7 Elitch Gardens Tips You Must Know
In this guide, we will cover our best Elitch Gardens tips to ensure that you arrive to the park extremely prepared, and know all of the 'hacks' to maximize your time and money.
Table of Contents
- Don't Pay Full Price
- Go During the Week
- Buy Parking Ahead of Time
- Rent a Locker
- Bring a Water Bottle
- Know the Re-Entry Rules
- Consider a Season Pass
1. Don't Pay Full Price
Save Money and Receive your tickets Instantly.
When you purchase Elitch Gardens tickets with us, you can Save $22+ per ticket, and you'll also be able to skip the line by going straight to the gate.
You can learn more about our process and how we're able to do this through our Authorized Theme Park Ticket Reseller page.
2. Go During the Week
To deal with less crowds, go during the weekday! Sounds simple right? Not quite.
The best days to go to Busch Gardens are Tuesday-Thursday as these are typically the least crowded days.
Most families have their days off on the weekends, and this is why weekends are usually the most busy at the park.
You'll also want to make sure that you're not going near a holiday or an event, for example Spring break, 4th of July etc.
Spend less time waiting in lines, and more time riding your favorite rides.
3. Buy Parking Ahead of Time
The cheapest way to purchase parking at Elitch Gardens is by purchasing directly from the Elitch Gardens website.
At the time that this article was written, parking is $20 if you purchase ahead and online directly from their site, but it will be $25-$30 if you purchase in person.
You will simply need to print your receipt/voucher and show it to the attendant at the parking toll plaza.
Paying in Person
If you are unable to purchase your parking pass online, there are two other ways to pay for parking, with a (credit/debit) card or with cash at the parking toll plaza.
A credit card will cost $25 and cash will cost $30, which means if you are able to, bring a card to pay for parking to save yourself a few bucks to start your day.
4. Rent a Locker
Lockers are available for rent at the park. This is extremely convenient if you have any belongings that you'd like to store rather than carry the entire day.
Additionally, most rides will require you to store your belongings in a locker.
Lockers cost $11 for the smaller locker, and $13 for the larger locker.
You can pay for these lockers using a card or cash. These lockers will last for the entire day.
5. Bring a Water Bottle
According to the Elitch Gardens FAQ site, outside food and beverage are not permitted, however, guests may bring in clear sealed water bottles. Guests with special dietary needs may bring in their own food. Please see a Security Agent for details.
6. Know the Re-Entry Rules
If you have to leave the park for some reason, make sure that you get your hand stamped!
Guests who leave the park and plan to return the same day must get their hand stamped before they leave the park at the exit/re-entry gate.
You don't want to get in a situation where you are unable to re-enter the park after paying a full priced ticket shortly before.
You should also be aware that there's no entry or reentry after 9pm.
Leaving the Parking Lot
If you have to leave the park and parking lot altogether, you'll want to leave your parking ticket stub on the dashboard of your car.
That will signal to park attendants that you've paid for parking and are re-entering when you return.
7. Consider a Season Pass
If you are planning on visiting the park at least twice in a calendar year, you should consider a season pass!
A season pass will pay for itself after 2 visits, and it includes free parking for the season as well! ($20-30 value).
Some of the benefits include:
- FREE Season Parking ($60 Value)
- FREE Souvenir Cup (Must purchase & visit by 5/8 to receive)
- FREE Bring A Friend Tickets (Date restrictions apply)
- More!
You can read more about Season Passes directly from the Elitch Gardens site.
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