How we got in for half price at Sesame Place

A trip to an amusement park can cost big bucks. But because we decided to forgo a real vacation this summer and do day trips to fun places within driving distance, we decided to make an amusement park one of our outings.

Since my daughter Julia is a fan of Elmo, Ernie and the gang on Sesame Street, we decided on a visit to Sesame Place, which is about an hour away. The park offers tame enough rides for the preschool set, shows with Sesame Street characters, and a variety of water rides, slides and pools.

I guess I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised to see that the full admission price for everyone over 2 was $50.95, plus tax. Kids under 2 are free and folks over 55 pay $45.95.

Of course we scoured the Internet and local retailers for discounts, but the best we could come up with was $6 off a single ticket price. Since we weren't going with a group, we weren't eligible for any discounts there. So if we paid full price for the three of us, added in the $15 parking fee and $20 locker rental, we were looking at a bill of $187.85. That didn't include any food or drinks we might get.

But after a little more research on ticket prices, we finally found a way to get into the park for half price. We decided to get there after 3 p.m., when the twilight ticket price of $25.95 went into effect. The park was open to 8 p.m. that day and we figured we'd have plenty of time to enjoy as many of the rides and features as we wanted.

Going to the park later in the day was a great move. Even late in the evening it was still hot enough to enjoy the water rides and pools without feeling cold. Also, because we went during the week, there were fewer crowds than on weekends or holidays. We rarely had to wait more than five or 10 minutes to get on rides, and didn't feel crowded. We also were able to catch the Elmo's World show, which Julia absolutely loved.

Next time you plan a visit to an amusement park, check to see if they have reduced admission in the late afternoon or evening. Not only will you save money, but you'll probably have a shorter wait time for the rides since many people go earlier in the day and start trickling out before dinner time.