These Costco Items Are Worth It For Planning Family Trips On A Budget

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If you're a Costco member, you know you can find quite a few budget-friendly travel essentials at the retail chain, from camping to luggage to road trip snacks. However, the warehouse store also has items that can make your family trips a lot more fun. One particular benefit worth using is Costco's discount theme park tickets and season passes, which can help save you some money if you're on a budget. (Who isn't these days?) While selections change all the time, it's worth keeping your eyes on the Costco website's "Theme Parks & Attractions" page if you're organizing a family vacation, or if you live near a theme park and just want to save some cash.

At the time of this writing, there are four theme park offerings on Costco.com, including one season pass. Universal Studios Hollywood is one of the top-tier attractions if you're visiting California, and if you're staying in the area for a while, it's hard to beat Costco's deal. It's most similar to the park's California Neighbor Season Pass and costs roughly the same (about $180), but Costco's season pass lasts longer (180 days within 11 months, compared to 150 days within nine months). Keep in mind, though, that you can't take advantage of these perks without being a Costco member, which costs $65 per year, or $130 per year for an executive membership, as of August 2026.

There are also day or multi-day passes available from Costco at the time of this writing. Costco has a single-day pass for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park that includes unlimited rides on the Africa Tram, costing $65 for visitors aged 12 and up and $58 for kids 3 to 11. If you purchase day passes online from the park directly, they'll set you back $78 for adults and $68 for kids. Even the "Value Days" tickets are more expensive than the Costco deal, with adult tickets costing $73 and kid tickets at $63.

Legoland is another option as of this writing, with a Legoland California Three-Day Sea Life + Water Park Resort Hopper ticket priced at $104 after a $26 manufacturer's discount. It includes Legoland California Resort, Legoland Water Park, and Sea Life Aquarium (valid for three visits within 60 days, or before the expiration date). On the park's website, there are two-day resort hopper passes that change, depending on the day's pricing, but the lowest price we found was $109, which still puts it above the Costco three-day pass. Moreover, it's less flexible, requiring that the second visit occur within three days of the first. Additionally, Costco has a two-day Legoland Florida Resort Hopper Ticket that includes the park, water park, and Sea Life Aquarium for $95, beating the theme park's website's two-day pass, starting at $114.

There are other Costco perks besides discounted attraction tickets. If you're looking to book a whole vacation package to a theme park, using the Costco Travel website may be worth it if it's offering a deal on your destination. The website has several different options and vacation packages, so make sure you take some time to explore.