Frugal Family Fun for Everyone

My husband, three children and I just got back from Darien Lake amusement park and I am astonished at the frugal family fun this place offers for everyone.  We received the 5 Season Passes as a Christmas gift from family. Having never been season pass holders, we did not know what to expect and we have been overwhelmed with the cost-effectiveness of Darien Lake for a season pass holder.  The park just opened in May for weekends only and already we have been to Darien Lake four times and it is only June 1st!

By my calculations, if we visited the park 25 times or approximately four times a month until it closes for the season in mid-October, our per person cost per visit will amount to about $1.80.  ($1.80 times 25 = $45.00 or the cost per season pass.)  Now, that is $1.80 per visit, NOT $1.80 per hour to the amusement park!  And you can stay for hours and hours and hours for that per visit cost.  Now, I know what you are thinking!  What about the extraordinary cost of gas!  Well, I incorporated that into the equation, and this is how that adds up.

We happen to live fairly close to Darien Lake, so for us the gas cost is about $10.00 round trip (my husband’s engineering calculations uses on that).  If you take the $1.80 per person visit cost outlined from above times our family size of 5, we yield $9.00 plus the $10.00 in gas gives us a grand total of $19.00 per park visit.  In an hourly breakdown, if the 5 of us stay for 6 hours, then the amusement park visit cost is $3.17 per hour. And if we stayed for more hours the price per hour keeps going down.  What family activity can you do with five people outside of your home for $3.17 per hour other than the usual go for a walk, visit a natural park, etc.?

Oh, but there is even more!  On our first visit to Darien Lake earlier in May we received coupons which were good to bring friends for FREE!  Yes, you read that correctly!  We received a total of FIVE coupons good for bringing a friend: one that could be used any day for the rest of the season, one coupon good to bring a friend on Mother’s Day, one for Father’s Day, one for the Sunday of Memorial day weekend and one for Memorial Day.  If you used all of the coupons, that provided approximately another $150 of free value per person!   

Now, the catch – there is always a catch isn’t there?  To be frugal, you need to bring your own lunch, beverages and snacks which we always do and leave the park (getting your hand stamped for re-entry) and eat in your car or at picnic tables near the parking lot.  And to not get hooked into the extra purchases available at the amusement park. The park allows us to get reasonably fresh air, exercise, laughter and fun as a family at a frugal price.

Not much in the way of gluten-free, or dairy-free, so if you are on a special diet, make sure to bring everything you need.  I’m working on getting in shape and this is a cost effective alternative to a gym membership which includes my children and husband, and provides hours and hours of exercise which doesn’t seem like exercise at all!  Hey, maybe we’ll invent the “Amusement Park Diet”…LOL.  I’ll post some pictures once I get a bit of technical support from my son.  Have a happy, frugal and fun summer with your family!

Love,

Lisa