This Fabulous Offer Has Been Extended For 2020 at SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and their other Theme Parks.
Waves of Honor Program History
Every year since 2005 Anheuser-Busch offered their Here’s to the Heroes Salute which extends free admission to Sea World Orlando, Tampa’s Bush Gardens, or other Busch Theme Parks to Military Members and up to 3 of their dependents.
In early 2013 the name of this program was changed From the Anheuser-Busch Here’s to the Heroes to the SeaWorld Parks Waves of Honor. Though the name changed there have been no changes to the details. Anheuser-Busch hasn’t owned the theme parks since 2009. But they had kept the A-B Here’s to the Heroes name for the offer for continuity.
This is a fabulous offer that they have extended year in year out. Their caring and support for our military is greatly appreciated!
Waves of Honor Program Eligibility
The Waves of Honor Program has 2 very different eligibility categories:
- What they call Active Duty (but really mean Current Participating Military Members), this includes: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard:
- U.S. Active Duty
- U.S. Activated or Drilling Reservists
- U.S. Activated or Drilling National Guard
- Spouses of Deployed Members
- And what they call Veterans, this includes: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard:
- U.S. Military Retirees
- U.S. Veterans*
- U.S. Inactive Ready Reservists who have honorably served
*Former service members must provide proof of service (DD-214) in order to participate
Eligibility verification and ticket registration is all done online through the Waves of Honor website.
Note all status verification is done through Troop ID. Troop ID is a credential issued by ID.me that allows verified members of the military community (Active Duty, Veterans, Retirees, Military Spouses and Military Family Members) to access programs intended exclusively for members of the military community.
Spouses of Deployed Members must verify TroopID using the members information.
The discounts available depend on your eligibility category!
Waves of Honor Program Details
Current Military Members
The Current Member Program allows 1 complimentary admission per year for the member and as many as three direct dependents to:
- SeaWorld – Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego – Offer expires December 31, 2022
- Busch Gardens:
- Tampa – Offer expires December 31, 2022
- Williamsburg – Enjoy unlimited visits to Busch Gardens Williamsburg including Howl-O-Scream, Water Country USA and Christmas Town now through Jan. 2, 2023. Get tickets by October 31, 2022
- Sesame Place – Langhorn, PA – Offer expires December 31, 2022
Discounted offers are also available at:
- Discovery Cove – Orlando – discounted rates on Day Resort Admission and Signature Dolphin Swim Package
- Aquatica – Orlando – 50% off
- Water Country USA – Williamsburg – See above – Get tickets by 11 September 2022
- Christmas Town – Williamsburg –
Regularly discounted tickets are also available through military resellers (your Base Ticket Office, Shades of Green, and The Orlando ITT) if you need additional ones.
Veterans
The offers made to Retirees and Veterans are
- Not as attractive
- Not available at all locations
- Vary By Location
- Come and go, so check several times per year
Current offers are:
- SeaWorld Orlando – 50% off single day tickets – Veteran +3 guests – Offer expires December 19, 2022
- SeaWorld – San Antonio – Not Currently Available
- SeaWorld – San Diego – former military personnel and up to three guests may enjoy one complimentary admission to SeaWorld San Diego. Excludes Howl-O-Scream and other separately-ticketed events. – Offer expires December 31, 2022
- Busch Gardens – Tampa – Not Currently Available
- Busch Gardens – Williamsburg – Veterans can get up to six discounted tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA.
- Sesame Place – 50% off single-day admission tickets for qualified veterans. – Offer available through December 31, 2022
- Discovery Cove – discounted rates on Day Resort Admission and Signature Dolphin Swim Package (limit of 4) – Offer expires December 31, 2022
- Aquatica – 50% off single day tickets – Veteran +3 – Offer expires December 31, 2022
How to Get These Offers
You’ll need to go to the main Waves of Honor Site and once there click on the location where you would like to use your discount. There are links for Active discounts at all locations and veteran discounts at the ones that offer them.
Once on the location’s site click on the Troop ID icon. You’ll need to register if you haven’t before, or just sign in. Then if eligible, you’ll be redirected to the page where you may request or purchase your desired tickets.
The Shades of Green Resort at Walt Disney World is a 15-45 minute drive away depending on traffic. A reasonably priced deluxe resort owned and operated by Army MWR exclusively for military members. Room rates based upon rank.
Regular Military Tickets
Base Ticket Offices, Shades of Green, and the Orlando ITT also sell regular military discounted tickets to SeaWorld Parks!
These can be used if you need more than the allotted amount of Free/Highly Discounted tickets, or there is no current veteran’s offer at your destination (current, valid military ID required).
See: SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Military Discounts
Over to you. Have you used the Waves of honor program or are you going to? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to say thanks to SeaWorld Parks!
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This MDT Post By: Steve Bell Steve is the the Military Disney Tips Founder. He a retired U.S. Military Member who's been touring the Disney Parks since 1971! Steve's mission is to help military families with their Disney vacations in every way. Check out Steve's Bio. Subscribe to Steve's email newsletter to get website updates and news by clicking this link. |
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:
- 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
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Pass not free according to Sea World. They are half price.
Not much info to go on in your comment Linda…
What’s your status? Not currently in the military? Then yes not free!
Which of the 3 SeaWorlds are you referring to? They all have different offers for those not currently in the military.
Yes, last year Veterans & family were free, at Busch Gardens. Changed it this year. Can’t afford it even at these prices.
My family originally was thinking of going to Williamsburg, so we printed our Waves of Honor tickets for this year to Busch Gardens there. We have changed our minds since a few months have passed and have actually booked a trip to Tampa and would like to go to Busch Gardens there instead.
Our printed tickets, in the top left corner say “Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA” and a little further down gives parking info for that park. But under the Lagal Terms section it states “….This eTicket may be redeemed at one of the following parks: SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Sesame Place.” It goes on to state that the ticket is non-transferrable.
It just wasnt very clear on whether it’s acceptable that we printed it to use in Williamsgburg but then ended up going to Tampa. Hoping that’s ok, what has been your experience with this?
Hi Mandy,
The non-transferable part refers to not giving or selling the ticket to someone else.
The other language does indicate that you can use it at any park.
Should be seamless, but if there is an issue I’m sure Guest Relations there in Tampa will straighten it out.
Great! Thanks so much!
Any thoughts on if this promotion will be renewed for 2021?
Hi Stacy,
I have every expectation that it will.
This promotion is still available for Florida?
Yes absolutely
Is this available for 2022?
Hi Mark,
SeaWorld Orlando is still showing a 31 Dec 2021 cutoff. I’ve reached out to their Media Relations.
do you have free retired military tickets and for family
Hi Connie,
First, I don’t have any tickets, this is an informational website run by a retired military member for military members to get info on these discounts.
TO your question Sea World does not offer free tickets to retired military, only discounted ones. Also their Veteran/Retired offerings constantly change. As noted on this post, there currently is not a special offer for San Antonio.
However the slightly discounted regular military tickets should be available through your Base Ticket Office or one that ships.
Why isn’t the San Antonio park offering Waves of Honor for veterans. I keep getting emails saying that it has been extended.
Hi Candace,
A sad reality is that all theme park ticket discounts including military/veteran ones are offered in order to attract bodies that otherwise would not come to a park.
In the military discount realm, a theme park will set eligibility based on the amount of people they want to attract/can handle. The veteran community is huge when compared to the active military community.
A PR Rep at SeaWorld once told me that they do not extend the Waves of Honor free ticket offer to the veteran community as their parks couldn’t handle the volume.
If you follow all the SeaWorld parks closely on wavesofhonor.com, you will see that veteran offers change occasionally through the year to adjust volume and are all different from each other.
I’ve not been to the San Antonio park is it smaller or does it have a high local guest demographic which limits attendance?
You can buy regularly discounted SeaWorld tickets through your Base Ticket Office or one that ships…