THEME PARKS LOWER PRICES TO LURE MORE LOCALS.

Byline: Jerry Rice Staff Writer

Several Southland theme parks have declared their independence from higher prices with discounts in time for the Fourth of July holiday.

Some of the markdowns are recent arrivals, others have been in effect for awhile, and all mean park visitors will get a bigger bang for their buck.

The most recent round of rollbacks came last week when Disney fired off its plan to knock $10 off the adult ticket price and combine it with a free child's admission to the company's 4-month-old California Adventure (DCA).

``It's pretty rare that a park this new would do this kind of discounting,'' says Randall Tierney, a Los Angeles-based editor with the industry trade magazine Amusement Business. ``What it does is lower the overall family price considerably. They definitely need the revenue, but more than that, they want the attendance.''

Getting people through the California Adventure turnstiles hasn't been as easy as Disney would have liked. The 55-acre park, which can accommodate about 30,000 guests, has on most days drawn less than half that, says Al Lutz, editor of the unofficial Disney Web site MousePlanet.com. (Disney, like many other theme park companies, generally doesn't release attendance figures.)

The day after Disney's action, Knott's Berry Farm moved up a promotion planned for August and shaved $3 off its already-discounted child's ticket.

Both offers are valid only for Southern California residents.

``With DCA, they're trying to get more families in to discover it, one who might have been put off by the price,'' Tierney says.

California Adventure was charging $43 for an adult ticket, the same as Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. But many visitors and observers had been critical of the price at the new park since it doesn't offer as much to do, particularly for youngsters.

Attendance at other Southland parks has been a mixed bag. At Disneyland, the Southland's most-visited theme park and DCA's next-door neighbor, attendance is down 3 to 4 percent in the past three months, according to the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, Universal Studios, which has been pushing a kids-get-in-free promotion since early this year, has enjoyed a slight increase in ticket sales, the Journal reported.

Visits this year to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm are comparable to 2000 numbers, say spokespeople at each of the parks.

Still, it never hurts to attract more people to ride the rides and check out the attractions. Hence the discounts.

``It's a big thing for us to have these promotions each summer because they bring a good deal of media - commercials, newspaper ads, fliers,'' says Knott's spokeswoman Dana Hammontree of the park's long-running deal with Ralphs supermarkets. ``It means a lot more media than we can afford to buy on our budget.''

Knott's isn't the only park with a grocery chain or fast-food outlet tie-in. Magic Mountain has a season-pass discount through Carl's Jr.; Universal Studios offers can be found at Burger King; and Legoland also has deals with Burger King and Toys R Us.

The price reductions come as the parks are rolling out new attractions.

At California Adventure, Disney is turning on its popular Electrical Parade on Tuesday, and later this summer will add a replica ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' set where guests can play the game. Magic Mountain is about to debut two new roller coasters in the weeks ahead - D'ja Vu, a boomerang-style ride that reaches speeds up to 65 mph, and X, which spins riders forward and backward as the cars race at 76 mph.

Universal Studios Hollywood launched its big, new attractions in time for spring break - Nickelodeon Kid Zone and Animal Planet Live!

SeaWorld recently pulled back the curtain on its acrobatics, music and special-effects show, ``Cirque de la Mer.'' And at Knott's, the water-themed Perilous Plunge has proved to be a popular addition.

``As things are more expensive, it's about value,'' Hammontree says. ``If you're looking to spend $60-plus to get your family into a theme park, it comes down to where you'll get the most for your money.''

And from the parks' perspectives, with concerns about fewer out-of-state visitors, attracting more Southern Californians becomes more important. So, are additional price cuts on the way?

``It's certainly possible,'' Tierney says.

DISNEYLAND

Discount prices: $43 adults; $33 children (ages 3 to 9).

Regular prices: $43 and $33.

Information: [phone]; www.disneyland.com.

DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Discount prices: $33 adults; children (ages 3 to 9) free with paid adult.

Regular prices: $43 and $33.

Information: [phone]; www.disneyland.com.

KNOTT'S BERRY FARM

Discount prices: $21.95 adults; $9.95 children (ages 3 to 11) with ticket purchased at Ralphs supermarkets.

Regular prices: $40 and $15.

Information: [phone]; www.knotts.com.

LEGOLAND

Discount prices: $25 adults and children (ages 3 to 16).

Regular prices: $39 and $33.

Information: [phone]; www.legoland.com.

SEAWORLD ADVENTURE PARK

Discounted prices: Discounts for Southland residents ended in May. Current offers are combo packs linked to other parks.

Regular prices: $41.95 adults; $31.95 children (ages 3 to 11).

Information: [phone]; www.seaworld.com.

SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN

Discounted prices: $31 adults; $21.50 children (48 inches and shorter) with an empty can from Coca-Cola product.

Regular prices: $42.99 and $21.50.

Information: [phone]; www.sixflags.com.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD

Discounted prices: $43 adults; children (ages 3 to 11) free with paid adult.

Regular prices: $43 and $33.

Information: [phone], [phone]; www.universalstudios.com.