DEAD DEAL:Holiday World: 4 Tickets for $32 (Fun Frugal Amusement Park Idea!)

by Briana Carter on May 22, 2009

holiday-world-discount-tickets

UPDATE: This deal is DEAD. They are stating only the first 100 subscribers were eligible and they reached that on May 23, 2009.  It did state “While Supplies Last.”

If you ordered a subscription and do not get the tickets, I would call and cancel and request your money back. If that doesn’t work, then file a dispute with paypal!  Sorry for any inconvenience.

This is the best deal I’ve seen on Holiday World Tickets! Subscribe to Indianapolis Women Magazine and receive FREE tickets.

  • Order a 1 year subscription @$18 and receive 2 Holiday World Tickets ($90 value)
  • Order a 2 year subscription @$32 and receive 4 Holiday World Tickets ($180 value)

(Thanks Gretchen!)

Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN is one of those “hidden” treasures in Indiana. It is the best deal on an amusement park. We’ve been several times and would go more if it wasn’t a 4 hour drive!

The water park is fantastic and there are rides for kids of all ages.  I get a little queasy on the rides but Bryan convinced me to ride the Voyage (similar to the Beast at King’s Island) last time we went.  Somehow I also ended up riding the Pilgrim Cups (tea cup ride) with the children. Of course, that almost ruined the rest of my day….

Some of the more popular rides also have “holding” areas for the kidlets if both parents want to ride together. It kind of reminds me of a pig pen.

My kids love the water area probably the most and it is usually the most crowded area of the park. They have a new water ride too called the Pilgrim Plunge…no way are you getting me on that!

Holiday World Highlights:

  • Free Soft drinks all day long. They have drink stations all over the place.
  • Food in park is inexpensive. Everything we’ve had to eat is tasty and inexpensive. Not ridiculously marked up like some amusement parks.
  • Free sunscreen stations.
  • Clean and friendly.

Since we drive several hours, when we go we stay overnight and go to the park for two days. This gives us plenty of time at the park as well as not rushing or driving tired. I recommend staying in a nearby town to get the best deal!

This is a place the kids love going to even year after year! You definitely get your money’s worth!

Have you been to Holiday World? What’s your favorite ride, tip, or trick?

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NOW CLOSED: Cheap, Fun Spring Break? Think Asheville, NC & a Giveaway

by Briana Carter on February 25, 2009
Ashville, NC

Many people are cutting back on travel due to the economy, I know we canceled our normal Florida Spring Break trip because of uncertainty in the construction industry.We have been looking for something to do for a couple of days or a long weekend. Something family friendly AND wallet friendly!

While at Blissdom 2009 (are you sick of hearing about that yet?), I met a few folks who had great things to say about Asheville, NC. The Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched a special “micro site” called CoolAshevilleSavings.com. It is FILLED with money saving tips, lists of FREE things to do, special offers, and coupons you can use during your trip. They even have a list of the hotels with FREE breakfast. That’s the only kind of hotel I want to stay at.

ASHEVILLE - Any Way You Like it

Here’s a sampling of just a few FREE or inexpensive family activities:

  • As part of the creation of Biltmore Estate, Chief Forester Dr. Carl Schenck created the first forestry school in America – now the Cradle of Forestry. Hands-on exhibits and learning opportunities are abundant in the Forest Discovery Center. It’s free on Tuesdays for everyone and free for youth 15 years and younger throughout the year.
    Sliding Rock Asheville, NC
  • The Pisgah Center of Wildlife Education features exhibits about wildlife and habitats in the North Carolina mountains. You can even feed some of the mountain trout!
  • You will want to visit the  Mast General Store in downtown Asheville. The kids (and adults) will love the old fashioned candy in the candy barrels.
  • Water Fall Adventures

One really cool promotion is the Go Blue Ridge Card. It is like all pass card. For one low price you get admission to top attractions like (there are many many more in addition to these!):

Go Blue Ridge Pass
  • Biltmore
  • Whitewater Rafting
  • Smoky Mountain Jet Boats
  • Grandfather Mountain
  • Chimney Rock Park
  • Linville Caverns
  • Tweetsie Railroad
  • Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville
  • Wine Tasting

The Blue Ridge card also comes with a FREE full color guidebook, VIP savings on shopping & dining. You can purchase 2, 3, or 5 day passes depending on how you are visiting.

Bargain Tip: You can purchase Go Card are available in other cities. So check out smartdestinations.com before you plan your next trip.

I have a funny story about the Biltmore. Many years ago, my parents and I were on our way home from a family reunion. I really wanted to go to the Biltmore after seeing pictures my mom had taken on a previous trip with just her and dad. My dad would not backtrack so we could go. So needless to say, to this day, I have still not seen this beautiful palace.

We are still undecided as to our travel plans. Maybe will do nothing over Spring Break. Kind of flying by the seat of our pants this year! For more insider tips about Asheville visit the Asheville Travel Blog.

So what is in it for you?

Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau is going to give one lucky reader (2) Go Blue Ridge Cards and piece of Appalachian Pottery, a local artist shop. You will get your pottery before your trip – so get a little piece of Asheville before you leave.

How to Win?

Easy Entry: Visit Explore Asheville, sign up for their E Newsletter, and  post a comment on what you would look most forward to doing in Asheville. (While you are at it – sign up for their RSS feed too! Trust me, you will want to do this to get all the latest scoop from their blog! It is updated regularly with ongoing happenings and seasonal events!)

Bonus entries (Up to 4 additional entries):

  • Leave me a comment with a budget travel tip.
  • Blog about this giveaway.
  • Grab my button. (It is on my sidebar)
  • Subscribe to my free newsletter via email or RSS. (You don’t want to miss out on any deals/giveaways!!!)
  • Digg, Technorati, Twitter, Stumble, etc. If you twitter, be sure to include me (@bargainbriana) in the twitter so it see it.

Leave a separate comment for each extra entry. It is very important that you leave a separate comment for each additional extra entry.

Ends around 3/6 at 11:59 EST. (As long as you can still comment you can enter!) Winner, chosen by random.org, will be announced on the Giveaway Winners Page by 03/07/09 and I will contact you. (If winner doesn’t respond to my email within 48 hours, I will pick another winner.)

Want to win more? Enter to win the rest of my current giveaways!

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