”It seems like only yesterday” that SeaWorld Orlando became the first park out there to break the $50 admission price. Today, we’d “kill” for a chance to buy tickets at that low, low price.
But, theme parks are still cheap — compared to basically any other expense you have on the same trip.
In Orlando, you can still find “dirt cheap” hotels, but if you are visiting Disneyland in California, finding a hotel below $100/night near the park is rare (if it even exists at all in 2025). Thus, buying a five day pass to a big theme park is usually cheaper per-day (admission cost) than spending all those nights in a hotel.
And the hotel likely doesn’t have a single rollercoaster or stage show.
The high cost of these vacations is still from things like lodging and food. Food is especially annoying. I can get a cup of coffee down the road at Douglas Cafe in Des Moines for under three bucks. I can buy two strong margaritas for ten bucks down the road at a local bar. At a theme park, a good mixed drink is more than $16 (maybe more in 2025).
I believe it is easy to spend more on food and drinks inside a theme park in a day than the admission costs.
Yet, we seem to focus on the high cost of theme park tickets.
Perspective.