Current theme park tickets can be cheap enough for all budgets. The cooler temperatures to Southern California have created a mini vacation opportunity. Many families have found the colder season has a silver lining. You might also want to take advantage of shiny discounts at local theme parks. Unlike the summer and school vacation months where tickets approach $100 a person, there are currently deals that make for sparkling outings with affordable budgets.
For those with no budget restrictions Disneyland is still a lifetime experience but current one day passes are $86 for kids up to age 9 and a whopping $91 for adults. Package deals are offered for multiple day usage but these tickets exceed $100 which makes for a costly outing for a family of 5. Tickets with meals and travel will cost as much as the average weekly salary in the US ($786 a week, but who's counting?)
On the other end of the spectrum there are winter deals that can lighten the mood. San Diego Zoo is offering tickets at $36 for kids to age 11 and $46 for adults. Food can be brought into the park and the innovative polar bear exhibit offers hours of entertainment as the playful bears chase the local birdlife who tease the bears by flying into their large Alaskan styled home. With play areas for kids surrounding the exhibit, this alone is worth the trip. But don't forget the panda bears, hippo tanks and the bus ride around the zoo landscape.
Theme Park tickets can be cheap at other locations. Check Goldstar.com for great deals on Knott's Berry Farm. Then there is Legoland and the Legoland Hotel. Both are offering excellent prices and the traffic in the park is light while the ride lines are enjoyably short. With 2 days sold for the price of one, families are enjoying $200 ticket packages for a family of 4. This brings the daily rate to just $25. The Park's adjacent hotel has rates close to $100 a night and the breakfast and dinner buffets are fun and noisy and with ample dishes. Then the kids will want to ride the elevator which flashes disco ball lights and plays disco music for guaranteed hilarity.
San Diego has much to offer but the return journey through LA has unique entertainment as well. Don't forget the bargain cost of the Getty Museum which is quiet and peaceful this month. There is no entrance charge, just $15 parking. Los Angeles County Museum of Art is free for under 18's. The peacock filled LA Arboretum is free on the third Tuesday of the month. Kidspace is also free on the first Tuesday afternoon of each month and the tide pools in Malibu never cost a penny.
Compared to the months of summer camp visitors, overseas travelers and August crowds, the opportunities for memorable family trips are now endless, inspiring and affordable. Theme park tickets, zoos, parks and beaches are now cheaper than ever to visit.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
