5 ways theme parks squeeze you and your wallet for money

WalletPop has in interesting article detailing five ways the likes of Disney, Universal, Six Flags and other theme parks "bleed" your wallet for more money. As anyone who has visited a theme park knows, the entry fee is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As the article puts it, theme parks have learned some clever ways to "pad the bottom line" and boost profits.

Food and meal plans

Most park guests aim to maximize their time at the parks for the things anyone goes to amusement parks to see: The attractions. The need to eat can be a necessary evil for the park-goer looking to experience everything a theme park has to offer.

So what are your choices? Either sneak some food in with you (cargo shorts are a plus), make reservations at park restaurants—if available—far in advance, or go quick-and-dirty with one of the infamous fast food eateries available. With the first choice you risk a less-than-desirable meal and limited choices that will last through the day. The second option can many times fail to be an option at all. If you're traveling during some of the busier times of the year, many restaurant reservation lists can be completely filled. As for the last option: Don't do it. Just don't.

If you go with any of the park-offerred options, you can expect to add another $20 to $40 (or more) per person to that entry fee.

Front-of-line privileges

Staying with the "more is better" theme, everyone wants to experience as much of the park as possible. It helps to validate that sometimes steep entry fee. Front-of-line passes offerred at many parks can make that a possibility... for a fee.

Six Flags offers the Flash Pass starting at $30, but this pass comes with some limitations. If you want all-access, non-stop riding, you will have to dish out $80 for the Gold Flash Pass. Universal Express grants guests access to to a shorter line behind other pass holders, but this too comes with a cost. Non-resort guests are asked to pay between $20 and $46 per park for the Express Plus pass.

On a happier note, Disney parks offer similar passes at no charge.

Lockers

If you, like many, snickered to yourself as you read the first option in the "Food and meal plans" section, you have probably been hit with these charges. Most parks have a cluster of lockers stationed just outside the more popular attractions. Guests bringing a large helping of supplies with them to tough it through the day may find themselves having to shell out more money at each attraction.

Parking

We all know this one. Unless you are a season- or annual-pass holder at some of the larger parks, you'll be paying an average of $12 every time you drive your vehicle onto park grounds with any expectation of parking.

Souvenirs

Last (but certainly not least) are the souvenirs. Because, over the the years, we have all become mostly accustomed with purchasing some over-priced trinket or another before we leave the park as proof that says "Yes! I really went," we will focus on the latest offender: video souvenirs.

Not content with selling poorly printed photos in paper frames, parks have begun selling your experience in motion. Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida began selling videos two years ago showcasing guests' ride on the SheiKra roller coaster. The DVD will run you $25, but only provides five fleeting moments of you on the roller coaster and splices stock footage between each. Now Universal's Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit seems built almost exclusively around this idea.

So before you start planning the budget for this year's theme park adventure, be sure to factor in these extra costs; at least, those that matter to you.

Let us know in the comments what you think of these nickel-and-dime techniques and share some of your own tricks for avoiding these traps. [Via WalletPop]