Amazing amusement park deals

I remember when theme park admission would only run you about 15 to 20 dollars, and either free parking or 4 bucks or so. Now days you can expect to pay almost 60 dollars to get in, and 10 to 15 to park your car. So for a family of 4, that's around 250 before you even enter the park!

Here's a hint, NEVER pay full price. There are several ways to avoid paying full fare, and I will list a few with a brief suggestion of how to get these deals.

1. "Online only" tickets- Go to the theme parks website, many of them will offer "online only" tickets for a reduced price.

2. Online auctions- Check sites like Ebay, Craigslist, and Yahoo Auctions for people selling tickets. Be careful with this one though, check seller feedback to avoid scam.

3. Time share- Some resorts near theme parks will give you FREE tickets just for listening to a 1 to 2 hour sales pitch. If you have the time, this is a great deal! Check out http://www.vacationpackages411.com/timeshare.php for more info.

4. MWR or ITT- This one is for military only. Every base should have a MWR or Information & Ticket Travel office. Check with these for extremely discounted tickets, sometimes up to 60% off. As of now, Anheuser-Busch offers 1 park, 1 time a year, free admission for all military and their direct families to one of their theme parks. Check out http://www.herosalute.com/ for more info.

5. Fast food coupons and cans- Especially during the summer months, a lot of fast food chains will pass out 10 to 15% coupons good for up to 6 persons. Also some soda cans will have theme park discounts on them as well.

As for me I just went to 6 Flags in LA for half price (through ITT), saving 30 dollars. I will also be going to Busch Gardens for free with my family, saving about 250 dollars. We also plan on going to Disney World this summer for 75% off through time share sales pitches, saving us around 180 dollars. That's a grand total of $460 dollars in theme park savings.

Update: I want to add that community centers can also have discounts on theme park tickets (thanks Mike).