If you're thinking about heading out of your UCF apartment and over to the theme parks but are worried about the cost, I have some tips for you. It's no secret that the Orlando theme parks, specifically Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld, can cost a pretty penny. But, if you save up a little and play it smart, you can enjoy these parks on a college kid budget. Here's some tips and tricks to save a lot while having a ton of fun too.
Utilize School Discounts
Many schools, especially the University of Central Florida, offer their students discounted tickets to many of the various theme parks in Orlando. For example, a 1-day pass to Magic Kingdom, one of the parks at Walt Disney World, can cost around $126 for a pass, but the UCF discount ticket will have you paying just around $100. This may still seem like it's expensive but remember, once you have your ticket you won't need to pay for much else. So maybe spend a little extra time in your UCF apartment to save up this month to save up for your day of fun next.
Bring Food from Home
Just like everything else in the Orlando theme parks, food is expensive too. This cost can significantly rack up, especially if you're spending the entire day in a theme park. Instead of eating a mediocre burger for double digits, pack some food from your University of Central Florida apartment to last you through the day. Spend a little extra time in your UCF apartment kitchen making sandwiches, bagging snacks, and picking out some drinks the day before your trip and bring them with you. This will save you a ton of money in the parks. If you really want to chow down on some park food, opt for snacks instead of entire meals. This way, you can eat some tasty food while still staying in your college student budget.
Travel Smart and Carpool
If you want to save some money on gas and parking, bring a buddy, or buddies, with you! This way, you can split the gas bill, and everyone can chip in for parking. A $20 parking spot might seem super steep at first, but if you can't split it 4-ways, it'll only come out to $5 a piece. This makes the trip to the park seem a lot more feasible. If you utilize roommate matching in your apartment search, you could even put that you enjoy going to theme parks. Maybe this way you'll get a super cool roommate and a buddy to take the trip to the apartment with you.
Take Advantage of Off-Peak Season
Since you already live in the Orlando area for school, take advantage of the fact that you can go during the off-peak season to the theme parks. You won't have to wait for spring or summer breaks to have some fun. Just pick a day during the week that you don't have class or head over early on the weekend to have some fun while still saving. Go in early fall, right before summer break, or right before the holiday season to enjoy the parks while saving some money. Your UCF apartment rent won't change month-to-month by the hotel cost definitely does.