How I pay just £10pp on theme park days out for a family-of-five – my savvy tricks for saving hundreds
THEME park season is here and we all know how quickly costs can add up if you're not careful.
My boys love riding the rollercoasters but I don't want to be forking out hundreds just for one day of fun.
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Instead I've got my tried and tested tips that keep costs down - I aim to spend less than £100 for our family of five for entry, parking and food.
Sometimes I even do it for less than £50!
Free entry parks
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While most theme parks now charge for entry at the gate, there are still a few dotted around the country that let visitors in free, with wristbands or tokens to pay for the rides.
That means if you're going with grandparents who don't want to go on many attractions, they can have a wander and spend time with their family without having to pay for the privilege.
Our favourite is Wicksteed Park in Kettering, which is open access to all.
You pay for parking and rides, but there are playgrounds around the site and lovely nature walks that don't cost a penny.
Another great free-entry option is Southend Adventure Island, where anyone aged over 14 rides free when accompanying a paying guest under 120cm.
Bring your own grub
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With ice creams costing around £3 or £4 each nowadays, eating and drinking on your day out can soon add up, especially if you've got a horde of hungry boys like me.
I'd rather chuck together a homemade picnic and take it with us to save some cash. Then I don't mind splashing out for treats during the day.
I also don't want to waste time queuing at food stalls, so bringing our own lunch means more time on rides as we can eat wherever and whenever we want.
I usually manage to spend less than a tenner to feed us all, including sandwiches, crisps, fruit and sweets.
We bring refillable water bottles too so that we can keep hydrated without having to buy fizzy drinks.
I've even been known to keep a flask full of hot water in the car so I can get everyone fed before we head home if we've got a bit of a journey.
It's easy to warm up a few hot dog sausages and pop them in a bun, just don't forget the ketchup!
Little theme parks, lower fees
Smaller parks tend to have fewer rides but also lower fees, so they can be perfect if you're out and about with little ones who aren't fussed about going upside down or getting soaked on a log flume.
We always have a great time at Gulliver's, which has sites in Milton Keynes, Matlock Bath, Warrington and Rotherham, and often has tickets for £15 each.
We've also got a couple of smaller parks aimed at primary-aged children near us, including Wheelgates in Nottinghamshire and Twinlakes in South Leicestershire, which are on my list to check out with my littlest boy this summer as tickets are only £17 each.
Check out overnight stays
If you're going to the big-name parks like Alton Towers, you can save if you book car parking in advance as it's usually cheaper than on the day.
It's also worth taking a look at an overnight stay to see if the perks add up for you.
We visited Legoland at the end of the school holidays one summer as we had an extra inset day when everyone else had headed back to school.
Booking last minute, our overnight stay in the Legoland Hotel, which included parking, breakfast, Lego toys in the room, use of the indoor pool, evening entertainment and early access to the park through a dedicated hotel entrance closer to the rides, was £149 for four of us.
Bargain!
Don't pay on-the-gate prices
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It's worth taking time to research the best deal for your party, depending on who is coming along.
We used to love toddler and adult deals, which often keep costs low if you're visiting midweek with a little one.
At Drayton Manor near Tamworth, entry for an adult and a child aged four and under costs just £27.50, while Legoland's adult and preschooler ticket is £29.
Some places like Alton Towers and Warwick Castle even run this deal up to the age of five, so it's worth checking.
There's loads of other ways to save too, whether it's grabbing a free pair of Sun Club tickets, getting discount codes from packs of groceries, converting Tesco Clubcard points into days out vouchers or using membership schemes like Kids Pass or Blue Light Card.
I don't think I've ever paid the full price for a theme park day out as there's so many early accessible discounts around.
Do a bit of research and you could end up saving hundreds of pounds if you find the right deal for your family.
Use these tips on your next theme park trip
Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out.
Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies.
If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
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