Travel Tip #2 - Meals at Amusement Parks

     Buying meals at amusement parks usually ends up costing as much as the ticket itself. Since amusement parks have a monopoly on the food sold within their confines, as well as a "captive audience" that is unlikely to drive around looking for more affordable options, they can jack up the prices without losing too many sales. Even when they allow other food chains to sell within their gates, they get their cut, which is mostly paid for by the customer. So how do you spend a day at the park without ruining the budget?

     One idea is to only purchase one meal. This can be done fairly easily with a little planning, even if you plan on staying late. If you eat a big breakfast, you can have a late lunch/early dinner at around 3:00. This will usually allow you to make it through the rest of the day unless the park stays open really late. Even then you can probably tide yourself over with a less expensive snack (like a funnel cake). In any case, eating meals at non-traditional mealtimes means shorter lines - you are riding while others are eating, and eating while others are riding. 

     Even though most parks won't let you bring food into the parks under the guise of security issues, you can always keep a cooler of food in the car. A parking lot meal might not have the ambiance of the park restaurants, but it is a lot more affordable. And besides, you are there for the rides, not the food. A few amusement parks even have picnic tables available to their guests. Also, don't just assume that they won't let you bring food into the park. Each venue is different, so check the website regarding their guidelines. You may be able to carry a pack around with snacks inside it - particularly if you have food allergies. At the very least, you can stash some snacks in the car to take the edge off your hunger on the ride home.

     If you have a season pass to an amusement park, you may want to look into buying a season food pass as well. It would be a lot less expensive than buying meals each time you go. If season food passes aren't offered, it would be worth the effort to check out the prices at the different food venues within the park. In the past, I've been surprised to discover that the amount of food offered per dollar often varies greatly from one restaurant to another within the same park.
     Regardless of what route you go, the most important thing is to have a food budget, and stick to it. Make sure your kids understand the budget too. For example, we usually tell our girls that they can have one snack, so they should choose wisely. Do whatever works for your family.

     Bon appetit!