New York City Discount and Attractions Passes - Are They Really a Savings?

As a lifelong New Yorker, and someone who is- Are you able to see any of the Museums on their
generally wary of tourist scams, I was very skepticalFree or Pay-As-You-Wish Days and Times? Do you
when analyzing the New York City attractions passesknow which Museums are suggested donation vs.
and whether or not they could be recommended.admission price?
The short answer, is that in MOST cases, they can- Are you also buying a Bus Tour and what is the
offer a savings. You have to make sure you arebest package you can get?
evaluating the passes correctly and reading into any- How many days will you be here? Are you traveling
hidden costs.with anyone who may not be able to see 4-5
When planning your vacation, questions to ask are:attractions in a day (note: that is a very aggressive
- Empire State Building - Do you want to go to theschedule and likely not a possibility with young
indoor-only 102nd Floor Observatory or to the 86thchildren or anyone who cannot walk or stand for 6-8
Floor Observatory (the one in all the movies withhours per day)?
both indoors and outdoors)? The 86th floor is- Statue of Liberty - Are you able to schedule a
included in all the Passes, the 102nd floor is anmonument time or will you just be taking the Ferry
additional fee.there and back? A reservation for the Statue of
- American Museum of Natural History - are youLiberty Museum is the hottest ticket in town - and
going to the Planetarium and Space Show (whichshould be made very early in trip planning. No
everyone says is a Must See)? If so, check yourAttractions pass includes a reservation to see inside
pass for details - the Planetarium will cost anthe Statue of Liberty, they only include the Ferry
additional $20 for the New York Pass and New YorkRide to see the Liberty Grounds.
City Explorer Pass.