This article was written in 2018, so these prices may not be current. However, my opinion about the value of a Fun Card vs. an Annual Pass remains the same.
It’s great being a Florida resident. We get deals on almost everything. Half price admission, discounts, pay for a day and play all year. When I finally switched my driver’s license over, it opened up a world of possibilities. However, there is one place where I will always choose the more expensive option over the Florida resident special and that is the SeaWorld family of parks. The Fun Card and the Annual Pass just don’t compare.
I bought my first annual pass to SeaWorld before I even left Tennessee. It also included Aquatica because I had always wanted to go there and I figured out adding it to the pass was about the same cost as a one day ticket. (Boy, am I glad I did seeing as its now my favorite water park.) I’ve never even considered switching over to the less expensive option called a Fun Card.
A Fun Card can be purchased at SeaWorld, Aquatica, or Busch Gardens and can be for one or two parks. It is good from the purchase date to the end of the year, so if you bought it today it would be good until December 31, 2018, and it is roughly the cost of a one or two day ticket. A SeaWorld only Fun Card is $99.99, the same price as a one day admission, and a Fun Card for both parks is $176.99. A SeaWorld annual pass is $175 and a Busch Gardens + SeaWorld pass is $220 and is good for 365 days. The pass for both parks plus Aquatica (the pass I have) is $252. I have many reasons for choosing it other than being able to add Aquatica.
Fun Cards do not include parking! At $20 a visit, that alone will add up quick. You also get 10% off most food and merchandise purchases with an annual pass. Mom and Dad in town? Their tickets are 50% off! Every month there is something new available. For example, in June at SeaWorld I can get a free one time quick queue for Mako and in August I get a one time dine for $10, (that’s one meal including dessert and drink for $10!). At Busch Gardens in May, I get $10 off the Animal Care Center behind-the-scenes tour, and in November I get 50% off the Serengeti Safari! At Aquatica in August I can get a free one time quick queue, and in November I get tickets for friends for $25 each. I’m very excited for September when my Busch Gardens pass gets me into Adventure Island. I’ve never been there! There’s also all kinds of savings on behind the scenes tours and even on Discovery Cove year round.
Still not sure about the money? As long as it’s still early in the year, have one person get the annual pass and the other get the Fun Card. It just means the person with the Fun Card can’t go without the other unless they want to pay for parking, but the annual pass holder can go whenever they want. See which annual pass option would best fit your family.
I really enjoy being the person with the annual pass.
Fun fact: My combo pass for all three parks costs less than a 3 Day Disney Ticket, and its good for 365 days!
SeaWorld’s website is one of many places featured on Ebates/Rakuten where you can get cashback for your purchases, so that is additional money you can save on your Fun Card or Annual Pass. Use my link to sign up and we both get $30 after you spend $30! Check out my full review of Ebates/Rakuten here.
