Seoul on a budget: Everland! (part 1)

“Everland” is often touted as the “Disneyland” of Korea and if you’ve been to both places, you’ll understand why. It is the largest theme park and it also includes a zoo and a waterpark.
Everland is not exactly located in Seoul, but it’s a popular destination among Korean and foreign tourists. It has also been featured in several movies and television dramas. The first Jang Dong Gun movie that I saw was partly filmed at Everland’s zoo. The movie is called “Repechage” and pairs JDG with Kim Hee Sun. This is the movie me curious about Korea. I never thought that such a handsome guy exists in this part of the world. Wow! It was almost a decade ago.
The theme park opens at 9 o’clock in the morning and closes at 10 o’clock at night. It is best to visit the park on weekdays as you’ll always end up wasting your time queuing up at most rides. On a weekend, it will take you about an hour and a half for the safari alone. On the average, you’ll need to line up for an hour at most rides. I’m not kidding!
ADMISSION TICKET. Unlike Disneyland, the Samsung owned Everland isn’t as expensive. A single day pass to the world-renowed US theme park costs $62, while it’s only 35,000 won or just about $30 at Everland. From 5 o’clock in the afternoon, it’s only 30,000 won.
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So how can you save at Everland? If you visit their website, there’s a downloadable coupon for foreigners. You can get a discount of 2,000 won per person for up to four persons per coupon. Also, some Korean issued credit cards offer a 50% discount on admission tickets. We only pay 17,500 won per person whenever we visit Everland. In September, we’re going to take advantage of the 10,000 won entrance ticket offered by KEB to its cardholders. (10,000 won for the cardholder and 20% discount for up to three companions)
FOOD. There are a lot of restaurants and food kiosks at the theme park. A spaghetti meal at one of the restaurants there costs 8,000 won. However, if you want to save money on food you can always pack a roll of “kimbap” or sandwiches for your lunch and snacks. There are designated areas where you can have your “picnic”. Of course, don’t forget the water.
To be continued…