Busch Gardens (Tampa) Best Ticket Prices
 

Looking for the best Busch Gardens (Tampa) ticket prices - for 1 day adult tickets. I've seen older threads about buying them at Publix or using Southwest Rapid Rewards card for 20% off at the gate. Does anyone know if either of these still work or if there is another discount that's better/current? We do not want any kind of pkg deal since we're staying Ft Myers Beach and only going to Tampa for 1 day. TIA

Buying the tickets online from BG website is cheaper than paying at the gate. I have never looked at Publix prices, but they may have a discount. If you are military, they allow military and three dependents in for free once a year.

http://www.herosalute.com/cavatx/index.html

Right now they have the all day dining free with paid ticket- ticket is $85 on website.

The one day ticket with free dining is going for $80.24 if you buy in advance from AAA. The Southwest discount is 20% but only applicable at the gate. I don't know if the free dining deal applies to tickets bought at the gate with the 20% rapid rewards discount. I'm not saying the meal deal is a fantastic deal but it's certainly worth $8.

I'm ready to be slammed but while on vacation in Dec. we bought tickets on craiglist. We paid $19.00 a ticket(we needed 8) I know it was a risk but they worked just fine. I must admit we were a little worried but it thankfully worked out. I would never recommend it to anyone but it sure saved us a ton of money.

The Publix discount is actually the best of those. The gate prices are so inflated, so while 20% off Southwest discount sounds like a lot, your actually still paying about the same as what you'd pay if you bought your tickets online in advance from the website. The Publix discount is $5 or so below both of those. Apparently it is back for 2013 since there is info about it here.

guess seaworld no longer has the senior discount on annual passes?

Thanks for your help everyone! There are 2 adults going to BG - DH and DS17 and we've found 4 options (all are before tax to make comparison fair):
1. Order on BG site $85 and get free all-day dining plan ($32.99 value)
You get a wristband and can get 1 entree, 1 side or dessert and 1 drink at 6
of the restaurants as many times as you want.
2. Use SW RR card to get 20% off GATE price $85 - $17 = $68
3. Purchase at Publix $64.99
4. AAA $74.99 and receive 1 free meal voucher (not unlimited)

The guys decided to go with option #1 and feel they will get their monies worth easily by eating at least 2 meals in the park (lunch & dinner) - they both have big appetites. And since they have limited time in Tampa (also doing college visit at USF) they wanted to have tickets pre-purchased.

I realize that may not be the best choice for everyone, but it's what the guys chose.
Thanks again for the help and hopefully this info will help someone else!