Theme parks are a favorite activity for many families in the summer and when the weather is nice. With many fun rides and games, it can be a great outing for kids of all ages. Theme parks of all types and sizes are scattered throughout the United States, as well as countries around the world. These days the price of just about everything is going up, and theme parks are no exception.

They have always been a bit of an expense for most middle-class families, and it's not uncommon for a trip to a theme park to set a family of four back over $100 in tickets for all of them. It will often cost much more. The Family Vacation Guide did the hard work for all of us when they analyzed ticket prices for theme parks around the world. They also took into account how many rides and attractions each theme park had to look for the best value.

Looking at the least expensive theme parks to enjoy a day out, these require international travel.

  • At just $15.99 a ticket Gold Reef City in South Africa offer the cheapest ticket for a theme park in the whole world.
  • The next cheapest was Six Flags Mexico at $21.90 per ticket.
  • Following that is Tivoli Gardens in Denmark with a ticket for $33.45.

None of the least expensive theme parks were found in the United States. Most are found in Europe.

  • Coming in for a close second place for the most expensive theme park is Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom which is also in Florida. Disney World on average will cost $105.99 for single-day visits.
  • The theme park that came in last for most expensive was Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio which costs $82 per ticket. Ironically Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio was ranked number one for giving families the best value for the price. They offer 70 total rides which cost 44 cents per ride.
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via Pixabay/Estelle_

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As for the most expensive theme parks, dominating the top 10 list was the United States. The US occupied 8 of the 10 spots.

  • The world's most expensive theme park is located in Tampa Bay, Florida; cost-conscious families should avoid Busch Gardens. It's a huge and well-known amusement park with an African theme and many thrilling coasters. Busch Gardens will set you back $112 for a single-day visit per ticket. They will charge even more to add food or to let visitors skip lines.

Source: The Family Vacation Guide, Cedar Point