Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great park that we have visited many times. It can be expensive, especially for a family. However, there are plenty of ways to save money while you visit and I have put them together to help make it easier.
This guide will give you tips and tricks to save money at Busch Gardens Williamsburg so you can enjoy your trip a little more!
Buy Tickets ahead of time
As with most places, it pays to buy tickets early. If you buy tickets at the gate, it will cost much more than if you buy them ahead of time. Groupon will sometimes get tickets for sale later in the season and it will save you money.
Travel Zoo also has some great deals right now!
This is the easiest way to save money at Busch Gardens
Keep your eyes open around November for Black Friday sales on their website. You can usually get a great deal around this time if you are planning ahead.
The Busch Gardens Parking Fee is high but….
You will not save money getting parking ahead of time unless you buy a week parking pass. This pass is good for seven consecutive days and costs less than two days parking. If you are going to the Busch Gardens and Water County the same week, this is a great deal!
Shop around for hotels
Finding budget lodging can be difficult, but if you use a site like booking.com or expedia, you can see all your options laid out in front of you and make the best choice for your family.
Consider a membership
We have been getting a Busch Gardens Unlimited membership for one member of the family and it has paid off. Parking is free, we get discounts on food, free photo key and several other perks. The basic membership does not have free parking and several blockout days.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Membership is a worthwhile investment if you plan on visiting a couple of times
We did the math and this was a great deal since we enjoy spending a week in the area going to Busch Gardens and Water Country multiple times. This will also score you free tickets and free admission to Busch Gardens Christmas Town.
It costs less than three full price single day tickets to get the membership but if you aren’t going many days, you can also look into the two day and three day tickets. Again, look online and don’t buy when you get there!
Fun cards are great!
We usually get Busch Gardens Fun Cards for myself and the kids. The Fun Card is a little more than a one day ticket and it will get you in the park all season. We get the two park Fun card so that we can use it for Water Country and Busch Gardens.
Look into a Busch Gardens Preschool Pass
If your kids are aged 3-5, they can get a Busch Gardens Preschool Pass that acts like a Fun Card and this saves you about $100! Check out these tips if you are bringing kids!
Bring a bathing suits for the kids
Busch Gardens has a section of the park called Sesame Street Forest of Fun and this is where our kids love to hang out. Not only are there rides, but there are meet and greets, shows and a huge splash pad.
Busch Gardens Forest of Fun and Land of the Dragons have water play areas
Plan ahead by bringing bathing suits and towels. They do have bathing suits and towels for sale, but they are expensive.
Never pay for water
Busch Gardens sells water, just like everyone else, but they also offer it for free. Throughout the park, there are tap water stations set up. You can use your own bottle or a paper cup that will be placed right next to it.
Bonus tip:
Busch Gardens uses paper straws and while I appreciate the attention to conservation, they are not good. I suggest bringing some of these silicone straws to the park. These even come with a squeegee!
Busch Gardens Food and Drink Policy Allows you to bring your own snacks
Busch Gardens food and drink policy will allow visitors to bring in snacks and a water bottle, just no big coolers. This is a great way to save money!
Get the refillable cup
Even though the water is free, sometimes you just want something else. Busch Gardens sells Icee throughout the park and that is what you and the family will need on those hot summer days.
You will bring this Busch Gardens refillable cup every time you visit
If you purchase a refillable cup, you will have free refills for that day and reduced priced refills every day after that. We have two we bring every time and it just makes things so much easier.
Share meals
Some of the portions are huge at Busch Gardens and you will be able to share with your group. This will drastically cut your meal costs.
I hope you found these tips helpful for saving money at Busch Gardens! We love going and it makes it that much better when we know how much we were able to save. Here are some more tips to make your trip go smoother!
Other Helpful Links:
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Tips for Kids
Enjoy the Magic at Busch Gardens Christmas Town
Family Tested Williamsburg Restaurants