea World. This amazing park combines the fun of an amusement park with the magic of an aquarium. Pricing might vary between these locations, but if you’re really booking to keep to a tight budget there are a lot of different ways that you avoid the massive vacation price if you try. With these ten tips you’ll be on your way to having fun at the Sea World park without once worrying about the cash you are spending on your vacation.

1. Season Pass
Tickets for Sea World can be a bit pricey if yu’re trying to stick to a budget. There is a solution to your dilemma though, that will help you save money throughout the park. This solution, of course, is a season pass. A season pass cost a small amount more than a day’s ticket to the park and will allow you to get into the park for the entire year. So, if you live close to the park then this might be one of the best values for your family. If not, you might want to consider the other benefits of the pass. For instance, season pass holders don’t have to pay for parking, which generally runs you around $12 each time you enter the park. You also won’t have to stand in line with everyone else in order to receive tickets which can be one of the biggest appeals for the pass. No longer will you have to waste an hour or two of your day just to get inside! You might also love the fact that you will receive discounts throughout the park, which can really help make the day worth it. Finally, when you order online you can get $10 or more off your ticket pricing.

2. Plan Your Route
One of the main reasons families tend to over spend is because they are tired, hungry or thirsty. It is pretty hard to avoid exhaustion on vacation, especially when you have the summer months beating down on you. There is a way to help combat the fatigue that will lead you to purchasing more than you actually need though. For example, planning out a route is actually one of the best ways to take on your experience. Sea World is designed in a way that you can easily take on the full park without having to feel extremely sun drained at the end of the day. When you first enter the park in the morning you might try to visit displays that are outdoors. When the weather begins to hit them you will want to jump from outdoor exhibit to indoor exhibit, which will allow you to cool down while still seeing so much of the park. At mid-day you should try to make your way to the shows where you can sit down, enjoy a drink and get a little wet in the splash zones. As the weather begins to cool down again you can move throughout the items you missed.

3. Parking
There isn’t a whole lot your can do about the outrageous parking cost apart from avoid them. With a season pass you park in the Sea World parking for free, so this might be one of the best routes to take. Of course, if you don’t want to buy a pass then you still have a few other options. A lot of time cities will offer parking that is slightly nearby Sea World. The parking probably won’t be free, but it will be half of the price of the Sea World parking. You might also have quite a walk when you go this route. One of the best thing you can do is take public transportation to the park. Most cities will have a bus line that runs near the park so you will have an easy way to get the park and back to your hotel without having to worry about parking your car. Some hotels will even provide a shuttle free of cost, which is probably the most convenient way to get where you’re gong.

4. Souvenirs
Everyone wants a souvenir of their trip, especially children. Most of the souvenir shops in the park will have the typical over priced items, so you might want to avoid these stores if you can. Instead, try to hit up the ten dollar or less shop that caters to smaller items that cater to families that need to stick to a budget. This shop is filled with cute games and smaller toys that will please most children. You might even find a cute hat or top in this smaller gift shop. If you’re looking to spend very little on souvenirs then you might love some of the machines that will cost you less than a dollar. One machine will squish a penny and leave a Sea World design that will allow you to keep it and show it off. There is also a wax machine that cost around $2 to $5 to operate. This machine will make your chosen animal out of wax right before your eyes. This is a perfect gift for kids to bring home and show to their friends. If you are looking to spend a little more then you might want to invest in one of the Sea World cups. These specific cups will allow you to purchase refills for $.99 throughout the year.

5. Food
Many families struggle with the cost of food while they’re at an amusement park. Prices tend to be over the top and if you aren’t careful you can easily surpass a budget if you choose to eat three meals at the park. Sea World generally doesn’t allow you to bring a lot of food in the park, but you can pack away a bag of chips, or other small snack, and a bottle of water. Certain parks will even allow you to bring in a small cooler, but you might call ahead of time to ask. The great thing about Sea World is you can leave the park and come back throughout the day without having to pay to re-enter. Simply get your hand stamped and your all set for all day entry. This means you can easily pack a lunch and a cooler of drinks and leave it in your car as a nice break from the park. Doing this can save you over a hundred dollars, so don’t feel bad about it. It might also be a nice break to sit in your comfortable seats with a little air conditioning while you eat something a bit healthier than what the park has to offer.

6. Promotions
Like all amusement parks, Sea World has a lot of promotions throughout the year. The best way you can plan for your family’s vacation is to look out ahead of time. If you can check for deals every week then you might be able to snag some really great steals for your vacations. One of the best things to do is keep an eye on ticket discounts during the off season so you can secure an amazing deal for everyone. Sometimes, you can join a club for the park that will send you emails about freebies and discounts that will ensure your time in the park will be incredibly frugal.

7. Sharing
There are a lot of events the park offers that can easily be shared. For instance, most parks will sell fish so guest can feed the sea lions and dolphins. This is a great way to create memories for your children and isn’t expensive, unless you decide to pay for every child to do it. When you purchase fish they generally come with six fish per order, so you don’t need purchase for multiple people. Simply, give a fish or two to each of your children and enjoy watching them have fun with nature. You can also purchase snacks and drinks for everyone to share. For instance, you can usually pay a fairer price for the biggest drink on sale, which is plenty of fluid to go between every family member. You can also purchase pretzels, funnel cakes and other oversized treats that can be spread out between family members. This will allow you to experience some of the food without having to go broke because of it.

8. Shows
Sea World offers a lot of exciting and humorous shows throughout the day, so make sure you hit all of them. The shows are free which makes them the best event to allow your family to cool down and relax after a few hours of walking. Usually, you should try to catch the 2nd or 3rd showing so that you won’t have to fight the crowds to see the show. If you’re really looking to cool down during one of the shows then you might want to grab seats in the front rows, especially if you have kids. These seats are called the spray zones and they pretty much guarantee that you’ll be sprayed or splashed at some point during the show. These shows generally last between half an hour to an hour so you will still have plenty of time to see other shows or check out attractions.

9. Rides
Everyone loves to hit the rides at the amusement parks and Sea World certainly offers something for everyone. There is a good and bad time to try to ride though. Usually, if you make it to the park early in the morning then you might want to go ahead and jump in a few lines to ride the roller coasters for a couple of hours. When the park begins to get more crowded then you should probably take a break and see some other exhibits. Usually, when the park tends to die down a bit it is safe to hit the rides once again. Avoiding the lines during the day is important for many reasons. For starters, the amount of time you spend in the lines will take away from the park hours. Time spent in line during the heat also means that you’ll want to spend more money on drinks to help cool yourself down. So, in general, it is best to avoid long lines whenever you visiting this amazing park.

10. Ask for Discounts
Sea World offers a lot of discounts that you might never know about unless you ask. For instance, if you’re active duty military you don’t have to pay for a ticket to get into the park. This only works once every year, so choose your timing wisely. Dependents and retired military will also be able get into the park at a reduced price. Teachers will also get a discount or free entrance into the park at times too, so make sure to ask when you go to buy a ticket. There are many common discounts like those for senior citizens and the disabled, so if you feel you fall into a certain category then ask your ticket merchant. Children and students are also privy to a certain price so make sure to bring student id cards whenever you go to the park.

Sea World is one of the most exciting places to go while you’re on vacation, so don’t skip it just because you are feeling insecure about your budget. With these tips you can enjoy the entire park without having to worry about spending too much money on all of the little add ons that add up to too much. Instead, you can enjoy the people you’re meant to spend time with without having to have your fun fueled by cash.

Author: Chelsey McQuitty