Military Disney Tips Walt Disney World Overview

This page is the organization spot for links that branch throughout the site and blog to all topics Walt Disney World.

There is a huge amount of information on this site and a lot for you to read through to understand what’s available. These “By Location” Pages are an effort to consolidate all links that you may want to read when learning about one vacation destination, in this case Walt Disney World and the military traveler.

Below in each box you’ll find links to all of the various Disney World information that we have organized by sub-topic. i.e. tickets, lodging, etc.

Planning and Packing

Military Family’s Walt Disney World Comprehensive Vacation Planning and Preparation Guide

Military Disney Tips Disney Packing Checklist

Your Introduction to Disney Resort Destination Security – Plus Some Tips

Walt Disney World Books By Military Disney Tips

Would you like to have all of your Walt Disney World information all in one spot, organized in a logical step-by-step manner?

Then consider buying one of our WDW Books:

Walt Disney World for Military Families – Everything WDW from planning to execution. Tickets, Rooms, Dining, Transpo, Tech, Theme Parks What else to do.

The Essential Guide to Shades of Green Our comprehensive book about WDW’s Military Only Resort

 

Walt Disney World Tickets

Information

Our Tickets Overview Page (not WDW Specific)

There are more than one kind of Disney Military Tickets!

Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Tickets – A Special Limited Time Offer

Disney Armed Forces Salute FAQ The questions that I’m asked most often on these highly discounted tickets.

FAQ Friday Posts – Many deal with the Disney Armed Forces Salute

How to Activate Your Disney Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets

Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Blockout Dates

---

Regular Disney Military Discount Tickets – The permanent Disney Military Discount

These tickets are only slightly discounted!

See our full post for why you might need Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets and Shades of Green’s prices (Base ITT/ITR’s are similar).

---

Stars and Stripes Passes From Shades of Green at Walt Disney World, are available to any Shades of Green eligible person who is staying anywhere on WDW property.

---

Helpful information for your ticket decision

Disney Military Tickets – Your Start to Finish Guide

What’s the Right Military Discounted Disney Ticket for Me?

Top Ten Things You Should Know About The Disney Armed Forces Salute Ticket Discounts

Top 3 Disney Military Tickets! These are all available to the military for Disney vacations

WDW’s Park Hopper Plus Option & Water Park and Sports Option Information

Buying Tickets

New Disney Ticket Center Opens at Disney Springs

Buy Military Discounted Disney Tickets Long Distance

Disney World Military Discount ID Guide

Shades of Green Attraction Ticket Sales Office

WDW Ticket Options available through Shades of Green

The Orlando ITT Office and Navy Exchange

How to Get Deep Military Discounts at Disney

How Disney Price Increases Affect Military Ticket Discounts

Ticket Prices

Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets (Not the Salute Tickets)

Stars and Stripes Passes (Shades of Greens on property Length of Stay Pass)

Disney’s Armed Forces Salute

Florida Resident Military Discount Tickets and Passes

Disney Non-Theme Park Tickets

Walt Disney World Lodging

Our Lodging Overview Page (not WDW Specific)

Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Room Discounts

The Disney Armed Forces Salute offers up to 40% off Disney Resorts

• Up to 40% off Deluxe Resorts
• Up to 35% off Moderates and Fort Wilderness Cabins
• Up to 30% off Value Resorts

Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Room Discounts

How Disney’s Military Room Discounts Work (since 2018)

Walt Disney World Owned Hotels

Disneyland Resort Hotels

Disney Armed Forces Salute Room Discounts – Figuring Your Actual Cost

Top Ten Things You Should Know About The Disney Armed Forces Salute Room Discounts

Shipping items to your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel

Top 8 Reasons to Use An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

Ears of Experience is a Fee Free Travel Agency they specialize only in Disney Vacations. Owned and operated by a military family! Amy knows all the ins and outs of Disney military discounts! Support Military Disney Tips by mentioning you heard about them here!

Airline Check In at Your Walt Disney Resort

Shipping items to your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel

---

Shades of Green is the Military owned and operated hotel on WDW property

Shades of Green Overview Page

10 Best Things About Shades of Green

The History of Shades of Green at Walt Disney World

Shades of Green Guests Eligible for 60-Day FastPass+

Shades of Green Eligibility

Shades of Green Rates

Shades of Green Discounts

Shades of Greens Shifting Military Discounts Get Your Discount Early

Shades of Green’s Traditional Discounts (When are they usually offered?)

Shades of Green Discount Packages Review – Your Total Cost

Shades of Green’s Year-Round Packages – Are They A Good Deal?

Military Members Review and Rate Shades of Green

How Does Shades of Green compare to the Disney Resorts in Price?

Shades of Green Compared to a Disney Value Resort

Shades of Green Compared to a Disney Moderate Resort

Shades of Green Compared to a Disney Deluxe Resort

Split Stays at Walt Disney World Resorts and Shades of Green

Shades of Green Rooms

Shades of Green Poolside Rooms

Shades of Green Suites

Shades of Green Junior Suite Video Tour

Shades of Green Pools

Dining Options at Shades of Green

Shades of Green Dining

Shades of Green AAFES Store

Shades of Green Ticket Sales Office

Shades of Green Transportation

Catch the Shady Shuttle at Shades of Green

How do I get to Shades of Green?

Shades of Green Gym

Non-Retired Veterans eligible to stay at Shades of Green Resort on Disney Property

---

Disney Swan and Dolphin Independent hotels on WDW property.

• Swan Review
• Dolphin Review

---

Disney Springs Area Resort Hotels offer Military Discounts (National Chains)

---

The Armed Forces Vacation Club (AFVC) – Low cost, weekly condo rentals

Walt Disney World Transportation

Your Guide to Walt Disney World Transportation

Our Transportation Overview Page (not WDW Specific)

Airport Transportation

Disney’s Magical Express

Airline Check In at Your Walt Disney Resort (for the return trip)

How do I get to Shades of Green?

Walt Disney World’s Minnie Van Service

Uber – Free ride up to $15 by signing up via this link for Uber (or use the promo code steveb14703ue if the link doesn’t work). This promo is for your first ride only, any value not used expires so this is not good for a quick hop across WDW property, but it is perfect for a ride from Orlando International to WDW.

Orlando International Airport’s USO Welcome Center

---

Getting Around Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World has a huge fleet of buses, monorails, boats, and trams to help their guests get around property. Both WDW guests and Shades of Green Guests are eligible to use the WDW Transport System free of charge.

Uber – Free ride up to $15 by signing up via this link for Uber (or use the promo code steveb14703ue if the link doesn’t work). This promo is for your first ride only, any value not used expires so this is not good for a quick hop across WDW property, but it is perfect for a ride from Orlando International to WDW.

Disney Spring’s High Tech Parking Garage at Walt Disney World

Shades of Green has its own very small fleet of buses, with only 4 bus routes.

Walking from Shades of Green to the Polynesian Village Resort

Shades of Green Transportation Overview Page

Shades of Green’s bus loading area

Shades of Green’s bus stops at the theme parks

Getting back to Shades of Green from the Magic Kingdom Parking Lot. Don’t go miles out of your way when driving a car!

The fastest way back to Shades of Green from Epcot this will save you miles too!

Alamo Car Rental has a Rental Counter at Shades of Green and a large facility on property.

---

Walt Disney World Parking

Walt Disney World Resort Guests:

Park free at Disney theme parks but pay to park at their Resort

Disney Springs’ High Tech Parking Garage

Shades of Green Guests:

Shades of Green has a large parking garage and there is a $11.00 fee per day for it’s use.

Shades of Green Increases Parking Rates to $9 Adds Hourly Rate for Non Guests (11 Bucks now)

Shades of Green Guests pay $25 per day if they choose to drive their cars to the Disney parks.

Magic Kingdom Parking for Shades of Green Guests

Epcot Parking for Shades of Green Guests

---

Other Theme Parks

Uber – Free ride up to $15 by signing up via this link for Uber (or use the promo code steveb14703ue if the link doesn’t work). This promo is for your first ride only, any value not used expires so this is not good for a quick hop across WDW property, but it is perfect for a ride from Orlando International to WDW.

There is an Alamo kiosk just off the Shades of Green lobby and you could rent a car for the day or longer if you have other excursions planned.

If your destination is not Universal or Sea World you’ll need to rent a car.

Taxi’s to the Orlando destinations can be very pricey!

Walt Disney World Dining

Our Dining Overview Page (not WDW Specific)

The range of dining options at Disney World is absolutely fantastic! There is everything available from grab and go locations, Starbucks, counter service, sit down dining, and signature dining. Something for every taste and budget.

Unfortunately, while Disney offers great discounts on resort rooms and park tickets, they offer no discounts at all on dining!

But there are several non-Disney locations at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs that do offer military discounts.

There are Restaurants, Entertainment, and Merchandise locations at Disney Springs that honor our military community with anywhere from 10% to 25% off of your bill! See the Full List Here

How to Save on Disney World Dining for the Military Traveler

---

Shades of Green Dining

You’ll find a good variety of restaurants at Shades of Green, they have a full service Italian restaurant, a Buffet Restaurant, a Sports Pub and several grab and go locations including a Starbucks.

Shades is a U.S. Military installation so there is no sales tax on meals, or anything else.

Shades of Green Dining Overview Page

Shades of Green’s Restaurants:

• Mangino’s Steakhouse – Steaks & Italian, Lunch and Dinner
• Garden Gallery – Buffet Breakfast and Dinner
• Evergreen’s – Sports Pub
• Java Cafe – Starbucks, Ice cream, Lobby Bar
• Express Cafe – Breakfast Items and Sandwiches all day till 2030
• On the Greens – By the Magnolia Pool Hot Dogs, Hamburgers

---

Disney Dining Plan

The Disney Dining plan is offered to Disney Resort Guests (not Shades of Green or off-site guests) who can add this option on to their room reservation.

The Disney Dining Plan essentially allows you to pre-pay for your meals while at Disney. There are several different levels of the plan from the basic to the Cadillac version.

Disney occasionally offers “Free Dining” usually in the fall. The Free Dining Plan offer requires you to pay full price for the room (no military discounts) and there is a minimum full price ticket buy required (usually 1 or 2 day tickets). Deciding if this offer is better that the Disney Armed Forces Salute room and ticket offer requires some calculation.

See our Disney Dining Plan Overview and 11 Reasons why We Don’t Recommend It.:

---

Other Dining Discounts

Discounts of up to 20% are available for other membership programs at select Walt Disney World Locations

• Walt Disney World Pass Holders
• Disney Visa Card Holders 
• DVC Members
• Tables in Wonderland Discount Card

Note these discount links go to our Sister Site, the Disney Drink Blog

---

Foodie Dreams Come True at Disney World’s Epcot Food & Wine Festival

Walt Disney World Technology

Our Disney Technology Overview Page (not WDW Specific)

Disney’s-PhotoPass-and-Memory-Maker

Memory Maker and PhotoPass+ Military Discounts

Military FastPass Plus Ticket Options for Disney World

Linking Disney Military Tickets And Fastpass Plus Reservations

All You Need To Know About Disney World FastPass Plus For The Military Traveler

Waiting For Your 60-Day FastPass Plus Window To Open

FastPass Plus – Does It Really Work For Highly Desired Attractions?

Privacy and Identity Concerns for Military Families at Disney

Download the free My Disney Experience app from the Apple Store

Walt Disney World Outside the Parks

Our Outside the Parks Overview (not WDW Specific)

Disney Springs Military Discounts

Walt Disney World Golf with Military Discounts

Disney Cruise Line Military Discounts

Military Family Disney Cruise Line Trip Report

Other Information

Disney World Military Discount ID Guide For Veterans

Free Low Cost Ideas for your first, last, or any WDW day

Magic Kingdom’s Daily Retreat Ceremony

The Magic Kingdom Tunnel

Hurricanes and Storms at Disney World and Shades of Green

Disney-World-The-Best-Time-To-Go

Disney’s Call Center is Very Often Wrong on Military Discounts

What is the Best Time to Go to Walt Disney World?