I’m NikkyJ and I’m happy you’re here for your top theme park deals and recommendations.
I’ve helped lots of theme park goers jump start their vacations to parks around the world, by providing concise, detailed gems to make the most out of any trip.
That’s what I’m all about and that’s what you’ll find on ThemeParkHipster.
I created this resource page to easily list recommended services, products, and companies that I use and/or those I know are valuable.
Although I’m focusing on the Florida parks, many of these companies and resources can be used for any theme park across America.
This way you can quickly find great products and services all in one place for some of the best Orlando theme park deals online. You can save thousands of dollars all from one page!
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO. Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Best Theme Parks in Orlando, Florida
I have listed my top theme parks in Orlando for solo travel.
They are arranged in the order of best to worst based on my experience and conversations with other solo theme park travelers.
- Epcot
- Universal Studios Florida
- Islands of Adventure
- Animal Kingdom
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- Busch Gardens Tampa* (not in Orlando, but definitely worth the trip over)
- Hollywood Studios
- SeaWorld Orlando
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Free Theme Park Travel Agents and Planners
Travel planners are a great way to help you figure out how you want to experience your vacation. Plus they can help reduce your stress when it comes to planning and they’re free!
The Park Prodigy
Park Prodigy is travel agency specializing in Disney World, Universal Orlando, and other destination vacations. They will help you plan your family vacation, all at no cost to you.
The Park Prodigy is unique in the fact that it allows you to be automatically enrolled in their Magic Rewards Program.
This means that you can earn gift card points on vacation packages and tickets to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando – As well as Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood vacations in Los Angeles.
Mike is my discount vacation connection at The Park Prodigy and you can let him know that I sent you over to get some of the best Orlando theme park deals.. Request a Price Online.
You can then use these points towards your order to help you purchase discount tickets and vacation packages to Disney World and Universal Studios, as well as Disneyland and Universal Hollywood.
Orlando Vacation
This is another company that I like to recommend because they’re always running deals on their website that allows you get an extra discount on your vacation package when you’re combining everything together.
They are currently running a promotion when you purchase lodging and Walt Disney World Discount Tickets together at OrlandoVacation, you can get an extra 2% off when booking a vacation package with Promo Code PKG2. So, book now!
There’s also a deal for Universal Orlando Resort where you only have to pay a $50 deposit. This reserves your planned trip to Orlando and all you have to do is Browse, Book, Deposit & Go!
Theme Park Tickets
If you’re doing a single day at a park or if you want to plan out your own vacation, then you can skip the travel planners and use some the reputable authorized theme park ticket sellers.
Undercover Tourist
Since 2000, Undercover Tourist has provided authentic attraction tickets at discounted prices, as well as insider planning tips and excellent customer service.
With over a million downloads of the top-rated Wait Times App, Undercover Tourist helps families save time and money on their vacation to:
- Walt Disney World® Resort
- Universal Orlando Resort™
- Universal Studios Hollywood™
- SeaWorld® Orlando
- SeaWorld® San Diego and more attractions in Orlando, Los Angeles and San Diego!
I have used them in the past for my trip out to Universal Studios Hollywood. Their discounted rates, free shipping and flexible refund policies make Undercover Tourist the trusted name in attraction tickets.
Tripadvisor
If you’re a frequent traveler, chances are that you’ve come across Tripadvisor before.
They are a trusted brand and they not only offer great theme park deals, they have thousands of reviews for each destination to help you decide if it’s a place that you’d like to go.
Groupon
Believe it or not, Groupon is one of my favorite places to get theme park tickets when I want a fast and simple process.
Sometimes I plan last minute trips and it’s good to know that I can go to their discount website and buy a ticket quickly without all of the fuss that I experience on some theme park websites.
Honorable Mentions:
Below are a few additional places that sell discounted theme park tickets:
- Viator
- CityPASS
- Busch Gardens Website
- Orlando Vacation
- SeaWorld Orlando Website
- Attraction Tickets (great for non-USA residents)
Hotels and Accommodations
Choosing the best hotel for your theme park vacation is highly important. I have listed out a few of the companies I use for my trips.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com® offers more than 300,000 properties in 60 countries – from hotels and B&B’s to condos and all-inclusive resorts. They also specializes in providing accommodations during sold-out periods.
I know the lodging accommodation experience is an important part of your trip, so Hotels.com offers travelers the information they need to book the perfect trip–all backed by the Hotels.com Price Guarantee.
My absolute favorite thing about Hotels.com is the OneKey program which is a free perk that allows you to collect rewards that help pay for future travel.
You may end up getting one of your nights at a participating Disney area hotel for free.
Top Villas
A vacation home is another great option where you can get a wonderful deal on lodging for your Florida vacation.
Top Villas is one of the world’s leading luxury villa rental specialists with more than 4,000 luxury villas in over 50 of the world’s finest vacation destinations.
I am a fan of vacation home rentals with resort amenities for families or friends traveling to Disney on an extended vacation.
I have been using Top Villas for few years now and I love how easy it is to view all of the properties on their site and how easy it is to book and complete a vacation home rental stay.
Honorable Mentions:
Below are a few additional places I recommend that sell discounted hotel stays and vacation home rentals:
- Travelocity
- VRBO
- Expedia
Local City Deals Near Theme Parks
When you’re visiting a theme park, you’ll also want to discover what the city has to offer. These are my top sites for you.
Groupon
As mentioned earlier, Groupon is one my favorite discount sites where I buy great deals for different restaurants and activities to do in any city I visit.
Groupon believes in building the daily habit in local commerce, offering a vast mobile and online marketplace where people discover and save on amazing things to do, see, eat and buy.
Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day where Groupon would give us the option to purchase discounted theme park tickets.
In addition to Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Entertainment tickets, Groupon helps you enjoy even more local attractions such as Fun Spot, Kennedy Space Center, and other Orlando attractions for the low!
This is definitely the site to get some of the best Orlando theme park deals.
CityPASS
The CityPASS is a simple way to vacation in your favorite city for one set cost. Plus, the CityPASS ticket booklets contain prepaid admission to the top attractions in each city.
With CityPASS, you pay one substantially reduced price and avoid main entrance ticket lines at many attractions.
CityPASS promises you three things: the most famous attractions, an amazing price, and skipping the main ticket line at many attractions.
For example, the Tampa Bay CityPASS attractions include:
- Busch Gardens® Tampa
- The Florida Aquarium
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- The Tropics Boat Tours Dolphin OR
- Glazer Children’s Museum OR
- Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI)
You can do this for a price starting at $144 (one of the best deal when visiting Tampa).
Please know that the CityPASS ticket booklets are valid for nine consecutive days, starting with the first day of use (terms subject to change at anytime).
Flights & Airfare
There are many ways to find cheap flights to Disney World, but the number one way is to have a strategy.
CheapOair
I know that when I’m looking for flights from and to Orlando, I want the cheapest option available. The airlines know this and are always competing with each other to get your booking.
I choose CheapOair because of their reward system.
CheapOair also offers a FREE rewards program that allow you to get up to 20% off flights and up to 55% off hotels.
You can sign up here to get enrolled into their Rewards Program and starting earning points today!
Make sure that you always subscribe to the email list or download the app (where you can Earn 2X points on CheapOair app) of your favorite online flight booking site such as CheapOair.
They usually send daily to weekly emails on some of the best flight deals. If you’re doing your research ahead of time, then you may just luck up and grab that epic cheap airline ticket to Orlando.
Your Orlando Vacation Travel Insurance
With the recent health crisis that shook the world, it’s more important than ever to have a travel insurance plan that you can depend on.
Travel Guard
I recommend Travel Guard not only because of their 20 years’ worth of experience, but mainly due to their coverage.
You will have protection on items such as a trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss and more!
Travelex
I like Travelex as another good option for you. It’s an opportunity for you to find some better rates for your vacation.
Best Books About Disney World and Other Theme Parks
Below are my top books for planning out your theme park vacation.
The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide: Tips and Tricks for Theme Park Hopping in Florida
This book highlights how to travel confidently to theme parks alone and save money doing it!
This lighthearted handbook will dispel the myths of going solo to parks and will inspire you to create your own travel memories.
- Part I includes six chapters with tips that teach you how to master your solo theme park vacation goals.
- Part II includes questions I’m frequently asked and key points to remember when it comes to going to a park alone.
- Part III includes extras that will help you succeed such as my favorite hotels, PRO resources and tools.
Theme Park Ultimate Guidebooks
Below are the best theme park books to get you started on your next vacation.
Halloween Horror Nights: The Unofficial Story & Guide
This book details the mixed events that led to the world’s greatest Halloween experience.
It covers all the behind-the-scenes stories and secrets such as: The Rat Lady and more.
- Ripley, Christopher (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 270 Pages – 06/13/2024 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
It also tells you the best way to tour Halloween Horror Nights. This annual haunted event is my favorite at Universal. I love reading the stories and insights of past creators in this book.
Solo Travel Journal
A solo travel journal not only shows you how to travel alone and not be lonely, it also allows you to breakdown your vacation into digestible moments that are easy to share with family.
- Every trip you take is a chance to see more, to notice more, to make discoveries, and to come home with more than you imagined. Capture the moments of each excursion in this one-of-a-kind travel journal. Its reflective spaces and creative prompts will help you fully immerse yourself in the experience. Bring it along as your travel companion on one trip, or many!
- This unique guided journal holds unexpected prompts to help inspire thoughtful reflections from any travel adventure. It includes breakout spreads with uplifting quotes to help frame your thoughts and experiences, along with space for packing lists, notes, addresses, and things you want to remember.
- Features foil stamping on a softcover and a ribbon marker. Printed with soy and metallic inks.
- 5.75″W x 8.5″H, 112 pages
- An elegant gift to celebrate a travel adventure, retirement, bon voyage party, or big vacation
Knowing that you will keep a solo travel journal around will help ease the nervousness you may have about your first experience.
Plus, it’s a great item to have to help reflect on your travels in the future, but don’t feel too much pressure to have to write everything down on your trip.
Theme Park Packing List
Now it’s time to go through all of your theme park essentials.
Theme Park Shirts
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More Theme Park Essentials:
- A small umbrella (a must in Florida summers to block sun and rain)
- Backup shirt (just in case I get too sweaty in a summertime)
- Camera
- Cell phone
- Debit cards, cash, and I.D.
- Downloaded park map
- Feminine care and hygiene products like deodorant
- Hand sanitizers and hand wipes
- Hat and sunglasses
- Lip gloss
- Portable charger for my phone
- Reusable water bottle
- Small disposable poncho
- Light snacks
- Theme Park Solo Travel Guide Book
- Small bottle of hand lotion
- Sunscreen
- Theme park tickets
- A mask (just in case…)
- Water mist fan or cooling towel for the summer
- Ziploc bags that are waterproof
Solo Theme Park Travel Tips:
- 18 Tips for Going to a Theme Park Alone
- How to Plan for a Solo Day at a Theme Park
- Advantages for Going Solo to a Theme Park
- The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide
- How to Save Money for Walt Disney World in 6 Months
- Magic Kingdom for Adults the Complete Guide
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