The British press has recently been full of headlines concerning a recent poll that concluded days out in the U.K. were a rip-off. They quoted some of the full price tickets for the major theme parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Drayton Manor and concluded that a day out could cost between 100 and 200 for a family of 4.

What they seem to have ignored is the recent slashing of prices by some theme parks in the U.K. Tickets for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Drayton Manor and Chessington World of Adventures are currently available at a 50% discount through sites such as Loial Travel. Other theme parks such as Legoland, Lightwater Valley and Camelot have also cut ticket prices substantially.

But you won't see these prices advertised on the theme park web sites. The Alton Towers site make no mention of the 50% discounts. To take advantage you need to visit sites like Loial Travel.

In recent years prices have also been cut, but this years ticket price cuts are much more dramatic and, unlike in other years, the ticket price discounts are available through out the school summer holidays in July and August, normally the one time of year when the theme parks feel they can charge full price.

This seems to mark a change of strategy by the theme park operators. In previous years they have used 2 for 1 vouchers to promote their venues, often through the national press or in supermarket promotions. But this year has seen much less of that type of campaign, and the move to real discounts is to be welcomed by customers, since the 2 for 1 vouchers often had severe limitations. Often the "free" ticket was for a child only, could only be used one per transaction or were available only at certain times, but the biggest disadvantage was the need to queue up at the turnstiles to redeem the vouchers, resulting in long queues and unhappy customers.

Of course the World cup had a big impact on attendances at the theme parks earlier in the season and the rush is on to make up for lost time. The theme park operators know that visitors usually spend more on food, drink and souvenirs than they do on tickets, so getting visitors through the gates is the main priority.

The price cuts for theme park tickets represent a window of cost cutting opportunity for families in the U.K. to visit a theme park without breaking the bank. Long may it continue.