Half-Price Ride Tickets Available Online This Year

The annual half-price sales on Boardwalk ride tickets have long been a rite of spring in Ocean City.

But this year, both of Ocean City's amusement centers will offer the same discounts for online purchases.

"For many years now, Gillian's Amusement Parks have been offering discount tickets to our parks online during the November through December holiday season, and, in person only, during Palm and Easter weekends," Gillian's announced in a Facebok post on Tuesday. "It is with great pleasure to announce that the Gillian family is now offering our annual Easter Ticket Sale online."

Playland's Castaway Cove has offered its spring ticket sale online for five years and will continue this spring.

• Gillian's Wonderland Pier: Discounted tickets for Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Gillian's Funland, as well as Gillian’s Water Park and Adventure Golf may be purchased by visiting https://store.gillians.com/default.aspx between March 19 and March 31. Half-price tickets also will be available in person noon to 5 p.m. on the weekends of March 23-24 and March 30-31 at Gillian's Wonderland Pier (Sixth Street and Boardwalk) and at Stainton's: A Gallery of Shops (810 Asbury Avenue). Sale price is 25 tickets for $10 (normally $20).

• Playland's Castaway Cove: Half-price tickets at Playland will be available by visiting http://www.playlandstore.com/ between March 23 and April 7. Half-price tickets also will be available in person noon to 5 p.m. daily at the Dairy Queen (in front of Playland's Castaway Cove at 10th Street and Boardwalk) during the same dates. Sale prices include 40 tickets for $20 (normally $1 per ticket).

The rides at Gillian's Wonderland Pier range from one ticket for the carousel to five tickets for rides including the log flume and giant Ferris wheel. At Playland's Castaway Cove, the marquee Double Shot thrill ride asks for six tickets.

The spring ticket sales have long been a popular way to help offset the costs of a summer night on the Boardwalk.