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4. SeaWorld Orlando

Image: SeaWorldJudging by pricing, Florida residents have the better SeaWorld. The location in San Diego has a ticket price of $89.99, while SeaWorld Orlando is $99. Admittedly, the better rides are at the more expensive park. Still, the pricing is troubling. The park hosts only 13 rides, five of which are roller coasters. And we all know how the other stuff at SeaWorld is doing. You know, it’s the stuff that once drew curious guests to the parks before Blackfish torpedoed the business prospects of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

SeaWorld and the next entry are more experiential due to their additional offerings. Should you love the sea shows, the value of SeaWorld is higher. For anyone uncomfortable with the concept, the park costs more than $100 after taxes for Mako, Kraken, and Manta. I’m an ardent supporter of all three coasters. When there’s not much else, however, they’re basically $34 each. That’s…a lot. At this point, SeaWorld is the worst value of any American theme park, even if it’s not technically the most expensive.

3. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Image: Busch GardensOh, Busch Gardens. Why, Busch Gardens? Your prices are exorbitant relative to the value offered, and it’s not an issue exclusive to Tampa Bay. Busch Gardens Williamsburg has an admission price of $90 and provides 54 rides, eight of which are roller coasters. That’s a stiff price for a handful of highly respected attractions plus an overwhelming majority of cookie cutter rides. It’s also somehow an amazing bargain relative to its counterpart.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay charges $104.99 per person per day. For that money, theme park tourists enjoy roughly 25 attractions, eight of which are roller coasters. There are also a series of animal encounters, which is the likely culprit for the high ticket prices. Upkeep charges are substantial. Still, it’s the third most expensive ticket in America and the second worst overall value with regards to ride opportunities.

2. Universal Orlando Resort

Image: Universal StudiosChoosing the cost of a ticket at a Universal Studios theme park is a moving target. That’s true of Orlando and Hollywood, and it also applies to Disney’s theme parks as well. The devil that is tiered pricing/blackout dates makes the process needlessly complex. Since the goal here is to name the most expensive tickets, I’ve made the executive decision to pick park hopper and the peak season.

For Universal Orlando Resort, their Park to Park price for a single day is $170. Universal Studios Hollywood has a maximum of $119 if you’re wondering. The $170 deal is better than you think, even if it a dramatic increase from the other prices listed here. For that money, you gain access to 33 rides, with seven roller coasters and seven water rides.

Image: Universal StudiosMore importantly, you get to spend the day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and you can’t put a price on that. Well, you can, and it’s $170. You know what I mean, though. At some point in your life (or possibly many times), you’re going to visit this park, damn the cost to get there. In that way, it’s also an experiential park, albeit one with much better rides than the other two. I still believe Magic Mountain is a better deal since it’s roughly half the price, but Universal would finish next on my list of value relative to ticket cost. Well, it would if not for…

 
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Comments

This is a good price per park comparison. But I see a problem with the price per ride. You are not including the wait times. For example if the park has 10 rides and no lines I should be able to ride all of the ride with one day admission paid. If the same park has a 2 hour wait and the park is open 10 hours I can ride only 5 ride for the same admission paid. Much less value for my money.

I think a more interesting article would have been the most expensive parks not named Universal or Disney. Would have liked to see comparisons of more regional parks.

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