The Beauty of Season Passes During the Pandemic

If there is something we’ve learned during this pandemic, it’s to venture out of our comfort zones. Or maybe we didn’t venture out, we were more like forced out. But during this time of social distancing and spending the majority of our time in our homes, we’ve come up with ways as parents, employees, and individuals to entertain our children and ourselves, specifically out of doors. As a mom of a two-year-old boy, I’ve been leery of taking him with me on errands; I try not to take him to the grocery store, car appointments, and he isn’t permitted at my OBGYN clinic for my ever-increasing pregnancy appointments. As for social interactions, playdates are kept to a select few friends. But there are ways to get out and get some fresh air for yourself and your young one(s). State or national parks, zoos, and playgrounds all provide an open air environment that can be easily scoped out and approved or disapproved depending on your comfort level. Even better, if you know you’ll be visiting these places multiple times, a season pass is the way to go if you’re able.

I get it. Season passes are expensive. They also might not be worth the money if you only plan on visiting that specific place once, twice, even three times. You’ll have to do the math and determine if paying for a one-time ticket each time adds up to what a season pass would cost you. This past Christmas, my husband and I purchased one-time tickets to the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium, located near Phoenix, AZ. If you’re not adverse to discounts, try out Groupon. Ticket prices are most often pretty expensive for zoos and aquariums. A day pass to a park might not be so bad, but those smaller fees can also add up over time. So I went the Groupon route and got a discounted rate. Once we arrived at the zoo, we were ready to see everything we could and get the most out of the day. However, even after spending 7 hours there, we still hadn’t seen everything. After discussing all the pros (our son loved it; it’s a ten minute drive from our house; we’re about to have a new baby so it’s a safer place to get out and about with her) and the cons (the price of two season passes), we decided to go for it. We purchased one for him and one for me because our two year old is still able to get in free. Thus far, we’ve visited the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium four times, which means we’ve got our money’s worth in the two months we’ve had the tickets. 

As for state or national parks, we also purchased a year pass to the White Tank Mountains. All three of us love to hike, and the White Tanks are less than a twenty minute drive from our house. We’re able to park near numerous trail heads, whichever one we’ve picked for the day, and trek on in. This one was a harder decision to make because the day pass is less than $10. Since the year pass can only be under one person’s name, I have to be in the car for them to accept it (my husband can’t just take our son and use the pass). However, many weekends are spent together and several of those have already been dedicated to hiking, so again, a yearly pass was ideal for us. 

There are also perks to living in or near a city, or simply visiting one. Most seem to have some type of discounted pass or ticket that allows you entry into several places, whether it be exhibits, museums, gardens, entertainment venues, etc. For example, the Pogopass has several participating locations: Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Kansas City, MO; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; and South Central, TX. You pay a certain dollar amount for the pass and it becomes your ticket into multiple attractions around the city of your choosing. If you only plan on visiting one attraction, chances are the pass isn’t worth it. However, if you’re sightseeing or new to the city, a city pass is possibly the best way to save money and see all that you can. If you’re near or plan on visiting one of the cities mentioned above, here is the link for the Pogopass: https://www.pogopass.com/

The pandemic has certainly put a dampener on traveling and exploring new places. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. More importantly, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Shop around for those deals, budget how much you’d like to spend vs. how much time you’d get to enjoy a certain place, and go from there. Do you purchase season passes? Have you found them to be beneficial or a regret? Connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, Agape, be kind, and happy parenting!