Will there be a 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute Military Promotional Ticket Discount next year?
Yes! Disney World has announced its 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute
Every year around this time, military families start asking the big question: Will Disney offer a 2026 Armed Forces Salute? The Disney Armed Forces Salute is one of the most popular military discounts for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, offering special savings on tickets and rooms. In this post, I’ll explain what we know so far, look at Disney’s past announcement patterns, and share my prediction for when the 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute will be revealed.
Update – 2 November 2025: No 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute Yet
As of this week, Walt Disney World has not announced the 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute. This delay is unusual but not entirely surprising. It’s possible that the ongoing federal government shutdown is preventing Disney from finalizing its annual contract with the Department of Defense for the military-discounted ticket offers.
The good news: once the government reopens, Disney could move quickly. My best guess is that we’ll see the Walt Disney World 2026 Armed Forces Salute announced shortly after the shutdown ends. If not, it could be as late as the few days around Veterans Day.
If you’re planning a 2026 trip, stay flexible. Hold a resort reservation at the general public rate (or book through The Mouse Experts) so you’re positioned to apply a military discount if and when it becomes available.
I’ll alert my Email Newsletter subscribers the moment Disney makes anything official.
Quick Facts
- Typical Announcement Window: Late September–November based on past years.
- Coverage Dates: January–mid-December of the following year with blackout periods.
- Next Expected Update: Disney typically renews annually; as of October 2025, no 2026 announcement has been made.
- What to Do Now: Hold refundable resort reservations and coordinate with The Mouse Experts to adjust rates when released.
- Last updated: October 29, 2025
The military community usually starts asking this question in the June timeframe because Disney usually releases their general public resort rates for the upcoming year in late June.
However, this is not the case for Disney’s special military discounts: the Disney Armed Forces Salute Room and Ticket discounts.
Disney and most other companies offer discounts, military or otherwise, as loss leaders. This is industry lingo for getting you in the door with an attractive offer or discount, banking that once in, you will buy other things. Or in Disney’s case, offering an attractive discount to attract bodies that would not have otherwise come, who will then spend more money while there.
Every year, Disney holds a Revenue Generation Board, in which they discuss the company’s finances looking forward. The Disney Armed Forces Salute is not released/offered for the coming year until after this board meets and decides whether or not to offer the Salute again.
Historically (2015-2019), due to the timing of this meeting, the calendar year Disney Armed Forces Salutes have been announced in late September after the meeting, in the year before the coming offer period.
But things have changed…
A Temporary, Not Guaranteed Offer
One thing that those relatively new to the military discounts for Disney vacations are often unaware of is that Disney’s Armed Forces Salutes are temporary offers and not guaranteed to continue.
Different Disney Military Discount Offers
Another bit of information that’s not widely known is that what our community calls the Disney Armed Forces Salute is actually a collection of 4 offers.
- The Walt Disney World Room Offer
- The Walt Disney World Ticket Offer
- The Disneyland Resort Room Offer
- The Disneyland Resort Ticket Offer
They are all independent and executed differently. The ticket discounts are a negotiated deal with the DoD executed separately by the 2 different Disney theme park companies. The room discounts are offered individually and directly by the Disney companies at each location.
A Bit of History
This string of mostly back-to-back temporary Salute offers began in 2010 and since then have been offered or renewed for: partial years, full years, and multiple years. The Salutes even ended for a short period of time in 2012 before being restarted.
During the time the Disney Armed Forces Salute ended with no follow-on announced (Sept 2012) the room discounts started back up first as they required no signed contract with DoD. The ticket discounts came back 2 weeks later, once the contracts were signed. The reason Disney gave for the gap was that it could not finalize the contract with the DoD in time to prevent a lapse in the offer.
The Salutes offer timeframes were originally based on Disney’s fiscal year (not the same dates as the Federal Fiscal Year), but in 2015, Disney switched to calendar year offers.
As I mentioned here a couple of times, the Disney Armed Forces Salutes are not guaranteed to be renewed; they could be discontinued at the end of any offer, not coming back for the new year.
Disney offers discounts (military or general public) to attract bodies. Disney has much more control over general public room discounts, which are offered for specific timeframes and are often ended when target numbers are reached. Disney does not normally offer general public ticket discounts.
Recent Disney Military Room Discount Changes
A few years ago, Disney changed the Armed Forces Salute Room discounts from a guaranteed percentage off to an unnamed percentage somewhere between zero and the old guaranteed amounts of 30% to 40% off, and in 2025, decreased the maximum discount percentage to 30%.
In recent years, it has become harder to get a military room discount. This was done to turn what was a wide-open discount into something controllable, offering the best discount when Disney needs it and decreasing the discount on a sliding scale for periods of lesser need and not offering it when not needed. See how this works.
Disney military discount 2026
Having said a few negative things, I’ll say that the Salutes have been running for a long time now, and there is some perceived pressure to keep them going. Dropping the Salute discounts wouldn’t look that good for Disney (for a news cycle or two), especially since they have had so much negative press the last few years.
The 2020 Shutdown
Empty Hollywood Boulevard
The shutdown and its aftermath played havoc with the announcement schedule for the Salutes.
Walt Disney World
- Disney World closed for 4 months in 2020 – They announced several interim 2020 Salute extensions and finally a 2021 Salute on 5 Feb 2021.
- WDW’s 2022 Salute ticket offer was not announced until 15 November 2021.
- The 2023 Salute was announced on 15 November 2022.
- The 2024 Salute was announced on 24 October 2023.
Disneyland Resort
- Disneyland closed for the remainder of 2020 and half of 2021 – They announced a Salute offer for the remainder of 2021 and 2022 on 29 June 2021.
- The 2023 Salute was announced on 15 November 2022.
- The 2024 Salute was announced on 14 November 2023.
Since coming out of the 2020 closure, the announcement schedule for the Disney Armed Forces Salute has changed! It is no longer announced in September.
Walt Disney World announced its 2024 Disney Armed Forces Salute on Tuesday, 24 October 2023, but the Disneyland Resort 2024 Disney Armed Forces Salute was not announced until 14 November 2023
The same schedule held last year, with Disney World announcing the 2025 Disney Armed Forces Salute on Wednesday, 23 October 2024. Disneyland did not announce its 2025 Disney Armed Forces Salute until 14 November 2024.
It is very important to note that, as I mentioned, the Disney World and Disneyland offers are totally separate (each run by different companies within the big corporate structure). There have been times when one will announce (WDW) and we will not hear from the other (Disneyland) for an extended period of time…
So, When Will Disney’s Military Discount Return in 2026?
So here’s my prediction…
- Expect the Walt Disney World 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute to be announced the third full week of October 2025 (21-25), probably mid-week
- Expect the Disneyland Resort 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute to be announced the second full week of November 2025 (9-15), probably on the 14th again.
If WDW does not announce in late October, it will probably be the second full week of November.
What to do on Disney Armed Forces Salute 2026 Release Date?
Be prepared!
Join my Email Newsletter if you haven’t yet. I’ll send out a notification as soon as I know the 2026 Salute is released.
Then see this post on what to expect the day of an announcement: What to Expect on the Day Disney Announces the Disney Armed Forces Salute.
Finding a Room Discount
My recommended Disney Travel Agent, The Mouse Experts, advises those who aren’t comfortable waiting on the release of a 2026 Military Salute (due to obtaining Theme Park Reservations) to just go ahead and book at the general public rates.
This guarantees a room, but leaves them open to try to obtain a military discount if offered later, or to convert to any general public discounts that can offer discounts close to those of the Military Salute, a lot of times anyway.
Be aware that these military room discounts are not always available.
Want to go this route? Contact The Mouse Experts!
If there is no military room discount for 2026, you could use other military discounts.
See:
Tickets
When will tickets be available?
Historically, Tickets have been available for the new calendar year offer shortly after the announcement.
If there is no Salute Ticket Discount offered for 2026, you will need to revert to what the military community used before the current string of Armed Forces Salutes. These are the Military Theme Park Tickets for Walt Disney World, and Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets for Disneyland.
See:
Over to you, what are your thoughts on the chances for renewal? Tell us in the comments section below!
Frequently Asked Questions — 2026 Disney Armed Forces Salute
When will Disney announce the 2026 Armed Forces Salute?
Based on recent history, Walt Disney World typically announces the next year’s Armed Forces Salute in late October, while Disneyland follows in mid-November. If that pattern holds, expect the Walt Disney World 2026 offer to land between October 21–25, 2025, and Disneyland around November 14, 2025.
Will there definitely be a Disney Armed Forces Salute in 2026?
No guarantee. Disney reviews its financial outlook each year before renewing the offer. That said, the program has run for more than a decade, so renewal is reasonably likely—just not certain.
Are the Walt Disney World and Disneyland military offers the same?
They’re separate. The Armed Forces Salute is really four offers: Walt Disney World room discount, Walt Disney World ticket discount, Disneyland Resort room discount, and Disneyland Resort ticket discount. They are negotiated and released independently.
Do the room and ticket discounts always release together?
Not always. Room and ticket offers can be announced on different days, and one resort (WDW vs. Disneyland) may announce weeks before the other.
What if there isn’t a 2026 Armed Forces Salute?
You still have options: Shades of Green Resort, Disney Springs Area Hotels with military rates, and year-round regular discounted military tickets (via ITT offices and Shades of Green).
How can I find out as soon as the 2026 offer is released?
Join my Military Disney Tips Email Newsletter for an instant alert when Disney announces the 2026 Armed Forces Salute, plus updates on ticket sales and Shades of Green news.
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This MDT Post By: Steve Bell Steve is the Military Disney Tips Founder. He is a retired U.S. Military Member who's been touring the Disney Parks since 1971! He has been writing about Disney for the US Military Community here for 18 years. Steve's mission is to help military families with their Disney vacations in every way possible. See Steve and His Family's Content |
Planning a Disney Trip? Want to get the best military discounts that are available? Feeling a little confused? See Our Great Disney Discount and Planning Info:
- Back to Basics Posts - A great place to start, offering basic topics!
- Disney Veteran & Military Discount Eligibility Guide
- The Military Family’s Walt Disney World Comprehensive Vacation Planning and Preparation Guide
- Military Disney Tips Disney Packing Checklist
- Disney Military Tickets – Your Start-to-Finish Guide
- Resorts/Hotel Overview Page
- Dining Overview Page
- Transportation Overview Page
- Technology Overview Page
- Shades of Green, WDW’s Military-Only Resort
 The Mouse Experts is a travel booking company specializing in Disney vacations. Military family owned and operated! They know all the ins and outs of Disney military discounts!
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Will the current government shutdown delay the announcement of Military Salutes tickets for 2026 since contracts between Disney and DoD have to be negotiated?
Hi there Phil,
That is an excellent point! That Haden’t crossed my mind.
Lack of the civil service employees required to finalize and sign the ticket contracts could (and may have as there has been no release as of early Thursday) postpone the ticket offers, and Disney may hold the room offers as well in order to release at the same time.
This really affectsY WDW as DLR has been releasing in conjunction with Veterans Day the last few years.