New Jersey 

Bowcraft Amusement Park — Scotch Plains
​Bowcraft is a pay-per-ride park, but you can ride all day with wristband pricing. Weekday passes (before 4 p.m.) are the cheapest option. There are great summer night specials of $12.95 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Clementon Park and Splashworld — Clementon
Buy tickets online Mondays through Thursdays and take advantage of BOGO sales. Check out our review of Clementon Park and Splashworld before you go!

Jenkinson's Boardwalk — Point Pleasant
At Jenkinson's, wristband are discounted on Tuesdays, 12–6 p.m. and Fridays, 5–11 p.m. ($20 per person).

Keansburg Amusement Park and Runaway Rapids — Keansburg
There are tons of ways to save at Keansburg. Until August 31, 2017, visit the park on a Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday for BOGO savings on unlimited ride wristbands. Receive two combination bracelets (good at Keansburg Amusement Park and three-hour admission at Runaway Rapids) for $48.24, or pay $36.95 for two admissions to Keansburg. Tuesdays are Kiddie Days, and the price drops to $18–26 per person for wristbands, depending on whether kids want to go on thrill rides. On Fridays, take advantage of Coca-Cola Family Nights for discounted wristbands. After 7 p.m. on Fridays, the prices are slashed further to $16 per person for unlimited rides. Keansburg Splash Nights offer discounted wristbands after 4 p.m.; expect to pay $13 on Mondays and $19 on weekends.

Save on Tuesdays and Thursdays at ​Morey's Piers in Wildwood.

Morey's Piers — Wildwood
The best deal at Morey's is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1–6 p.m., when you can buy wristbands for admission to all three piers for $25 (water park admission not included). Also on Thursdays, MOR-EZ ticket cards go twice as far on amusement rides.

Mountain Creek Water Park — Vernon
Mountain Creek shows its appreciation to civil service and military personnel with half-off admission. Recently visited a competitor water park? Show your ticket at Mountain Creek and save $10. Also, check the park's site for mid-week specials, which run regularly.

RELATED: Free Outdoor Summer Movies for New Jersey Families

Got straight A's? Get a discount on admission to Sahara Sam's.

Sahara Sam’s Oasis — Berlin
This indoor-outdoor water park regularly offers special discounts for military families, kids with straight A's (how's that for motivation?), AAA members, and during your birthday month. Plus, the park lets seniors over 65 in for FREE. Also, check to see if your employer participates in the Sahara Sam's Oasis corporate discount program. Neighboring Diggerland USA offers similar discounts.

Six Flags Great Adventure — Jackson
Six Flags' Summer Sale Ticket gives you 40% off the regular price of a  daily ticket. Must be purchased at least one day in advance, and may be used through September 10. 

Steel Pier — Atlantic City
Every Friday is Wristband Day at Steel Pier. From 3 p.m. until closing, buy unlimited-ride wristbands for $30 per person. 

Pennsylvania

Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark — Tannersville, PA
Just over the New Jersey border, enjoy Four4Fun: one ticket, four same-day admissions (online sale only). Have some night owls at home? The afternoon and evening have twilight pricing with deep discounts. Staying overnight? You'll practically get a BOGO that combines the twilight admission plus the next day's for one special price. Military discounts are available.

Dutch Wonderland — Lancaster, PA
At Dutch Wonderland, there are plenty of ways to save. Online discounts include Hershey–Dutch Wonderland combo tickets, two-day flex tickets (working out to $30/visit), twilight admission for $20 for the last three hours the park is open, Smart Day tickets on Tues/Wed/Thurs for $33, or $35-39 for advance ticket purchases (depending on how far ahead you buy).

Hershey Park — Hershey, PA
Go online for buy-two-get-one-free tickets. Seniors over 70 can purchase tickets for less than half of the full-price ticket. Consider staying the night and upgrade your day pass to two days for an additional $39. Present your ticket the night before (2.5 hours before close) and get a FREE preview of the park. Combo tickets that include meals and games are available online. Military personnel qualify for special discounts.

RELATED: 15 Awesome Water Parks for NJ Kids and Families

Cozy up to Cookie Monster and other beloved Sesame Place characters for less $$. Photo by Cait Sumner

Sesame Place — Langhorne, PA
Don't spend top dollar to see Cookie Monster. Sesame Place offers a $10-15 discount off repeat-visit tickets. In addition, AAA members qualify for a discount, and military personnel and veterans are honored with half off the price of up to six tickets.

More ways to save:

• Season passes are always more cost effective. Buy early to save big (look for end-of-season sales), and some parks like Clementon offer pre-season payment plans.
• Pull together 20 of your friends and family on the same day and apply for group admission in advance. 
• Save money and time by buying online. Many parks charge more at the ticket window. 
• Search your Entertainment Books for coupons.

This article was originally published in 2012 and has been updated for 2017

Top photo: Morey's. Photos courtesy of the parks