There’s nothing like the thrill of a roller coaster and the sights and sounds of a theme park visit. Theme parks are a great way for families to let loose and have fun together. One of the top theme park destinations in the US is the Six Flags chain of parks. With 20 parks across North America, Six Flags attracts more than 28 million visitors a year to parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags America.
Although it’s an affordable outlet for most families, the final bill can add up quickly. There’s the cost of transportation and lodging if you’re visiting one of the Six Flags parks that’s a long way from home. And don’t forget parking fees, snacks, and souvenirs for everyone. The final tally could end up being the biggest thrill you get from your Big Adventure!
Of course, you can’t put a price on a wonderful outing with friends or family. Theme parks were made to order for these kinds of memorable occasions. So how do you keep the total cost of your Six Flags or other theme park excursion within reason?
The good news is that Six Flags has 20 theme parks spread across North America, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a park within a few hours’ drive. If you can turn it into a day trip, you’ll save big on meals and lodging. However, the one item that most people don’t save on is the price of park tickets. This is probably because they are not even aware that it is possible.
If you buy your admission tickets at the gate, you’ll pay the full face value of the ticket, which for a general admission ticket, is typically around $59.99 at most Six Flags parks. You can save a bit if you buy your tickets online at the Six Flags website.
However, there is another place you can buy tickets to Six Flags and other major theme parks, often at a deep discount, and that’s on eBay.
Think about it for a moment.
Imagine a family that has purchased a set of 4 Six Flag Magic Mountain Theme Park tickets, but is forced to cancel their trip at the last minute due to a change of plans. Now they have 4 tickets that cost them about $240, but they can still be used until the end of the summer. Being smart, Dad puts them on eBay and they eventually snatch them up for $140. Big savings for the lucky auction winner of no less than $100!
Ticket deals like these are listed on eBay every hour of the day. And not just for Six Flags parks. There are tickets to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, Disney World, and all the other theme parks in Orlando, Florida. You name the theme park and there’s a good chance tickets are available on eBay.
The other really nice aspect of buying theme park tickets on eBay is that there is no concept of “used” or product condition like there is with physical products like cars and collectibles. If a Six Flags admission ticket is still valid, then it’s as good as mint.
Shipping costs, which can sometimes be quite high for a physical item on eBay, are often completely free for theme park tickets. It only costs the price of a first-class postage stamp to “mail” the tickets to you. And some tickets may even be electronic, so the seller will simply email you the link so he can print them from his own computer. There is nothing lighter than that!
Many states have laws governing the resale of event tickets, limiting the resale price to no more than the face value of the ticket plus any service charges. This is to combat ticket scalping. eBay has a strict ticket policy that requires all event ticket sellers to comply with the ticket resale laws of their own states.
If you’re new to eBay and don’t have an eBay account yet, you don’t need to worry. The eBay registration process is quick, simple and painless. Once you’ve created your account, you can start searching for exactly the tickets you want. Just be sure to read the auction descriptions carefully so you know exactly what’s on offer.
Be aware of what types of theme park tickets are offered: general admission, child, day, season passes, etc. Also, some Six Flag tickets are not valid at Six Flags water parks. Take your time and feel free to email the seller if anything is unclear. In fact, eBay encourages this type of communication between bidders and sellers to better foster a friendly community.
With the thousands of theme park tickets offered for sale on eBay, there’s really no need to pay face value for your Six Flags tickets at the admission gate. Spend those great savings on those fun t-shirts and hats for sale at the park instead!