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Heading to Busch Gardens Tampa anytime soon?

I’ve got the best tips so you can save since theme parks can get expensive quickly.

Once you’ve scanned your tickets, the expenses just keep coming!

While we are usually Disney fans, we decided to have a day of fun at Busch Gardens Tampa.

The day was fantastic, without the expensive guilt trip.

From your drinks to your park tickets, there are hundreds of ways you can save.

So I’ll share with you how to save money at Busch Gardens Tampa so you can keep more money in your pocket.

Plus, I’ll share my Busch Gardens Tampa tips so you don’t have to spend any more money at the park then you want to.

And, with my Busch Gardens Tampa hacks, you’ll have a great time and be prepared for the day.

Here are some ways to save you BIG on your next trip to Busch Gardens Tampa.

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How to Save on Tickets

A ticket to Busch Gardens Tampa runs about $77 each for adults and $67 each for children (ages 3-9) March 20th- October 30th.

Off-season times and holidays may increase or decrease this price. For a family of four (with one child) you could be spending about $300 on tickets before you’ve even walked into the park!

Here are a few ways on how to save money at Busch Gardens Tampa.

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Create A Plan For Your Money

These FREE Budgeting Spreadsheets will help you keep a pulse on your money (from the palm of your hand).

Go With A Group

Busch Gardens offers discounted rates for group tickets. You will save $22 on each ticket you purchase when you buy tickets for a group of 15 or more.

Tickets must be purchased at least 2 days prior to visiting the park.

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Visit During The Off-Season

Visit Busch Gardens Tampa during off-season times for discounted ticket prices. The off-season for Busch Gardens Tampa is between October and March.

Check the website for park hours to plan your trip during one of these weekends as park hours differ during fall and winter months.

Buy A Season Pass

If you know you will be visiting the park more than once in a year, buy the season pass. A season pass costs $144 for the entire year, and can even be paid monthly instead of all at once.

By your second trip, you will have already paid the cost of the annual membership.

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Look For Discounted Tickets

There are tons of ways you can get discounted tickets for Busch Gardens with these Busch Gardens Tampa tips.

When we purchased our tickets, we went through Groupon and ended up getting our tickets for just $35 each! Before you purchase your tickets at the gate or through their website, check Groupon and RetailMeNot for deals and discounts.

Busch Gardens also offers a few discounts on their tickets which can be used when purchased at the gate or through their website:

Florida Residents can “pay for a day and come back all year”. That means if you plan to go once, you can get a “fun card” and go back until the end of the year.

This is not an annual pass (so you don’t get the free parking perk) which means it is not valid after December 31st. It is only good during a calendar year from the first day you go until December 31st.

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Preschool Florida Residents (5 and younger) are FREE all year. Just make sure you register online, this offer is not valid if you get tickets at the park.

Waves of Honor or Shop on Base– Busch Gardens Tampa participates in the Waves of Honor program.

Active service members, with military ID, can get one free complimentary admission ticket per year and as many as three direct dependent tickets.

Pre-School Pass– Before May 31st each year, if your child is between the age of 3-5, sign up and show proof of age when you enter the park to grab your FREE Busch Gardens Pre-School Pass!

This pass is good for the entire summer!

Look For Discounted Tickets

Save On Food And Drinks

Quick service food stands are located all throughout the park.

Unfortunately, items such as coolers, glass containers, or any outside food and drinks are not allowed in the park. There are still a few ways you can stay full without draining your wallet

Buy A Souvenir Cup

Souvenir cups may seem a bit pricey for a Busch Gardens Tampa hacks, however, once you purchase it you can use it year after year!

Once you purchase the cup, soda refills are only 99¢ for the rest of the season and Icee refills are just $1.29.

Soda is expensive in the park, and this deal yields significant savings. There are also insulated mugs for hot chocolate during Christmas time!

Look For Discounted Tickets

Bring Your Own Water Bottle

Bottled water costs around $3 each at the park. This makes staying hydrated a hassle on your wallet.

One of my Busch Gardens Tampa tips is to bring your own water bottle and fill it up at water fountains (or any quick-service restaurant that serves fountain sodas) throughout the day!

We like to bring those drink mix packets just in case the water isn’t very tasty.

Look For Discounted Tickets

Eat Small Meals Throughout The Day

When I’m riding roller coasters, the last thing I want to do is eat a big meal beforehand.

Instead of eating a big meal for lunch, we bought smaller snacks throughout the day. Buying an entire meal would have easily cost us over $20 each, even if we were being really frugal. It’s how to save money at Busch Gardens Tampa especially if you are staying all day!

Eat a big breakfast before leaving your hotel, and eat a late dinner after you’ve left the park if you’re still hungry.

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Create A Plan For Your Money

These FREE Budgeting Spreadsheets will help you keep a pulse on your money (from the palm of your hand).

Utilize The All-Day Dining Deal

If you are going to be at Busch Gardens Tampa the entire day, then you might consider the cost of doing their “All Day Dining”.

It costs around $40 per person, but you can eat unlimited meals for the ENTIRE DAY.

For our family of six, we would spend $120 and while that seemed expensive to pay all at once, that is really only $30 for 4 meals (my family usually eats four times if we are going to be at an amusement park from opening until after dark).

Eat Small Meals Throughout The Day

Go When It’s Rainy

Busch Gardens Tampa will remain open even during inclement weather. Some outdoor shows, rides, and other attractions may be temporarily affected by thunderstorms, but the park will remain open. While refunds and rain checks are not issued due to bad weather you can make bad weather work to your advantage.

We visited Busch Gardens during Memorial Day weekend last year, and like clockwork, it poured down rain the minute we entered the park. Theme parks are prepared to jack up the prices for items like umbrellas and ponchos the minute it starts raining, and lower them when the weather is nice.

Bring your own poncho or rain jacket with you when you enter the park. We used our Dollar Store ponchos, and they worked great!

Plus, since the weather was bad there were almost no lines for any of the rides. We rode almost every ride and visited most of the shops in only 3 hours! This saved us a huge amount of money on food since we were able to leave the park earlier than we planned.

While inclement weather might not make for the most enjoyable trip, it does have its perks!

Busch Gardens Tampa can be an affordable and wonderful time for you and your family.

Don’t be intimidated initially by the high priced tickets, and be on the lookout for discounts!

I hope you’ve learned how to save money at Busch Gardens Tampa so you can keep more money in your pocket.

Plus, these Busch Gardens Tampa tips are so helpful so you don’t have to spend any more money at the park then you really want to.

And, with these Busch Gardens Tampa hacks, you’ll have a great time and be prepared for the day.

 

YOUR TURN: How many times have you been to Busch Gardens Tampa? Are you headed back soon? Let me know in the comments below!

busch gardens tampa
How To Save BIG At Busch Gardens
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