Yesterday many Base Ticket Offices and Shades of Green began selling Walt Disney World admission tickets again.
10 July 2020- Note some Base Ticket Offices may not have started selling yet. If your hasn’t see Buying Tickets Long distance
This includes:
This is good news for the military community.
Here is What You Need to Know
Available Tickets
Ticket options are limited at this time (compared to normal), due to the suspension of Park Hopping at Walt Disney World.
This is a big deal for the military community that we will get into more in just a bit!
The available tickets are:
Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets:
- 4, 5, & 6 day Park Hopper Tickets
Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets
- 1-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 2-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 3-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 4-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 5-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 6-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
- 7-Day Base (no hopping) Magic Your Way Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
Florida Resident Tickets
- 3 & 4-Day Florida Resident Disney Select Ticket (adult 10+, & child 3-9)
Applicable Dates and Limits
Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets may be purchased through 18 December 2020 and are valid through 26 September 2021.
Disney HAS NOT increased the maximum purchase limit as they have in the past for Salute Offers that were extended as they have twice in the past.
The Salute Ticket purchase limit remains at 6 per eligible member for a 21 month period!
Disney should increase the ticket limit to 12 for this extended timeframe, as they did in 2010-2012 when the fiscal year 2011Â Salute was extended to 24 months, and in 2015 when the fiscal year 2015 Salute was extended by 3 months in order to switch to calendar year Salutes.
Disney discourages repeat visits by keeping the limit at 6 for a 21 month timeframe!
Walt Disney World has not yet published any Blockout dates for the 2020 Salute Tickets. Traditionally Christmas and Spring Break are blocked from use.
Prices
Prices on all of these tickets have not changed.
Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets
- Four-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $265.00
- Five-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $283.00
- Six-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $301.00
Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets
- 1-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $119.00 Adult/$113.00 Child
- 2-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $229.00 Adult/$218.00 Child
- 3-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $307.75 Adult/$294.00 Child
- 4-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $399.25 Adult/$381.75 Child
- 5-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $425.75 Adult/$407.25 Child
- 6-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $438.50 Adult/$420.00 Child
- 7-Day Base Magic Your Way Ticket – $452.25 Adult/$431.75 Child
Florida Resident Tickets
- 3-Day Disney Select Ticket –Â $215.00 Adult/$201.25 Child
- 4-Day Disney Select Ticket –Â $239.50 Adult/$221.75 Child
Note – These are Shades of Green’s prices. Your Base Ticket Office price may vary by a few dollars either way due to local MWR ticket contributions or local Ticket Office Fees.
Park Hopping
So here is the issue with what Disney has announced.
There is currently No Park Hopping at Walt Disney World!
Disney has advised Military Ticket Offices that, “There will be no compensation to the guest for not being able to use the Hopper entitlement portion of any ticket. This applies to all ticket products that have the Park Hopper option.”
Why is this a bad for the military? Because Disney has refunded the difference between Hopper and Base tickets to the general public that purchased their tickets through Disney with their rooms.
Disney must feel that since the Salute Tickets are highly discounted they don’t need to give military families anything off for the lack of park hopping and that you’ll still be getting a pretty good discount.
The 4-Day Salute Hopper is $265, while the 4-Day MYW Military Base is $399.25. That’s still a $134.25 savings.
But here is what you would save under normal times: a 4-Day Regular MYW Military Hopper is $482.75, making your savings on the Salute Hopper $217.75!
But when you bought your Park Hopper Salute Ticket you paid for park hopping!
The General Public is getting refunds for not being able to park hop! Why not the military?
What Disney Should do!
In past years WDW offered the Salute tickets in Base plus Park Hopper, Base plus Water Park, and Base plus Hopping and Water Park. The price to add the Water Park or Hopping options to a ticket that was already purchased with the opposite option was always always the same amount.
The 2020 Salute ticket price difference between the Hopper and Hopper Plus is $50. This is what Disney should be refunding to military guests per Salute Ticket during the period that they do not allow park hopping! They can do this at Ticket and Guest Relations locations. Just offer up a Disney Gift Card, which will be spent at WDW anyway…
I recommend going to a Guest Relations location if you visit during the timeframe when Park Hopping is not allowed and ask for some sort of compensation. Be insistent and they will probably offer something to compensate you.
2021 Disney Armed Forces Salute
I’ve received many questions regarding when a 2021 Disney Armed Forces Salute will be announced.
As I keep saying these are unprecedented times!
In normal years (since 2016 and the FY/CY switch) the upcoming years Disney Armed Forces Salute in not announced until late-September. This date is based in internal Disney income projection meetings that are on a set schedule.
With all that’s going on, the 2020 ticket extension with its extension of the same prices through September 2021 and how poorly Disney has treated the military community during the last 4 months, who knows?
Of note is the 18 Dec 2020 ticket purchase cut off. If the Salutes are to continue (this has never been guaranteed), something will have to be done for those who, 1. decide to go to Disney World after 18 December 2020 and or 2. want to go after 26 Sept 2021.
If Disney decides to offer a 2021 Salute I expect the 2021 tickets will go on sale on 19 December and a new increased price. So if you plan to go in the first 9 months of 2021 you’ll need to get your tickets prior to18 Dec 2020.
It is unknown what Disney would do with the ticket limit if there were 2020 and 2021 tickets that were available for use at the same time. Would you be elegibel for 6 tickets from each offer?
See our Full Disney Armed Forces Salute Information Page
Over to You
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thankful for Disney? Frustrated with Disney? Let us know!
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 GuideÂ
- Military Disney Tips Disney Packing ChecklistÂ
- 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
Military Disney Tips' Recommended Disney Travel Agent Ears of Experience Disney Only Travel Agency. Military family owned and operated! They know all the ins and outs of Disney military discounts! |
Dan says
Steve – do you have any hints/ideas if they will offer any ticket offers that are good past 26 Sep 2021? We have 2 trips planned in Oct & Dec .. but frustrated that right now the only thing available past 26 Sep is full-price tickets (I’m regretting not buying my children their annual passes last summer, never expected them to keep things turned off this long). Any insights, thoughts? BTW – love all your tips and info you put out!
Steve says
Hi there Dan,
Thanks so much and thanks for the question. I recently did a post on this topic, check out https://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/2021-disney-armed-forces-salute-what-about-tickets/
Then let me know if you have any questions. I know it’s so frustrating!!!
I hope we hear something in the next week or so…
Dan Henderson says
Thanks Steve – I did a search before I posted but somehow didn’t see that blog. Appreciate the info. Will actually be at WDW starting Feb 15th, so it they do announce a new offer I might just have to make a visit over to Shades of Green! Otherwise I think I’m close to having to purchase other less-heavily discounted tickets so we can make park reservations for the rest of the family.
Thanks again for all the info!