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Psst! Did you know that San Diego in October is free for kids?

a postcard with many different images

How did I not know this before now?

During the entire month of October, San Diego is hanging out fistfuls of cash to parents! Seriously, they are just giving it away. I am totally looking forward to pocketing at least $350 during this bonanza.

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating just a tad. But it’s true that kids can get free admission (in October) to a ton of high-ticket items, including Legoland, Sea World, and the Zoo Safari Park. There are also a bunch of restaurants offering free kids’ meals. Even Amtrak is getting in on the action.

Rock on, San Diego. Kids Free October is great.

This will be my fourth visit to the city. My first 3 visits were all unique, all interesting, but none were what you would expect (or perhaps you would, if you are a regular reader of this blog):

  • My first trip was also my first airplane ride, when I was four. Memorable moments included watching my three-year-old brother cram an entire pack of Juicyfruit gum into his mouth and getting a pair of wings from the flight attendant. No memory at all of the actual city of San Diego.
  • My next trip was when I was in high school, with my family. My 3 brothers and I stayed up all night watching HBO in the hotel room, because we didn’t have it at home. At 2 am, we were in hysterics, laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe or talk. After this experience, the Zoo was a letdown.
  • The last time I was in San Diego was when Bird was two. We visited some family friends, and the kids entertained themselves by jamming plastic buckets onto their heads, then wandering around blindly and seeing what they could walk into. Good times.

So in a sense you could say I’m a San Diego newbie. There is a lot I haven’t seen or done.

On our list: the heavy hitters. Sea World, Zoo Safari Park, Legoland. As these three attractions all offer kids free admission in October, instead of a whopping $89 per kid at Legoland, $64 per kid at Sea World, and $34 per kid at the Zoo Safari park, they will be able to enjoy the parks for free, saving us over $350!

Anyone else tempted to plan a San Diego trip?

13 Comments

  1. This is great to learn! Is it every Oct or just this year? I love San Diego. Warm and gorgeous! Legoland is awesome for kids, grown ups too. I did an evening buyout there once. I think went to the zoo safari place during a visit to my cousin Jill when I was a teenager. I remember it being awesome. Sea world is ok but the small confined tanks always make me sad.

    have fun!!;

  2. Just an FYI, Arizona schools have Fall Break throughout October and many ‘Zonies had to San Diego for the great weather and fun.

  3. I’m assuming the Zoo Safari is the former Wild Animal park. It’s quite a bit out of town, but so much more worth a visit than Sea World, IMHO, as many of the animals roam free while the humans are caged up. (Well, not exactly caged.) It’s still very expensive, even after admission is paid. I seem to remember many extras charges once inside.

    I thought the LEGOLAND sounded good until I read that kids admission was $89 and I couldn’t even imagine what adult admission might be. I guess I’ve fallen behind on the cost of theme park admissions. Would probably take the grandkids but we’re leaving for two weeks in Great Britain in about eight days and every weekend day until then is booked up.

    But life is for living and new experiences so we may figure out a way to squeeze it in at the end of the month. Thanks for the tips, Pixie, and for keeping an eye out for us so we can squeeze every last nickel out of our fun dollars. 🙂

    1. Anne – Yes, Zoo Safari is the new name for the Wild Animal Park. I also remember it being expensive, so we’re planning on bringing a picnic.

      Agree that Legoland prices are sky-high!! That is why I’m so excited about this promo!

      Hope your trip to Great Britain is fabulous and that you snap up some cute English outfits 🙂

      1. Other people might shop for souvenirs on trips…….I shop for clothes. It isn’t easy though finding a store you like in a foreign country and keeping your spouse occupied while you look. 😉

  4. Oh, and one more thing. I do hate to be nosy, well only a little bit, but do you work from home? You have lots more time to travel than I did when I was holding down a full time job.

    1. Anne – Totally valid question!! I work for myself, plus I work in education, so my vacation time possibilities are more abundant and flexible than they would be with a job on a different schedule. Definitely a big perk.

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