Getting tickets to any big-name theme park can be a pricey and tedious experience, and SeaWorld San Diego is one of the most heavily visited out there. Luckily there are lots of options out there to help make the dent to your wallet a little bit smaller from a day to SeaWorld.

From military and student discounts, to coupons offered by SeaWorld, to annual passes and bundle deals, it’s rare that you should ever have to pay full price for a ticket to this well-trafficked and well-known theme park.

Be aware that once you’re inside the park, your food and drink options will be limited to the sometimes-expensive options at food areas spread throughout SeaWorld. Consider packing a lunch to bring for you and your family, and bring empty water bottles to be refilled once in the park for a long day out in the sun!

Here are five easy ways you can purchase cheaper tickets to SeaWorld San Diego.

1. Check out coupon sites

Tickets Seaworld San Diego OrcaGroupon and LivingSocial is a great site for finding flash sales, exclusive offers, and online coupons for just about every business in San Diego. They have a special landing page for SeaWorld coupons that constantly rotates deals to the theme park, including heavy discounts on bundle deals as well as highlighting alternative payment options, like military and veterans discounts.

Ensure that the coupons you use are for SeaWorld San Diego and not other SeaWorld theme parks, as sometimes sites will combine deals for all SeaWorld parks into one page. 

2. Use your military discount, AAA discount, or student discount

Active and retired members of the military, veterans, members of AAA and teachers can all use their status as a means to get cheaper tickets to SeaWorld San Diego.

Military members and veterans can receive one FREE ticket each year by entering your troop information into a dedicated SeaWorld site here.

AAA members can opt to receive special offers throughout the year for SeaWorld, with multiple different options rotating in and out of the coupon pool. It can be cheaper to buy tickets directly from SeaWorld, though, so be sure you’re comparing ticket prices.

SeaWorld San Diego also offers unlimited free park admission (plus two free single day tickets) to certified California and Arizona K-12 teachers with the Teacher Fun Card. If you’re a teacher, be sure to take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

3. Get an annual pass

There are a few options for annual passes based on different benefits provided, but the most popular two are the SoCal Annual Pass and the SeaWorld and San Diego Aquatica Annual Pass. Annual Pass holders receive unlimited admission to SeaWorld San Diego, and includes free parking, discounts, two free guest passes to use on certain dates and more. SeaWorld allows monthly installments on the $99.99 payment.

For a little extra money, SeaWorld + Aquatica San Diego Annual Pass holders will receive unlimited admission to SeaWorld San Diego AND Aquatica San Diego, with free parking, in-park discounts, two free guest passes and more. They allow monthly installments on the $149.99 payment.

4. Look up SeaWorld’s own coupons

SeaWorld is great about providing plenty of options for just about every person looking to save on tickets to the theme park. If you buy your tickets online, other special offers are available exclusively to you as well. SeaWorld has lots of coupons and deals, but here are three that are very popular – the online day ticket, the free dining deal, and the inclusive experience pass.

SeaWorld San Diego is offering specials on day tickets, good for admission on any day through to the end of 2018, for guests ages 3 and older, for $69.99. When bought online and in advance, it ends up being a savings of $20 compared to the full retail price of $89.99 at the park. Note that this ticket price is not available in-person and must be purchased online in advance.

If you know you’re going to be hungry at the park, consider upgrading slightly to the free dining day pass. In addition to admission you will get free dining at participating restaurants in the park all day long. This ticket must be bought online in advance, but it ends up being a discount of $35 off of the retail price.

Want to upgrade your ticket to get an extra-special experience? The all-inclusive ticket option includes free all-day dining (at participating restaurants in the park), front-of-the-line ride access, premier show seating, and a souvenir photo. “Quick Queue Premier” gives ticket holders front-of-the-line ride entry and reserved seats at shows in the park – right now, you can save $75 on these passes.

5. If you’re staying in a hotel, ask about bundle deals

If you’re thinking about staying in a hotel in San Diego during your trip to SeaWorld, consider calling in advance to see if they have a partnership with SeaWorld and if there are special offers only available through your hotel. There are so many options here it’s hard to choose even a few specific offers, but if you’re staying at a major chain hotel or someplace close by, you can be sure to save at least a little by asking about bundle deals.

Need more travel tips?