If time is money, then visiting a theme park is a one-two punch in the pocketbook. Not only have theme park admission tickets steadily increased in price over the years, but most of a theme park visitor´s time is spent waiting in line for rides and to purchase food. The smart theme park visitor should follow these simple guidelines to save time and money on your next theme park visit.

Always check the theme park´s website to investigate your ticket optionsMany theme parks will allow you to purchase tickets online which is your smartest option if you know how many days you will be spending in the parks. There is no need to wait in line at the ticket kiosks outside of the park before it opens. Not only can you easily purchase your tickets at home, but you will more than likely save a lot of money, too.

You can also purchase theme park tickets at retail stores affiliated with the theme park. For instance, Walt Disney World admission tickets can be purchased at any Disney Store. If you´re flying into the Orlando airport, tickets can also be purchased at Disney´s, Universal´s and Sea World´s retail stores located in the airport.

Make dining reservations ahead of time Instead of waiting in a long line for a fancy restaurant or character dining experience when you find yourself hungry, call the theme park´s reservation hotline (either before your vacation departure or first thing the morning that you want to dine out) and request reservations.

Know when to go Don´t go to a theme park on New Years Eve unless you want to waste all of your time in queue lines while wasting your money, too. The best times to travel to theme parks are between New Years and Spring Break, as well as the two weeks after Thanksgiving.Some of the most crowded times in the theme parks are on any holiday weekend, Spring Break time, the week before and after Christmas, and during the summer.

Bring food with youYou will want to investigate the theme park´s policies, but bringing snacks and bottled beverages with you will not only save you an enormous amount of money, but you will save a lot of time, too. Standing in line every time you want a cold drink or a snack will waste precious time.

Do your souvenir shopping first, last, or not at allTheme park gift shops are never crowded first thing in the morning because everyone is anxious to get on the rides. If you purchase gifts in the morning, inquire about having them stored for you at the park or sent to your hotel. You can also shop late at night, after the attractions are shut down but the stores are still open. You´ll have much longer lines at night, but you won´t be missing out on any attractions. Better yet, don´t shop for things to bring everyone back home and instead enjoy your time within the theme park.

Consider a character dining experience if you are traveling with small childrenMany kids will want to see the characters, and chances are you will waste a lot of time tracking down the characters within the park, waiting in line and then possibly seeing them disappear before you have a chance to meet them. A better option might be to splurge on a nice, sit-down meal where the characters will come to your table for pictures and autographs. You will be guaranteed a visit by all of the characters (usually within an hour or less) and you can enjoy the rest of the day.

Make sure you´ve got everything the night before Get your cash, cameras, film, snacks, sunscreen, etc. in order. Having to hunt for stores that sell these items and then stand in line and pay exorbitant prices will cost you dearly.

Get there early, stay late and take a nap in between Without a doubt, the times when attractions have the least wait time is early in the morning, late at night, and during the parades and fireworks. Try to schedule a visit to as many popular attractions as you can during these times to maximize your ticket value.

Consider staying at an on-property or affiliated resort that offers early admission for its guests If the price of staying at a hotel affiliated with the theme park is comparable to staying off-property, definitely stay at the on-property hotel. Early admission into the parks, plus free transportation or other perks that might be offered, are definitely worth a little extra money if it saves you a lot of time.

Use the theme park´s time saving options on their most popular attractions Some theme parks have unique systems, like Six Flags´ FASTLANE, which will let you make a "reservation" to come back and ride an attraction at a scheduled time. You will save an enormous amount of time using these options and will be able to see more attractions throughout the day. However, each park operates these time saving systems differently. The Walt Disney World theme parks offer their FASTPASS system for free, while Six Flag´s charges a fee.

Coming July, 2006!