There is a seemingly endless list of destinations around the world boasting impressive roller coasters, live shows, parades and food options, So it’s easy to get in a spin when it comes to booking our next theme park adventure.
Calculating cost-per-ride in the world’s most-visited theme parks
| Theme park | Location | Annual visitors | Number of attractions | Cost of a family ticket* | Cost per ride |
| Prater | Leopoldstadt, Austria | 4,200,000 | 250 | £154.76 | £0.62 |
| Beto Carrero World | Penha, Brazil | 2,241,000 | 100 | £75.31 | £0.75 |
| Gold Reef City | Johannesburg, South Africa | 1,277,500 | 46 | £40.55 | £0.88 |
| Six Flags México | Mexico City, Mexico | 2,803,000 | 50 | £51.06 | £1.02 |
| Liseberg | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2,950,000 | 37 | £40.50 | £1.09 |
| Hopi Hari | São Paulo, Brazil | 1,028,000 | 35 | £39.48 | £1.13 |
| Fantasilandia | Santiago, Chile | 1,100,000 | 42 | £47.51 | £1.13 |
| Parque Mundo Aventura | Bogotá, Colombia | 1,151,000 | 33 | £37.76 | £1.14 |
| Six Flags Great Adventure | New Jersey, USA | 3,451,000 | 58 | £89.95 | £1.55 |
| Cedar Point | Sandusky, USA | 3,604,000 | 82 | £136.42 | £1.66 |
| Six Flags Over Georgia | Austell, USA | 2,050,000 | 43 | £72.54 | £1.69 |
| Canada’s Wonderland | Toronto, Canada | 3,950,000 | 70 | £121.88 | £1.74 |
| Tivoli Gardens | Copenhagen, Denmark | 4,850,000 | 25 | £45.00 | £1.80 |
| Bakken | Klampenborg, Denmark | 2,900,000 | 33 | £62.70 | £1.90 |
| Gardaland | Ronchi, Italy | 2,920,000 | 36 | £68.78 | £1.91 |
| Hersheypark | Pennsylvania, USA | 3,384,000 | 76 | £153.40 | £2.02 |
| Carowinds | Charlotte, USA | 2,130,000 | 56 | £121.91 | £2.18 |
| Fårup Sommerland | Fårup, Denmark | 600,000 | 60 | £137.35 | £2.29 |
| Walt Disney World Resort | Orlando, USA | 58,000,000 | 172 | £450.71 | £2.62 |
| Kings Island | Mason, USA | 3,521,000 | 48 | £130.62 | £2.72 |
| Europa Park | Rust, Germany | 5,750,000 | 61 | £175.39 | £2.88 |
| Heide Park Resort | Soltau, Germany | 1,700,000 | 41 | £123.81 | £3.02 |
| Leolandia | Bergamo, Italy | 800,000 | 40 | £122.09 | £3.05 |
| Six Flags Magic Mountain | Valencia, USA | 3,610,000 | 42 | £130.62 | £3.11 |
| PortAventura | Costa Dorada, Spain | 3,750,000 | 53 | £165.07 | £3.11 |
| Djurs Sommerland | Djursland, Denmark | 818,000 | 43 | £139.21 | £3.24 |
| Blackpool Pleasure Beach | Blackpool, UK | 5,500,000 | 38 | £129.99 | £3.42 |
| Parque Warner Madrid | Madrid, Spain | 2,232,000 | 42 | £144.01 | £3.43 |
| Astérix Park | Plailly, France | 2,326,000 | 41 | £149.60 | £3.65 |
| Alton Towers | Alton, UK | 2,130,000 | 41 | £155.99 | £3.80 |
| Efteling | Kaatsheuvel, Holland | 5,260,000 | 36 | £141.00 | £3.92 |
| Chessington World of Adventures Resort | Chessington, UK | 1,690,000 | 33 | £135.99 | £4.12 |
| Puy du Fou | Les Epesses, France | 2,308,000 | 26 | £110.05 | £4.23 |
| Knott’s Berry Farm | Buena Park, USA | 4,115,000 | 40 | £179.96 | £4.50 |
| Isla Mágica | Seville, Spain | 600,000 | 20 | £92.85 | £4.64 |
| Tibidabo Amusement Park | Barcelona, Spain | 732,577 | 40 | £185.82 | £4.65 |
| Dollywood Parks & Resorts | Knoxville-Smoky Mountains, Tennessee | 2,410,000 | 50 | £244.33 | £4.89 |
| Disneyland Paris | Paris, France | 9,740,000 | 50 | £251.14 | £5.02 |
| Gröna Lund | Stockholm, Sweden | 1,700,000 | 31 | £159.00 | £5.13 |
| Phantasialand | Brühl, Germany | 2,050,000 | 32 | £170.23 | £5.32 |
| Parque de la Costa | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 968,000 | 30 | £161.82 | £5.39 |
| Siam Park | Costa Adeje, Spain | 1,200,000 | 20 | £110.05 | £5.50 |
| Dreamworld | Queensland, Australia | 1,400,000 | 47 | £272.33 | £5.79 |
| Disneyland Resort | Anaheim, USA | 18,660,000 | 55 | £393.30 | £7.15 |
| Thorpe Park Resort | Chertsey, UK | 1,900,000 | 27 | £199.99 | £7.41 |
| Ferrari World | Abu Dhabi, UAE | 1,100,000 | 26 | £207.45 | £7.98 |
| Universal Orlando Resort | Orlando, USA | 10,920,000 | 53 | £468.77 | £8.84 |
| Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay, USA | 4,180,000 | 27 | £278.62 | £10.32 |
| Warner Bros. Movie World | Oxenford, Australia | 2,000,000 | 15 | £248.04 | £16.54 |
| Universal Studios Hollywood | Los Angeles, USA | 9,150,000 | 21 | £365.73 | £17.42 |
| *Day Pass – Two adults and two children |
Taking the world’s most visited theme parks, our consumer spending experts calculated which parks have the lowest cost-per-ride, and offer the best value for money.
Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, Austria tops the list as the most affordable theme park for families. A day pass for two adults and two children at the nostalgic theme park costs £154.76, and with over 250 attractions including a Giant Ferris Wheel with views across the whole park, a visit to Prater will set you back just £0.62 per ride.
Beto Carrero World in Penha, Brazil is the second most affordable theme park in the report. With over 100 white-knuckle attractions to choose from, a family ticket costs just £75.31, which averages out at just £0.75 per ride.
The Castle of Nations is a stand out attraction at Beto Carrero World, it was inspired by medieval castles and its artistic painting was designed so that visitors can feel the magic and fantasy atmosphere of the theme park upon arrival.
Rounding off the top three is Gold Reef City theme park in Johannesburg, South Africa. The attraction, which boasts 46 gold-rush themed attractions, may be located on an old gold mine but it won’t cost you the earth. Families can expect to pay just £0.88 per ride, as a day pass for a family of four will set you back just £40.55.
Visitors at Gold Reef City theme park should check out the Anaconda ride, the perfect attraction for thrill seekers with a well-earned nine out of 10 Fear Factor rating. This thrilling ride is for adrenaline junkies who crave twists and turns at high speed.
Despite its undeniable global appeal and popularity, Universal Studios Hollywood in California emerged as the most expensive theme park to visit, with a day pass costing £365.73 for a family of four. Taking into account the 21 attractions found within the park, this hefty sum works out at a staggering £17.42 per ride.
The cheapest theme park hotels around the world
For those who feel a day simply isn’t long enough, many theme parks now boast on-site hotels or have partner hotels nearby for families that want to extend their visit and make the most of all the theme parks have to offer.
Not only are these hotels convenient, they have many additional benefits; complimentary drinks to queue jumping and extended park hours, alongside the convenience of staying nearby. Imagine spending the day riding white-knuckle coasters and then loading everyone up into your car and tackling the long drive home, when you can just stay the night in a theme park hotel.
From Brazil to Holland, we’ve analysed theme park hotels around the world, to determine which offer the best value for money for an overnight stay, for two adults and two children.
Beto Carrero World in Penha, Brazil takes the top spot as the cheapest hotel for a family of four. The hotel, which is situated just 3 km from the theme park, will cost families around £28.87 for an overnight stay.
In total, a day pass with overnight accommodation at the biggest theme park in Latin America will cost a family of four £104.18.
Djurs Sommerland, in Djursland, Denmark, takes second place, with nearby accommodation costing just £57.62. Combined with the £139.21 family day pass tickets, a family of four can enjoy the full theme park experience for just £196.83. The park is sure to be a hit among thrill-seekers of all ages, after being voted the best family park in Europe, with under one million guests per year at the Park World Excellence Awards in 2019.
Six Flags Over Georgia, the 290-acre theme park located west of Atlanta, Georgia, rounds up the top three cheapest theme parks, with overnight accommodation for a family of four at a partner hotel costing as little as £85.97. As the second Six Flags to open its doors back in 1967, the park is home to some of the top ranked steel roller coasters in the world, with some of the top-rated including: The Twisted Cyclone, Goliath, Mind Bender and Acrophobia.
Families wanting to experience all the rides, shows and attractions the theme park has to offer, can expect to pay approximately £216.59 for their park tickets and hotel stay.
