These are the best value theme parks in the world

A UK finance team has crunched the numbers and found the cheapest theme parks to visit with kids. You might be surprised at some of the names included. 

A theme park visit generally make kids scream “best day ever”. But it also drains your bank account. After the entry tickets, you need food and the kids ALWAYS want to buy souvenirs.

The financial journalists at Money.co.uk worked out the cost per ride at the most popular theme parks around the world. Not surprisingly, Disneyland is NOT on the list. But you might be surprised by some of the theme parks that made it.

The top 15 cheapest theme parks in the world are:

1. Prater, Leopoldstadt, Austria $1.17
2. Beto Carrero World, Penha, Brazil, $1.41
3. Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, South Africa, $1.66
4. Six Flags México, Mexico City, Mexico, $1.92
5. Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden, $2.05
6. Hopi Hari, São Paulo, Brazil, $2.13
7. Fantasilandia, Santiago, Chile, $2.13
8. Parque Mundo Aventura, Bogotá, Colombia, $2.15
9. Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA, $2.92
10. Cedar Point, Ohio, USA, $3.13
11. Six Flags Over Georgia, Georgia, USA, $3.18
12. Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto, Canada, $3.28
13. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark, $3.39
14. Bakken, Klampenborg, Denmark, $3.58
15. Gardaland, Ronchi, Italy, $3.60

Max out your adventure

Of course, those calculations are based on the idea that you will attempt every ride and we know that’s unlikely. But they still give you a good list of cheap theme parks that are worth a visit.  

Interestingly, several Six Flags theme parks made the list of the cheapest theme parks in the world. If you haven’t heard of Six Flags, it’s worth checking out. The chain of theme parks has some of the biggest, fastest and scariest roller coasters in the world. If you have an adrenaline-loving teen in your family, they will love it.

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How to save money at a theme park

Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk said he was expecting adrenaline-based holidays to boom after the pandemic as people seek to make the most of their newly regained freedom.

“That being said, theme parks don’t come cheap,” he said. “Once you take into account the cost of tickets, parking, petrol, meals, drinks, snacks, and souvenirs, you can easily spend up to $300 per person without even realising it.”

He said families seeking to reduce the cost of a theme park trip should look to buy tickets in advance to secure a good deal. If that’s not possible, leave buying your tickets to at least five days before your trip, when you should be able to find some kind of online discount.

“Before you pay for your theme park tickets, always check to see if there’s any online deals or voucher codes available,” he said.

“Look out for ‘adults go free’ incentives which are often promoted through child-friendly food brands, such as Cadbury and Kellogs.”

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