Kings Dominion Virginia

Virginians love their theme parks. I love finding deals. Put the two together, and you have a recipe for summer fun that won't break the bank. As you'll see, there's no need to pay full price. But before getting into the discounts, here's a brief overview of the two major theme parks in Virginia.

Let's start with Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Many feel this European-themed park is more family-friendly than its main competitor, Kings Dominion. Both have state-of-the-art roller coasters, like Busch Gardens' "Griffon" and Kings Dominion's new "Intimidator 305," billed as "the tallest and fastest gravity driven roller coaster on the East Coast."

But if you're not a die-hard roller coaster fan, try Busch Gardens. It has a wider variety of stores and shows, like the new vibrant "Celtic Fyre" Irish step dance extravaganza and "Europe in the Air," a smooth gliding, simulator ride. Using HD-quality video, "Europe in the Air" gives you an aerial view of the highlights of Europe, including the Eiffel Tower, Rome's Colosseum, the Swiss Alps, and London's Big Ben. It's like taking a grand tour of Europe without the huge price tag or jet lag.

At Busch Gardens, it pays to be a Virginian, thanks to their Fun Card. Pay for a day and get unlimited admission through Sept. 6. The Fun Card costs the same as a single-day ticket: $61.95 ages 10+, and $51.95 ages 3 to 9 (keep reading to learn how to get your preschooler in for free).

Want to get the Fun Card for about $10 less? You can, if you're willing to go to Virginia Beach to get it. Go to Virginia Beach and stop in one of the three Vacation Market locations along Atlantic Avenue (one block in from the beachfront). You can buy a one-day ticket there for about $55...plus, you won't have to pay tax. So you'll save about $10 per ticket.

When you go to Busch Gardens, go to the Guest Services counter and upgrade your card to a Fun Card for free. Vacation Market is open 7 days a week, and has three Atlantic Avenue locations in Virginia Beach: at 16th, 25th, and 31st Streets. They also offer discounts to other local attractions, including Kings Dominion.

To encourage more people to visit their new Sesame Street-themed rides and shows, Busch Gardens is offering a new promotion. If you're a Virginia resident, and you have a child 5 and younger, you can get them in the park for free by getting a "Preschool Pass."

The Preschool Pass gives you unlimited admission now through Sept. 6. Note that you must register in advance through the Busch Gardens Williamsburg website. Once you've registered, bring in the registration confirmation and valid ID (a birth certificate or a passport) to the park's ticket window.

Also, they just announced an additional special deal for Virginia residents: Buy a single day adult ticket online on the Busch Gardens Williamsburg site, and you can get a free kids ticket absolutely free.

You can order single day Busch Gardens Williamsburg tickets for about $55 for adults and $45 for kids (including processing fees) by ordering them through Ticketmaster. One caveat: You'll have to pick them up at a Ticketmaster Retail Outlet. (You can access their locations on the Ticketmaster website.)

Unfortunately, Ticketmaster is not currently selling discounted Kings Dominion tickets. Nor does Kings Dominion offer a discounted pass for Virginia residents. However, Kings Dominion is cheaper than Busch Gardens: about $57 (ages 3-61 and 48" or taller) and $34 for Juniors and Seniors. And they do offer a two-day pass that lets adults (3-61) visit for two consecutive days for just $3 more.

What sells a lot of people on Kings Dominion is its huge variety of roller coasters-and the fact that it includes "Water Works," a 20-acre water park at no extra charge. It also has plenty of activities for the little ones, including the new "Planet Snoopy."

As I mentioned, Virginia Beach Vacation Market offers a significant discount on Kings Dominion tickets if you can get to their locations. But a better way to get big discounts on both parks is to buy them through local Parks and Recreation Departments for "P & R" (Parks & Rec) days. For example, Albemarle Parks and Recreation is offering the following deals on P & R tickets: Kings Dominion - $29 ages 3+ (good July 2-Aug. 6); and Busch Gardens - $46 ages 10+ and $36 ages 3-9 (good June 1-Sept. 6). Albemarle Parks and Recreation is located on McIntyre Road in Charlottesville. Check with your local parks and recreation office to see if they're participating in P & R days.

Finally, if you look hard enough, you can often get discounts on both parks at stores like Food Lion, Ukrops, and Giant, as well as fast food spots like Wendy's, Subway, KFC, and McDonald's. Coupons range from $6 off single day tickets, to half-price kids tickets.

As you can see, summer fun doesn't have to break the bank...if you know where to look.

Elizabeth Pellicane is a travel writer and the creator of http://www.Virginia-Beach-Family-Fun.com, an insider guide to Virginia, featuring reviews and discount ticket secrets for Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and beyond. She also edits the Virginia Beach Blog.

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