Here are some of my tried and true tips:
Just a little bit of advice to help you get to do more during your visitto the amusement park. When you arrive in the morning, first thing-skip the attractions that are at the front of the park that most likely already have long lines, and make a mad dash to the back of the park, where most people havent got to yet. Most people enter and start taking right turns around the park.
If you go left and back to the back you can get on some of the main things that you want to do before the lines get too long. then later in the day you just catch up on the front attractions as you make your way out.
You can most likely visit the websit the day before and download a map, then it is importaint to pick put the things that you want to do the most and make sure to get those in early too. Also if you eat a big breakfast right before you can have a late lunch as your main park meal, thus avoiding the long lunch lines at regular meal time. The lines on the rides will be shorter at regular mealtimes, and you can benifit from this also.
Most parks sell a large souviner cup that cost a little more than a regular drink, but can be refilled for much less, My family takes turns on the cup to avoid carying a lot of stuff. This saves a lot of cash. Also, they do not tell you this but I do believe that most parks are required by law to give you cups of ice water free even though they sell bottled water.
If it rains on your visit day and spoils your visit, you can usually get a rain check ticket to come back another day. I have never needed to do this I always stick it out by doing some covered activities, and wait for the crowds to go home, the rain clears and then the lines are short!!