Shades of Green at Walt Disney World has introduced a new time saving service.
The Problem
Guests staying at Shades of Green who planned on purchasing their Military Discounted Magic your Way theme park tickets or Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets once they arrived often encountered long lines at Shade’s Ticket Office. This could cause frustration on the part of the guests trying to get to Disney’s theme parks as quick as possible, especially those trying to make the Extra Magic Hour early park opening first thing in the morning.
The Solution
Shades has now started emailing guests prior to their stay with pre-purchasing information for Disney’s tickets as well as Universal Orlando, Sea World, and all the other military discount tickets that they sell for the Orlando area.
The email includes links to the current ticket price document as well as an order form which can be downloaded, printed, filled out, and faxed in.
Your tickets will then be waiting for you upon check-in at the front desk.
Kudos to Shades of Green
This is a great solution to a problem that has plagued Shades’ guests for a long time.
Also thanks to long-time reader Jim for passing along this info!
Information on Shades of Green the Military Hotel on Disney World property
See all the current Shades of Green Discounts and Packages
A Special Note on Shades of Green Discounts: Something to be aware of is that Shades constantly changes the dates and discounts offered of their specials and packages.
Shades of Green Links
- Shades of Green
- Shades of Green Rooms
- Shades of Green Room Rates
- Disney Tickets at Shades of Green
- Shades of Green Services and Activities
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Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World - Best WDW Planning book in my opinion
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Disney World Savings Guide - A great eBook by a former Disney Castmember
Ears or Experience - My recommended Travel Agent, Fee Free, Disney Only, Military Family Owned
YourFirstVisit.net The premier website for first time visitors to Walt Disney World!
Simple Stroller Rentals - Beats WDW's prices, plus they offer a 10% Military Discount
TouringPlans.com - The website of the Unofficial Guides - Crowd Forecasts, Pre-made Touring Plans, plus lots of other detailed info
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Howdy, looking to pre-purchase 4 day mil hopper passes to Disney World, can you help?
If you are staying at Shades of Green you can take advantage of this offer. If not you can go to your base’s (or the nearest Base) ITT office to buy the Armed Forces Salute 4-day tickets.
We just used this new service at Shades of Green last week. We preordered our 4-day park hopper passes. I wish this could have been done totally online instead of printing out a form, handwrirting the information including credit card, and faxing or scanning it back. But, it was relatively easy. They confirmed they received my request. The tickets, however, were not waiting for us at check-in! We checked in at 11PM. The poor girl at the counter had to go “hunt down” our tickets, but she did it. It just took some time. Overall, much better than waiting in the morning line for tickets, but the process still could be smoother.
Hi Lauren, thanks so much for the update! A little bummer that the tickets weren’t at the desk, but sounds like the wait wasn’t too bad.
I do hate that long line at the ticket office in the morning! It’s nice Shades is trying to improve.
I’m in Nevada are the military ticket for the family good for Anaheim Disneyland or only Disney World.
Since I’m 100% service connected how or where is the link to help me to understand all this and purchase the package ?
on on by calling to do it ?
Thanks
Ron
Hi Ron,
There is a huge amount of information about Disney’s Armed Forces Salute on this site. Here are just a couple of pages for you to check out:
Disney’s Armed Forces Salute
Disney’s Armed Forces Salute FAQ
You’ll see reading these pages that there are separate offers for Disney World and Disneyland.
One important point is that being 100% disabled does not make you eligible for this offer. Rather Disney’s terms state that you have to have the DAVPRM code on an ID. DAVPRM stands for disabled veteran, permanent.
Yes on my DoD military ID, it has this printed on it an states just what you said my Dod ID is form 2765 it say on the back. and has the DAVPRM code on the ID card also.
Thanks, but how do I obtain tickets for July dates in 2012 and hotel reservations also ?
DO you buy the Disneyland tickets and hotel accomodations at the same time to get a package deal. 2 adults and 2 kids 8 & 10 and a 1 year old baby.
what are my choices for Anaheim California location for this time frame please.
Thanks
Ron
Hey Ron,
That’s Great. You buy the 3-Day $99 tickets once you arrive at Disneyland, at their ticket windows.
As far as the discounted hotel reservations, I recommend you contact my recommended Disney Travel Agent – Ears of Experience, they can check prices, make your discounted reservations and give you lots of great information. There is no fee for their service and they are a veteran owned small business.
You can click on the link in this answer, their ad in the site sidebar, or give them a call at 1-877-80MOUSE. Please tell hem I referred you!
What website do you go to, to preorder the military tickets from Shades of Green? I clicked on the sites you had listed on the website but it kept bringing me back to the same page that I was on. We are going to WDW August 5- 10 and want to get our tickets taken care of. Thanks and really have found lots of great info on your website.
Hi Cindy,
The pre-ordering of tickets is for those staying at Shades, and they’ll send you an e-mail with directions to fax in your order. Your tickets will be waiting for you at check in. If you haven’t heard from them yet you could give them a call.
Shades Attraction Ticket Hotline
(407) 824-1403
Shades Guest Services
(407) 824-2437
hi ,
I am a member of the army reserve, i will be going to disney on sept 14 , i understand that there is a limit of 6 to buy the 4 days hopper in 1 day , My wife has an military ID can she also buy 4 days ticket for the other members of the group??
Hi there,
The limit for the 4-Day Armed Forces Salute Tickets is no more than 6 active at one time. That means that until you’ve used up all days on the six tickets you can’t activate any more. It doesn’t matter you have purchased, the tickets have to be activated prior to use.
Is your wife active duty, reserve/guard, or retired? Then she is eligible to activate 6 as well. If she is just a dependent then she is not. She can activate in you place (only 5) if you don’t go but not in addition to you.
Hope this makes sense, please read my Disney Armed Forces Salute FAQ!
I will be staying at the Shades of Green in September. I am bringing my eight grandchildren. Over the phone I was told by a Disney person that the interpretation of immediate family member depended on Shades of Green’s interpretation and then by a Shades of Green person that it depended on Disney’s interpretation. The legal definition of immediate family includes grandchildren. Do they qualify as immediate family members?
Are there other discounted military tickets that are not limited to six if my grandchildren are not considered immediate family?
Thanks,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Short answer, it’s Disney…
Longer answer:
Disney allows military members with an immediate family larger that six to activate more than six tickets at the same time. Here is the Disney Ticket Department’s definition with their example “Exceptions should be made for immediate families larger than five people. For example, if a family has six children, please allow all members of the family to purchase 4-Day Disney Military Promotion Tickets.” As you can see they are talking about a member’s children.
These tickets have to be activated at a Disney ticket booth before use, so even if Shades sold you 10 non-refundable tickets you’d still have to get them activated. I have heard of ticket workers activating more than 6 in other than immediate family situations, but it is not guaranteed, it depends on the individual worker.
Shades does sell slightly discounted military Disney tickets. 4-8% off the gate price where the Armed Forces Salute tickets are about 50% off. (check the link for prices)
So here is what I’d do. buy your 6 AFS tickets at Shades, you’ll pay no tax there. Then the next depends on if you are going to the theme parks on the day you arrive or not.
If you are arriving late and not going into one of the parks: You’ll need to go to one of the theme park ticket booths or the Downtown Disney Guest Relations Office. explain your situation and ask if you may activate the number you need vs. just 6. If they say yes buy the rest right then and there. You’ll have to pay tax there, but you will then have saved quite a lot. Activate all your tickets and they will be ready for use. If they say no, just activate the 6 and head back to Shades to buy the number of slightly discounted tickets that you need.
If you are going into one of the parks: Go to the theme park ticket booths at the park you want to go to. explain your situation and ask if you may activate the number you need vs. just 6. If they say yes buy/activate them and head on in. If they say no, activate the 6 and buy the number of full price tickets that you need. You wont get the slight discount, but you’ll save a round trip to Shades.
Hope it all works out!
Going in September and staying at Pop Century. I was planning on making a trip to Shades the day we arrive to purchase tickets to save on tax. I can buy tickets at shades even if I’m not staying there correct? Your response to the first post makes it sound like that isn’t an option.
You absolutely can go by Shades to buy tickets, just show your ID at the gate and head to the ticket sales office.
The response to the first comment was talking about PRE-Ordering tickets. Which is just for those staying at Shades, they are handed their tickets at check in if they opt for this.
Have a great time!
Hi,
I am going to Disneyworld in January 2013. Can I buy the discounted 4 day pass for 2 friends and myself? Or is it only limited to immediate family?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
As a military member or spouse you can buy and activate up to 6 Armed Forces Salute tickets during the offer, which runs through 28 Sept 2013. One must be for yourself, the other 5 can be for anyone you want to share them with.
Have fun!
We are going to Disney in May 2013 . I am a Navy veteran who served 4 years and was honorably discharged . I am not staying at the Shades of Green . Am I eligible for the military discount for the 4 day hopper pass ? Thanks for any help you could offer !
Hi George,
Unfortunately Disney using DoD ID eligibility does not extend their Armed Forces Salute to those who served but didn’t retire.
Shades of Green does allow not retired to stay and buy regular military discounted tickets during certain months.
I would like to know how to get tickets for Diseny. Before i get there in April 13.
Hi Gaylord,
Are you staying at Shades of Green? then the procedure in this post applies. If you don’t hear from Shades give them a call to pre-pay.
If you are not staying at Shades the only way to get your tickets ahead of time is to go to your nearest military base and purchase them at their Ticket Office.
Hi,
Can you advise if Canadian millitary are able to pick up discounted Disney World tickets from Shades of Green or from millitary bases in the US as well? I heard somewhere that while there is no discount available at Walt Disney World gates, bases would sell the discounted tickets to allies, including Canada. Can you confirm and if so, where is the closest base to Orlando?
Hi Christina,
I’m not aware of any program under which non-US forces are eligible for discounts unless they have a US issued CAC or DD Form 1173 (ID cards). Shades does mention “Military personnel of foreign nations and their family members when assigned or attached to a U.S. military unit or installation or on U.S. Travel Orders.” in their eligibility guide. The previous mentioned ID cards would be the attached, but I’ve no idea what they’d accept for travel orders.
Bought 4 of the 4 day promotional tickets at our local ITT office and have not activated. Staying at Shades in May and think the Stars and Stripes would work better for us based on length of stay. Can the promotional tickets be “upgraded” to the longer Stars and Stripes?
Thanks – Bob
Hi Bob,
The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are non-refundable and the only upgrades available are (all through Disney directly) adding the hopper or water park options to tickets with the opposite option for $28, or upgrading to any type of full price annual pass.
My only suggestion is to try to get your ITT to take them back…
A Disney ticket window “might” let you use the purchase price towards a full price Magic Your Way ticket, but they don’t have to.
I’m sure Shades (the only place to buy the S&S) will do nothing for you in this situation.
Sorry, Steve
Have you thought of using 6 back to back Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets plus however many regular mil disc MYW tickets you’ll need?
http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
Steve – thanks for the prompt response. I think perhaps doing 3 people back to back (6 tickets) and one 8 day ticket would work as you suggest, so I think that is the easiest way to go if ITT says no. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Great Bob, glad to help!
Hi – thanks for a great source of information. I do have one question; I am understanding that I cannot buy my military pass AT SOG if I am not a guest there . . . is that correct? My husband is USAF and we will be staying at a WDW resort in June and we thought we could buy our military passes at guest relations at Disney or at SOG.
THANKS!
Hi,
Nope, you are more than welcome to drop by Shades to buy your tickets, even if you aren’t staying with them. I do it all the time.
Remember, no tax at Shades and yes tax at DTD
If you buy them at Shades you will still have to activate them at a park or DTD.