Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Military Discount Tickets in 2021

Comments

1. Danelle says

   23 September 2012 at 16:15

   FYI – the Orlando ITT office no longer sells the Disney Salute tickets. They still sell others, but no longer sell the Salute deal for 2012 or plan to for 2013. We just went there last week to get ours, but were told that Shades of Green is now the only place to get them on site without having to pay tax at the actual gate of the parks.

   Reply

   • Steve says

     23 September 2012 at 16:36

     Thanks for the update Danelle!

     I was there a couple months ago and they were still selling them.

     Reply

   • Dawn Williams says

     31 May 2013 at 08:56

     Hey – I just found your site and wanted to share that we have those tickets at Patrick AFB ITT Office. 🙂

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 May 2013 at 18:27

       Hi Dawn,

       Thanks so much for the info!!!

       Reply

2. Tricia says

   23 September 2012 at 17:34

   Is it possible to use one set of 6 in December of 2012 and a second set of 6 in September 2013. We used the offer in September 2011 and December 2010. I am not sure if those were the same offer or if the rules were different with that offer but we are thinking of going twice in the next year and figure we should get them both in with this offer in case it isn’t renewed. The person at ITT said they do not keep track of who is buying them but there may be an issue when we go to activate the second set.

   Reply

   • Steve says

     23 September 2012 at 20:56

     Hi Tricia,

     You’ll only be allowed 6 tickets between 1 October 2012 and 28 September 2013. That is the time period of the new offer.

     The previous offer period was 24 October 2010 through 30 September 2012, with a limit of 12 tickets. Thats why you were able to use the Salute offer twice.

     ITTs are supposed to keep track, but Disney sure does as well. So you’ll need to find other ways to save on the second vacation.

     Don’t forget that you can use the Armed Forces Salute room discounts as many times as you want!

     Reply

3. Amy says

   24 September 2012 at 09:59

   Do you know if disabled veterans are eligible for the AFS tickets? Thanks for the information.

   Reply

   • Steve says

     24 September 2012 at 16:34

     Hi Amy,

     Check out this post and let me know if you have any more questions: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-discounts/disney-military-discounts-a-confusing-topic-for-disabled-veterans/

     Steve

     Reply

4. brian kelley says

   25 September 2012 at 15:43

   If you havent used any of the 4 days on military tickets that expire on Sept 30 2012, can you apply that cost toward the new military tickets that expire in Oct 2013? Thanks

   Reply

   • Steve says

     25 September 2012 at 17:24

     No Brian, unfortunately you can’t. All value of the ticket expires 30 Sept as far as I know. That is the way it is supposed to work.

     It might be that you could talk a Manager into helping you, but don’t count on it!

     Reply

5. Tiffany says

   26 September 2012 at 14:58

   What is the policy for the stars and stripes tickets when there are 10 people (8 children) in your immediate family? Do I need to contact Disney directly prior to our vacation? Or is that something that I need to contact SOG about? Also, do I purchase tickets at SOG, or via fax with SOG when there are 10 of us? Thanks for your help!

   Reply

   • Steve says

     27 September 2012 at 06:34

     Hi Tiffany,

     From what I’ve heard ITT Offices including Shades seem to be unaware of the exception for large families and stick to the 6 limit.

     You could call the shades ticket office to ask if they’ll sell you 10 @ 407 824 1403. You’ll save the tax there.

     If they say no then just go to a Disney theme park ticket booth once you get there. Nothing to do ahead of time.

     Have a blast!

     Reply

6. Alicia says

   2 October 2012 at 23:24

   Hi! I have a question. My father was retired miltary, and if my mom (widow) purchases the tickets for us on base, does she have to be with us when we activate the tickets, or can we take along the military id? She recently fell and broke her hip, had a full hip replacement, and would like to make the trip, but no theme parks! She doesn’t drive, so actually going to the park would not be doable for her. She wants to purchase the tickets for the kids for Christmas. Thanks in advance!!!

   Reply

   • Steve says

     3 October 2012 at 07:34

     Hi Alicia,

     It is important to note that there are 2 kinds of Disney Discount Tickets for the Military.

     – The Disney Armed Forces Salute which this page talks about, is a temporary offer (which has been going since 2009) and offers theme park tickets at about half off. These have lots of restrictions one of which is the military member or spouse MUST go to a Disney them theme park ticket window or Guest Relations location with their whole party to activate the tickets. There is a Guest Relations office in Downtown Disney which might be easier to get to than the theme parks.

     – And the Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets which we have always had. These are the same tickets in all the varieties that the general public can buy at the theme park gates. These are slightly discounted 4%-8% depending on length and options. These can only be purchased at Base Ticket Offices or Shades of Green. They come in two varieties, those that are ready for use and those that need to be exchanges at the Disney theme park ticket window (with a military ID). So in this instance she’d have to ensure that the tickets purchased are ready for use.

     Reply

7. Kristi says

   4 October 2012 at 13:29

   My family of 4 is traveling to WDW November 12, 2012 with my parents (total of 6). My dad’s Military ID card reads “Department of the Air Force Civilian Identification” Status “RET/CIV”. Will he be able to receive a Military Salute Discount Tickets or any other park admission discounts? Thank you!!

   Reply

   • Steve says

     4 October 2012 at 18:53

     Hi Kristi, as a retired DoD Civilian your dad is not eligible for Disney’s Armed Forces Salute, but he is eligible to stay at and purchase the regular military discounted tickets at Shades of Green.

     Have fun!

     Reply

8. Angela says

   5 October 2012 at 10:28

   I am having a hard time deciding between Park Hopper or Park Hopper plus Water Parks. If I do Park Hopper only could I add WP&M on site should we have time while we are there?

   Reply

   • Steve says

     6 October 2012 at 07:48

     Yes you can add the WP&M option once you get there for $28 plus tax. Have fun Angela

     Reply

9. Chefdizzle says

   6 October 2012 at 04:53

   My mom is the spouse of a retired navy chief and she is buying the tickets for me because I don’t have time to get to a base myself. I am a currently reservist. Will I have any issues getting into disneyland since I’m not the purchaser?

   Reply

   • Steve says

     6 October 2012 at 07:40

     Hi Chefdizzle,

     No there won’t be any issue with Disney. The tickets themselves aren’t associated with a name until Disney activates them at DL.

     The only issue is that if the Base keeps good records the number of tickets she buys for you will be reduced from the 6 they will let her buy. You might have to return the favor if she needs some.

     Reply

10. Lisa Lattarulo says

    8 October 2012 at 11:22

    My sister is going to buy the tickets for us and is willing to drive to Disneyland with us to activate the tickets, but she does not want to actually go into the theme park. Can she activate the tickets at the guest services and then can we proceed to the gate without her? We are trying to figure out if we actually have to buy her the ticket as well (and have her walk in and then walk out) or if one of us could just use the ticket once the activation process was complete. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      8 October 2012 at 14:10

      Hi Lisa,

      That is great that your sister is willing to do that for you!

      She definitely has to have a ticket, there is no way around that. She will have to activate one for herself and your whole party. You must all be there at the same time. There is an indication that Disney World has a new rule (and I assume it might be the same at Disneyland) that the Armed Forces Salute tickets need to be used for park entry on the same day activated. Ask at the guest services window when you all activate them if she needs to enter the park. She could leave right after.

      Have fun.

      Reply

      • Claire says

        16 October 2012 at 16:20

        Hi Steve, my father is retired military and his wife is planning to purchase tickets for themselves and other family members ( I am eligible to purchase my own). Our question: can she activate her ticket on one day,so that she can enjoy a day in the parks with us,and activate the rest later in the week when the other family members arrive? Or does she have to activate all of her tickets at the same time on the same day? Thank you!

        Reply

        • Steve says

          16 October 2012 at 17:25

          Hey there Claire,

          Well, Disney’s rule is that the member (or spouse) must activate their guests tickets when they do their own, and everyone must be present.

          But I hear all the time about this not being adhered to. But it’s not a guarantee.

          What I’d recommend trying in this situation is have her get photo copies of her guests’ driver’s licenses and try to activate all of her tickets when you do yours. If one ticket window balks, try another.

          Reply

11. Debra Ryan says

    15 October 2012 at 17:09

    Are prices the same for children ages 5 & 2 for armed forces salute 4 day ticket?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      15 October 2012 at 18:47

      Yes Debra, they are. It’s still pretty close to half off.

      A regular military discount 4-day child’s hopper goes for $288.

      Reply

12. CFK says

    25 October 2012 at 16:16

    Just to verify: must the tickets be used consequetively or can you use a day here and there, as long as they are used by September 2013?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      25 October 2012 at 16:47

      Hi, you can use a day here and there through 28 September 2013! That’s how I used mine.

      Reply

13. Barbara McDuffie says

    27 October 2012 at 14:21

    I have several questions.

    1. Last week when my son went to purchase tickets at Shades of Green, he was told if wanted all six tickets he would have to be them all at the same time. He wasn’t allowed to buy 1 now and 4 later in the year. Was that information correct?

    2. If we purchase the Park Hopper Plus do the water park days count as one of the four days of usage? For example, if we went Mon, Tues, and Wed to disney parks and on Thurs went to a waterpark would our 4 days be done? Or are the water park days 4 days plus 4 disney days???

    Thanks for your assitance.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 October 2012 at 15:20

      Hi Barbara,

      While Disney’s published rules says nothing about buying all 6 at the same time, Disney did at one time say that this was the case and apparently Shades is using that rule. Disney later did say this is not the case. So if Shades won’t sell him one he may need to go to a Disney ticket booth and pay tax on his ticket.

      Think of the ticket with the water park and more option as 2 tickets in 1. You’ll have 4 theme park days plus 4 admissions to the WP&M venues.

      Have fun!

      Reply

14. Eliza Diaz says

    3 November 2012 at 15:03

    We got 4 military salute tickets… can we activate them at a WDW resort guest relations desk or will it have to be at the theme park… just trying to avoid additional lines.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      3 November 2012 at 15:12

      Eliza , you can activate them at any Disney World Theme Park Ticket booth or Guest Relations location (at the parks and Downtown Disney), but unfortunately not at your resort. If you go to DTD the day of your arrival (if you aren’t going to the parks) you can do it then.

      Reply

15. Aimee says

    6 November 2012 at 18:53

    Hi Steve,
    Do you know if honorable discharges qualify for this offer? Specifically my fiance received a medically-related (med board) honorable discharge, and we were looking into this offer. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      7 November 2012 at 06:50

      Hi Aimee,

      So as I understand your question, he is totally separated and has no base access?If so then there is only one offer he is eligible for and it is through Shades of Green. Unless he is 100% disabled and that is a different conversation.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply

16. Marvin Del Chiaro says

    27 November 2012 at 03:42

    I was at Disneyland on Nov. 24th & 25th using military salute tickets, and for the first time ever, the military member was required to be present every day when the activated tickets were used by family members, not just on the first day to activate the tickets. Very inconvenient. They said the change was because there were counterfeit tickets being used.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 November 2012 at 04:44

      That is very interesting Marvin,

      Could you explain how that happened for us? This year Disneyland did include this on their website, but I didn’t think that it was correct.

      First did you have the hard plastic tickets with the Armed Forces Salute logo (from ITT), or the regular paper tickets with the Disney characters (from Disney ticket booths)?

      How’d it go down at the turnstile, did they say “Where is the military member” when a dependent scanned their ticket?

      The counterfeiting story doesn’t make sense, each ticket has an individual number on it’s magnetic strip. If you had the capability to make fake tickets that worked, why do military ones, which stand out?

      Reply

17. Michael says

    27 November 2012 at 11:00

    Hello. I am active duty and have three dependants(1 adult, 5 yr old, and 2 yr old). I would only like to see Disney for one day. What is my best option?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 November 2012 at 15:00

      Hi Michael,

      Here are the rates for the regular military discounted Disney tickets (Not the Armed Forces Salute) at Shades of Green. You can buy them there or at your base ticket office a very similar prices: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

      Reply

18. Kathleen says

    4 December 2012 at 16:00

    Dear Steve:
    You may have answered these questions already, but I’m going to Disney World next month and want to make sure I have all the rules straight.
    My cousin is retired Air Force and bought six Military Salute tickets for herself and my family in October at Shades of Green. We then went to EPCOT where we received the activated hard plastic tickets; however, we did NOT go into the park at that time. Our plan was to use these tickets for our January trip.
    Will we be able to do this? I’ve read elsewhere that the tickets have to be used right away once they’re activated and then expire within two weeks of that activation and use.
    I greatly appreciate your assistance!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      4 December 2012 at 16:41

      Hi Kathleen,

      You are all set. ONce activated you can use the tickets anytime until 28 Sept 2013. Except during blockout dates, 24 – 31 December 2012, 24 March – 4 April 2013, July 4, 2012 (No Magic Kingdom only).

      There was some talk initially out of Disney that the tickets had to be first used the day of activation, but that turned out not to be the case.

      Have a great time!

      Reply

19. brian kelley says

    4 December 2012 at 18:33

    2 questions. 1: Can the military member ACTIVATE more than 6 tickets, as we already have 2 from a different member but they weren’t activated. So we need a total of 8 activated, but only need to buy 6. Is this possible? I would think it wouldn’t matter how many get activated.

    2: How much are the 2 park with 3rd day free Universal tickets that military members can buy for friends and family? Reply ASAP plz!!!!! Thanks

    Reply

    • Steve says

      4 December 2012 at 18:51

      Hi Brian,

      The limit is on the number of Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets that you can activate. The max is six. The limit is on the number a member can use.

      You’ll need regular military discounted Disney Tickets.

      The flyer I have from Universal does not list prices it says a 2 day ticket with a third day free from your base ticket office. A regular military 2 day 2 park ticket is about $137.

      Reply

20. Sandy says

    6 December 2012 at 13:23

    So if I’m understanding this correctly – if my family arrived at Disney World on a Saturday we could buy our Armed Forces Salute Park Hopper, plus the Water Park and More Option tickets from SOG that day.

    We could then go to say Disney Quest that evening, and start our actual park days the next day. How/where would we get our tickets activated to be able to go to Disney Quest that first evening?

    We would then have through the deadline in September 2013 to use the remaining park days and WP&M visits or just the typical 14 days that regular tickets have?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      6 December 2012 at 15:12

      Good Questions Sandy,

      Everything you said is correct. After purchasing your tickets at Shades you could activate them at the Downtown Disney Guest Relations counter, between TrenD and Arribas Brothers.

      Your four park days and four WP&M entrances all expire on 28 Sept 2013, there is no 14-day or consecutive use rule.

      Have fun!

      Reply

      • Heather says

        9 January 2013 at 10:21

        I was just told they need to be used within 14 days of activation.

        Reply

        • Steve says

          9 January 2013 at 16:25

          Hi Heather,

          Whoever told you that is mixing apples and oranges.

          There are two kinds of military discounted Disney tickets. The 4-day Armed Forces Salute tickets which require activation and do not expire until 28 Sept 2013. And the regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets, which come in all the lengths and varieties available to the general public but at a 4-8% discount. Some Magic Your Way tickets do expire 14 days after “first use” and there are more expensive ones which never expire.

          Hope this clears it up, you can see the prices for the regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets here.

          Reply

21. Melissa says

    14 December 2012 at 20:06

    My husband is active duty Marine Corps and I am planning our trip for next September(early September before the deadline). I was just reading the guidelines about the armed forces tickets and was a little disapointed and was just wanting to make sure I understood it correctly.

    It would be just my husband, myself, and our 4 year old daughter, so three tickets for four days, but I had originally thought I could buy three more tickets, and use them to make a 8 day vacation out of it. I am not allowed to do that, correct?

    And if I wanted to extend our vacation, what would the best deal be for our situation. I am thinking only a park hopper(maybe with the water parks) but now I am so discombobulated about what to do that I am wondering if it’s even financially able to make it a longer trip. Any advice?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      15 December 2012 at 09:15

      Hi Melissa,

      Disney officials have confirmed to me that back-to-back use of the Armed Forces Salute tickets is now allowed. There was a period when they had said they wouldn’t allow this. But you’ll be good to go.

      Reply

22. Melissa S says

    2 January 2013 at 00:15

    My husband purchased 6 tickets back in July and we used one day and now have 2 days left (we purchased the Armed Forces Salute tickets for Disneyland in CA). My question is this: I know he has to be present and show his ID on all three days that we use the tickets, but does he have to have his ticket as well? We are going to Disneyland with different people this January and wanted to use our tickets and then buy another day(not another armed forces salute, just a regular ticket) on the final day of our other guests 3 day pass. Could we do this since he would still be there? Or does he need to use his Armed Forces Salute ticket in addition to showing his military ID with our guests all three days? I hope this wasn’t too confusing, thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      2 January 2013 at 07:11

      Hi Melissa,

      Well there are a couple issues. First, and most important, the 26 October 2010 through 30 September Armed Forces Salute ended on 30 Sept. and tickets from that offer are no longer valid they expired along with any days left on them. So you’ll need to either buy new Armed Forces Salute tickets from the new offer which started on 1 October or 4-day regular military discounted tickets from your Base Ticket Office.

      The other thing, and I’m not really sure I understood you, but all of your tickets must be used by the same person every time. Tickets used by one person on one day can’t be used later by another person. Was that what you were trying to ask when you said 3 other guests and your husband not using his ticket?

      Reply

      • Melissa S says

        2 January 2013 at 16:38

        Hi again, sorry I thought it sounded a little confusing. We did purchase the new ones in November (I was thinking about the last time we purchased them) So we do have the new set of military tickets. We bought one for my husband, myself, my brother, his wife, and my mother. Now I know in order for my mother, brother and sister in law to use their tickets, my husband has to be there and show his military ID, but does he need to have his ticket as well? We’re thinking of going to Disneyland in 2 weeks with different people and we wanted to use our armed forces tickets, since we don’t have the money to buy regular park tickets right now, but I’m worried if we do that, then on my families’ last day they won’t be able to get in. We would be going with them, and purchasing a regular park ticket on their last day of the three days. Hope this was easier to understand. Thanks

        Reply

        • Steve says

          2 January 2013 at 16:53

          LOL!

          You know this is a quirk at Disneyland. At Disney World once their ticket is active the member (and their ID) don’t have to stay with their guests, they can go to different parks on different days if they want.

          But to your issue, I think you should be fine, though I’ve not been to Disneyland since they started this requirement. When does the military member show their ID? As everyone is going through the turnstile?

          I think Disney’s issue is that the AFS tickets be used by actual family/friends of the member and not someone that they scalped the tickets to. So even if you guys use a different kind of ticket I think you’ll be good showing his ID with their tickets. 😉

          Reply

23. Brenda says

    14 January 2013 at 21:00

    Hi Steve,
    I see that we can use 2 days of tickets now and then the other 2 days in September. My question is this, does the military member (my son) have to be with all ticket holders everytime the ticket is used or just when activating them. For example, my husband and I may go in Septembe without our son. Can we use the tickets without him being there? They will be activated when we go in February. Thanks

    Reply

    • Steve says

      14 January 2013 at 22:38

      Hi Brenda,

      Disney World dos not require the military member to remain with their guests at all times. It is perfectly OK to use the tickets at different times (days) and at different parks. YOur sone just has to be there (with the whole party) to activate them.

      Disneyland however has a different policy, they require the military member to enter with their guests on every day.

      Have fun!

      Reply

      • Brenda says

        15 January 2013 at 18:27

        Thanks, we can’t wait to go!

        Reply

24. Heather Brooks says

    17 January 2013 at 17:59

    I saw above in your answers regarding purchasing tickets more than once in the year period but I wanted to clarify. My family of 5 just went on R&R in December and my husband purchased the tickets for us 5 and my mom (so used all 6). My daughter and I are running the Princess Half in February and my husband will not be with us since he will be overseas at the time. Do you think I will be able to purchase us a set of the Salute tickets this time around? (I am bringing some girlfriends with me, too- I would love to be able to buy tickets at the Salute rate for them as well!) Possible? Crazy talk? Any thoughts would be great!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      17 January 2013 at 18:13

      Hi there Heather,

      It is six tickets during the year long offer (1 Oct 2012-28 Sept 2013), so if it was December 2012 you are talking about unfortunately you are done until a new offer period. If it was Dec ’11 you were talking about you are good to go.

      Your next best option, though nowhere as good are the regular military discounted magic your way tickets from Shades of Green or your Base ITT.

      Good luck with the race!!!

      Reply

25. Pauline says

    7 February 2013 at 21:07

    I know this is probably a silly question, but my brother was going to buy us tickets to Disneyland, but he wouldn’t be able to come with us for he is moving to Arizona and I do understand that it’s been said many times that the person purchasing the tickets must be present to activate them. BUT I was just wondering…what if we had notarized documents stating the names of who the tickets would be for and a photocopy of my brother’s military id & driver’s license. Would that be acceptable?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      8 February 2013 at 07:19

      Hi Pauline,

      No sorry.

      The type of ticket you are talking about are the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. These tickets are sold at a very large discount. This is to enable military members the opportunity to spend time in the Disney parks WITH family and friends. Disney has put their rules in place to try to ensure that this is how the tickets are used. The military member (or their spouse) must activate the tickets in person (no exceptions, at all, ever) and Disneyland in California goes one step further requiring the military member to enter the park each day with their guests.

      There is another type of military discounted Disney ticket sold at military bases. These are the same tickets sold to everyone by Disney at their parks but at a slight discount (4-8%). He could buy these for you. He needs to ensure they are ready for use and don’t have to be exchanged at the park with a military ID. Disney sends both types to the base ticket offices.

      Reply

26. Rain says

    12 February 2013 at 08:15

    Thanks for posting this info. I have a question. My husband is in the National Guard, serving 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year. He was in training, active duty, last year until April. Is he eligible for the Armed Forces Salute tickets? I noticed that there is a requirement to show papers stamped that he was active duty as of last January…

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 February 2013 at 16:30

      Hi Rain,

      Reserve and Guard members are eligible with just their ID (which looks identical to an active ID) there is no requirement to be on extended active duty to qualify for the AFS. I was a reservist for 26 years and used it every year they offered it.

      Reply

      • Cynthia Viera says

        6 April 2013 at 19:23

        Hi Steve,
        I saw your post about the National Guard, my husband was a reservist at the Guard in California, and still has his military id, but expired. We are planning a trip to Walt Disney next month, can he still purchase the Military Appreciation Tickets for the discounted price, or at the local Air Force Base?

        Reply

        • Steve says

          6 April 2013 at 19:31

          Hi Cynthia,

          Unfortunately since he is no longer a Guardsman he isn’e eligible for most discounts.

          The only one would be at WDW in Florida: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html in the months of Sept. and Jan.

          Reply

27. Susan says

    16 February 2013 at 19:32

    I just want to make sure I am clear on the water parks and more option. The wate park option can be used on different days than the theme park days?? So it could be used on 8 different days if you wanted to go to the theme parks 4 days and then the water parks 4 days? Thanks for any clarification! I just recently found your website and it has lots of valuable information on it. Thanks!! 🙂

    Reply

    • Steve says

      16 February 2013 at 22:09

      Hi Susan, welcome.

      Yep, you have it right.

      Think of the water park & more option as 4 entry tickets (like a movie ticket) to be used when you want.

      Like you said, you could use them individually on different days from your theme park days, or on the same day you go to a theme park. You can use them one per day, or use multiple WP&M entrances on the same day (for instance a water park during the day, and Disney Quest at night).

      HOpe that clears it up!

      Reply

28. Pam Kelly says

    17 February 2013 at 09:12

    Hi Steve, My husband and I will be at Disney in early March, we are going to purchase the Military theme park tickets. My question is, can we buy them at the military base we live close to which is Fort Dix or do we have to get them at Shades of Green. Last time we got them we waited in line for almost 1 hour to purchase the tickets.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      17 February 2013 at 10:06

      Hi Pam,

      You are right the line can get long at Shades…

      There are a couple kinds of military tickets for WDW, so just to be sure you have all the info I’ll talk about both.

      The Armed Forces Salute tickets – Can be purchased at your local base (Ft. Dix) ticket office and Shades of Green, both without sales tax added. Or at Disney ticket booths with sales tax added. Tickets not purchased from Disney must be activated at a Disney ticket booth (theme park or water park), the Downtown Disney Guest Relations counter, or Disney Quest prior to use for park entry.

      The regular military discounted Disney Magic Your Way tickets – Can be purchased at your local base (Ft. Dix) ticket office and Shades of Green only, without tax. Tickets sent to bases come in 2 varieties, those which are ready for use and those which have to be exchanged at a WDW ticket booth. Disney sends both kinds randomly (I’m told) to bases. Also Bases do not always carry all types of tickets (lengths & options) so check more than 2 or 3 weeks out as they may have to order them.

      One last thing if you are staying at Shades of Green they will let you pre-pay for your tickets and have them waiting for you when you check in.

      Reply

29. melinda says

    17 February 2013 at 15:48

    HI Steve I’m going to Disneyland in may and my sister is a spouse of the military and she wanted to get 3 park hoppers as a gift for my birthday, but does not want to go to the park. Would she be able to purchase them still for us? Or does she need to be present all 3 days?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      18 February 2013 at 07:50

      Hi Melinda,

      In order to use the Armed Forces Salute tickets, yes she does have to go with you every day (at Disneyland, WDW is different).

      But there are the slightly discounted regular military Disney Magic Your Way tickets which you can use without her.

      Tickets sent to bases come in 2 varieties, those which are ready for use and those which have to be exchanged at a WDW ticket booth. Disney sends both kinds randomly (I’m told) to bases. Also Bases do not always carry all types of tickets (lengths & options) so check more than 2 or 3 weeks out as they may have to order them.

      Reply

30. Andrew Douglas says

    22 February 2013 at 21:01

    Hi Steve

    The Armed Forces Salute is it offered to the British Forces?

    Thanks

    Andy

    Reply

    • Steve says

      22 February 2013 at 22:18

      Hey Andrew, Just for those issued a US military CAC (ID), usually those stationed in the US. See this page:http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ very bottom left image.

      Reply

31. Desiree says

    27 February 2013 at 16:52

    Hi. I had a question about the 4-day salute hopper w/ wp&m. Is it 4 days at the theme parks and 4 days at the wp&m? So a total of 8 days?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 February 2013 at 17:06

      Hi Desiree,

      Yes and no…

      You can use the WP&M on 4 days making 8 total days, but think of the water park & more option as 4 entry tickets (like a movie ticket) not days, which you can use whenever you want.

      Like you said, you could use them individually on different days from your theme park days, or on the same day you go to a theme park. You can use them one per day, or use multiple WP&M entrances on the same day (for instance a water park during the day, and Disney Quest at night).

      Hope this clears it up a bit, let me know!

      Steve

      Reply

      • Desiree says

        27 February 2013 at 17:44

        Thank you. I can make it an 8 day vacation if I use the 4 wp&m on different days & the park hopper on another 4 days? Also since its the park hopper, I can go to the different parks on the 4 theme park days?

        Thank you so much for the info. I am new to this.

        Reply

        • Steve says

          27 February 2013 at 17:49

          Yep, you’ve got it right! Have fun!!!

          Reply

          • Shannon says

            3 March 2013 at 19:46

            Hi Steve,

            My dad is purchasing the Salute to Military tickets and we will be headed to Disneyland in a few weeks. I understand that he will have to be present to enter the park each day, but will he have to be present EACH time we hop parks throughout the day? He most likely won’t want to do all of the same things that my siblings and I will want to do all day each day.

            Thanks for your help!

            Shannon

          • Steve says

            3 March 2013 at 21:25

            Hey Shannon,

            I have to preface this with “I’m not truly a Disneyland expert” I’ve been, but quite a while ago, long before the Armed Forces Salute started.

            Disneyland is different in this respect from WDW, they say on their website that: “Military member (or spouse) must accompany the persons using these tickets for Theme Park admission.”

            I have heard from some readers that the member or spouse must enter with their guests, but I’m not sure how they monitor this. Does the turnstile advise the cast member that a military ticket has been scanned and then they ask to see an ID for the party? IDK?

            Also not sure how this would effect hopping, cause as you say the party might want to split up.

            Wish I could have been more help!!!

            If you do find out let me know, here or via my contact page…

32. Jen says

    6 May 2013 at 20:39

    Hi Steve! I think you answered this but I’m not 100% sure. Are all Reservists eligible for the Armed Forces Salute or only active Reserve? My husband is in school on an Air Force scholarship and is currently Air Force Reserve- does that work?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      6 May 2013 at 22:54

      Hi Jen,

      That depends on which type of Reservist he is.

      Disney uses the term “active reservist” though that isn’t an actual status. What they are trying to say is “Selected or Ready Reservist” or more simply current reservist. These Reservists have duty requirements through out the year with their unit and are paid to perform this duty. They have a CAC (military ID) like the one on this page: http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/

      They do not have to be on long active duty orders. And there is no way to tell them from a regular active duty member by looking at their CAC (ID) as they are identical.

      An Individual Ready Reservist (IRR) performs no duty and receives no pay. They have separated form the military and simply been told to keep their uniforms for a period of time in case they are called back.

      Here is my page with the ID guide Disney ticket workers use: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-World-Military-Discount-ID-Guide.html

      Hope this helps, let me know! Steve

      Reply

      • Jen says

        7 May 2013 at 07:10

        Thanks, Steve! This is helpful. He does have service requirements during the year and gets paid “active duty” pay for those times. I think he qualifies.

        Reply

        • Steve says

          7 May 2013 at 15:26

          Sounds like it, his ID looks like this right? http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/

          Reply

33. Michelle Stebbin says

    7 May 2013 at 21:21

    My husband is deploying in early June and towards the end of June I would like to take 3 of our 4 daughter’s on vacation. There is so much information out there. Can you please advise me to a user friendly website? Thank you
    Michelle

    Reply

    • Steve says

      7 May 2013 at 22:23

      It can be overwhelming Michelle. I’ll give you my stock “favorite sites.”

      The first is totally focused on first time visitors and run by my friend Dave. The others have been around for 15 years or so and are the “big” sites.

      http://yourfirstvisit.net
      http://allears.net/index.html
      http://www.wdwinfo.com
      http://www.disboards.com

      Also check out the disney food blog if you’d like to learn more about the great food options at WDW, http://www.disneyfoodblog.com

      Reply

      • Nicole says

        9 May 2013 at 17:53

        My husband served 6 years active duty (tour to Iraq) and 4 years in the active reserves. His military card states that it expired as of September 2011.Does he qualify for the salute to military tickets?

        Reply

        • Steve says

          9 May 2013 at 18:10

          Hi Nicole,

          Unfortunately no, only current or retired members are eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute and Regular Military Disney Tickets.

          But there is this one offer that anyone who served is eligible for, from Shades of Green.

          Here is the only discount available for non-retired veterans, including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

          Hope this helps,

          Steve

          Reply

          • RAFAEL says

            13 May 2013 at 01:46

            I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I GO WITH MY WIFE, THERES A CHANCE THAT I CAN BUY 6 TICKETS AND MY WIFE 6 MORE FOR A FAMILY GROUP OF 12. THE GROUP INCLUDE MY SONS , MY BROTHER MY SISTER. BROTHER IN LAW ,SISTER IN LAW NEPEWS AND NIECES AND MY MOTHER AND MOTHER IN LAW

          • Steve says

            13 May 2013 at 06:36

            Hello Rafael,

            No Sorry, the limit is 6 per military member during this offer. The spouse can only activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets if the member doesn’t go.

34. Pat Galloways says

    26 May 2013 at 21:41

    Hoping someone can help us figure out what our options might be. My sisters husband is active military and so he bought 6 of the current heavily discounted WDW hopper tickets from his base in California for her, her son, and my family of four and we were all going to meet there. She is now pregnant and very sick. Not looking at this point like she will be able to make the trip from California to Florida next month. If she is unable to fly next month to meet us – I understand we can’t get our tickets activated. Could we have someone else that is active military meet us at the gate to activate them? Not trying to do anything wrong here at all but really hoping we won’t be out all of this money if my sister ends up unable to travel next month.
    Appreciate any guidance or suggestions.
    Thanks so much
    Patty

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 May 2013 at 08:12

      Hi Patty,

      You are correct that if she can’t come with you, either you will not be able to activate the tickets or need to find someone who will do it for you.

      You would need a military member or spouse who has not already used up the member’s limit of 6 Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets during this offer period.

      Also that person must activate a ticket for themselves (one of the 6 total allowed).

      Reply

35. Cara says

    3 June 2013 at 15:44

    I saw comments about family members but are the salute tickets good for friends as well? There only has to be one person with a military ID, correct? They don’t need dependent IDs do they?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      3 June 2013 at 17:21

      Cara that is corect, the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are for the military member to spend time with whoever they want.

      Reply

36. Ashley says

    17 June 2013 at 13:02

    You’ve probably already answered this but I just want to be 100% sure: the 6 tickets (3 day DL park hopper for us) can be purchased throughout the valid time period, right? They don’t all need to be bought at the same time?

    My husband and I bought 2 tickets at 29 Palms USMC ITT (our last station). A friend decided she wanted to come with us so we went to the Nellis AFB ITT (the closest to us) and they told us that we could not buy the tickets because they needed to be purchased all at the same time and they even showed us some printed off piece of paper that supposedly said so. This upset me because we were never told this and there is no such information on the Disney site, which is where they said they got the info. I called the 29 Palms ITT and they said this information was “100% wrong” and that they would be willing to do the transaction over the phone and email the tickets to the Nellis ITT. Well, Nellis refused and was generally uncooperative so the 29 Palms people said we can either get the tickets from them or at the ticket window at DisneyLand. Is this true?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      17 June 2013 at 15:03

      Hey there Ashley,

      You’ve hit on one of my biggest frustrations and what has become the main reason for this site… miscommunication.

      First, every time Disney renews these Salute offers they add in some silly new rules which don’t make sense. I then spend a couple months getting them to drop them.

      Before they announce the Salutes they sign a contract with MWR. This spells out what MWR/ITT can and can’t do.

      When I get Disney to drop the silly rules, I don’t know if they ever change the terms of the contract, or if some bases just never get the word (probably the latter).

      But the having only one opportunity to buy tickets was deleted from this year’s salute very early. Off the top of my head I don’t even remember if it was still there on the start date.

      Nellis is flat out wrong. Did your hubby mention he wanted to buy more? Could you go back (if they didn’t see you) and just buy the one you need, without mentioning the previous purchase? The way they’ve acted you’ll probably have to say he is deployed and you are going alone, lol…

      There are some other options near DL and a by phone option, see this page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/On-Base-Tickets.html

      Reply

      • Ashley says

        17 June 2013 at 22:10

        Thanks for the info. I plan on launching a complaint with Nellis ITT not only because of this but their representative was very unhelpful and unwilling to even try to help us. Unfortunately both my husband and I were present when this situation arose. We’re going in 2 days and we need to get the ticket for our friend. 29 Palms ITT told me we could get it at the ticket window on property. Is this accurate?

        Reply

        • Steve says

          18 June 2013 at 03:15

          It is, you’ll have to pay sales tax there (at DL) on top of the ticket price though.

          Reply

          • michelle says

            23 June 2013 at 15:05

            Just FYI, we were just at Disneyland June 8-11 and bought our tickets at the park. Our tickets came out to $250 for 2 tickets total, so it doesn’t appear we paid the tax.

          • Steve says

            23 June 2013 at 21:36

            Hey Michelle,

            That is unexpected, but Great!!!

            Thanks Steve

37. Julia C says

    24 June 2013 at 12:49

    Hi Steve,

    I am unsure about this situation and just wanted an opinion or advice….

    We are planning a family trip in November of this year to WDW and *if* the Armed Forces Salute is renewed, we plan to use it. The only thing is this- My husband is the military member and is not able to join us until 2 days into the trip. If I (as the military spouse) buy the 5 tickets- I can activate them at the gate, correct. My question is, will he be able to by the 6th ticket and activate it when he gets there? Or will they not allow that saying all 6 must be activated at the same time and he must be present to activate them? Or because I have only purchased 5, does that leave the 6th ticket available? I know this depends on if the renew the salute this year or not. I am just trying to budget since this trip is so expensive!!!!! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      24 June 2013 at 22:28

      Hi Julia,

      Yep you’ll be able to do just what you said. You can activate the 5 and then once he is there he can do his, no problem.

      Fingers crossed on the renewal!

      Reply

38. Chilu says

    10 July 2013 at 00:05

    Hi,
    My brother is in the military. We we were there last week… We have the 3day hopper. We only used 2days of it. We were going to use the last day on sept. unfortunately my brother can’t go with us.
    Can i still go there without my brother?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      10 July 2013 at 07:13

      Hi Chilu,

      The 3-day Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket is for Disneyland in Cali. The rules at DL are slightly different from those at WDW in FL.

      The military member must enter each park with their party every time at DL, so unfortunately no, you can’t use them without him.

      Reply

39. Robyn G says

    10 July 2013 at 15:07

    I’m sorry if this has been answered. My husband is a retired service member. Is it allowed that I purchase three armed forces salute tickets now for Walt Disney World for myself and my daughter and granddaughter, and then next month purchase the additional three tickets for myself, my husband and my other daughter. This would put me going two times. Is that allowed? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      10 July 2013 at 17:25

      Yes, that’s just fine Robyn. As long a your first ticket is all used up (4 park days, and if you get the WPF&M option those 4 entrances)

      Reply

      • Robyn G says

        10 July 2013 at 19:13

        Thanks so much! I just hadn’t read anything specific about the same person going two separate visits. Lucky me. Thank you again so much 😀

        Reply

40. Melissa S. says

    16 July 2013 at 21:01

    I tried to read through all of your comments to see if this question had been answered but didn’t see it, so please forgive me if it has!

    Looking under your “Am I eligible to participate in the Armed Forces Salute?” section you mention that Metal of Honor recipients also qualify for the Salute tickets. Is this a specific metal of honor? We recently got out of the Army but my husband did receive a couple of metals for his time in Afghanistan. Just curious about the specifics on that.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      16 July 2013 at 21:21

      Hi Melissa,

      No problem.

      The Medal of Honor is the very highest US military award possible, very few earn it (most posthumously) and it is presented in person by the President in a ceremony at the White House.

      Reply

41. Melissa S. says

    16 July 2013 at 21:35

    Ha! Now I feel a silly for asking, but thank you for the kind clarification 🙂

    All the best!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      16 July 2013 at 22:00

      🙂

      Reply

42. Kelly Rose says

    22 July 2013 at 12:05

    Hello & thank you for posting the new Salute details.

    My husband and I are annual passholders (we will activate our vouchers on 11/1/13). These are the DVC special offer PAPs which must be activated by December 2013, so we don’t really have the option to hold on to them.

    We would like to use the Salute tickets for my parents to join us on our November 2013 and February 2014 trips. I understand we will need to purchase a ticket for my husband (active military), but I have questions.

    I plan to purchase the member’s Salute ticket & 2 tickets for my parents in August, and activate those 3 in November.

    Can I then purchase an additional set of tickets in January for my parents to use in February, or should I go ahead and purchase all of them prior to our first trip? (two tickets for each of them)

    Also, assuming we only enter the park with the member’s salute ticket once (then save it and use our APs), can I activate those additional tickets in February using this same member ticket, since there will still be days left on it? Or again, should I just purchase and activate them all in November?

    Are there any exceptions to the rule that one ticket must be used by the member or spouse, if we can prove (by our APs) that we with our party using the salute tickets?

    Thank you for your help and this awesome resource.

    Kelly R.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      22 July 2013 at 12:22

      Hi Kelly,

      During pervious offers those with passes (AP, FL, FL SP, etc) do not have to purchase one for the member as they already have more expensive tickets, I’m waiting on conformation that this will still be the case this year.

      You will be able to activate two groups of 2 tickets with your ID if that is what you’d like to do.

      Reply

      • Kelly Rose says

        10 October 2013 at 14:58

        Hi Steve,

        Did you ever receive confirmation about whether the military member/spouse would have to activate one of the tickets in their name (only activate their guests), IF they both hold the more valuable PAP? My husband and I will have PAPs, but will want to use the Salute tickets for my parents.

        Thank you for helping.
        Kelly Rose

        July reply below:

        Steve says:

        22 July 2013 at 12:22

        Hi Kelly,

        During pervious offers those with passes (AP, FL, FL SP, etc) do not have to purchase one for the member as they already have more expensive tickets, I’m waiting on conformation that this will still be the case this year.

        You will be able to activate two groups of 2 tickets with your ID if that is what you’d like to do.)

        Reply

        • Steve says

          10 October 2013 at 23:03

          Hi there Kelly,

          That is the case again this time around. I just confirmed it in person with my family last weel.

          Reply

          • Kelly R says

            14 October 2013 at 06:52

            Awesome! Thank you, Steve.

43. Paula says

    24 July 2013 at 01:10

    Dual Military question.
    If we are both “eligible service members” can we both buy four tickets each and use them as a family of four for eight days? The ticket purchasing details says “eligible member” or spouse. So is “or spouse” the dependent spouse? Is the “or spouse” the other “eligible service member” spouse?
    Thank you for your time.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      24 July 2013 at 07:07

      Hi Paula,

      Each service member has their own individual eligibility for 6 tickets. The “spouse” thing is for dependent spouses. So you’ll be good to go!

      Reply

      • Paula says

        25 July 2013 at 20:11

        Outstanding! Thank you for the clarification. Enjoy our day.

        Reply

44. Noah says

    24 July 2013 at 11:54

    I just bought tickets at the gate at Disneyland on 21 July 2013 and was not charged tax.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      24 July 2013 at 17:16

      That is awesome! Did they say why?

      Reply

      • Steve says

        24 July 2013 at 22:59

        Tammy I just learned tonight some partial info.

        Initially they were booking the AFS discounts in the mermaid rooms and they the discount quit working. IDK if this is on purpose or a bug. I’ll be checking with Disney.

        Reply

45. Ellen says

    25 July 2013 at 18:16

    My husband is Army National Guard & I have an ID. If I wanted to go with our 2 children along with a friend and her 2 children, could I purchase the 6 tickets? My husband has NO interest in going back until our next BIG trip Nov. ’14.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      25 July 2013 at 21:25

      Yes, as the spouse of a military member you are eligible Ellen.

      Reply

46. Samuel Rodriguez says

    29 July 2013 at 02:41

    I am currently depoyed and have a family of 6 so , I am assuming that I should be able to get enough tickets for us to attend in february once the new tickets come out. I just have a couple of questions.
    1) at what age do children have to pay or have a ticket?
    2) My parents want to come and since I have maxed out the 6 ticket limit, is there a way that I would be able to get other tickets at a discounted price for them?

    Sam

    Reply

    • Steve says

      29 July 2013 at 07:14

      Hey Samuel,

      Disney starts charging at 3 so you’ll need all 6.

      you can get the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets for your parents from a base ticket office. THese are only slightly discounted though.

      Reply

47. Rebecca says

    29 July 2013 at 04:47

    Hi Steve!

    We have 5 children one of whom is 3. What are the ages for the salute tickets for WDW? I’m being told 3 AND under is free. But others say UNDER 3 is free.

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      29 July 2013 at 07:11

      Hi Rebecca,

      At Disney under 3 is free. The regular tickets are 3-9 and 10 and over, but the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are 3 and over. Just one ticket for all.

      With 5 kids your family is allowed 7 tickets for you, your spouse, and your dependent kids.

      Reply

48. Catherine says

    30 July 2013 at 07:49

    The details state that the member or spouse must use one of the Salute tickets for him/herself. If my husband (retired military member) and I both have military annual passes, can we use all the Salute tickets for our grandchildren? We are planning to take 3 grandchildren for 8 days and would like to use all the tickets for them. I would think using a military status annual pass with ID would suffice, but not sure if Disney sees it that way. Has anyone had experience with this?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      30 July 2013 at 11:22

      Hi Catherine,

      Disney world does allow this as you already have the more expensive passes

      Reply

      • Catherine says

        30 July 2013 at 19:30

        Thank you so much, Steve. I’ve been fretting so much over this while wanting to get the annual passes so we can go 2-3 times during the year. While on the topic, do you know if annual passes (military variety) begin counting the year on the date of purchase or pick-up at the base ticket office or if they begin on the first day we enter WDW parks?
        And…thank you so much for this site. I am so happy to have found it and have found a wealth of info on it already. I had no idea so many benefits existed at WDW for military families.

        Reply

        • Steve says

          30 July 2013 at 20:26

          Thanks so much Catherine,

          As far as I know the APs purchased on base are “exchange vouchers” which have to be switched for the real ticket once there. When you do that your year begins.

          Reply

49. Lacie says

    6 August 2013 at 17:07

    We are going to Disney in November and will be on property for 6 days and in the parks for 5 days. Should we get the military salute tickets then a discounted one day ticket for the 5th day or is there a better more cost affective option?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      6 August 2013 at 17:45

      Hi Lacie,

      the price for the 5-day Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way hopper tickets is $341.00 adult, $323.00 child. That is quite an increase over your AFS tickets.

      Check these prices on the regular tickets you can add 1-day tickets for $93/$98 adult non-hopper, $87/$92 child non-hopper, $133.00 adult hopper, $127.00 child hopper.

      Reply

      • Lacie says

        6 August 2013 at 21:52

        Wow that was fast. Thanks so much!!

        Reply

50. Ken says

    11 August 2013 at 10:24

    Hi Steve,
    I already purchased and used 4 AFS tickets at Disneyland resort Dec 2012. Now I’m planning to visit WDW end of this month. I know there is a 6 AFS tickets ristriction. So does it mean number of AFS tickets for WDW I could buy in this time frame is 2 now? Or still could I buy 2 AFS tickets for DLR and 6 for WDW? I read their homepage and this site carefully. But couldn’t find the answer. I hope that means I still could purchase 6 AFS tickets for WDW. Right?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      11 August 2013 at 11:52

      Hi Ken,

      The answer is that you can use 6 at both. The two ticketing systems are not connected. So you have 2 remaining at DL and 6 available at WDW.

      Right now you can’t find this anywhere (other than asking) but WDW and I have talked about a formal announcement in the future.

      Reply

51. Ken says

    11 August 2013 at 12:41

    Great! Thanks for your quick response. I think your site and knowledge are very helpful for so many people. I appreciate your huge effort to keep helping the others. Thanks!

    Reply

52. Michael says

    12 August 2013 at 10:33

    So at WDW with the 4 day park hopper ticket, you have 4 days correct? Say we go to all 4 parks Saturday-Tuesday, on Thursday we couldn’t go back to MK for a few hours right cause we used the tickets 4 days already?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 August 2013 at 18:15

      Yep sorry Michael, you’d need a 5 -day ticket for that.

      Reply

53. Tiff says

    13 August 2013 at 23:14

    My spouse is a service connected disabled veteran does he still qualify for the AFS?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      13 August 2013 at 23:26

      If they are 100% DAVPRM they do. Less than that unfortunately do not.

      Reply

54. Kevin Allen says

    12 September 2013 at 14:24

    I understand only the 4 day park hopper is available for military and vets at DW. If we only stayed for 2 days this October, what is the latest we can use the other 2 days? The end of the salute period in Sep 2014?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 September 2013 at 17:11

      Hi Kevin,

      Well, the Disney Armed Forces Salute salute timeframe is 29 Sept 2013 through 27 Sept 2014. The tickets are valid that whole time period.

      But there are also the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets which are from 1 to 10 days.

      The AFS tickets are actually cheaper than a 2 day regular ticket so would be the way for you to go, but wanted to be sure you were aware of the regular military discount.

      Reply

55. Trevor says

    17 September 2013 at 12:58

    Hi planning to take my family to Florida in 2014 was wondering if the discounts are available to members of the British armed forces?
    If so what discounts are available and on which parks?
    Kind regards

    Reply

    • Steve says

      17 September 2013 at 17:23

      Hi Trevor,

      Thanks for checking out the site!

      The only 2 discounts for non-US military are: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/shades-of-green/non-us-military-members-eligible-to-stay-at-shades-of-green/ & http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

      But both are for those serving with US forces and require a US issued ID like the one at the bottom left of this page: http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ 

      Reply

56. Curtis says

    26 September 2013 at 07:54

    Hi Steve,

    Thanks for all the great information! It is greatly appreciated.
    We are headed down to WDW in January for our wedding. I am active duty and have an Annual Pass. I wanted to buy some of the Armed Forces Salute Tickets for my parents, sister and niece. I know it says that one of the tickets needs to be for the military member, but since I already have an AP does that still apply? I will be with them when they active them at the park.
    Thanks again!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      26 September 2013 at 20:45

      Hi Curtis,

      You’ll be all set. Those with passes (annual and others) don’t need their own Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket as they already have a more expensive ticket. I have a FL Seasonal Pass and get AFS tickets for my guests.

      Steve

      Reply

57. Rick says

    1 October 2013 at 18:15

    I want to buy AFS tickets as a wedding present for my niece and her fiance. Can I purchase just the two tickets for them, or do I have to purchase one for me, too? I know that I have to be there when they activate their tickets.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      1 October 2013 at 22:15

      Hi Rick,

      If you have any kind of annual pass you don’t need to have a Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket. But if you don’t you’ll need to have one for yourself too.

      Reply

58. Natalie says

    10 October 2013 at 16:19

    Under the top 10 things to know about the Disney Armed Forces Salute you indicate that for Disneyland in Anaheim the military person/spouse must accompany the other members of the family into the park each time and day. I know someone who purchased tickets yesterday at our local base and she was told that is not the case; that the military person must only accompany on the first admission. Can you confirm or clarify this please? Is it also true that the tickets don’t expire until Sept. 2014; thus one could use the 3 days at various times through the year if wanted?

    Thank you,
    Natalie

    Reply

    • Steve says

      10 October 2013 at 23:05

      Hi Natalie,

      I can confirm it. This is a very recent change by Disneyland, bringing them into conformity with WDW. The member no longer needs to accompany their guests for every entrance. Just for the ticket activation.

      I just edited the post to reflect this, thanks!!!

      Reply

      • Alma says

        8 November 2013 at 22:55

        Hello,
        Thanks so much for your awesome blog! We’re planning to go with my mother (spouse of a retired navy officer) as the member. My question is…on the visits after the first one, can anyone use her ticket? In other words, if we buy a total of 4 (including member), on visits 2-4, can we bring a 5th person instead of the member? I ask because I think my mother would have her fill of Disneyland after just a day. Thanks!

        Reply

        • Steve says

          8 November 2013 at 23:07

          Hi Alma,

          Sorry, absolutely not. All Disney ticket whether military discounted or not are non transferable. They use fingerprint scanners to prevent this.

          Reply

59. christina says

    13 October 2013 at 16:48

    Hey, I just wanted to ask if these tickets are also available for soldiers of an european military ( luxembourg) or for people from the governement?I dont know where I can find the answers of my questions so maybe someone knows who or where I could find help? :)) thanks

    Reply

    • Steve says

      13 October 2013 at 22:30

      Hi Christina,

      Thanks for checking out the site!

      The only 2 discounts for non-US military are:

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/shades-of-green/non-us-military-members-eligible-to-stay-at-shades-of-green/   

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

      But both are for those serving with US forces and require a US issued ID like the one at the bottom left of this page:

      http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ 

      Reply

      • christina says

        13 October 2013 at 23:29

        thank you steve for your prompt answer 🙂
        hmm… I m not serving for the US military so I have to buy me a normal Ticket.
        And by the way the site you posted dont work, there is always an error on this page 🙁
        Thank you

        Reply

        • Steve says

          14 October 2013 at 07:54

          Thanks, fixed the links. Steve

          Reply

60. christina says

    13 October 2013 at 16:55

    .. I forgot to say that we ( my daughter and I) are going to celebrate my daughters 6th birthday in disneyworld 😉

    Reply

61. Peter Shedleski says

    14 October 2013 at 15:17

    Can you expand on the option of honorably discharged vets (non retired) having access to the AFS deal? Do I have to stay at the SOG resort or another Disney property? I’m visiting in January during the SOG offer, but haven’t chosen a hotel yet. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      14 October 2013 at 18:17

      Hi Peter,

      During their stay at Shades, non-retired vets can use the Shades ticket office to purchase all ready for use tickets that they offer.

      Every ticket they sell is ready for use except the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. These tickets require activation by WDW and non-retired vets do not qualify for by Disney’s rules.

      So bottom line you’d only qualify for the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.

      Reply

62. Merton R Anderson (Andy) says

    17 October 2013 at 12:12

    Am retired military and want to send my daughter and her family to WDW for Thanksgiving. Any discounts? What do I do? Thanks Andy

    Reply

    • Steve says

      17 October 2013 at 23:37

      Hi Andy,

      You’ll want to buy her the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets at the nearest base.

      She and her family can use these without you going along.

      Prices would be just like these at Shades of Green: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

      Reply

63. Melanie says

    21 October 2013 at 02:52

    Hi Steve,

    Your site is SO helpful, thank you! We are planning a trip in Feb with my dad and our kids, he is a retired vet. My questions are these:

    He retired over 30 years ago, does that still count? He was wondering if it was only recent vets.

    My second question is this, we live in Seattle, do you know if there are any ticket offices close by, such as in Fort Lewis? I’ve tried calling a few places, but am having trouble getting to a person. I saw your links to some ticket offices that take orders over the phone, but where are they located? Do you fax your veteran info into them as well as credit card info at the same time or can you talk to someone on the phone who can do it for us?

    thank you, Melanie

    Reply

    • Steve says

      21 October 2013 at 14:47

      Hi Melanie,

      Thanks!!!

      Yes he’s still qualified as long as he has a valid retired military ID.

      Joint Base Lewis McChord does have a ticket office, here is their link: http://www.jblmmwr.com/leisure_travel.html

      Beale AFB in CA, which I mention in this page does sell some items over the phone, it does involve faxed documents.

      Reply

64. Jamie says

    31 October 2013 at 15:03

    Hi, you have a wonderful site with great information! I wanted to verify that the 4 day park hopper AFS tickets can be used on nonconsecutive days at WDW. I know blackout dates apply, but if I want to use it December 13, 2013 and then again December 15-17, 2013 would that be allowed? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      31 October 2013 at 16:48

      Hi Jamie, Thanks!!!

      Yes you can do exactly that. You have till 27 Sept. 2014 to use all 4 days and they can be used any way you want, individually or all together.

      Reply

      • Jamie says

        1 November 2013 at 18:11

        Thanks! You are an amazing asset to have for planning! Greatly appreciate the help and information!

        Reply

65. Wade Edwards says

    3 November 2013 at 16:06

    Great site!!! If I use 4 of the AFS salute tickets now, can I use the remaining 2 later in 2014? Purchasing 4 now and 2 later? I will use a ticket both times.

    Thanks,

    Wade

    Reply

    • Steve says

      3 November 2013 at 16:48

      Hi Wade,

      Yes you sure can do that. You have until 27 Sept to buy and use the other 2.

      Reply

66. David Bradford says

    11 November 2013 at 22:47

    As a retired Army officer, I want to buy 6 tickets for the 4 day hopper pass Armed Forces Salute at $169 each. I am not near any base ticket office without traveling 4 hours or more.

    I am not staying at the Shades of Green. How do I buy tickets from the Shades of Green in advance without physically being there at the Shades of Green?

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 November 2013 at 07:27

      Hi David,

      Unfortunately you can’t. The pre-purchase of tickets (about 2 weeks out) at Shades of Green is only for their guests.

      So you’ll have to but your tickets once you arrive. You have three options. Go by Shades to get them, use the Orlando ITT, or buy them direct from Disney at their ticket booths (with sales tax added).

      Steve

      Reply

67. Jill says

    19 November 2013 at 00:28

    My father-in-law wondered if he could use these discounted tickets he can get to take 4 grandkids to Disneyland one day and 4 different grandkids to Disleyland 2 weeks later. Are the tickets transferable?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      19 November 2013 at 07:16

      No, unfortunately they are not Jill. This is Disney’s rule on all their tickets. They prevent it by using fingerprint scanning.

      Reply

68. Jen says

    19 November 2013 at 10:00

    Thank you for providing such a wonderful collection of helpful information.

    I wanted to clarify #10: “At Disney World, one idea is to opt for the Water Park & More Option (or add it to you hopper ticket). The WP&M visits can be used on non-park days to fill out a longer stay.”

    Does this mean you could purchase the AFS Park Hopper with the Water Park & More option and go to the DisneyWorld parks for 4 days and then still have 4 visits available for the water parks, espn, etc… ?

    We will be there 7 days total. It would be great to have 4 days at the park + extra passes for WP&M to use during the remaining time.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      19 November 2013 at 23:14

      Hi Jen,

      Yes that is correct. The WPF&M option visits are totally separate from the theme park days, so yes you could get 8 days out of the single ticket. Keep in mind if you just get the cheaper WPF&M option the theme park days are non-hopping. If you want to hop between parks on the same day you’ll need the more expensive ticket with both options.

      Reply

69. Dan says

    11 December 2013 at 23:03

    Can sons and daughters of a military personel still purchase discounted military disneyland tickets

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 December 2013 at 07:01

      Hi Dan,

      Well, Disney discounts are for the member and or spouse depending on the offer. I do not believe children have ever been eligible. It may be that some bases would sell them to anyone who had access to the base, which might be what you are thinking.

      But if you are an adult without base access, as I assume, the answer would be no. Your parents can buy them for you though.

      Reply

70. cristy says

    1 January 2014 at 14:22

    Can I use my dd214 as a form of military identification?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      1 January 2014 at 15:51

      Hi Cristy,

      Not for the Disney Armed Forces Salute, only valid IDs. Since you are asking about a DD-214 I’m guessing you separated without retiring, which makes you ineligible for most Disney discounts.

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disneys-Armed-Forces-Salute-FAQ.html#Am-I-Eligible

      There is the this one discount though, available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

      Hope this helps,

      Steve

      Reply

      • cristy says

        1 January 2014 at 15:54

        Thank you

        Reply

71. Cindy says

    2 January 2014 at 11:38

    Our trip to Disney World is not until November 2014. When do you normally find out if the offer is being continued? I’m a little worried about hotels filling up if I wait to book until September. Also, how does it work once I am ready to book the hotel? Do I just mention the discount over the phone? Is there a special website to go to book it? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      2 January 2014 at 12:21

      Hi Cindy,

      I actually just posted on this yesterday.

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/disney-armed-forces-salute-october-2014-through-2015-when-to-expect-a-renewal-announcement/

      As for making an AFS reservation you’ll need to do it via phone with Disney or through a travel agent. It can’t be done online.

      Reply

72. Jane says

    2 January 2014 at 14:04

    Does the purchasing sponsor have to be present to activate the tickets? My husband is active military and we are taking our family of 6 + 2 dependents of another military personnel. However, the other military personnel will not present (he would pre-purchase his children’s ticket at the local base beforehand). Will Disneyland allow all 8 activations?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      2 January 2014 at 16:44

      Hi Jane,

      Unfortunately this won’t work with Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. The purchase process is not relevant, what matters is the activation. Each military member may activate up to 6 tickets (one for themselves). There is an exception for large families, but you are taking someone else’s kids not 6 of your own.

      Your friend will have to buy the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets for his kids on base. These are not as good a deal, only 4-8% off where the AFS tickets are 50% off.

      Here is info on the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
      And here are the prices at Shades of Green, the prices on base would be within a dollar: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

      Reply

73. Kristen says

    9 January 2014 at 16:30

    Hi my aunt who is an active duty in the military bought the 3-day pass for disneyland in california, she unfortunately has duty the weekend that we were planning to go. Would we still be able to use the ticket? I have a military ID myself since my dad used to be in the military. Do they check for the military ID when they scan the ticket at the gate??

    Reply

    • Steve says

      9 January 2014 at 19:28

      Hi Kristen,

      Just to be sure, she bought the 3-Day Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets for $129, not Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets (more expensive)?

      The Disney Armed Forces Salute has very strict rules because of the large discount and the intent for the military member to use these tickets to spend time with family and friends in the Disney parks. The military member must activate all of their tickets at Disneyland in person with their whole party. They must have a ticket for themselves. After activation the tickets may be used separately.

      Can you all go together to activate the tickets prior to the weekend? YOu could use them without her over the weekend without her after that.

      As to your ID it should have been turned in when he left the service, it isn’t still valid is it? Anyway child dependents are not eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute.

      Reply

74. bias says

    15 January 2014 at 13:09

    If you have a DD214 HONORABLE DISCHARGE? ARE YOU ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER? WHERE WOULD I PURCHASE THE TICKETS?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      15 January 2014 at 16:20

      Hi bias,

      There are no discounts available directly from Disney, such as this Disney Armed Forces Salute.

      But there is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

      Reply

75. Deann says

    26 January 2014 at 16:42

    I am a retired military spouse and wanted to take a trip to
    DisneyWorld with my sister. Am I able to purchase a ticket for her for the
    AFS? It was recommended by Shades of Green.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      26 January 2014 at 17:48

      As long as you have a valid spouse ID Deann, you can purchase for yourself and your sister.

      Have fun.

      Reply

76. Roxanne Pattison says

    14 February 2014 at 10:50

    My son in law is in the national guard, our family is traveling to Disney in March, there will be 7 of us: son in law, myself, his wife and sister along with her husband and two children ( total 7 ) .
    would we all be able to buy the discount 4 day hoppers ? or would 1 need to be excluded ?
    Also .. and this is very important : my son in law, myself and his wife will be going on March 10th and the rest of family can not join us until March 14th , is it possible for us to get all tickets at once and activate the family members who will join us on the 14 when they get there ?
    we need to use 3 tickets on the 10th of march
    AND 4 more on the 14th . please advise ! Thank you !! Roxanne

    Reply

    • Steve says

      15 February 2014 at 11:07

      Hi Roxanne,

      At Disney under 3 is free (you didn’t mention the kid’s ages) so if one of them is under 3 you only need 6 tickets.

      But if you need 7, as you mentioned 6 is the limit he can use. There is an exception for large families, but it is for a single family (Mom, dad, their dependent kids).

      So you’ll need one ticket of another type. The cheapest would be a Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way ticket, either from His base ticket office or Shades of Green.

      Here are Shades prices, base’s will be within a dollar: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

      Also you shouldn’t have any problem activating 3 tickets the 10th and then the other 3 later (the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets) do not need to be activated).

      Have fun!

      Reply

77. angela says

    21 February 2014 at 18:34

    I am looking to go to wdw next month we just purchased the salute the military 4 day hopper pass..Do we have to use it at the different parks or can we alternate wdw with epcot for instance if we want can we go to wdw on Monday and Wednesday and then Epcot Tuesday and Thursday or can we just go to wdw on 4 different days…

    Reply

    • Steve says

      21 February 2014 at 21:05

      Hi Angela,

      Good question.

      You can use your tickets at any park you desire, any park any day. So yes you could do the Magic Kingdom on Mon/Wed and Epcot on Tues/Thurs.

      I assumed you meant the Magic Kingdom when you said WDW. Walt Disney World (WDW) is the entire huge resort area which encompasses all 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, resorts, and other entertainment areas.

      Reply

78. Judy says

    27 February 2014 at 09:19

    I purchased 5 Armed Forces Salute tickets for Disney World in February 2014. We are considering going back to Disney World in Spetember 2014. Can we purchase 3 AFS tickets, or are we limited to 6 for the entire promotion?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      27 February 2014 at 19:06

      It is 6 for the current promotion Judy, so you have one left.

      Reply

79. Taylor says

    12 March 2014 at 07:40

    Hi,

    I’m stationed overseas and our ticket office does not sell disney tickets. I’m supposed to be going on leave in a few weeks and surprising my girlfriend with a trip to disneyland. How do I go about buying tickets ahead of time through the disney salutes program? I can buy them at the park itself correct?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 March 2014 at 17:15

      Hi Taylor,

      You could ask your base ticket office if they will order them even though they don’t carry them.

      Vance AFB may assist, see this page mid way down.

      And failing those, yes you can buy them once there from Disney (plus tax)or Shades of Green.

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disneys-Armed-Forces-Salute-FAQ.html

      Reply

80. Dafnee says

    12 March 2014 at 11:56

    My son is a military child but dad & I never married can I still purchase a disney ticket with military discount for him?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      12 March 2014 at 17:12

      No, unfortunately you can’t Dafnee.

      The discounts are for the member and their spouse in their place. Children are not eligible.

      Reply

81. Michelle says

    13 March 2014 at 19:48

    Hi Steve! Does the military member that purchases the ticket have to be the one to activate them? My husband is in the national guard and our base does not have a travel office. We have friends that are active duty that offered to purchase them for us so that we wouldn’t have to pay taxes in WDW or visit shades of green (we arrive late at night).

    Thank you very much! I love your site – it has been extremely useful!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      13 March 2014 at 21:28

      Hi there Michelle,

      Thanks!

      The purchase on base is in no way tied by individual to the activation at Disney.

      All that Disney cares when you go to activate them on property is that you have the exchange certificates (what they call the tickets purchased on base) in your hand and that you are eligible to activate them.

      Also if staying at a Disney resort, this will allow you to link your ticket (vouchers) to your My Disney Experience account and make FastPass Plus reservations 60 days out!

      Have fun!!!

      Reply

82. Leza Howell says

    24 March 2014 at 05:08

    Do they offer discounts on just a one day ticket?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      24 March 2014 at 05:48

      Hi Leza,

      Yes there are the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets, but these are only slightly discounted (4-8% off). The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are over 50% off! the four day AFS ticket costs less that a MYW 2 day. If there is any chance you can do 2 or more days this is the way to go.

      Reply

83. pam says

    24 March 2014 at 11:14

    I had seen where the military and their families could go into disneyland with up to 6 people for free. Can you tell me more about this or where I can find out more? My husband is 100% disabled. Thank you we are planning on June the 9th till the 13th thank you.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      24 March 2014 at 17:16

      Hi Pam,

      Unfortunately there is no free offer.

      Back in 2009 Disney had a free ticket for the military member and discounted tickets for family and friends, but that was the last year with anything free.

      What we have now id the Disney Armed Forces Salute, highly discounted tickets and resort rooms. As a 100% Permanently Service Connected Disabled Veteran (he is this right?), he is eligible.

      See this page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

      Reply

84. Megan says

    29 March 2014 at 12:52

    Hi, we got to California with the intent to have my husband’s grandparents to take us to Disneyland, it ends up that their passes are blacked out for the dates we are here. My wonderful husband neglected to double check before we left, so we did not buy tickets before we left our Army installation. My question is, will we be able to buy military discounted tickets at the disneyland gate?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      29 March 2014 at 14:04

      Yes Megan you sure will, they sell them at the DL gate (no tax added).

      Reply

      • Megan says

        29 March 2014 at 14:28

        Perfect! Thank you so much for your quick response. 🙂

        Reply

85. Mindy Dunn says

    30 March 2014 at 17:34

    Can you upgrade 2 day base ticket to an Armed Forces Salute 4 day hopper with WP&M?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      30 March 2014 at 17:52

      I do believe if you take an unused 2-day base ticket to a Disney ticket booth they will let you upgrade it Mindy.

      Reply

      • Mindy says

        31 March 2014 at 08:21

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

86. cindy says

    2 April 2014 at 14:33

    If we get a 4 day hopper with the water park added for 198. We have to go to the theme parks and the waterparks or whatever all in four days right? Or do we have the option of going to them other days?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      2 April 2014 at 17:05

      Hi Cindy,

      The ticket is valid on any day until 27 Sept 2014. With the options you asked about you get 4 theme park days and 4 entrances the the Water Park Fun and More options.

      Read more here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Disney-Water-Park-Fun-and-More.html

      Reply

87. Shannon says

    3 April 2014 at 16:39

    I am planning on going in August to Disneyworld. I have gotten tickets before so that’s not a problem. I was just wondering If I arrive on Tuesday go to the parks Wednesday thru Friday using up 3 days. Relaxing on saturday and then going back on sunday is that acceptable? Can I even do that with the military ticket? I’m used to just going all four days in a row but i know during the summer it can be hot and humid. So that was my main concern. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      3 April 2014 at 21:06

      Yep Shannon, you sure can. You have till 27 Sept to use all 4 days. We often use the same ticket during a couple trips.

      Reply

88. Brian says

    4 April 2014 at 20:42

    We have purchased the AFS 4 day tickets and we have the vouchers in our possession…. Since we have been looking around at other things to do while we are down there is it possible to upgrade to the WPF&M option at the gate when validating the tickets we have?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      5 April 2014 at 06:49

      Yes it sure is Brian, for $29 plus tax each ticket at a Disney Ticket or Guest Services window.

      Reply

      • Brian says

        5 April 2014 at 08:10

        Thanks for the quick reply sir….We leave in 2 hours…..lol….Awesome site with unparalleled great information.

        Reply

89. serena serrano says

    13 April 2014 at 17:00

    Hi,

    I was wondering… If my husband is active duty and I am national guard are we both allowed to purchase tickets?

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      13 April 2014 at 17:15

      Yep you sure do Serena.

      You are both eligible for 6 tickets during this offer.

      Reply

      • serena serrano says

        13 April 2014 at 17:39

        That is great! Would you suggest calling for the tickets or both of us going to the ticket base on fort bliss? When I called the ticket office on post to ask that question they seemed confused so I don’t want them to deny both of us being able to purchase tickets.

        Reply

        • Steve says

          13 April 2014 at 20:44

          Hey Serena, they can’t deny you. You are both eligible as military members.

          Reply

          • serena serrano says

            13 April 2014 at 22:00

            Okay, thank you. If for some odd reason they do, I will show them this conversation. But thank you, youhelped a ton!

90. Rebekah says

    15 May 2014 at 16:28

    Hi Steve! Your site is so great and I have learned so much! My dad is retired with 40 years of service so he will be purchasing our tickets. With my dad and stepmom, there are three in my family and 4 in my brother’s family so we will be short 3 tickets. Would my dad just go ahead and purchase the regularly discounted military tickets at the same time he purchases the 6 AFS tickets? Does he purchase those at the same location he gets the AFS tickets? Also, I am curious about the Magicbands. Do you know anything about them? We will be staying at a Disney resort and I have read that everyone who stays at a Disney resort will receive one. I was just wondering if the AFS discount for the resort would prevent us from getting the Magicbands. Thank you so so much for all of your information!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      15 May 2014 at 18:10

      Hey there Rebekah, thanks!

      Yes he can purchase the regular discounted tickets at the same time and there is no issue with using FastPass Plus. If staying at a Disney resort you’ll get Magic Bands ahead of time, and if staying elsewhere you can get them when you arrive.

      See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/z-highlight-2/all-you-need-to-know-about-disney-world-fastpass-plus-for-the-military-traveler/

      Reply

      • Rebekah says

        15 May 2014 at 19:28

        Thanks again, Steve! Looking forward to hearing about the renewal!

        Reply

91. Allison says

    21 May 2014 at 22:12

    Hi , my brother wanted to buy us tickets to disneyland as a wedding gift to us since he wont be able to make it to the wedding. He will start training that week. Is he able to purchase them for us?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      22 May 2014 at 06:48

      Hi Allison,

      Sorry the purpose of the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets is not that they be used as gifts. They are for the military member to spend time with family and friends in the Disney parks.

      He can buy you the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets. These are only slightly discounted.

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

      Reply

92. Evie says

    25 May 2014 at 14:07

    I purchased the military appreciation 3day park hopper. I was told i dont have to go 3 days in a row however i do have to use them within 13 days of my first visit. Is this correct?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      25 May 2014 at 16:07

      No Evie, that is not true. the only expiration on the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets id 27 Sept 2014. Your 3 days can be used on any (individual) day between now and then.

      Reply

      • Evie says

        25 May 2014 at 21:59

        Thank you Steve!
        One more quick question, will i need to bring the e-ticket with me every time i go or will i be given one regular ticket to use all 3 times?

        Reply

        • Steve says

          26 May 2014 at 10:36

          When you activate your ticket they will give you a valid one, which you will use each time you go.

          Reply

          • Evie says

            26 May 2014 at 12:30

            Thank you so much steve

93. Nina says

    1 June 2014 at 11:30

    Steve, My family plans to stay at SOG in Oct 2014. We hope they cont the 4 day Disney Armed Forces Salute. Is the 6 tickets limited to an annual promotion or lifetime? We purchased 3 tickets in April 2012. Would we be able to get four in 2014? When do they usually announce the new promotions? Thanks for all the great info

    Reply

    • Steve says

      1 June 2014 at 12:27

      Hi Nina,

      The 6 ticket limit is for the current promotion, which runs from 20 Sept 2013 through 27 Sept 2014. So should there be a follow-on offer you’ll be reset to zero and will be allowed however many they allow in that offer.

      Last year Disney announced in late July, it was early August the year before.

      Reply

94. Shan says

    1 June 2014 at 20:07

    Dad served in Army from 1967-1974. Honorable Discharge. Died in 2002 and in 2010 my mom (married since 1969 to dad and not remarried, age 65) obtained disability benefits based on my dad’s young death from heart disease due to Agent Orange.

    Does she qualify for the $169 4-day park hopper tickets?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      2 June 2014 at 07:03

      Hi Shan,

      Does She have a military spouse ID card (not a VA card). It would look like the bottom right on this page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-World-Military-Discount-ID-Guide.html

      Reply

95. Lucy says

    2 June 2014 at 21:57

    Dear Steve, My husband is a recent 100% qualified disabled vietnam vet. He has a military card with a status grade of DAVPRM.. We are going to Disney World in July. We will be using the parks for 5 days. We also have 4- 1 day park hopper passes already , that I won at a charity function.. We are bringing our family of son and wife and daughter and husband, also grandkids a 2 yr. old, two 5 yr. olds, one 6 yr. old, one 10 yr. old and an infant. Can we only get 6 tickets only. how can we get the best deal. I read something about being able to purchase the amount we need with the military salute tickets? Can you please help me out. Lucy I thought the web site was informative. We are new to all the benefits. Thank you so much..

    Reply

    • Steve says

      3 June 2014 at 07:00

      Hi Lucy,

      So it sounds like 11 people 3 and over?

      In your family’s situation you are limited to 6 Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. So the next best military deal would be the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.

      You can get both types of tickets at Base ticket offices (they may need to order them so allow time), the Orlando ITT, or Shades of Green.

      You can get the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets direct from Disney but will also pay tax.

      Here are the prices for the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets at Shades, base/ITT prices will be within a dollar.

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

      For more info see:

      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html
      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/On-Base-Tickets.html
      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Orlando-ITT-Ticket-Office.html
      http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Military-Discount-Ticket-Sales.html

      Hope this helps,

      Steve

      Reply

96. shari says

    26 June 2014 at 17:18

    Can you verify the info on large families? We have 5 kids and will need 7 tickets, and have not been able to get an answer on this policy from WDW cast member chat. We are staying on property at S.Springs in August 2014.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Steve says

      26 June 2014 at 19:08

      Yes you can do this Sheri, but only directly through Disney ticket windows. You can’t do this at most base ticket offices, some will though.

      Reply

97. Ken says

    9 July 2014 at 03:47

    Hi Steve,

    I’m retired military. Taking my immediate and some extended family to WDW. Immediate family, including myself, would like to stay a week (7 day pass). However, would like to use the military discounts for some of the extended family members as they’re only staying 4 days. Will this be an issue if I don’t also have the military ticket, but will be present at the park to activate? Since I’ve already purchased the 7-day pass, would hate to have to also purchase a military ticket for myself just to activate the other military tickets.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      9 July 2014 at 06:55

      Hi Ken,

      You’ll be just fine. You do not need to purchase on for yourself, though you do have to keep that option open (keep one of the 6 available for your later use). So you’ll be able to activate up to 5 for you family and friends.

      Reply

98. Kimmery Keel says

    21 July 2014 at 15:23

    We are taking a trip to Flordia and meeting my parents there. They offered to take our children to Disneyworld without us. We can be there with ID to help activate their tickets but are they allowed to use this promotion if our children are going with our parents and we are not buying tickets? So the tickets would be for my parents and my children and we can be there to show ID.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      21 July 2014 at 16:05

      Hi Kimberly,

      This is a quote from a WDW ticket CM I know “This has always been the policy, although maybe not stated that way. If six tickets are activated, one must be for the service member. If five or fewer total tickets, the service member does not have to use one of the tickets. This for example, allows a person with an Annual Pass to not have to get a AFS ticket for themselves.”

      So I do think this is doable!

      Reply

99. Tina says

    22 July 2014 at 18:23

    I am going to Disney World in January 2015 for marathon weekend and probably won’t use all 4 days of the salute ticket. I plan on going to Disneyland in August 2015. Can I use the left over days from my Disney World ticket or do I need to buy a Disneyland ticket?

    Reply

    • Steve says

      22 July 2014 at 18:59

      No unfortunately not Tina, they are actually separate companies.

      The 4-day Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket is about the price of a regular 2-day so if you use 2 or more at WDW you will be even or ahead.

      Reply

      • Tina says

        22 July 2014 at 20:28

        Thanks for answering my question Steve! Now I have one more. So does that mean I can buy 6 salute tickets for Disney World and 6 salute tickets for Disneyland or is it 6 salute tickets total?

        Reply

        • Steve says

          22 July 2014 at 21:59

          It is 6 at each Tina. 🙂

          Reply

100. Letha says

     29 July 2014 at 23:41

     Is this offer available for ex servicemen who were honorably discharged, but who did not “retire” from the service?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 July 2014 at 06:58

       Hi Letha ,

       Unfortunately not, there are no discounts available for those who separated directly from Disney or the military.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Hope this helps,

       Steve

       Reply

101. Tami says

     2 August 2014 at 18:30

     We already purchased 3 tickets in March for our family of 3. Can we purchase 3 more again before the expiration then? Thank you.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       2 August 2014 at 22:22

       Yes you sure can Tami.

       Reply

102. Christine says

     4 August 2014 at 15:44

     I am an annual passholder and will be traveling with my friend. Can I purchase one of my six military salute tickets for my friend and have it activated without purchasing one for myself?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 August 2014 at 17:14

       Yes you sure can Christine.

       Reply

103. Tiffani says

     7 August 2014 at 14:04

     If I purchase the current salute tickets (through 9/27/14) when do they expire/how long do I have to use them..

     Reply

     • Steve says

       7 August 2014 at 16:47

       Till 27 Sept 2014 Tiffany

       Reply

104. Tracy says

     12 August 2014 at 18:36

     When purchasing tickets- Does reserves include active and inactive reserve as long as they have an ID?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 August 2014 at 06:55

       Unfortunately Tracy inactive reserves do not qualify for discounts from Disney.

       Reply

105. daniel says

     16 August 2014 at 19:39

     Three questions 🙂 (thanks for the great blog btw!) Disneyland

     (1) can the tickets be activated at the park, but not used that day? For example: can a serviceman and family/friends be at the park to activate the tickets, but no one goes into the park that day?

     (2) if we have 6 tickets, but only 4 people total on the first initial activation …. can we activate the remaining 2 tickets as well?

     (3) after the initial activation, does the ticket require the serviceman to be there (for days 2 and 3)?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       16 August 2014 at 23:11

       Hey Daniel,

       Yes, they sure can be.

       Most likely not, Disney requires the person the ticket is being activated for to be there. Some cast members may do it though, just ask when you are there.

       No, once active the member does not need to accompany their guests (even on day 1). In the past they had to at DL but they did away with this requirement last year.

       Reply

       • daniel says

         17 August 2014 at 02:54

         Would the serviceman need to activate their ticket on that same day, or have a ticket present as well? Are the fingerprints taken that day?

         Is it possible for the serviceman to buy on base one ticket for a son/daughter, and be present to activate the ticket, but not have a ticket for himself?

         Reply

         • Steve says

           17 August 2014 at 09:52

           The member and the guests they are activating tickets for must all be present for the activation process.

           Disneyland takes pictures of multi-day tickets holders vs fingerprints as they do at WDW.

           The only way the member can activate a Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket for others without one of their own is if they are an annual passholder.

           Just get one for yourself and however many you need the first time (you don’t need to use yours), then as you need more (up to the limit) activate those.

           Reply

           • Liz says

             22 August 2014 at 11:27

             Hi

             When the tickets are activated and photo and finger prints taken on the first visit, does the military ID person need to come every other visit.

             Also, my friend with her child thought about joining us, she has a brother in camp in Georgia, he could order them from Pendleton, could my sister ID more than 6 people do you think, would that work.
             I have read with a bigger family SOG may sell you more than 6. tickets. There is 7 in my family and one for my sister, the military person. Do you think they would sell us 8.

             Steve, sorry for all the questions, it’s just great to get answers.

           • Steve says

             22 August 2014 at 15:23

             Hi Liz,

             No problem!

             Once activated, the party does not need to stay together.

             No unfortunately the limit is 6. Your sister could get more (the number she needed IF she and her husband had more that 4 dependent children. Sorry but this would only be for them. This exception is not for people who are not in her immediate family.

106. Maryland Caraballo says

     20 August 2014 at 11:30

     Im a retired Puerto Rico US National Guard. Do I qualify for any of these discounts.
     My active peers gave told me they get all the benefits when they visits WDW. Is this correct?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 August 2014 at 17:05

       Yes you sure are qualified Maryland, see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disneys-Armed-Forces-Salute-FAQ.html#Am-I-Eligible

       Reply

107. Al Williams says

     21 August 2014 at 17:24

     I plan to purchase 6 tickets for a trip in Nov. 2014.

     1. There seems to be just one price for them. Is this for all ages then? I have two grandkids attending 10 and 6.

     2. Is the hopper and the water park packages mutually exclusive? Meaning if I want to go the the water park on one day and Epcot another, I will need both packages for $354?

     3. I plan to order from Camp P. Should I just call and see when the 2014-2015 tickets are available.

     Thanks , I will be spending many hours going through your web looking for suggestions on making this a memorable vacation for our grandkids. So any pointers are welcome.. 😎
     Al

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 August 2014 at 18:53

       Hi there Al,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are one price for all ages (a huge discount for both adults and kids).

       There are 3 types of Salute tickers, hopper, water park fun and more, or both options together. See this page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       The hopper allows you to go to 2 or more different theme parks on the same day. the WPF&M allows 4 entrances to the water parks and other venues on top of your 4 park days.

       See this for the WPF&M venues: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Disney-Water-Park-Fun-and-More.html

       If you want water parks and theme parks you’d need either the water park fun and more option, or both options together. Which depends on if you want to park hop or not.

       Reply

108. Claudia says

     23 August 2014 at 17:37

     My father in law is retired from the air national guard. My husband has a military ID but it expired a couple of months ago. My father in law cannot travel. If he gets the tickets for us, is there any way we could get them activated without him there? (Being that he cannot go on a plane across country)

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 August 2014 at 18:19

       No, unfortunately that is not allowed Claudia. Your husband is no longer eligible to activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. So your father or his spouse must be there to activate them.

       your option would be the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

109. Derek Krzesinski says

     29 August 2014 at 15:50

     If you didn’t use all six tickets from the year before do they transfer over to the next year. Used only 4 last year so this year would we have 8 tickets to use?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 August 2014 at 19:51

       Hi Derek,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute offer/tickets do not run on the calendar or federal fiscal year. They have an offer period i.e. inclusive dates (which correspond to Disney’s fiscal year which is based on the work week not the end of a month).

       You can purchase more than once during an offer, up to the offer limit. This is currently 6 for both the current offer and the upcoming offer.

       The current offer ends 27 Sept. The next offer starts the day after and runs through 3 Oct 2015.

       There is no carryover and unused tickets expire at the end of the offer.

       Reply

110. candy says

     7 September 2014 at 17:06

     We only used two days of our park hopper passes. We have pcs’d and lost our tickets. Is there anyway that we can get a replacement ticket for that one day?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       8 September 2014 at 08:48

       Hi Candy, Do you have the ticket numbers? Disney usually requires those for replacement. You’d need to go in person to do so. They “might” also be able to retrieve them using name and address.

       Reply

111. Phil Costa says

     11 September 2014 at 12:33

     I am an USAF veteran 1966-1969. Am I eligible for the discounted Armed Forces Salute tickets at Disneyworld in Orlando?
     Thanks

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 September 2014 at 18:03

       Hi Phil,

       Thanks for checking out the site!

       There are no discounts available for those who separated directly from Disney.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Reply

112. Amy says

     12 September 2014 at 00:25

     Do you have teacher discounts?
     Amy

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 September 2014 at 05:20

       Hi Amy,

       You are a little confused, this is an informational website run by a retired military member for military members to get info on these discounts.

       I’m not associated with any theme parks and don’t offer discounts of my own.

       Reply

113. Sarah says

     12 September 2014 at 00:29

     If we buy our tickets on base do we still need to show military id at activation?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 September 2014 at 05:19

       Yes you sure do Sarah, either the member or spouse must activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets.

       This is to prevent giving or selling them to unauthorized people.

       Reply

114. Nancy Riegle says

     15 September 2014 at 18:56

     Are WWII vets eligible.for the military salute tickets?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 September 2014 at 20:29

       Hi Nancy,

       They are if they served for 20 years in the military and then retired.

       if not then see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Reply

115. Sarah says

     16 September 2014 at 16:00

     Hi! I recently read that if you buy 4 day hopper passes but don’t “hop” they stretch into 8 one day tickets. Is this true?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       16 September 2014 at 19:09

       No Sarah, sorry. That is totally false.

       The only way to stretch the Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket to 8 days is to get the Water Park Fun & More option and use the 4 WPF&M visits for 4 non park days.

       Reply

       • Sarah says

         16 September 2014 at 21:15

         Thanks for the reply!

         Reply

116. Mary says

     18 September 2014 at 18:36

     I have 2 Armed Forces Salute Passes (WPF&M) expiring on September 27, 2014. My daughter and I are only available to use them this weekend so are trying to maximize our visit. They each have remaining on them 2 park days & all 4 water days. Although they aren’t a hopper, would be allowed to use the 2 remaining park visits on the same day? Or 2 of the water days at 2 different water parks on the same day? I understand that I am allowed to do 1 park/1 water on the same day. I’m curious about the other scenario, however Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       19 September 2014 at 07:08

       Yes you sure can Mary!

       Think of them as a theater ticket. you can use them at any tine (till they expire).

       Reply

117. Maria says

     20 September 2014 at 22:56

     I bought my 6 tickets earlier this year I have activated all except one which I was saving for my husband. We are going in a few days and I seem to have lost that activated ticket. Is there anyway I can buy another military salute ticket to replace my missing one? Again the original one was a printout from the base exchange and had not been activated yet. I hope this doesn’t sound too confusing.

     Reply

     • Maria says

       20 September 2014 at 23:04

       Ugg, autocorrect changed my word. The lost ticket is the paper print out that I got after I paid at ITT. It has not been activated at the turnstyles yet.

       Reply

       • Steve says

         21 September 2014 at 06:32

         Hi Maria,

         Did you take a picture of the back of the voucher or write down the voucher number? Disney may be able to use that without buying a new one.

         But you may certainly buy another. Disney’s limit is on how many you activate.

         Reply

118. Whitney says

     23 September 2014 at 08:35

     Hi!
     Can we get into the park early with military tickets?

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 September 2014 at 20:36

       Yes Whitney, if you are staying at a resort offering Extra Magic Hours. The type of ticket doesn’t matter, the resort does.

       Reply

119. Kristy says

     24 September 2014 at 06:00

     I’m a retired disabled vet with 7 children. We are going to Disney in June. It’ll be my husband, myself, our 7 kids, and my caregiver/nurse. How do I get tickets for all of us. Camp Pendleton let me buy 6, but I’m not sure how to get the other 4.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 September 2014 at 07:24

       The others will have to be purchased from Disney directly in person. Disney only gives this exception to those who qualify (Mom, Dad, and their dependent children). I’m not sure if they’d allow it for your caretaker, so that might be a full price ticket.

       You could buy the other tickets from another ITT and if Disney does not allow the use of the ticket by your caretaker, they “Might” allow you to use the price towards a full price ticket.

       Reply

       • Stokes' says

         8 December 2014 at 00:47

         Hi,

         My husband is in the National Guards and we are a family of 11 (2 parents and 9 children). I’ve read all over this site and a few others that disney would make an exception to us. All of our children are enrolled in DEERS. Do I need to bring proof of this? What location would make this exception for us? Your reply is greatly appreciate. We are traveling in less than a week and I’m becoming a bit anxious. Thank you once again.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           8 December 2014 at 06:47

           Hi there Stokes’

           If all the kids do not have DoD IDs I would bring a copy of the DEERS enrollment as well (just to be safe) as 5 is a big amount of extra tickets.

           But your family does fall within Disney’s policy as they are all your dependent children.

           Just go to any Disney ticket booth, there is no special location.

           Disney is a huge company (over 60,000 employees at WDW) so occasionally you may run into an individual who is not up to speed on all the rules. In that event, just politely ask to speak to a Lead, Supervisor or Manager (Disney’s chain of “command”) to resolve any issue.

           Have fun!

           Reply

120. Jessica says

     24 September 2014 at 18:17

     We are planning a trip to Disneyland this weekend (Sept. 26,27, and 28). If we buy the 2014 tickets, will we be able to use them on the 28th as our 3rd day? Or, if we buy the 2015 tickets, will we be able to use them for all 3 days? Thank you.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 September 2014 at 06:43

       Unfortunately Jessica, you are not allowed to use one offer’s tickets in another offer.

       The current tickets expire at the end of the day on the 27th and the new tickets can not be used until the morning of the 28th.

       Reply

121. Haley says

     27 September 2014 at 22:19

     Hello,

     I am wondering, if I bought ONE 4 day pass, could we split it between my husband and myself for only two days. I don’t really want to spend 4 days at Disney with a toddler :/

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 September 2014 at 09:04

       No sorry Haley, all Disney tickets are non transferable. During the first use either a finger print or picture (depending on location) of the guest is tied to the ticket to prevent sharing of tickets.

       Reply

122. lynette says

     28 September 2014 at 21:42

     Good evening, your blog is so helpful!!! I just have one question I am trying to plan a much needed trip for my brother who was in the Army. He has a United States Uniformed Services (tanish/brown card) is this an except able card for the Armed Forces Salute for Disneyland tickets? Or would he only qualify for regular Military discount and if so how could I find out the amount of a discount he would receive. Thank you so much for your help 🙂

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 September 2014 at 23:03

       Hi there Lynette, it depends on his status, see eligibility here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disneys-Armed-Forces-Salute-FAQ.html#Am-I-Eligible

       ID info Here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-World-Military-Discount-ID-Guide.html

       And discounts by status here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Military-Discounts/Discount-Finder/Military-Discount-Finder.html

       Reply

123. Dave says

     1 October 2014 at 02:23

     Hi Steve,

     Thanks for the very helpful information on the website. I am currently deployed in Afghanistan, and have made a reservation to stay at a resort property Jan 11-18 2015. I did not purchase tickets on my vacation package in anticipation of buying the Armed Forces Salute tickets.
     If I can find a way for my spouse to purchase the tickets while I am still deployed (the nearest military sales outlet is over 200 miles away from where we live), do these tickets have to also be ‘activated’ before we can link them to my Disney expireince account in order to make Fast Pass reservations 60 days in advance?

     Thank you,

     Dave

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 October 2014 at 06:54

       Hi Dave, thanks!

       She can get them via phone/FedEx from Camp Pendleton see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

       Once she creates a My Disney Experience account, links the resort reservations and the salute ticket vouchers, she’ll be st to start making your FP+ 60 days out.

       The tickets do have to be activated upon arrival, but do not need to be to make FP+.

       Reply

124. Destinee says

     9 October 2014 at 17:27

     Hello,
     I am confused. I just spoke with Disney and the lady told me that I have to purchase all 6 tickets at one time if we are planning to go to Disneyland later on in the ticket promotion window. We are going next week for a spur of the moment trip and planned to get our tickets once we got there but we also plan to go some time for Christmas. Is this true or can I just buy our tickets for December when we go in December? Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 October 2014 at 05:05

       Hi Destinee,

       You can buy your December tickets in December.

       Unfortunately Disney call center workers know almost nothing about their company’s military discounts and pass out incorrect information more often than not.

       I complain to Disney about this constantly. I’ve heard some doosies that they’ve told people.

       I don’t know why this is, it really shouldn’t be, but I speculate that:

       They really deal with military info VERY infrequently
       They are all part timers
       The call centers are not at the resorts, they are in places like Tampa
       There is no training on mil discounts
       Their network is very hard to find things on
       When they get a mil question they go of what they: think they heard, remember (maybe from 4 years ago), what someone else told them.

       Whatever the reason, they are almost always wrong, call 5 times and you’ll get 4 different answers 😉

       Reply

125. Shellie says

     14 October 2014 at 10:08

     I am not sure if you can answer this question, but it will affect how many days we book a room for. It concerns AFS tickets. There are 4 of us going and TWO of us are active/retired military.

     We all want to go to the park for a total of 8-hopper days. Can one of us military buy 4 tickets for all of us to use for 4 days and the other military person buy us 4 tickets for us to use the next 4 days? We use the one 4 day and then activate the next set of 4-day hopper tickets.

     I have been told different stories by ITT and by Disney.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 October 2014 at 17:12

       Yes, absolutely Shellie, you can do that.

       Four and four or six and two. Either way back to back Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket use is allowed.

       Reply

126. Tiffani says

     23 October 2014 at 13:10

     I purchased the 4 day military park hopper. Does it include Disney Quest or do I have to buy separate? Also, is this site legit… http://tickets.visitorlando.com/Walt-Disney-World-Resort-Disney-Quest/

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 October 2014 at 17:14

       Hi Tiffany,

       Disney Quest is not included in the theme park hopping option. It is included in the Water Park Fun and More Option.

       Single day DQ tickets are available at Shades of Green for $43a/$38c. Sorry I’m unfamiliar with that site.

       But you can add the WPF&M option to your hopper tickets once at WDW at one of their ticket windows for $30 plus tax.

       See this for more WPF&M info: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Disney-Water-Park-Fun-and-More.html

       Reply

127. Melanie says

     1 November 2014 at 13:38

     Great blog Steve and thank you for taking the time out to answer everyone’s questions! My father is retired military and will be purchasing the tix for my family. Does my father have to purchase one for himself and walk us in or can he just activate it all of our tix and not enter? And if so do we do this at guest service, ticket box, or turnstile? Thanks in advance Steve!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       2 November 2014 at 22:36

       Thanks Melanie,

       He can activate up to 5 tickets without doing one for himself (he must reserve one for himself to use “later”).

       Here is everything to know about the activation process: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/how-to-activate-your-disney-armed-forces-salute-theme-park-tickets/

       Reply

128. Pat says

     2 November 2014 at 10:26

     We plan on visiting Disney dec 2014. My husband is retired AF. Can we purchase 3 day hoppers. Dates dec 29, 30, 31. Thank you

     Reply

     • Steve says

       2 November 2014 at 22:31

       Hi Pat,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are blocked out 25 Dec 2014-4 Jan 2015 at Disneyland.

       See:http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disneys-Armed-Forces-Salute-FAQ.html#Ticket-Blockout-Dates

       Reply

129. Alison says

     6 November 2014 at 09:10

     Do members of the IRR (Individual Ready reserves) qualify for the Salute? We have full base privileges and my husband has the green DD form 2 ID. .

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 November 2014 at 15:39

       Hi Alison,

       Technically you need to be a participating Reservist to be eligible, but Disney does accept the green DD-2. Does it have anything which shows your non participating status on it?

       Reply

130. John says

     6 November 2014 at 18:30

     Steve, appreciate all of your comments above. Thanks. Not clear if the limit of 6 is for the duration of the entire offer period or for one trip to Disney? My wife and I planning a trip in Feb 2015 and then we are taking family in June 2015. In Feb 2015, it will be my wife and I and then in June 2015 it will be my wife and I and 2 adult children, one daughter in law and 2 grandchildren (total 7). Can my wife and I get two tickets for us in Feb 2015 and then 6 more for the group in June 2014. Also if we are able to buy tickets for two separate visits, could we get one extra ticket in Feb 2015 to use in June 2015? Also, am I as the retired military able to buy 6 tickets and also my wife (dependent spouse) buy an additional 1-6 tickets? Hope this is clear and you are able to answer. Thanks, John

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 November 2014 at 19:14

       Hi there John,

       The limit is 6 for the entire length of the offer period, per eligible military member. Spouses are only eligible in the members place (and use up the members allotment).

       You can buy tickets during separate visits, so you can use 2 in February and then will have 4 left for your June trip.

       For the other 3 tickets in June you’ll use the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets, 1 adult and 2 child’s (age 3-9) if the kids fall in that range. Kids regular tickets are cheaper.

       Reply

       • John says

         6 November 2014 at 22:15

         Thanks. I suspected this was the way it would be but had not seen it clearly outlined. John

         Reply

         • John says

           6 November 2014 at 22:47

           Steve, another question. In researching the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets I came across the Stars and Stripes tickets which appear to be a bit different. Can you address this and explain why the two different military discount offers? John

           Reply

           • John says

             6 November 2014 at 22:59

             Are the Stars and Stripes available only at Shades of Green? When military members and their “family” is mentioned as eligible for these passes does “family” include extended family as daughter in law. grandchildren and adult children?

           • Steve says

             7 November 2014 at 07:51

             Yes they are only available at Shades of Green John. Eligible refers to who may buy them, they can be used by anyone in the party.

           • Steve says

             7 November 2014 at 08:04

             Hi there John, sure.

             The Stars and Stripes are only sold by Shades of Green, where the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets are sold by most bast ticket offices including Shades.

             Both of these options were around long before the Disney Armed Forces Salute!

             The S&S was and is a special deal offered by Shades and WDW for military on property.

             You must be staying on WDW property to be eligible to buy the S&S, no day guests of off site hotels. Anyone may buy the MYW.

             The S&S are a length of stay ticket, you must buy the number of days that correspond to your number of hotel stay nights. The MYW can be from 1 to 10 day tickets.

             The S&S are all inclusive, i.e. a base ticket with both hopper and Water Park Fun and More. All options may be purchased a la carte for the MYW, including the no expiration option. Without the no expire the MYW expire 14 days after first use. The S&S expire their length plus 1 day, after their purchase date (a 5 day expires 6 days after purchase).

             Hope this helps, let me know

           • John says

             7 November 2014 at 14:15

             Steve, if I get S&S tickets or MYW tickets at Shades of Green when we get there, then we will not be able to make Fast Pass selections 60 days in advance (staying at Disney Resort). Is that correct? We would have to link the tickets to our account before being able to make Fast Pass selections?

           • Steve says

             7 November 2014 at 16:41

             Yes that is correct, if FP+ is important, then buying from a local base ticket office or vis phone would be required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

131. John says

     7 November 2014 at 19:18

     Thanks, Steve. I think you have clarified almost all of my questions – until my wit e comes up with another.

     Reply

132. DML says

     10 November 2014 at 17:33

     Hi – my father-in-law bought 4 day hopper Salute 15 tickets on base and has a voucher – the numbers the base told him to use to link the tickets for FastPass aren’t being accepted online – when I called Disney support they told me they aren’t valid numbers. Since we don’t have the actual tickets, just the exchange voucher, are we unable to link the tickets ahead of time?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 November 2014 at 19:34

       Hi there,

       Yes you can link them, just follow these directions: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/my-magic-plus/linking-disney-military-tickets-and-fastpass-plus-reservations/

       Reply

133. jessica says

     23 November 2014 at 23:25

     Can my children activate the tickets with their dependent id? Their mother is taking them and we are no longer married.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 November 2014 at 06:51

       Hi Jessica,

       No sorry, non-spouse dependents are not eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute. either the member or their spouse must go in person with the party to activate the tickets, or you’d need to use the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.

       see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

134. Jackie McAlister says

     2 December 2014 at 10:54

     We are planning a trip to Disney World from Dec.20-23. Blackout dates start Dec.24. As long as we leave at checkout time on the 24 are we ok? We had planned on spending the night of the 23. Thanks, Jackie..Happy Holidays

     Reply

     • Steve says

       2 December 2014 at 17:47

       Yes Jackie, that is correct.

       I’ll be checking in on the 23rd myself.

       Reply

135. Cate says

     9 December 2014 at 22:07

     Hi there!

     After nearly 15 years of active duty service, my husband was separated from the Army involuntarily (but honorably), 2 months ago. We still have ID cards, Tricare, and Commissary privileges for a few more months though. Is he eligible to receive this deal for us?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 December 2014 at 06:40

       Hi Cate,

       I’m so sorry!

       As long as his ID is valid he is eligible. Once it expires, he will no longer be able to activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets at Disney.

       Reply

       • Cate says

         12 December 2014 at 22:20

         After further investigation, I learned that we actually have commissary and MWR priveleges for 2 years. MWR = Disney tickets. Yay! Thank you 🙂

         Reply

         • Steve says

           13 December 2014 at 12:40

           Super Cate

           Reply

136. Jennifer says

     14 December 2014 at 09:37

     Hello,
     We were planning our trip to Disney during our children’s fall break starting OCT 13, 2015. However, I noticed the current deal expires on OCT 3. Do you know when Disney will release information about continueing the Military Salute Deal for 2015-2016? If they do continue the deal, can tickets be purchased before the new deal starts, or will we have to wait until Oct 4 to purchase tickets? We are trying to go during the non-busy season, but not pull our kids out of school. Our other option would be to go in late May/early June 2015. Any advice would be appreciated.

     Thank you,
     Jennifer

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 December 2014 at 14:04

       Hi Jennifer,

       In both 2013 and 2014 the very first release of the renewal was, courtesy of Disney, here on MDT during the third week of July.

       In both cases tickets were supposed to be available in mid-August, but in many cases, base ITT Offices didn’t have them till October or November. They were available on property then.

       Also with such a late in the year release of the discount, the rooms that would normally be military discounted were mostly sold out in October and November, many were unable to get the discount during Oct.

       Also this year the late release caused a huge issue with the ability to make FastPass Plus reservations.

       I’ve been working with Disney and encouraging them to release way earlier for the last few years. This year due to the FP+ issues they have admitted there is a problem and are looking into ways to fix the issues.

       I’ve had no update recently on this though.

       Reply

137. Cesar says

     14 December 2014 at 20:45

     Hi Steve –

     Just wanted to drop you a note that this is an extraordinary blog. Thanks for helping out our brothers and sisters in uniform!

     Cesar

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 December 2014 at 22:56

       Thanks so much Cesar

       Reply

138. Alexandre says

     17 December 2014 at 19:56

     Hi
     Brazilian air force military are elegible?
     Tks

     Reply

     • Steve says

       18 December 2014 at 15:47

       No sorry Alexandre, unless you are stationed at a US Base and have a US ID card.

       Reply

       • Alexandre says

         18 December 2014 at 16:39

         And what about navy exchange? Can i buy there? You know?

         Reply

         • Steve says

           18 December 2014 at 16:47

           With a US ID

           Reply

139. Hannah Schmidt says

     31 December 2014 at 09:44

     Hello Steve,

     I had a few questions, I’ve read so much I am starting to get confused.

     My husband is currently deployed and I would like to take my brother and friend with me to Disney World. From what I have read I am eligible to buy the tickets for myself and them, and activate them? We would all be going on one trip together, I wanted to make sure there would be no complications.

     Another question, With the limit on Armed Forces Salute tickets do you get a total of 6 tickets for a choice of Disney World or Disneyland? Or are you able to get up to 6 for Disney World and 6 for Disneyland within the promotion period?

     I was thinking what if you plan a family trip to Disney World and use all 6. Then want to go to Disneyland that year during that promotion, would you be able to use 6 tickets there as well?

     Hannah

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 December 2014 at 16:13

       Hi there Hannah,

       Yes you sure can buy and activate tickets for yourself and up to 5 others who would be going with you. No issues at all.

       And also the two offers are actually separate, so you can use 6 tickets during the offer at both WDW and DL.

       Have fun at both!!!

       Steve

       Reply

140. Carina says

     31 December 2014 at 11:13

     Hello, I’m not sure if you even have an answer for this, but it’s worth a shot. My husband is deploying this year and we are planning a Disney vacation for when he returns after November. I know the current AFS discount ends in October, do you know if they might renewing it for the 2015-2016 season? I realize Shades of Green has discounted tickets as well but nothing compares to this discount! Thanks for your help!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 December 2014 at 16:10

       Hi Carina,

       The renewal announcement has come in the third week of July the last two times…

       This year that caused big issues for FastPass Plus reservations and hotel discount availability in the Oct-Nov timeframe both years.

       I’ve discussed this with Disney and they are looking at making the decision earlier if possible this year, but I’ve not had any update. I’ll be reengaging in the new year, be sure to check back here or sign up for the newsletter for updates.

       Steve

       Reply

141. Fabíolla Souza de lima Boroni says

     4 January 2015 at 07:25

     Hi,I am military from Brasilian Air force .Can I buy those tickets with discont too?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 January 2015 at 13:17

       No sorry

       Reply

142. Caylee says

     4 January 2015 at 15:03

     Hi,
     I was wondering if these passes expire 14 days from the first use? According to Disneyland their Park Hopper passes expire I believe 2 weeks from first use. Thank you for all of your help. 🙂

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 January 2015 at 16:02

       Hi Caylee,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets, which this post is about, expire at the end of the current Salute Offer (3 October 2015) you have until then to use all of the days on the ticket, all together or individually. These are not the general public park hopper passes, rather a special military offer.

       The Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets (from your base ticket office) however expire like the general public tickets, either 14 days after first use, or no expiration (if you pay for that option).

       Reply

       • Caylee says

         4 January 2015 at 17:40

         Thank you!

         Reply

143. marlene says

     6 January 2015 at 12:50

     We purchased 5 AFS tickets. 4 adults 1 child 3 1/2 yr old. we will also be travelling with an infant (15 mo old). I’m assuming the infant does not need an AFS ticket, correct? But can he be included in any FP reservations?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 January 2015 at 20:25

       Hi Marlene,

       Yes under 3 is free, no ticket required. With no ticket, you’ll not be able to make FP+ for the little ons, but they will not need it. Just walk on up and use the FP+ for those with tickets and the little one can accompany you.

       Reply

144. kit says

     14 January 2015 at 20:38

     We purchased tickets to Disneland for 6 family members,, and cannot use them because the entire family got sick, and we are unable to transfer to a different date due to deployment and moving. It is within 24 hours. Can we return for a refund?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 January 2015 at 06:49

       Hi Kit,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are valid through 3 October 2015. Any chance you could go later?

       If not (I’m assuming you bought them on base) attempt to get a refund from your ticket office.

       If they will not assist you your only recourse is to resell them to a military friend or coworker who will be able to activate them.

       Reply

145. Brittany says

     15 January 2015 at 06:37

     Thank you so much for all of this useful information! I could be a little confused though. My Grandfather wants to go to our local base to buy tickets for his grandchildren to give as gifts. He does not plan on going on vacation with them. He said he was told over the phone by Disney World that he could purchase them at the base and give them to whomever he wanted. Is that correct? From what I read he has to be present to activate the tickets. Or is that a different ticket that he will be purchasing? He did say that he can’t get any resort discounts because he won’t be staying there. Just trying to make sure everything is done correctly.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 January 2015 at 06:56

       Hi Brittany,

       There are two different types of military discounted tickets for Disney. there are the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets and the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute is a special program which allows military members to spend time with family and friends in Disney’s parks. Because of it’s purpose and large discount there are many rules, one of which is that the military member or their spouse must be part of the party and have a ticket for themselves. Per Disney’s rules the member must activate the tickets at WDW with the whole party present. The tickets may then be used individually.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       The Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets are slightly discounted tickets sold by Military Base Ticket Offices and Shades of Green. These are not restricted and he can buy them ahead of time for you without getting one for himself. These are 1-10 day tickets with all the regular options you’d find at a Disney ticket booth. These are only slightly discounted from the gate price though.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Here is a link to the price list at Shades of Green (the military hotel at WDW) prices on base would be within a dollar: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

       Also he would have to go in order to get the room discount.

       Reply

146. ronnie says

     17 January 2015 at 22:08

     10 years ago i received an honorable medical discharge from the Army. I have to request an id but have my DD-214 papers. Would i be eligible for salute tickets?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       18 January 2015 at 16:00

       Hi Ronnie,

       Only with a current retired military ID.

       For another option See:http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Reply

147. Jack says

     23 January 2015 at 15:47

     Are U.K. veterans entitled to the military salute discount, and if so what identification would i need to bring. thanks Jack

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 January 2015 at 17:13

       Hi Jack,

       Thanks for checking out the site!

       The only 2 discounts for non-US military are: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/shades-of-green/non-us-military-members-eligible-to-stay-at-shades-of-green/ & http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       But both are for those serving with US forces and require a US issued ID like the one at the bottom left of this page: http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ 

       Reply

148. K says

     11 February 2015 at 11:39

     Hi! Great blog!!! Thanks for all the info. My mom iOS retired military and purchased Disneyworld tickets for all of us. We booked our flights and are flying there in a few weeks but unfortunately my mom is no longer able to join us due to an unforeseen surgery/health issue. My question is…is there anyone we can call to speak to at Disney in order to activate these tickets? We already have everything booked…flights, resort, tickets and I’m worried that now we won’t be able to get into Disney world with our kids!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 February 2015 at 17:13

       Hi K,

       Thanks so much!

       Unfortunately the purpose of the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets is for the member to spend time with family and friends in the Disney parks, not to give the tickets to others to use, which would be the situation here although it is due to health issues.

       The simple truth is that you are not eligible for the discount, only your mother is.

       I have never heard of anyone being allowed to activate and use the tickets without the member. It is a hard and fast rule! So you will not be able to use them unless she goes with all of you to activate them.

       I will also tell you this, the Disney Company is notorious for passing incorrect information regarding its military discounts out over the phone, email, and text to military members. It might be that you could find someone who would tell you it would be fine, only to find out when you got there that you can’t use them as you are not eligible for this discount.

       The only opinion that matters is the ticket agent you present the tickets to and this is a rule they won’t break (as far as I know).

       So here is what you should do:

       You mom needs to take the tickets back to where she purchased them, explain the situation and ask if they will to use these non-refundablw tickets towards the purchase of Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets (which cost more).

       The Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets can be used without her going, but are only 4%-8% off the full price (depending on length and options).

       Read more about the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       And see the prices here (these are at Shades of Green, Base Ticket Office prices will be very similar): http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

       If they will not exchange them, you’ll need to take the tickets with you to Disney, along with the receipt, a photo copy of your mom’s ID, and a note from her explaining the situation and see if they will allow you to use them towards full price tickets.

       I’m sorry there is no easy fix, is there no possibility to reschedule? The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are valid through 3 October 2015.

       Reply

       • K says

         12 February 2015 at 17:03

         Thanks so much for all your help! I appreciate you! Unfortunately, we can’t reschedule our kids would be devastated plus our tickets are non refundable. Hopefully she can exchange them but I appreciate your advice on the option to return the tickets to the park.

         Reply

149. Christy says

     24 February 2015 at 10:17

     We are looking to go in July. Are there any military discounts for the dining plans?!
     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 February 2015 at 17:53

       Unfortunately Disney does not offer any military discounts on the dining plans. Any general public discounts, such as the free dining they occasionally offer can not be combined with military discounts.

       Disney feels that the Disney Armed Forces Salute is significant enough on its own.

       Reply

150. Lisa says

     24 February 2015 at 23:33

     Does this deal apply to members of the Canadian military?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 February 2015 at 06:41

       No, sorry. Unless you are stationed at a US base and have a US issued ID (CAC).

       Reply

151. Clara says

     26 February 2015 at 00:56

     Hi. Thank you so much for information.

     I am the spouse of a retired member (Army). I will be traveling without my spouse and visiting Disney World with my family in June. Will I be able to purchase tickets without my retired spouse? It states ” Spouses of Military Service Members also qualify if they are able to present valid and active U.S. Military IDs in the absence of active Military Personnel”

     Does that mean that the spouse of a retired member cannot purchase tickets on her own? Only active member spouses can? Please clarify. Thank you so much!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       26 February 2015 at 06:45

       Hi clara,

       No, it doesn’t mean that :-0

       Your military retired husband is the military member (just as I am) and you as the spouse are eligible you purchase the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets with your current/valid military ID.

       Reply

152. andrea says

     10 March 2015 at 14:14

     I am a military spouse and I was at Disney in January and used a discounted pass. If I didn’t use all of the 6, can I get another discounted pass for myself if I go to Disney again before the end of the promotion?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 March 2015 at 16:58

       Yes you sure can Andrea!

       Reply

153. patti says

     21 March 2015 at 22:37

     i have a question, when you say Disney has to activate the tickets do they have access to any personal info stored on the military site or are they just looking at your id. I feel leery of doing this if they can go in and see your information.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 March 2015 at 23:41

       They are just looking for a valid ID of the correct type Patti. They have no access to any DoD sites.

       Reply

       • patti says

         22 March 2015 at 09:17

         thank you that makes me feel a little better that your information is secure

         Reply

         • Steve says

           22 March 2015 at 10:23

           This procedure has been going on since 2009, hundreds of thousands of military members have used these tickets. The tickets are offered through a contract between MWR and Disney.

           Reply

154. Christina says

     22 March 2015 at 21:15

     Hello! Can more than one set of 6 be purchased in a year? No, correct? We purchased 3 last year for a trip we took this January. My understanding, we can still purchase 3 more?

     Thanks for all the info!! Love your blog!

     Christina

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 March 2015 at 22:19

       Hi Christina,

       You can purchase and activate 6 tickets per military member during the Disney Armed Forces Salute offer period which is 29 Sept 2014 through 3 October 2015. So if you’ve just used 3 you are good for 3 more.

       Reply

       • Christina says

         23 March 2015 at 10:18

         Wonderful! Thank you!!

         Reply

155. Doreen McKinnon says

     23 March 2015 at 17:41

     I am confused about the fact that it says the tickets expire in October but it further indicates block out dates after that. If I purchase military salute tickets would we be able to use them for a stay November 27 to December 3. Thank you for your help and great website

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 March 2015 at 18:17

       Thanks so much!

       Check those dates again Doreen.

       The only blockout dates remaining on this offer are late March to early April. The Dec/Jan dates are for last Christmas/New Years.

       You’ll need to wait on a follow-on offer for those dates 🙂

       Reply

156. Angel Smith says

     31 March 2015 at 22:30

     We purchased, activated and used 3/4 days on our park hopper military tickets in November 2014. We are going back to Disney World in May to use our last park day. I was told we can still add the water park and more option. Do you know if that is correct?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 March 2015 at 22:42

       Hi Angel,

       Yes your 4th day will be valid through 3 October and you can still upgrade the tickets to add 4 WPF&M visits for $30 each ticket.

       Reply

157. Greg says

     6 April 2015 at 11:08

     I’m traveling with my adult children and 3 Grand Children. Will Disney waive the 6 ticket limit. I am in need of a total of 9 tickets? if so how do I go about this?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 April 2015 at 14:09

       Hi Greg,

       No sorry, the 6 ticket exception is for a self contained family i.e.mom, dad, and their young dependent children. This is so the whole family can get the discount.

       Extended families i.e. adult children, their children, aunts, uncles, parents, in-laws do not qualify.

       So you’ll have your 6 Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets to use and then you’ll need Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets for the other 3, preferably any kids 3-9 as they are cheaper tickets.

       Reply

158. Meg says

     9 April 2015 at 10:56

     Hey Steve,

     Helping another military family plan their trip and they have a large family (8 children + mom and dad). Mom went to her local ITT office hoping to purchase the 4-day hopper tickets for her family of 10 and was told she would only be allowed to purchase 6 and then would have to purchase 4 regularly priced tickets to cover the rest of her family. I called Disney and the Shades of Green and was told the same, they would only allow her 6. It was my understanding that Disney would cover large immediate families for the 4-day hopper tickets. Have they changed their policy?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 April 2015 at 05:10

       Hi there Meg,

       This is a big issue that FastPass Plus caused, before it was just an inconvenience, but now that you need to have your tickets in advance it is causing problems. I’ve asked Disney to address in any follow-on salute offer.

       Disney allows military resellers (Shades and Base Ticket Offices) to sell the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. They do this via a contract they sign for each new offer. Since the very first offer there has been language in it limiting military resellers to 6 tickets only. The contract says 6 is the limit, so that’s what what they are legally required to tell people. Some base ticket office workers are knowledgable, some not so much. The contract is what Disney needs to change next time.

       Only the Disney Ticketing Dept can sell tickets above 6 for the large family exception, which is still and always has been valid.

       The Disney call center is a whole nother story! My advice is to never trust anything the Disney call center tells you about military discounts (better to just not call them). For more on this see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tips/Disneys-Call-Center-Very-Often-Wrong-On-Military-Discounts.html.

       There are four options for your friends, all valid:

       1. If they do not care about Fastpass, just wait to buy the Salute tickets when they get there from Disney. This is the worst option!

       Or if they want to use Fastpass:

       2. Buy the 6 Salute tickets and the 4 Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets to make FP+ for the whole family. Link all tickets and make FP+. This is the most costly.

       3. Have another military member buy the other 4 Salute tickets for them. Link all tickets and make FP+.

       4. Buy the 6 Salute tickets, link them and make FP+. Then on arrival buy the other 4 salute tickets and ask the Guest Relations CMs to give the last four members of the party matching FP+ reservations because of the situation. WDW can do this, they will be special FP+ for the same rides the rest of the family has but valid for one ride at any time that day. I received these once (to match my wife’s FP+) when mine dropped out of the system. THis has the least perceived financial risk.

       When doing #3 or 4 it is still possible to run into a CM at WDW who is unfamiliar with the rule who might say “there is no such thing.” If that happens ask to speak to a Lead, Supervisor, or Manager (the Disney chain of command) to clarify the issue.

       Reply

159. Shemeaka says

     9 April 2015 at 16:20

     Hello,

     We are planning a land and sea vacation for next May and I was wondering have you ever used the meal plan? I was thinking about getting the Disney Dining Plan but is it beneficial to get the plan or better just to pay out of pocket? We’d are a family of 5 traveling. Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 April 2015 at 17:42

       Hi there Shemeaka,

       We’ve never personally used the DDP.Some love it, some don’t.

       From all I’ve read with the quick service plan you pretty much come out even cost wise, so you are just pre paying for your meals.

       With the standard and even more so with the deluxe you have to work to not loose money.

       Price out what you think your family would actually eat using the menus on AllEars.net and compare to the cost of the DDP you are interested in.

       Reply

160. Kathleen says

     13 April 2015 at 20:02

     Question about the validation- My father is retired military and lives in Chicago, we (his daughter and my family) live in California. He was going to buy these tickets for our family of four to go to Disneyland. He was not planning on going to Disney with us, so it looks like we could not use this benefit. He has to be going to the park with us? Correct?
     Thank you!!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 April 2015 at 22:00

       Yes sorry but that is correct Kathleen.

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute is for the military member and their guests to use together, not for others to use without them.

       Reply

161. Theresa Lux says

     14 April 2015 at 18:12

     I have a Disneyland ticket (military 3 day hopper from October 2014. I only used 2 days. Can I use the last day at DisneyWorld?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 April 2015 at 22:43

       No, sorry Theresa,

       The offers are totally separate. It is still valid at Disneyland though, through 3 October 2015.

       Reply

       • Theresa Lux says

         15 April 2015 at 07:39

         Thank you

         Reply

162. Racheal Flavel says

     19 April 2015 at 11:13

     I have a question.about our 4 day park hopper salute tickets that we purchased from our local MWR. My husband and I (retired Army) purchase to go with our daughter, son-in-law (active Army) and granddaughter, When the tickets were purchased we had to provide names. Our son (active Army) was deployed at the time we planned our vacation so we did not include him. It turned out that, due to a class our son-in-law had to attend, we were unable to go on our planned vacation. Now that our son has returned from his deployment, we were wondering if we can send him two of our 5 tickets so he and his wife can activate and use them since he is active duty Army.
     Sorry for the long story, but we will appreciate the information!

     Best regards,
     Racheal Flavel

     Reply

     • Steve says

       19 April 2015 at 14:26

       Hi Racheal,

       Some Base Ticket Offices ask for names and write them on the vouchers. I don’t know why they do this, perhaps they think they are helping.

       My base does not do this. I have 4 Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket vouchers right now that I’ll be using in a month or so.

       Any name on the voucher is irrelevant to Disney and their activation process. They are just looking for a voucher which has not been activated before.

       Reply

163. sarah says

     22 April 2015 at 13:28

     Hi Steve,
     We have used the armed forces tickets many times in the past. We went in October 2014 and I know for a fact we didn’t use all 6 tickets. I just don’t know how many I actually used. Some of us had annual passes and others didn’t .So I don’t know how many I do have left . Who do I contact to determine how many I have left ? I don’t want to buy 2 and only have 1 left or buy 3 and only have 2 left, and try using them at the park and get turned away because I have already used my Max 6. Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 April 2015 at 17:22

       Ooh, that is a toughie Sarah.

       Disney is not very helpful in this area. For regular tickets with unknown days left, they tell you to bring them to the park.

       I fear their answer for how many tickets you have remaining would be the same.

       But try calling the main Walt Disney World number (407) 824-2222 and ask if someone from Tickets can help you over the phone.

       Reply

164. Jen says

     30 April 2015 at 12:10

     Thanks for all the info! One question, does the military member have to present ID each day? I’m thinking about when we are there with my retired military father, he may need a break by day 3 while his grandkids definitely won’t.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 April 2015 at 18:16

       Hi Jen,

       No, once the initial activation is complete the party does not need to stay together and there is no ID check.

       You can go to different parks or use the tickets on different days if you like (through 3 October).

       Reply

165. Jeanne Trawinski says

     30 April 2015 at 17:02

     Are veterans passes only for those who served and retired after 20 plus years of service,
     or are they available to those who served and were honorably discharged?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 April 2015 at 18:15

       Hi Jeanne,

       Thanks for checking out the site!

       There are no discounts available directly from Disney for those who did not retire.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Hope this helps,

       Steve

       Reply

166. Kaila says

     3 May 2015 at 20:35

     Hi Steve,

     My sister in law (who is an active military spouse) was suppose to go with us on our family vacation and she was going to get my parents tickets, now it says that she cant get the 4-day park hopper passes because they are considered adult children, is that correct? plus on top of that something came up and she wont be going with us to the parks, but she was still going to drive down and get the tickets for my parents, could they still use them if she wasnt there? Thanks for your time!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       3 May 2015 at 22:00

       Hi Kaila,

       I’m not sure what you are trying to say about adult children, but the military member or spouse may use the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets for anyone they choose, family or friends.

       She must have a ticket for herself (whether she uses it or not) and she plus the whole party must be present for the ticket activation process.

       Once the tickets are active the party need not stay together.

       Reply

167. Kellie says

     4 May 2015 at 10:46

     Must I have used my last day before Oct 3 or do I just have to have one day before that date? For example, can I go October 1,2,3 and 4th? Also, do the waterpark options also expire on October 3rd?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 May 2015 at 19:14

       Kellie 3 October is the last day anything on the ticket is valid. On the 4th it can not be used at all for anything.

       Reply

168. Mary says

     11 May 2015 at 18:23

     We’ll be in Orlando for two weeks!! I am retired military, so we’re going to get the 4-day AFS tickets for our family of six (mom. dad, four littles). If I have an AD or retired colleague/friend buy another six tickets, will I be able to activate them back-to-back? I would have thought this is kind of a scam that they’d be on the lookout for, but I thought I interpreted one of your responses above as advising someone to do just that–get the first six and then have someone else get another four (in their case) or six (in our case).

     Thanks, and sorry if I sound like a criminal–just trying to find out if there’s a way to make it all work!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 May 2015 at 18:36

       Hi Mary,

       Sorry for the confusion! I didn’t scan all the comments above though, so I’ll just start fresh

       You are allowed 6 per military member. For your party to use 12, both you and your husband would have to be retired military.

       For someone else to help you with this, they would first have to be there with you to activate the tickets. They would also have to to use one for themselves or if they were a passholder keep one un-purchased for themselves. In either case they could only buy 5 for you.

       Hope this is clear, let me know

       Reply

       • Mary says

         11 May 2015 at 19:34

         Yes, that clears it up. Thank you!

         Reply

169. Shay says

     14 May 2015 at 11:44

     Can the child of a retired military personnel, who has military id, buy the tickets at the Disneyland ticket booth for the discounted rate or does it actually have to be the person who has served?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 May 2015 at 17:47

       Hi Shay,

       Disney offers these tickets at a big discount so the member can spend time with family and friends in the parks. They are not intended to be used without the member (or spouse). Unfortunately non-spouse dependents are not eligible for the discount.

       The member or spouse must accompany your child and have a ticket for themselves.

       Another option would be to buy a slightly discounted Regular Military Discounted Disneyland ticket at your local base ticket office or though Camp Pendleton via phone.

       Reply

       • Emily says

         20 July 2015 at 18:31

         Hi Steve,
         I am in the same boat, I am going to Disneyland in the next couple of weeks. My dad is retired Navy and I have a dependent card, but I don’t see the regular discounted rate on our local ticket website, they just have the Military Salute ones. Do all bases offer the regular discounted tickets?
         Thank you!

         Reply

         • Steve says

           20 July 2015 at 18:36

           Hi Emily,

           No every base has a different assortment of what they carry, based on their location. But your local office may be able to order whet you need, give them a call.

           Or you can get what you need from Camp Pendleton see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

           Reply

170. Karlie says

     22 May 2015 at 15:32

     Hi,

     My grandmother (a spouse), my parents, and I will be visiting California in July, but my grandmother does not want to visit the parks. Is she able to buy the three tickets for us and activate them at the park but not have to purchase a ticket for herself? Or would she still have to purchase a ticket for herself?

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 May 2015 at 16:52

       SHe will still have to purchase one for herself Karlie, even though she doesn’t plan to use it. Still a big savings when you average it.

       Reply

171. Jen says

     27 May 2015 at 18:00

     I was wondering if I by myself (spouse) and I buy my sister who will be visiting a 3 day pass, can I give my give my husband her ticket for the remaining days since she’ll be using it once?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 May 2015 at 21:43

       Hi Jen,

       You can buy her one if you are going with her and you have one for yourself too.

       But all Disney tickets are non-transferable, so she will be the only person allowed to use that ticket. Disney has measures in place to prevent this.

       Reply

172. Linda Bone says

     28 May 2015 at 06:07

     I am going to Disney World in Nov2015 and Disneyland in Feb 2016> If salute tickets renewed can I buy maximum 6 tickets for each park in the same promotion year since they are different parks Thank You

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 May 2015 at 15:18

       Yes you sure can Linda. They are actually separate offers.

       Reply

173. Catherine says

     28 May 2015 at 23:27

     Hello,

     I will be traveling to Disneyland for the 60th Birthday celebration in July. Attending with my retired military husband and adult daughter and her girlfriend. I was planning on purchasing the Military Salute discounted tickets. I am glad I read this blog. Am I to understand that only my husband and I are eligible for the Military Salute tickets and my adult daughter and her girlfriend are not? That the additional tickets cannot be used on adult children and friends? Are they only for sponsor and spouse and young children, i.e. under the age of 18?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 May 2015 at 06:49

       Hi Catherine, no you are a little confused.

       Only your husband or yourself may buy and activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets up to the limit of 6.

       The 4 tickets not used by yourselves you can allow anyone to use.

       The specific circumstance of the tickets having to be used by a family unit (member, spouse, & their dependent children) is for those families that have more than 4 kids and need more than 6 tickets.

       Reply

174. Kathleen Bauer says

     31 May 2015 at 01:10

     My husband who is retired military and I have annual passes to Disney World. We purchased 3 military 4 day passes for our three children at the base. We plan to go with them into the park to activate their military salute tickets. i have read that we only have to be with them the first day when the salute passes are activated and my husband will not have to have a salute ticket when he goes with them to activate since he has an annual pass.. It also says that we could upgrade salute tickets into annual passes. My question is if we have an annual pass can we purchase the water parks and fun for 4 days for 30 dollars. Please help us figure this out. If we cannot upgrade to the water parks fun packages for 30 could we buy salute tickets with 4 days at the park for $173 and also obtain the water parks and fund for an addtional $30. Can we than use our salute tickets to upgrade to an annual pass. We can than save the regular annual passes we purchased next year as they will still be valid..

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 May 2015 at 06:33

       Hi Kathleen,

       So I think you are trying to figure out how to get water park tickets for you and you husband, is that right?

       To upgrade your annual passes you’d have to upgrade to the premium annual pass which is $ 829.64. You’d pay the difference between that and what you payed for your APs.

       You could buy yourselves a 4-day Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket with Water Park Fun and More option (and no hopper) for $177 (or hopper and WPF&M for $207). These currently expire on 3 October 2015. You’ll have to ask DIsney about how long you can hold on to your un activated annual pass exchange certificates.

       Or you could buy one-day tickets as necessary from Shades of Green for $57 a day.

       Upgrading the Salute ticket to a pass doesn’t save you any money as you pay the difference between the salute price and the full gate price plus tax to upgrade.

       Reply

     • Charles Curry says

       18 June 2015 at 13:53

       I used 2 days of a 4 day military hopper. How long is the ticket good for.

       Reply

       • Steve says

         18 June 2015 at 14:10

         Hi Charles,

         Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets from the current offer are currently valid from 28 Sept 2014 through 3 October 2015

         Reply

175. Anne says

     8 June 2015 at 01:50

     I am an ex – spouse of active military without a current dependent ID card. My daughter is a dependent with an ID card. Her father is not involved in her life. Is it possible for me to take her using this discount? Do we have any discount options? Can we stay at shades of green with her dependent ID?
     Thank you for your help!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       8 June 2015 at 06:55

       Hi Anne,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute is the member’s benefit, their spouse ma use it in their place, but dependent children are not eligible.

       Your daughter should be able to purchase the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets (just a slight savings) from base ticket offices and Shades of Green. Here are Shades prices: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

       Give Shades a call to confirm her status re staying there.

       Reply

176. Theresa says

     9 June 2015 at 11:07

     Hi Steve! We are heading to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA on June 29th. We dropped the ball on pre-ordering the tickets at the base ticket office here in Washington DC and now they won’t be here in time for our vacation. I took a look at the military portion of the Disneyland website and it says that the tickets CANNOT be purchased at the DisneyLand Box Office. However, your tips #5 says that they can. Could you clarify if you have any experience regarding this matter?

     Thank you in advance!

     Theresa R.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       9 June 2015 at 16:58

       Hi Theresa,

       I think you are referring to this first bullet, is that correct?

       Disney Military Promotional Tickets may be purchased at participating U.S. military sales outlets ONLY by Eligible Service Members (defined below) or their spouses (but not both), for use by themselves and other family members and friends, as provided herein. These Tickets may not be otherwise transferred, distributed or resold.

       There should be a big comma between the words outlets and ONLY. Or it would be better written like this: Disney Military Promotional Tickets may be purchased at participating U.S. military sales outlets. Only Eligible Service Members (defined below) or their spouses (but not both) may purchase these tickets.

       They have always sold the Salute tickets at both the WDW and DL gates and still do.

       If you’d like tag in on the Disneyland Trip Report post with your experience after you get back

       Have fun!

       Reply

177. GayMarie R. says

     10 June 2015 at 11:09

     Hello Steve!

     Love this website. A lot of my questions have already been answered. But I do have one.

     We live in California, and we have a thanksgiving Disney World trip planned this year. My husband is in the Army. We want to take advantage of the FP+ passes but do not have our tickets. Do we have to wait until after Oct. 3, 2015 to purchase our tickets thought Via phone at Camp Pendleton? Or can I call early, and still purchase in advance for the next follow-on offer (if they still have it).

     Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 June 2015 at 16:21

       Hi GayMarie,

       Thanks so much!

       There currently is no follow-on offer so you can not buy tickets for that time. Historically, when Disney has announced a renewal they have also announced when the tickets go on sale.

       Stay tuned for upcoming news on this, the best way to do so is my newsletter (if you are not a subscriber yet)

       Reply

       • GayMarie R. says

         11 June 2015 at 13:31

         I did Subscribe! 🙂

         Thanks for your website, answering our questions, and your service!

         Reply

         • Steve says

           11 June 2015 at 16:52

           Thanks!

           I love doing it.

           Reply

178. Michaela Putbres says

     14 June 2015 at 16:16

     I love your website and the information is always super helpful so please keep up the awesome work! My question: Can I add and activate two AFM tickets to my Magicband at the same time and use them back to back or do I have to activate each one separately?

     Thanks a million!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 June 2015 at 17:38

       Hi Michaela, thanks so much!

       You can link two tickets to your My Disney Experience account. Be sure to keep them straight, as the last one linked is the first one used.

       On arrival you can activate both.

       Reply

       • Michaela P. says

         17 June 2015 at 19:37

         That’s great news. Thanks!

         Reply

179. lisa says

     16 June 2015 at 19:07

     Hi! We bought our tickets at the mwr. We had a change of plans and won’t be able to go until December. Will we still be able to use our tickets for December even though the expiration date says oct 3.2015? This will be the first week of December, Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       17 June 2015 at 05:41

       Hi Lisa,

       Stand by for news in the next few weeks which will affect your situation.

       Reply

180. Chris says

     20 June 2015 at 02:43

     Hi Steve – thanks for the useful tips on your site, they’ve been helpful to me the past few years as this is the most comprehensive source on military tips I’ve found online by far! And you are right – the people on the phone don’t always know the answers offhand when you call and request info on military tickets so calling in requires much patience.

     My question is regarding upgrades: I see your site mentions you can upgrade to an annual or seasonal pass but can you also upgrade to the Premier Passport that allows you admission into both coasts in the same year? And either way, if you decide to upgrade your Military discount ticket to an annual pass or Premier Passport, what is the cost difference? Do they simply make you pay the full difference between an annual pass versus the $177 or $207 you have already paid (in effect making you lose out on the discount you have already obtained with the Salute tickets) or is there a different upgrade cost that still allows you to maintain some savings? Thanks in advance!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 June 2015 at 08:18

       Hi Chris,

       Thanks so much!

       While I haven’t heard it mentioned I would think they would allow you to upgrade to the Premier.

       When you upgrade Disney does apply what you paid for the Salute ticket towards the full price pass with tax included, as you said negating the savings.

       The only way to save is that Shades of Green will upgrade Salute tickets that they sold originally at their discounted AP and FL SP prices.

       Quite a while back I upgraded to a FL Seasonal. It only cost about the same as buying a second Salute ticket and I got way more that 4 days out of it. Since then I’ve renewed direct with Disney and use their monthly payment method (for FL residents only).

       Reply

181. shannon says

     22 June 2015 at 22:14

     Great advice, thanks for sharing your research! My wife, 4 kids (one being 2 yrs old… no ticket necessary), and I are going to Disneyland in July. My sister and her husband will be meeting us. That is a total of 7 tickets required. We are planning on using the 3-day AFS park hopper tickets. Would it be OK for me to purchase six AFS tickets at the gate, plus one discounted ticket from the MWR office on a base, and still be able to get everyone into the park? If not, any advice? Thanks,

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 June 2015 at 23:28

       Yes Shannon, you can mis and match the two types of tickets. You” want to buy the one regularly discounted ticket on base for a child if possible as it is cheaper.

       You could get the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets at the same time or at the Disneyland gate.

       Reply

182. Alan Brown says

     27 June 2015 at 10:48

     I have purchased 5 Military Salute Passes with the water parks and more option. My grand daughter has used all four theme park admissions along with all four water park visits. Can I purchase another Military Salute Pass for her?
     Also, with the increase to 12 passes and deadline extension until 20 Dec. 2015 can I activate a new Military Salute pass for me if I still have two remaining visits on my current one (I plan to visit the parks several times in the fall)? Thanks

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 June 2015 at 11:43

       Yes to both questions Alan!

       Enjoy

       Reply

183. Jeffrey Fisher says

     27 June 2015 at 20:02

     I was wanting to know if it is possible to add days on the armed forces tickets? I would like to do 6 days total with park hoping and water parks. If not possible what are my best options to make this as inexpensive as possible?
     Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 June 2015 at 09:30

       Hi Jeffrey,

       You did not mention your dates or number and ages in the party, all of which matter.

       I can’t tell you what would be best for you, but I can present the options info and you can decide based on your circumstances.

       I’ll assume there are 6 or less of you and I will present prices for both adults 10+ and kids 3-9 (2 and under is free). Also I will assume you are going prior to 20 Dec 2015, the current end of the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets.

       Here are the 2 options right now:

       1. Use 2 Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets (Hopping & WPF&M) back-to-back for each person. $207 x 2 = $414 each.
       2. Use one 6-day Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way ticket (Hopping & WPF&M) at $407a/$388c

       Option 2 is the way to go right now.

       If your dates are in 2016, there currently is no Salute for that timeframe. If it is renewed, the salute ticket prices will increase.

       Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets whoever, follow general public gate prices, which should increase in February.

       Depending on your dates you’ll need to follow the ticket prices for your trip timeframe.

       One thing to note, you can purchase Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets at the current price and they will be honored, without having to pay the difference at on any future date.

       The Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets are available at Base Ticket Offices, Shades of Green, the Orlando ITT and via mail from some ITTs see our ticket page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Military-Discounts/Theme-Park-Tickets.html

       Steve

       Reply

184. Gail Jacobs says

     9 July 2015 at 11:31

     Can a widow of a retired military spouse purchase the Armed Services tickets?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       9 July 2015 at 20:51

       Hi Gail,

       Sorry I’m confused. Did you mean the widow of a retired military member?

       Reply

       • Gail Jacobs says

         11 July 2015 at 08:55

         Sorry for the confusion……yes I mean the widow of a retired veteran.
         Thanks,
         Gail

         Reply

         • Steve says

           11 July 2015 at 09:08

           No problem!

           Yes, un-remarried widows of retired military members are eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute with their current military ID.

           Reply

185. Gretchen says

     9 July 2015 at 20:42

     We got the disneyland 3 day hopper ticket and only used 2 days of it. We misplaced our ticket and would like to use the 3rd day. Is disneyland able to issue the last remaining day we have? Also, my cousin was the one who activated our ticket on the first day, will he need to be there if they are able to issue us another ticket for the 3rd day?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 July 2015 at 06:43

       Hi Gretchen,

       Ideally you have a picture of the back of the tickets on your phone???

       Even if you don’t Disneyland should be able to look you up by name and the address of your cousin who shouldn’t have to be there.

       Reply

186. Renee Owen says

     12 July 2015 at 15:45

     I have a question regarding who can use the military salute tickets that are purchased by the military member. We will be traveling with myself, my spouse (retired military), our 3 children, and a family friend. We all have ID cards with the exception of the family friend and one child is a 20 year old college student. Will we all be able to use the Military salute tickets?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 July 2015 at 16:24

       Hi Renee,

       the military member may allow anyone they want to be part of their party using Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       Reply

187. Nichole says

     15 July 2015 at 14:45

     My husband is a Veteran. Does he bring his Arizona drivers license that states Veteran or his DD214 or his honorable discharge to Disneyland ticket window to get the $132 park hopper discount that’s offered until December 2015 for him, my daughter and me? Please advise. It’s a significant discount that would allow us to make he trip

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 July 2015 at 17:05

       Unfortunately none of those Nichole.

       Non-retired vets are not eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute.

       He isn’t by chance 100% service connected permanently disabled (DAVPRM) is he? If so then he would be eligible with his current military ID.

       Reply

188. Kayla says

     16 July 2015 at 19:45

     We bought our four day park hopper tickets today to use for our Disney World trip this year-before December. However, they say they expire in October! What is going on? I thought we could use them until December!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       17 July 2015 at 07:00

       Hi there Kayla,

       Although they say they expire on 3 October they will be valid and accepted through 20 December 2015.

       Disney decided to use the current stock of tickets vs having to print new ones for the 2.5 month extension. You can read more about it in my extension announcement.

       Reply

189. lani says

     31 July 2015 at 08:01

     I am honoralbe discharged, only have dd214 form.
     Am I legible to purchase the Military Salute tickets??
     Please response, need to know ASAP.. planning to take family OCT 2015.
     Appreciate it.

     Please email me as well for the response.
     Thank you !

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 July 2015 at 08:15

       Hi lani,

       Thanks for checking out the site!

       There are no discounts available directly from Disney for your situation.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html. Perhaps you can move your vacation a little earlier to take advantage of it.

       Reply

190. Victoria says

     8 August 2015 at 14:01

     I am going to Disneyland in two weeks, my husband is deployed but I do my military I.D. I still have one more day left on my previous ticket, but I want to buy two more since my best friends are going. Will that still be possible to do since i don’t have to buy myself one.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       8 August 2015 at 14:25

       Sure you can Victoria,

       But keep in mind a 1 day non-hopper is cheaper than the Salute ticket.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Disneyland-Military-Tickets.html

       Reply

191. Wendy says

     11 August 2015 at 14:33

     We are going with my retired father (there will be 6 total). We bought the 4 day passes and totaled it out to about 40 tickets. Some of us need 7 day passes and some only needed 5 days passes so on some of the passes, multiple people (two) will use that pass. It that allowed or once someone uses a 4 day pass, they need to be the only one using that 4 day pass? Sorry if confusing.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 August 2015 at 17:01

       Hi Wendy,

       lol, not sure exactly what you are asking… 40 tickets?

       But did gather the part about sharing tickets.

       All Disney tickets, no matter what type (military or otherwise) are non-transferable. The person, who first uses a ticket for entry, is then the only person who can use that ticket.

       For example you can not buy a one day ticket and have mom use it in the morning and dad use it in the afternoon.

       Another example, you cannot buy one 4-day ticket and use it to get four people into a Disney World Park on the same day. Instead, you’d have to buy four 1-day tickets.

       Only one “day” on a ticket may be used per calendar day.

       For example, you cannot buy a 2-day base (non-hopper) ticket and use it for entrance at a second theme park on a day that you have used it at first park.

       Disney has procedures in effect to prevent this.

       Sorry!

       Reply

       • Wendy says

         12 August 2015 at 08:18

         Thanks so much. it was the four day tickets. I was just multiplying the 4 day packs out to give a total of how many tickets our group had for our stay. What if I used a 4 day ticket one day and my mom used the same four day ticket the next day? We only need 7 days but you buy 2 four day tickets and so 1 of the tickets will make up for another person being short a day. But we wouldn’t use the same ticket on the same day to use of all four of the days.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           12 August 2015 at 18:03

           Nope sorry Wendy, you absolutely can’t do that. The person who uses a ticket the very first time is then the only person who can use that ticket afterwards.

           Disney uses fingerprint scanning to prevent it.

           Those needing 7 theme park days will each need to use 2 back to back Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets, leaving one day unused. This is still a huge savings for you as the 4-day Salute tickets cost less that a regular 2-day.

           Those who need 5 theme park days will need to use 1 Disney Armed Forces Salute 4-day ticket and a 1-day Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way ticket.

           See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

           And for prices: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html

           Reply

192. Michelle says

     12 August 2015 at 01:16

     I bought tickets today for a 4 day hopper. Since I am a retiree military spouse who purchased the tickets need to be with the family for activation of the tickets or can another family member with an military I’d card be present? Also, is the militAry I’d the only I’d that needs to be presented upon activation. Please reply. Michelle

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 August 2015 at 07:02

       Hi Michelle,

       As you can see above I always reply.

       I’m not sure exactly what you are trying to ask, but any military member or spouse may activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets in person with all of their guests present.

       The member or spouse must have their military ID. All other adults must have some form of picture ID.

       Reply

193. Dave says

     12 August 2015 at 16:15

     Hi Steve,

     Quick question and I apologize if this has been addressed. I found myself browsing the comments but didn’t see this addressed. When the military salute tickets are purchased, do they all have to be of the same type? I ask because my father is retired Army but doesn’t get around so well anymore. We’ve done these tickets in the past where he got himself the 4 day park hopper and it was fine. This time we will probably do the park hopper plus water park option but there is no way he can do that. I understand he’ll need to buy a ticket and to get the discount we will probably just have to eat the extra days he won’t use on the cheapest option but when activating, can they be different types of tickets? i.e. he gets the hopper ticket, the rest in the party get the hopper plus water park tickets? Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 August 2015 at 17:53

       Yes, absolutely Dave.

       No issues with him having just the Disney Armed Forces Salute 4-day hopper and everyone else having the hopper plus WPF&M.

       Reply

194. Jacqueline says

     13 August 2015 at 09:12

     Do you think they will extend the Armed Forces Military Tickets for 2016?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 August 2015 at 16:38

       I’m very confident Jacqueline.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/when-will-disney-announce-an-armed-forces-salute-for-2016/

       Reply

195. Courtney says

     15 August 2015 at 14:03

     Hello!
     My father is active duty military and I was wondering if as his daugther I could buy the tickets for myself and a friend. I have my own military ID if that makes a difference.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 August 2015 at 14:17

       Hi Courtney,

       You can buy the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets at base ticket offices, Shades of Green, or the orlando ITT.

       You are not however, eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute-Park-Tickets.html

       Reply

196. Jennifer says

     22 August 2015 at 12:18

     Hi Steve,

     We have the 2014-2015 Disneyland Military salute tickets and only used two out of the three days, but lost the ticket/card. We would like to make another trip to use up that one day we have left… Is there anyways they can look it up for us and let us in? We originally bought it at the Disneyland ticket both.

     Thank you,
     jenn

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 August 2015 at 12:36

       Hi Jenn,

       They should be able to look you up by name and address and see that you have a day left.

       Reply

197. Maria says

     25 August 2015 at 09:03

     Hi Steve,

     First, thank you so much for all you do and for your service to our country. I am an unmarried spouse of a deceased veteran and a Gold Star family member. I am a DVC member and am taking my children, grandchildren and two great-grandchildren to Disney World in Oct. 2015. My question is two fold. Are the only tickets available for the discount for 4 days? We would 6 day park hoppers – is that possible? Also, I’m not quite sure what kind of ID I would need and how to obtain it.

     Again, thanks so much for all you do in helping to provide fun for our families.
     Maria

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 August 2015 at 18:00

       Hi Maria,

       For the Disney Armed Forces Salute you will need a military issued ID card like the one on this page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-World-Military-Discount-ID-Guide.html

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets come in only 4-days. you can add the Water Park Fun and More options to do things there than theme parks on there days. Or you can use back-to-back Salute tickets. You are allowed up to a total of 12 through 20 December 2015.

       There are the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets which offer less savings but are available in 1-10 day lengths with all the usual options.

       If you can not obtain the correct ID Shades of Green accepts Gold Star Families and you should be able to buy the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets there.

       Reply

198. Brittany says

     27 August 2015 at 13:25

     Hi there- I have read through some of these comments to see what other people have been asking, but my situation is a bit different.

     My fiance is active military and we are not yet married. Am I allowed to take advantage of the discounted price if he buys, activates and we are both together when we enter the park?

     I do see, friends and family are allowed but I just want to make sure.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 August 2015 at 16:45

       Hi Brittany,

       Yes, once he accompanies you (or anyone) for the activation process you can use the ticket with or without him through the end of the offer period.

       Reply

199. Judy says

     27 August 2015 at 18:25

     Just clarifying – husband is active military and deployed. Can wife (active military spouse) take dependent children to Walt Disney World while husband is away? My interpretation of the website is yes. Is this correct? Website says this – Spouses in place of the member. Note the Disney Armed Forces Salute benefit is for the member only. While spouses may use their member’s benefit, they are not entitled to a benefit of their own. They only use the discounts in place of the member. Non-spouse dependents are not eligible.” Who are “Non-spouse dependents”? Children? Thank you.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 August 2015 at 19:35

       Absolutely Judy!

       What the quoted passage means is that both he and you can not both use the discount (Stack the ticket discount to get double the amount).

       Reply

200. Chris says

     21 September 2015 at 21:06

     Can a military member who is also an annual pass holder purchase and activate promotional tickets for friends without having to buy one for themselves?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 September 2015 at 21:26

       es absolutely Chris,

       I do that all the time with my FL Seasonal Pass

       Reply

201. Katie says

     24 September 2015 at 18:36

     Do you know the remaining blackout dates for 2015?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 September 2015 at 22:00

       Katie the remaining 2015 Blockout Dates For Disney’s Armed Forces Salute are:

       WDW Tickets
       No Blockout Dates Remain For 2015

       Disneyland Tickets
       No Blockout Dates Remain For 2015

       WDW & DL Resorts
       26 – 28 November 2015

       Reply

202. Katherine says

     25 September 2015 at 18:22

     If I buy tickets now, am I able to wait to use them in May 2016?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 September 2015 at 22:32

       If they are the 2016 tickets not the 2014-2015 tickets. The two offers are separate.

       Reply

203. Diane says

     6 October 2015 at 15:06

     My husband was in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era. What does he need to show for eligibility? We are coming December 19-26. 2015.We need 12 Hopper tickets for Disney World. Is there a block out date for these dates?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 October 2015 at 18:39

       Hi Diane,

       Did your husband retire from the AF after serving 20 years?

       If not there are no discounts available directly from Disney for his situation.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Reply

204. Traci says

     9 November 2015 at 09:04

     Can the dependent with current military ID activate the tickets? Or does the spouse have to be present?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       9 November 2015 at 17:10

       That would really depend on your local ITT Office Traci.

       Reply

205. MB says

     13 November 2015 at 09:53

     Hello! I (military spouse) purchased the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets to use 11/19-21 and made the unfortunate realization last week that my ID expires on 11/17. My husband is deployed, and I was not able to make an appointment for a new ID card until Dec 4. Is it possible to still activate my tickets with an additional valid form of ID? I’m trying to look into other options, but thought I would reach out. I appreciate your help!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 November 2015 at 17:08

       Hi MB,

       No you need a valid ID to activate them…

       I’d try any base within driving distance to get it done. Do you have your ID paperwork in hand?

       p.s. edited you comment with the correct program name.

       Reply

       • MB says

         13 November 2015 at 17:23

         Thanks for the correct program name!

         I’m not sure I know what paperwork I need. This is the first time I have needed to renew my ID. Yikes!

         Reply

         • Steve says

           13 November 2015 at 23:17

           Unless things have changed, the member initiates the paperwork for you to renew your ID with a Personnel Office. It is sent or you carry it to where you will get your ID.

           Reply

206. Jonathan says

     19 November 2015 at 18:51

     I am a bit confused- you said that there were no more blackout dates for 2015, but you said you can’t .use them December 21st-January 2nd. Sadly that is when my trip was going to take place. (December 21st-26th) is there anyway to get tickets for that time period? Also, If I am a child of the Military Member and I have a valid (military) ID, can I activate my ticket? There seems to be quite a few stipulations, and I understand and all, I mean it’s a great program that they are providing to military families, just wish it was a little more clear and straight forward. Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 November 2015 at 06:42

       Hi Jonathan,

       There are no more blackout dates for the 2014-2015 Disney Armed Forces Salute Offer, which ends on 23 Dec for tickets. The 2016 offer does not begin until 3 Jan. Each Salute is a totally separate offer and not connected to the previous or any potential followup.

       It is a fantastic program, but it is for the member or spouse in their place (in case the member is deployed). Non-Spouse dependents are not eligible. Sounds like you are an adult who still has an ID traveling without your parents.

       You can however use the slightly discounted Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets by yourself, see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

207. HD Mom says

     14 December 2015 at 16:23

     I want to be really clear. My father is retired military, 36 yrs, and my grandmother is the surviving spouse of a retired chaplain, 20+ yrs. We have 8 people that want to go, including my Dad and Grandmother. I know my Dad can buy 6 tickets. Is my grandmother allowed to buy tickets as well? Then she could buy our remaining two tickets and we will all be covered.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       14 December 2015 at 19:25

       Hi there,

       Your grandmother is certainly eligible to participate in the Disney Armed Forces Salute as long as 1. she is un-remarried and 2. has a current military ID.

       But purchasing the tickets is not what matters, activating them in person at Disney is.

       With your dad and grandmother both going your party will be eligible for 12 tickets including theirs.

       Reply

208. Jose says

     15 December 2015 at 12:55

     Any idea if I.D. will be required on the subsequent visits without the military member present. We went as a large group the first day and are now going seperatly. The tickets just have the “parties” name on them. The ticket clearly states I.D.’s may be required, but not sure if that was for the initial visit. I know the military member showed I.D. when they were actived and we all just went in with him.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 December 2015 at 17:03

       No, definitely not Jose.

       I’ve never heard of anyone being IDs on return visits since the Disney Armed Forces Salute started in 2009.

       Disney does not require the member to be with their party at all entrances (note Disneyland did till 2014).

       Reply

       • Jose says

         15 December 2015 at 20:39

         It was my understanding that the only time they might check each individual’s I.D.’s was during the 1st activation visit.
         Great to have verification and not have to worry about being turned away.

         Thanks Agian for you quick reply.

         Reply

       • Kathy Bannon says

         10 April 2016 at 14:51

         Just returned from a trip to Disneyland, and wanted to share a couple of experiences with your readers. After checking in at the Disneyland Hotel ( which we just love) we went to Downtown Disney. I took along our Military Salute 3-day Park Hopper vouchers bought at Davis-Monthan AFB. We stopped at the monorail entrance, where we knew that tickets could be activated, but the cast member said that if we activated our tickets that evening, it would count as one of our three days, even if we did not enter either park. We had tried this on 2 previous trips, once at the main entrance in Jan 2015, and once at the Grand Californian Hotel entrance in Oct 2015. After three unsuccessful attempts at activating tickets a day before we actually planned to go to the parks, I feel comfortable in saying that early activation is not an option at Disneyland. We have used MS tickets every year since 2012, and when we activate, our photos are taken and we are given a ticket with our name on it, surrendering our voucher. After initial activation, everyone is free to come and go, switch parks, etc, with total ease and without the military member or spouse. A tip here: make a copy of your vouchers and take them with you, along with your receipt. A member of our party lost his ticket, and we presented the copy and receipt at the customer service kiosk outside the gates, and he was issued a new ticket right away! Hope this information is helpful. Thanks, Steve, for all your great tips!

         Reply

         • Steve says

           10 April 2016 at 18:52

           Thanks of the on scene info Kathy!!!

           I really appreciate it.

           Reply

209. justin says

     30 December 2015 at 11:57

     Hello
     I purchased 2016 3 day hopper tickets for 6 family members and I just realized my active ID ends Jul12016, Can I still use them with a regular ID as my military ID will be turned in?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 December 2015 at 17:02

       Hi Justin,

       A current, valid military CAC or spouse ID is required to activate the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. All members of the party must be present for the activation. You do not have to use then on the activation day.

       Any Day up to 1 Jul you can activate them at DLR and have till the end of the offer to use them. (Don’t know if you are close enough to swing by)

       After 1 Jul they cannot be activated at all. Disney “may” allow you to use them towards full price tickets at that point.

       Reply

210. James says

     4 January 2016 at 15:01

     Hi,

     If I get the 4-day Park hopper tickets for Disney World, but don’t use all 4 days there, can the remaining days be used at Disney Land?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 January 2016 at 18:39

       No James,

       Sorry they are actually 2 separate offers.

       Reply

211. Jim says

     6 January 2016 at 21:19

     1. How long before the reservation dept returns your call to purchase tickets?

     2. Do you know if the discounted extra day ticket will be available for 2016 to extend the 4 day to a 5 day?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       6 January 2016 at 21:38

       Hi Jim,

       1. Is totally unknown. Some have received a call back within a day, others have waited days.

       2. I’m not sure what you are asking. Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets can not be extended. There has never been an extra day ticket. You can buy a 1-day Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way ticket. See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

212. Makenna says

     13 January 2016 at 10:58

     Hi! We are going with a close family friend in the marines next august. We have been purchasing and recieving disney gift cards as gifts. I know that for regular prices tickets we can purchase using the gift cards. Can we do so with the military ones as well? She is buying them at her base and no one there has any idea if she can bring the gift cards and use them. Any ideas??

     Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 January 2016 at 17:19

       Hi Makenna,

       Unfortunately Disney gift cards are an internal company card and are only for Disney locations (at WDW, DLR, Disney store locations and online). Shades of Green and Base Ticket Offices are not part of the Disney company So do not accept that form of payment. Your friends can pay by other means and use the gift cards upon arrival for Disney hotels, meals, and souvenirs.

       Reply

213. Randi Lanier says

     15 January 2016 at 10:48

     Hi Steve,

     I had emailed you about a year ago asking about whether US Public Health Service officers could use the Armed Forces Salute tickets and at the time the answer was “no”. However recently Disney has agreed to allow PHS and NOAA officers to use these discounts as well.:

     https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/military-multi-day-tickets/

     Just wanted to let you know about this wonderful news! Please spread the word 🙂

     Thanks!!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       15 January 2016 at 16:42

       Hey Randi,

       Thanks for sharing! I’m actually aware of the recent change as I’ve been coordinating with the Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS on their (now successful) efforts to get this change instituted.

       I will be sharing on the blog early next week.

       Reply

214. Patti Thorpe says

     18 January 2016 at 15:10

     This is my first visit to Disney World with my grandchildren. My question is about the Military Tickets. It says you can purchase a 4 day hopper but if you wanted more days they suggest to buy the water park tickets that can be used for regular park tickets. Am I reading this correctly? I will need tickets for 5 days and I did not know the difference in price between purchasing the water park passes as opposed to getting a ticket for just one more day. I do not plan on going to any of the water parks as there will b 3 pools at the resort so they can splish splash there if they want to get wet. There are 6 of us, 4 adults and 2 children ages 8 and 4.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       18 January 2016 at 16:24

       Hi Patty,

       No, that is not correct. The Water Park Fun and More option is an add on to the tickets. The water park entrances are only good at the locations on this page, not the theme parks!

       The water park option can be used with the ticket it is added to in order to give you things to do on non-theme park days.

       If you want 5 days you’ll need to do a combo of the Disney Armed Forces Salute and the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.

       Reply

215. Kathleen says

     19 January 2016 at 17:58

     My husband served 4 years in the army. He was in Vietnam. He is 50% disabled. Would he be able to get discount Disneyland tickets

     Reply

     • Steve says

       19 January 2016 at 20:34

       Sorry Kathleen, unfortunately not.

       Reply

       • Kathleen says

         19 January 2016 at 23:09

         I did read, I think it was on military Disney tips that non- retirees who were on the military(have to have a DD-214) can get a 4 to 8% discount. Tickets would be purchased thru camp Pendleton via phone. Do you about this?

         Reply

         • Steve says

           20 January 2016 at 06:36

           Hi Kathleen,

           If you picked up that info here you have it a little turned around.

           The only time non-retired vets with a DD-214 can buy discounted Disney tickets is during the months of January and September from Shades of Green at Walt Disney World.

           If you are staying at Shades using their veteran’s program during those months you can then purchase tickets from their Ticket Office.

           The Disney Armed Forces Salute hugely discounted tickets are excluded, but you can buy the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets which are about 4-8% off.

           http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

           Reply

216. Lorna says

     24 January 2016 at 02:54

     Hi. My son is an active Marine. He purchased tickets for me and his siblings for our trip in March, but he just informed me that he is unable to go (he is at his MOS). Am I able to activate the tickets or does this mean our trip cannot happen without him? He is not married.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 January 2016 at 11:18

       Hi Lorna,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets, which I assume you have rather than the less discounted Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets cannot be used without the member (or spouse, not in this instance) activating the tickets in person with their party.

       The reason being that these tickets are not to be purchased for others to use, rather they are for the member to go with family and friends.

       They are also non-refundable once purchased.

       Disney should however, allow you to use the tickets towards full price tickets. Take his receipt for the tickets and a letter from your son explaining the reason why he can not go with you.

       Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets

       Reply

217. Barry Keffer says

     30 January 2016 at 11:31

     Does this include retired military also?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 January 2016 at 11:33

       Barry, yes, see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       Reply

218. Ashley says

     31 January 2016 at 09:12

     Hi!

     My husband is active military and we are going to Disneyland this October. I understand we can purchase a 4 day park hopper ticket for 6 people and activate with his ID. My family will actually be staying 8 days total but he will go back to work after 4 days…my question is can I purchase another 4 day park hopper for 6 people and activate with my spouse ID after he goes and use it for days 5-8 of our trip?

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 January 2016 at 16:08

       Hi Ashley,

       No, the limit is 6 per military member. The spouse can only use those in place of the member.

       You’ll need to carefully compare all combos of using the salute tickets back to back for some and or using Regular Military Discounted Disneyland tickets.

       Further Reading:
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Disneyland-Military-Tickets.html

       Reply

219. Jennifer says

     31 January 2016 at 10:06

     Do DOD employees also qualify for the armed forces salute tickets?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 January 2016 at 16:04

       No Jennifer,

       Unfortunately they do not. You can buy Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets at your base though.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

220. Amber says

     31 January 2016 at 18:13

     I wanted to clarify spouses buying Armed Forces Salute tickets. If a military member and his wife are both going on the trip, can they both purchase 6 tickets, or is it only if the military member isn’t present that the spouse is allowed to purchase? We have 8 going (not all immediate family) and were wondering if we’d have to pay for the extra two or if there would be a way for the wife to also purchase tickets. Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 January 2016 at 20:06

       Hi Amber,

       The limit is 6 per military member. The spouse can only use those in place of the member, not in addition too.

       You’ll want Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets for the others.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

221. Heather Bridget says

     7 February 2016 at 20:04

     I already purchased tickets to Disney and was unaware of the military discount. Is there a way I can get a refund of those tickets and repurchase the tickets with the discount?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       7 February 2016 at 20:58

       Where did you purchase them Heather?

       Reply

       • Heather Bridget says

         8 February 2016 at 07:29

         Through the Disney World web site

         Reply

         • Steve says

           8 February 2016 at 16:25

           Hi Heather,

           This is right off of the Disney website: “All tickets and options are nontransferable and nonrefundable and exclude activities/events separately priced. Water Parks subject to rehabilitation, seasonal and weather closures.”

           But you could try to call them and please your case.

           Or perhaps in person you could exchange them for the military discounted tickets, and get refunded the difference.

           Reply

222. Vicky says

     12 February 2016 at 02:06

     Hello, my nephew bought some tickets at base, he is in military. I want to make sure I understand the activation. I know we need to be with him to activate. Can we activate tickets days before we use them? On the 1st day of entrance to park does he still need to be with us to show his military ID to enter park if we activate before first day visit?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 February 2016 at 07:28

       Hi Vicky,

       He can activate his ticket and yours ahead of time with you present. Once activated he does not need to accompany you for park entrance.

       Reply

223. Jenn says

     21 February 2016 at 14:06

     How early can we get the Armed Forces Salute Tickets before our trip? We have been getting different answers on this.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 February 2016 at 15:11

       You can purchase them any time that you’d like Jenn.

       Reply

       • Jenn says

         22 February 2016 at 10:09

         When we called Shades of Green last they told us we could only get them 60 days in advance. I will try a different avenue and see if that works better.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           22 February 2016 at 17:17

           Thanks Jenn,

           I was unaware of that. It really doesn’t make any sense.

           Camp Pendleton will sell them to you.

           See:http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

           Reply

224. Colleen says

     25 February 2016 at 11:38

     My husband (the active duty member) and I are current annual pass holders. Since one of the 6 allotted tickets is supposed to be for the ad member or the spouse can we still get 6 tickets for our family members through the armed forces salute program? We will be going to the park with them most if not all of the times they go, and definitely the initial time for activation purposes.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 February 2016 at 16:58

       Hi Colleen,

       I’m a pass holder too, but have never bought that many. Technically they are supposed to keep one unsold in reserve for the member, but it really depends on the cast member doing the activation…

       Reply

225. Katie says

     10 March 2016 at 20:25

     We will need to buy 7 afs tickets (7 members of our immediate family) . Can I buy all 7 of these at shades of green or will I have to get 1 at the park front gate?

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 March 2016 at 06:25

       Hi Katie,

       As far as I know Shades will not sell you more than 6 tickets. That limit is in the contract between Disney and MWR.

       Reply

226. Barb says

     30 March 2016 at 21:51

     We have the unique opportunity to visit Disney World and Disneyland in this calendar year. We are going to Disney World in May 2016 and will need four tickets then we will be at Disneyland in August 2016 and will need six. Do you know if we can purchase Armed Forces Salute tickets for each venue?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       31 March 2016 at 04:57

       Hi there Barb,

       Yes you sure can, this is specifically covered on our Disney Armed Forces Salute overview page: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html and this FAQ Post: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/faq/can-i-use-the-disney-armed-forces-salute-at-both-disney-world-and-disneyland/

       Have fun!

       Reply

227. ShellieMay says

     1 April 2016 at 12:14

     How does FastPass+ work when doing back to back military salute tickets? For example we are purchasing all 6 max allowed tickets for 3 family members to go for 8 days, when we get the voucher here at our base it will be before we are able to make our FastPass reservations so I want to make sure we are well prepared. I can just see the system letting us make FastPasses for the first 4 days but not the last 4 days. It has been 4 years since we have visited Disney, technology has made things change up a lot, I feel very out of touch with everything now. Your website is a huge help though, thanks Steve.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 April 2016 at 14:05

       Hi ShellieMay,

       You’ll link 2 vouchers/tickets per person and then be able to make your fast passes for all 8 days.

       Thanks so much!

       Reply

228. Taylor says

     25 April 2016 at 14:15

     If I purchased the military 4 day 1 park plus water park.. Is it possible to get it switch to the park hopper instead of the water park upon arrival and ticket exchange? They are the same priced tickets, but was wondering if this was possible .

     Thanks

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 April 2016 at 15:21

       Hi Taylor,

       Wow, I’ve never had this question before! Disney should let you do this as you said they are the same price. Usually people ask about adding the other option to the one they purchased, which you can do.

       Reply

229. Morgan says

     4 May 2016 at 04:31

     My husband bought 6 MS tickets for himself, me, our son, my parents and my niece to use in Sept 2016. Turns out my nieces parents (who are also military) want to take her the following week. My question is, can the ticket somehow be transferred to her father’s name vs my husbands name? I just want to avoid having her parents to buy an additional MS ticket for her since she will not be travelling with us any longer.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       5 May 2016 at 08:07

       Hi Morgan,

       Who purchases a Disney Armed Forces Salute Ticket doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters and counts against their ticket limit is who activates it in parson at Disney. So no problem doing as you described, no transfer needed, just use the ticket as needed.

       Reply

230. Ashley says

     16 May 2016 at 19:05

     We used all 4 days of our Militat Salute tickets in January, but only 1 of our 4 Water Parks and More visits (for DisneyQuest – too cold for the waterparks!)
     Am I correct that we can use the additional 3 water park visits any time before the offer expires in December (even though our park tickets are used)?
     And will our previous MagicBands be enough or do I need to find the original physical vouchers? WP&M was added on during trip and customer service just scanned our bands to add it.

     Thanks in advance for help!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       16 May 2016 at 22:32

       Yes, correct Ashley. Yoou have till 16Dec to use the remaining 3 visits. And your bands will be all you need.

       Reply

231. Dee Dee says

     24 May 2016 at 12:50

     Hi, I just wanted to double check that we can buy these tickets at the Disneyland ticket gate when we get there. Is that correct? I feel like there’s mixed information about where you can buy them. This is the only page I can find that lists the front gate ticket office as place to buy- other pages, Including the Disneyland website say you have to buy it through a military ticket office. I don’t live on base, so I’ve been having trouble trying to find some place to get them. So is it correct that we can buy them at the gate the day we get there? Thanks so much.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 May 2016 at 15:03

       Absolutely correct Dee Dee, since 2009!

       Disney websites and call centers are notorious for providing very limited info and at times incorrect information about their military discounts.

       See this: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tips/Disneys-Call-Center-Very-Often-Wrong-On-Military-Discounts.html

       Reply

232. Yvonne says

     25 May 2016 at 13:18

     I would like to purchase these promotion tickets for a graduation gift and her family. Must I be present once they enter for the 3 days? I live 2 hours away from them and would just like to send in a card via mail.

     Reply

     • Yvonne says

       25 May 2016 at 13:29

       Yvonne: I am Navy Reserve and most likely unable to go with them before December 19th. Can I somehow activate them when I purchase at Base?

       Reply

     • Steve says

       25 May 2016 at 17:22

       You’ll need to be present with them all to activate the tickets. Once active, you do not need to accompany them.

       Remember these highly discounted tickets are for you to spend time with family and friends in the parks, not to give away to those who are not eligible.

       Reply

233. Gonzalo Lassally says

     26 May 2016 at 21:28

     I am active duty military and plan on taking my wife and children to Disney between 22-26 December 2016. I was told that your blackout dates for 2016 have been dropped and we can now go through 26 December. I wanted to confirm this before purchasing Hero Salute tickets. Can you please confirm this for me? If the blackout dates are still active during 2016, what other discounted options do I have for park hopper passes?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 May 2016 at 05:19

       Wow Gonzalo,

       First, you are a little confused, this is an informational website run by a retired military member for military members to get info on these discounts.

       I’m not part of Disney or any theme parks so they are not my blackout dates.

       I do however coordinate closely with Disney on these discounts.

       Now on to your question…

       I’d be very curious for you to reply back and tell me where you heard this. It is incorrect.

       With the switch to a calendar year Disney Armed Forces Salute this year there are technically no block out dates during the Christmas/New Years timeframe. The offer simply ends on 19 December 2016. Disney has not extended the discount past that date.

       There is a reason they do not offer any type of discount during that timeframe which you can read about here: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute-Blockout-Dates.html

       You’ll need to consider other ticket options, see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

234. Mary says

     1 June 2016 at 12:05

     I’m deployed and my parents, who have an in loco parentis power of attorney for my son, want to take him to Disneyland in July. Your website and Disney’s website both state that a spouse can buy them. But if we don’t have a spouse, all the single parents get shunned? My parents have the PoA, my sons dependent ID, and a copy of my orders. Know any workarounds regarding this?? Seems pretty messed up for some parents to get singled out simply because of their relationship status?!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 June 2016 at 14:32

       Hi Mary,

       The DoD actually sets the eligibility for the Disney Armed Forces Salute. And unfortunately your situation is not covered.

       The only workaround is the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets or Stars and Stripes passes from Shades of Green. Both of which only offer slight savings.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Stars-and-Stripes-Passes.html

       Reply

235. Samantha jones says

     29 June 2016 at 13:47

     Hi , my sisters husband is a marine and me and my husband are coming down to visit with them at Disney . I have an annual pass and so does my sister but my husband does not have a ticket , how can she go about getting my husband a ticket with her military discount ? Thanks.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 June 2016 at 15:49

       Since she has an AP she can purchase a Disney Armed Forces Salute ticket of him without buying one for herself.

       See http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       Reply

236. John says

     8 July 2016 at 04:38

     I purchased 3 military salute tickets but due to work, I will be unable to use said tickets before they expire. Can these tickets be passed on to another eligible service member? Are there any steps necessary to do so? Thank you in advance.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       8 July 2016 at 05:34

       Yes they sure can John.

       Simply hand them to the eligible member or spouse. The purchase process and who purchases them is irrelevant. The only thing that matters for tracking is the activation process by Disney upon arrival.

       Reply

       • John says

         8 July 2016 at 10:04

         They are saying that they are linked to my Disney experience and cannot be unlinked, is this true? My tickets cannot be given to anyone else?

         Reply

         • Steve says

           9 July 2016 at 05:42

           Hi John,

           You didn’t say that you’d already linked them. You need to call the Disney Internet Help Desk and have them unlink them, it’s no problem. Just call: 800-848-6413, Option #3

           Reply

237. Laura G. says

     16 July 2016 at 20:06

     Hi there! We want to go to Disney World in late January 2017. When does the armed forces salute military discount come out for the following year usually? I know this year it became active Jan. 3rd, but I was wondering if we would be able to buy the discounted tickets before 2017 (assuming they continue the discount) or if we will have to wait until January to buy them

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       16 July 2016 at 20:13

       Hi there Laura,

       Please see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/when-will-disney-announce-the-2017-disney-armed-forces-salute/ for my thoughts and history on Salute renewals.

       Reply

238. Dawn says

     28 July 2016 at 08:48

     Hi Steve! Have a question about the Salute tickets. We are going to Disney (family of four) and husband is active Army. We had planned on buying 4 of the Salute tickets but now have extended our stay. So can we purchase two more Salute tickets and split them between the four of us (2 days to each person) Or would we only be able to link those other two extra to only two of us (two of us would have 8 days, the other two would have only 4) The issue is we are wanting to get 6 park days instead of 4. Just seeing what our options are. Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 July 2016 at 05:07

       Hi there Dawn,

       Disney’s rules for all tickets including all military types prohibit ticket sharing, they have measures in place to prevent this. Their tickets have a graduated by-day cost. The first few days of a ticket are the most expensive, the longer the ticket the cheaper it is to add more days to where you are paying 5 bucks a day to add a day on the longest tickets. Ticket sharing would “get around” paying what each day of your vacation is worth according to Disney.

       For 6 days I recommend using 2 Salute tickets per person for the adults at $196 each for a total per person of $392. For the Kids get 2 Salute tickets and 2 each 2-day Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Hopper tickets. The cost for this is $196 for the Salute and $196.25 for the 2-day hoppers, total $392.25. The other option would be a 6-day hopper at $396.50

       When mixing tickets, this number of park days is very close in price either way for kids. Adults the difference is bigger, and both get worse the longer the trip.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tickets/Magic-Your-Way-Tickets.html
       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html

       Reply

       • Dawn says

         29 July 2016 at 05:47

         Thanks for taking the time to answer my question! That sounds like the perfect plan and best deal! 🙂

         Reply

239. Isaac says

     30 August 2016 at 09:07

     assuming that disney renews the salute program for 2017. Can i purchase the tickets from a local MWR before i get out of the military (nov 2016) and be able to activate at the shades of green resort even though i’ve been out of the military in jan 2017?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 August 2016 at 09:33

       Hi there Isaac,

       No unfortunately you cannot do that. You need a current ID to activate the Salute tickets. There is another option. See http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/disney-armed-forces-salute-and-terminal-leave-or-separation/

       Reply

240. David says

     21 September 2016 at 22:27

     Is there a way to return the tickets after purchase if we can no longer make it out to the park?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 September 2016 at 00:26

       Unfortunately David the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are non-refundable.

       You could try haggling with the base ticket office you bought them from…

       Reply

241. Sue says

     28 September 2016 at 20:57

     Steve, can you get 6 tickets for Disneyland and then 6 for Disney world or 6 tickets to use at one or the other, or six to divide if you plan on visiting both locations??

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 September 2016 at 22:11

       Hi Sue,

       The offers are actually separate so you are eligible for 6 at WDW and 6 at DLR during both the 2016 and 2017 offers!

       Reply

242. Bryan says

     4 October 2016 at 15:20

     As a USAF retiree, may I purchase Park-Hopper tickets for my wife and children through our local Air Force Base Outdoor Recreation facility without my wife being present during the purchase process? I wont be attending the park with them.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 October 2016 at 16:38

       Yes absolutely you can Bryan

       Reply

       • Bryan says

         4 October 2016 at 17:36

         Steve,

         Thank you for your quick reply, my base is not allowing me to purchase tickets for my family because I wont be visiting the park during this trip with them.

         They are requiring my wife to buy the tickets because she’ll be attending with my son and daughter. It would be no big deal except that she works a great distance from the base until rather late in the evening, long after Outdoor Rec has closed.

         Base personnel are suggesting this is a Disney restriction and they have no flexibility to allow me to make the purchase…it’s very frustrating.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           4 October 2016 at 18:13

           Hey Bryan,

           It’s really just ignorance on the part of your ticket office! It does not matter in anyway who buys the tickets (I could buy them for you and she could activate them).

           The only thing that matters is who activates them!

           Rather than messing with your base, buy them from Shades of Green. See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

           Reply

           • Bryan says

             4 October 2016 at 18:46

             Thanks Steve, you’re awesome!

243. Jessica says

     12 October 2016 at 10:47

     I made a mistake and we purchased and linked 2 salute tickets for our upcoming trip, however we have already used the allowed 6 earlier this year. Is there anything we can do? We would still like to go to the parks, will Disney allow us to convert them to a regular ticket?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 October 2016 at 17:38

       Hi Jessica,

       Yes, Disney will allow you to use the Salute tickets towards any full price ticket that you’d like.

       Reply

244. Tiffany says

     13 October 2016 at 14:09

     Military Salute 3 day Hopper Pass Do you suggest buying the tickets at the base first? . Will the process be easier and faster? Or should we buy them at Disneylday when we arive?

     Are they strict with the id’s or just look and go kind of thing?

     Thankyou

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 October 2016 at 17:10

       Hi Tiffany,

       You will save a few minutes buying them ahead. Just depends on the line for ticket sales the day you go.

       They check for a valid ID, not sure what you mean. They take the ID, check that it is the right type and not expired.

       Reply

245. Diane says

     13 October 2016 at 15:52

     Do to safety reasons, I cancelled my trip due to Hurricane Matthew. We were going to drive and many roads were and still are impassable. Disney waived the normal cancellation fee and refunded my stay and Halloween Party tickets. I purchased 2 of the 4 day Salute Park Hopper tickets. Are you aware of any refunds or exchanges for 21017 tickets for this due to the storm?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 October 2016 at 17:06

       Hi Diane, bummer!

       While the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are non-refundable you might be able to work something out with Disney. I recommend contacting them (or the person you worked with on the other refunds) to see what can be done.

       Reply

246. Chrystal says

     20 October 2016 at 13:26

     Hi! We just purchased 2017 tickets from Shades of Green. When I went to link them to My Disney Experience, they are labeled as 2015 Military Salute. Are we going to have any problem? Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 October 2016 at 17:38

       Hi Chrystal,

       No problem. This is an issue which springs up when they roll out a new year of military tickets for some reason.

       Your tickets will be just fine for FastPass and park entry!

       Reply

       • Chrystal says

         21 October 2016 at 12:22

         Thank you!

         Reply

         • Alex Lapointe says

           2 November 2016 at 16:00

           Hello all,

           I hope this is the right forum, lots of good info out there. I just purchased military salute tickets for myself and a few friends to go to Disney in a few weeks. Unfortunately things have changed with my orders and I can no longer go, however they are still going to plan on the Disney trip as their airfare is purchased. Do I have any dog in the fight to activate these without me being there? I noticed above someone mentioned crediting the purchase price towards full price tickets if you have the receipt. I don’t want to lose the money, but I have a feeling I may get screwed.

           Thanks

           Reply

           • Steve says

             2 November 2016 at 18:15

             Hi Alex,

             I’m assuming that you bought the tickets on base…

             If so a military member or their spouse must activate the tickets in person for the party and must have a ticket of their own (or be a pass holder). It can be any member or spouse with an ID it does not need to be you, but they must have not reached that members 6 ticket limit i.e. must have enough left for the whole party.

             If that is not possible you should send the tickets, receipt (if you have it), a copy of your CAC, and a letter explaining why you were unable to go. Provide orders too if you have them.

             Disney should then allow the party to use the tickets towards any full price tickets.

           • Alex Lapointe says

             2 November 2016 at 19:57

             Thanks Steve.

             It looks like the only option is to send the tickets with my friends and the receipt. Is this a proven method that’s worked in the past? I’ll probably call the ticket line tomorrow but I’m not confident those folks will understand what I’m trying to do.

           • Steve says

             2 November 2016 at 21:48

             I’ve had no negative feedback from all the times I’ve suggested it Alex.

           • Alex Lapointe says

             2 November 2016 at 21:54

             Thank you. I’ll give it a shot as it’s my only option. Thanks!

           • Steve says

             3 November 2016 at 06:37

             Any feedback would be awesome!!!

247. Cincolo says

     4 November 2016 at 15:29

     This is confusing: Disney does take into consideration that military spouses might want to take the kids on a Disney vacation while the military member is deployed and they make an allowance for this.

     Military spouses are allowed to purchase and activate all but 1 of the Armed Forces Salute Tickets , reserving one of the member. The spouse activates the tickets in place of the member.

     This makes it sound like the spouse is only able to purchase 5 tickets if the military spouse is not attending.

     I think the Disney wording is less confusing: No more than six (6) Disney Military Promotional Tickets may be purchased and (if applicable) activated by any Eligible Service Member or spouse (regardless of the place of purchase and whether purchased by that person or that person’s spouse). In addition, one of the six (6) Tickets purchased must be used by the Eligible Service Member or his/her spouse.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 November 2016 at 16:01

       Hi Cincolo,

       Actually Disney just changed this and now the spouse may buy and activate all 6 tickets. The Disney wording you quote has been their (incorrect) stock text for many years, but until recently the spouse was only able to buy and activate 5!

       Disney has awful internal communication and the department that writes the text on the website does not talk to the Ticketing Department who enforce the actual rules. See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Tips/Disneys-Call-Center-Very-Often-Wrong-On-Military-Discounts.html

       Thanks for the nudge, I’ve edited the post.

       Reply

248. Marci S. says

     28 December 2016 at 14:57

     If a military member does not have their Military Salute Vouchers to activate at the Disney World ticket window upon arrival but has their military ID and has the voucher linked to their Magic Band what is the procedure they must follow?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       28 December 2016 at 15:04

       Wow Marci, are you saying that you forgot or lost your voucher(s)?

       There is no procedure that I am aware of…

       The voucher/temporary ticket is required for Disney Armed Forces Salute Ticket activation.

       Go to a guest services window and explain why you do not have the vouchers and ask if it is possible to still activate the tickets. Mention that you’ve linked them to your MDE account.

       Be prepared to politely escalate to management.

       Please let us know how it goes for future reference!!!!

       Reply

       • Steve says

         28 December 2016 at 15:04

         Bring your original receipt if you have it.

         Reply

249. Doris says

     30 December 2016 at 13:10

     Is the military discount only for active military or does it include veterans ?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 December 2016 at 19:05

       Hi Doris,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute is only for current and retired military plus 100% service connected permanently disabled (DAVPRM).

       There are no discounts available directly from Disney for your situation.

       There is the this one discount available for non-retired veterans which is from Shades of Green. It is only for the months of January and September. Here is my post with details including what documentation is required: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Shades-of-Green/Non-Retired-Veterans.html

       Reply

250. Michelle says

     11 February 2017 at 16:01

     Hi Steve!
     I just want to confirm and I apologize if this has already been asked.

     If regular ticket prices increase, will the Disney Military Salute tickets increase? Once they announce the current year’s salute prices they remain the same until after those expire, correct?

     Thank you for what you do and thank you for your service!
     -Michelle

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 February 2017 at 16:16

       Hey there Michelle,

       Thanks so much!

       No the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets will not increase with the expected Feb general public price increase. The price is set for the life of the offer.

       However the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets which are just slightly discounted 1-10 day general public tickets will go up. These are not used much anymore due to the huge savings of the Salute tickets.

       Reply

       • Steve says

         11 February 2017 at 16:17

         Oh and yep there is a post which mentions this: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/how-disney-price-increases-affect-military-ticket-discounts/

         Reply

251. Roger Philipsek says

     19 March 2017 at 21:14

     Hi Steve,
     I’m retired Air Force and my wife and I are annual passholders. We are taking two dear friends to WDW. I plan to get two four-day salute tickets for them and I will be there to activate them.
     My wife and I are staying 9 days – if my friend has to leave early because of his job, can he use the remaining day(s) at a later time without us being there?
     Awesome website, thanks for all you do. Roger

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 March 2017 at 06:14

       Hey Roger, thanks!

       Yes, absolutely. Once activated the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets behave just like any other ticket. No ID check or anything else, tap, finger scan, and go on in.

       Moved back to OH a year ago, miss my FL Silver Pass!!!

       Reply

       • Roger Philipsek says

         20 March 2017 at 09:21

         Thanks for the quick response – you guys are great!
         Roger

         Reply

252. gerri gaje says

     21 March 2017 at 18:11

     I’m planning to take my kids to Tokyo Disneyland and/or Paris Disneyland. Are the Military/US bought tickets valid at these Disney Theme park locations? What are our options?

     Best regards,
     Gerri

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 March 2017 at 18:42

       Hi Gerri,

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets that you are referring to are only for the US parks.

       Any military discounts would have to be through nearby base ITTs, like Yokota AB and Ramstein AB.

       See: http://www.yokotasupport.com/itt/ & https://www.rtttravel.com

       Reply

253. Kaila says

     29 March 2017 at 10:48

     Clarifying question regarding tax on tickets. If I purchase on base prior to my trip, I will not pay tax; but if I purchase at WDW (or Shades of Green), I will pay tax? (Referencing “These prices are before to tax, so you’ll pay these prices at military sales locations and Disneyland, but tax will be added at Disney World ticket locations.”)

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 March 2017 at 18:29

       Hi Kaila,

       No tax at Shades it is a DoD military sales location, not a WDW ticket location.

       Reply

254. Michele says

     19 April 2017 at 20:43

     If my spouse and I are both annual pass holders, can I still purchase tickets for family to use while we are all there together?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       20 April 2017 at 06:33

       Yes you sure can Michele, no need to have your own Salute ticket.

       Reply

255. Crystal says

     27 April 2017 at 12:20

     Hello I purchased the three day hopper for California. I was wondering if I go Monday how much longer after that do I have to use them ? Do they expire after a certain time after I use the first day?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       27 April 2017 at 19:03

       Crystal you have through the end of the offer to use all days (19 Dec 2017)

       Reply

256. Tim says

     1 May 2017 at 11:37

     Steve I will be heading to WDW this summer. My cousin and his girlfriend are both retired military and will be our sponsors. Our tickets were purchased from Shades of Green as they live in the area. They will be joining us but their work schedules will not allow them to join us until day two. Can we enter the parks without them on day one and will WDW request ID from us at the gates?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 May 2017 at 19:33

       Hi Tim,

       Shades’ tickets have been pre-activated for a couple years now, so they should be ready to go.

       There is no ID check at WDW’s tapnstiles. Only when activating tickets that need to be.

       Reply

       • Florida Rachel says

         29 May 2017 at 20:14

         I was at the Shades of Green ticket office last weekend purchasing Universal tickets, and the family in front of me was buying Disney Military Salute and they were given exchange tickets. Not sure if it was isolated but she made it very clear that they were exchange tickets and that the active duty member would have to be present to activate them for their non-military family that was traveling with them. This was Sunday, May 21, 2017.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           30 May 2017 at 07:58

           Thanks for the intel Florida Rachel!!!

           I wonder if they have changed their Policy?

           Reply

257. Florida Rachel says

     29 May 2017 at 20:09

     Hello! We use the military salute tickets yearly and love them! Do you know if the 6 is per year, or per visit? We are a family of 6 and have purchased 6 passes for my husband’s deployment homecoming in the fall, but I was hoping to take my oldest for his birthday this summer. Could I use/activate 3 tickets this summer and then my husband activate the 6 exchange tickets we already have in the fall? Do they track it? Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 May 2017 at 08:01

       Hi Florida Rachel,

       It is 6 during the 2017 offer period for the member only (spouses do not get additional tickets).

       For your other visit you’ll need the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets, see: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

258. joe says

     16 June 2017 at 10:55

     My ex wife is still active duty, my 2 teens have their dependent military ID. if I take them to Disneyland, can I use these tickets since my ex wife? Obviously not coming along.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       16 June 2017 at 18:29

       Hi Joe,

       Unfortunately no.

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute is only for the member. The current spouse can use the discount in place of the member. Non-spouse dependents like your teens are not eligible.

       They are however eligible to use the Regular Military Discounted Disneyland Tickets, which offer only a slight discount. They or their mom can buy these at the local base ticket office for themselves and you, and then they can use them without the member present.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

259. Mona says

     9 July 2017 at 11:43

     Hi! Is there any idea of this offer will be available next year, 2018?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       9 July 2017 at 12:39

       Hi Mona,

       You can check out this post: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-armed-forces-salute/when-will-disney-announce-the-2018-disney-armed-forces-salute/ though there are rumors of a announcement sooner.

       Reply

260. Crystal Chisley says

     26 July 2017 at 00:16

     Hello, my husband is a Vet and we have a scheduled trip coming up in August. I am a bit concerned after reading the site. My husband has not received his ID yet due to the machinery being serviced. We went to purchase fhe 4 hopper pass and was told by the receptionist that our friend could purchase them on our behalf. So, after work my coworkers and I headed to the MWR and I purchased the tickets and she used her ID. Now I am totally freaking out because we have spent approx. 700 dollars for these tickets and according to your site we may not be able to use them or get our money back. This information was not given to us please help us!!! What can we do??? My husband served 10 years and we are traveling with other military personnel. Please just help us!! We leave on the 6th and at this point we do not know what to do, we were given false information. I purchased 3 4 hopper pass, please please please help us!!! This is our first visit.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       26 July 2017 at 06:35

       Hi Crystal,

       I’m so sorry that you seem to be in a predicament.

       First off I have to establish your husband’s status and what is going on with this “ID”, then I need to know the actual type of tickets that you purchased, there are 2 different kinds of military Disney tickets.

       You said your husband served 10 years, so he did not retire after serving 20. Is he medically retired and receiving retirement pay or is he 100% medically retired with a permanent service connected disability (DAVPRM)? Those would be the only 3 ways that he would be eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. If he just served 10 years and got out he is not eligible. And a current ID is definitely required in order to activate these tickets upon arrival.

       Next, were these the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets that your friend purchased? My ticket office makes you read the rules and then sign a form saying you understand them before you can buy these because of the very firm rules. The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets are either 4 or 5 day tickets at very reduced prices ($209 for 4-day hoppers, this could be a few dollars different at some bases). I can’t see how you could get to $700 at this price, either roughly $600 or $800.

       Then there are the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets which come in 1 to 10 day versions and are just very slightly discounted regular Disney tickets. These do not have all of the special rules that the Salute tickets do. A 4-Day hopper version of these tickets costs right around $343.00 for an adult and $324.00 for a child. You could get to $700 purchasing 2 of these. You can use these without an eligible military member going with you as there is no activation on arrival, they are ready to go when purchased.

       Let me know his actual status and what type of tickets you have!

       Reply

       • Crystal Chisley says

         26 July 2017 at 07:19

         We have the 4 hopper passes. The tickets were like 630 I looked at my receipt this morning apologize about that. My husband did not medically retired but is receiving benefits at 80% . So, now that I have a understanding he does not qualify to buy the tickets. So we’re completely screwed! Nothing was explained to us at the time of purchase. I swiped my card after they scanned hers. Is there a manager that I could possibly speak to at our time of arriving. I don’t have 640 to just throw away. I am in tears right now! Please help

         Reply

         • Steve says

           26 July 2017 at 07:35

           Hi again Crystal,

           That is correct, not being retired means he is not eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute.

           I would do 2 things, first go to the ticket office with your friend who bought the tickets and explain the problem. politely escalate to a manager if one is on site. You will want to exchange the Salute tickets for the regular (more expensive) military discount ones. But since your friend was not allowed to buy the special Salute tickets for others they may say no. Also it could take them up to 2 weeks to order the other tickets.

           If that doesn’t work out you’ll need to get Disney let you use the Salute ticket purchase price towards full price tickets once you arrive.

           Now the correct use of these tickets would have been for an eligible military member to go on vacation with you and have you as their guests. But in this instance we will say that was the plan, but they can no longer go.

           I recommend bringing: the tickets, the original purchase receipt, and a letter from the person who bought the tickets explaining why they cannot attend with you and that they want you to be able to use the tickets towards the full price ones. the letter should state why they can’t go, deployment, medical reason, etc. I know others have had success doing this in the past.

           http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/faq/my-military-sponsor-can-no-longer-go-to-disney-can-i-use-the-disney-armed-forces-salute-tickets-they-already-purchased/

           Reply

         • Steve says

           26 July 2017 at 07:35

           What ticket office did this please?

           Reply

       • Crystal chisley says

         26 July 2017 at 07:28

         Good morning. He isn’t 100 percent or retired. He is 80 percent service connected. At the time of purchase, he had already turned in his active duty I.d. He had a brown dependent I.d. and was told that he could use that I.d. When we got to the mwr, he was told he couldn’t use them. Which I don’t understand because my co-worker had the same exact i.d. And was allowed to purchase the tickets and redeem them at the theme park. The associate then said if you have someone with a active duty I.d. then they can purchase the tickets for you. I told them I had someone and that person I had told them that she wasn’t going. They said as long as I paid for the tickets I would be fine, I would just have to prove that I paid for them with my credit card so I should keep my receipts. Now my husbands i.d. Is expired and all we have is our contractor cac’s. as far as the price goes. You were correct I bought 3 tickets at $209. I believe the total came up to $639 or $640 something, still almost $700. Now I’m going to be upset because these tickets can’t be refunded if I can’t use them because I wish mislead by the staff. You can’t pick and choose who you sell tickets too. I’ve planned this trip for almost a year, and now it’s all up in smoke. Why isn’t there a better program for all vets? Is there a way that the tickets can be transferred to someone who has a spouse I.d. or active duty I.d.?

         Reply

         • Steve says

           26 July 2017 at 07:40

           You left this while I was answering your previous comment…

           Confused why he had a dependent ID, are you military?

           Have to head to work, be back this afternoon…

           Reply

261. Marisa says

     30 July 2017 at 06:29

     Hello! We purchased a 4-day hopper ticket at our local MWR. I am wanting to set up all of our Fast Passes for our trip and I was wondering if I can do so ahead of time or if I have to wait until we get there and receive the actual tickets and ticket numbers. Thank you, this site has answered many of my other questions about the tickets!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       30 July 2017 at 07:45

       Hi Marisa,

       You can absolutely set them up. Just link the paper vouchers just like they were tickets and when time make your fastpasses.

       I just recently did both for my upcoming trip.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/my-magic-plus/linking-disney-military-tickets-and-fastpass-plus-reservations/

       Reply

262. Sarah says

     7 August 2017 at 06:31

     What advice do you have for us AD members stationed overseas? Overseas ITT doesn’t have a contract with Disney so we would have to purchase them stateside; my problem with that is we wouldn’t be able to plan in advance fast passes and possibly dinning. Anyone plan a vacation under these circumstances? Is there a way to get our tickets in advance?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       7 August 2017 at 16:38

       Hi Sarah,

       I would get with Shades of Green or another base that ships and see if they will ship to your location.

       http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

       Reply

263. Jessica Tobin says

     13 August 2017 at 15:32

     Hi there,

     If a wife and husband are both retired military, are they entitled to 6 tickets each or only 6 for their entire family?

     Thanks so much!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       13 August 2017 at 16:01

       Hi Jessica,

       It is 6 each, you are each entitled to your full benefit.

       See:http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/two-military-members-in-a-family-and-disneys-military-salute/

       Reply

264. Gerrit Milbert says

     11 September 2017 at 10:44

     Steve- my family is planning on going to WDW in Feb 2018- there are 3 of us. We are also planning on going to Disneyland in Aug 2018. Can I get the military tickets for both parks in the same year? Does getting a set of 3 for each park count as a total of 6 or are they separate?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 September 2017 at 17:32

       Hi Gerrit,

       The two offers are totally separate, so you’ll have 6 tickets at each location, given that Disney offers a 2018 Salute and the ticket limit is still six.

       Reply

265. Paula says

     17 October 2017 at 13:18

     My husband and I are annual pass holders. We are taking our adult children to Disney. If we are present to activate their tickets (we of course don’t need one ourselves) can we still use this special???

     Reply

     • Steve says

       18 October 2017 at 09:45

       Yes absolutely Paula. I’m a pass holder too and always use the Disney Armed Forces Salute for family and guests.

       Reply

266. Jackie Knecht says

     1 November 2017 at 15:52

     Hello. My active duty husband has purchased the armed forces disney vouchers that need to be activated for himself & I. My drivers license has expired & I’ve been having issues with getting a new one due to the postal service forardung it; over this time my military id expired & I cannot get a new one until I have a new drivers license. Will my husband be able to activate my ticket? Can I bring a marriage certificate & copy of my expired id? Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 November 2017 at 17:29

       Hi Jackie,

       That’s sure a predicament.

       Any other IDs with a pic? it just needs to be a picture ID. If not you should not have a problem, they probably won’t even notice the DL is expired. If they do just explain.

       Reply

       • Jackie Knecht says

         1 November 2017 at 19:19

         My passport, but it has my maiden name 🙁
         Thanks!

         Reply

267. Holly says

     22 November 2017 at 21:59

     Help ease my mind. I’ve lost my military 5 day park hopper passes. They have all been linked to My Disney experience and we have our Magic Bands. Am I ok as long as I have my Military ID? I’ve called My Disney Experiance twice and the answer both times was YES I’m fine I just need to have my Magic Band and military ID. I still really worried.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       23 November 2017 at 09:24

       Hi Holly,

       I need more info to answer.

       So these are brand new tickets never used?

       You bought them from a base ticket office, not Shades of Green?

       You didn’t take any pics of the back of the tickets?

       Do you have the original sales receipt?

       Reply

268. Christina Broadhurst says

     12 January 2018 at 14:24

     Why does Disneyland have blackout dates, but not Disneyworld for 2018. We planned this trip when the rates were first announted in September. And when I booked, there was no mention of blackout dates. Now that it’s closer and I went in to buy the actual park tickets, I find out that our dates are now blacked out. (We are going March 26-31.) We have 7 kids, so now our tickets are over 1000 more for us. 🙁 Is there anyway around this? I think it’s not very understanding of Disney to do this. Military families sometimes get limited time off to travel, and we can’t change the dates.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 January 2018 at 15:47

       Hi Christina,

       I totally understand your frustration. This is an concern that comes up every once and a while.

       But the Disneyland ticket Blockout dates were part of the 2018 Disney Armed Forces Salute announcement on day 1 (28 Sept 2017). It is not a change or something Disney is doing to the military community.

       Something to understand, all discounts anywhere, military or otherwise are offered to attract extra business. Disney’s Military Salute Blockout dates (ticket and room) are during the very highest attendance days of the year. Disney does not need or want to attract extra visitors on those days as they will be miserable already.

       You won’t find any general public discounts during those dates either.

       If you can’t move your dates to a more tolerable attendance period when you can use the salute, the Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets are the answer for a slight discount. See http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

269. Danelle says

     21 January 2018 at 16:41

     Do you know if the Salute tix are still not taxed when purchased at the gate at Disneyland? I won’t spend the extra money to have them shipped to me ahead of time if not since I can’t see a perk then in doing that. Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       21 January 2018 at 17:04

       Hi Danelle ,

       Disneyland does not tax the Salute tickets.

       Reply

       • Danelle says

         21 January 2018 at 17:34

         Thanks, Steve! Do you know of any reason I should consider buying beforehand then that maybe I’m not thinking about? Thank you!
         PS – Thanks for your reply re Epcot’s Food and Wine Fest crowds from my question a couple months back. I don’t think I remembered to get back on to thank you for your insight! We had a blast!

         Reply

         • Steve says

           22 January 2018 at 07:24

           You bet, that’s awesome!!!

           There is no real reason to buy ahead for DLR, other than spreading out the cost over time if desired.

           Reply

270. Alonzo C Parker says

     2 February 2018 at 17:56

     Concerning fast pass. The purchase at an MWR is a certificate “as specified on the paper” that is then traded in for a ticket at the Disney World location. It is not a ticket that must be activated. To get a Fast Pass a ticket must be possessed. Thus, a 60 Fast Pass cannot be obtained prior to exchanging the certificate for a ticket.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       3 February 2018 at 09:55

       Hi there Alonzo,

       I’m sorry but that is incorrect.

       First the “trading” is the activation process. Some MWRs give out those papers, most give out a non-active plastic ticket, hence the term “activation process.”

       Since the inception of FastPass+ everyone has successfully been using the numbers off the paper voucher to make their FastPasses ahead of time (I’ve done it!). The FastPasses then carry over to the ticket after activation.

       Why don’t you just try it?

       If you have problems, just call the tech support number.

       p.s. Disney made this process work so the military members who get the paper vouchers won’t miss out!

       Reply

271. Carrie says

     23 March 2018 at 12:20

     Hi Guys,
     My husband is a veteran and we cant buy Military discount tickets BUT my sister who is military offer to get them for us. My husband still has his military id from when he was in the national guard 3 yrs ago, would we be able to activate the tickets at the gate with that ID, do IDs get scanned and show non active? What would be the issue at the gate?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       25 March 2018 at 07:54

       Hi Carrie,

       Let’s set aside the fact that your husband should have legally surrendered his ID when he got out of the Guard, if the ID still has a valid date, and that he is no longer eligible for Disney Military discounts.

       There are 2 kinds of Disney military discounted tickets: the Disney Armed Forces Salute and the Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets.

       The Disney Armed Forces Salute are highly discounted tickets and require that the military member or their spouse go on the vacation. A current, valid ID is required to activate Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. So these are out for your situation.

       The Regular Military Discounted Disney Tickets are only very slightly discounted, but the member or spouse does not need to go on the vacation. Your sister could buy these and allow you to use them.

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/regular-disney-military-discount-for-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-tickets/

       Reply

272. Kelly Kaye says

     10 April 2018 at 00:20

     Hello there, I live in San Diego and am a spouse to an active duty navy sailor. My spouse has purchased 6 of the Armed Forces Salute (AFS) tickets to Disneyland for this year (3 day park hoppers). I have multiple questions.
     1. If he purchased the maximum of 6 AFS tickets for the 3 day passes, is he still eligible to buy 6 AFS tickets for the 4 day passes?
     2. Last year we traveled as a family of 4 to both Disneyland and Disney World and were able to purchase 4 Disneyland AFS tickets as well as 4 AFS Disney World tickets. I am wondering if we will be able to do the same this year? What I mean is this, is it 6 total tickets to both parks, or 6 tickets between each park? Total of 12 tickets=6 to disneyland, 6 to disneyworld. (My husband, my daughter, myself, and my mother are the 4 family members).

     Thank you so much. I hope I was specific enough with my questions.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       10 April 2018 at 05:26

       Hi Kelly,

       Yep you sure were.

       1. No the ticket limit is 6 total at Disneyland no matter the length of ticket. however if you want more days you can upgrade them to 4-days upon arrival for the price difference.
       2. You do have an additional 6 tickets at Walt Disney World, which is actually a separate offer (and company under the main corporate umbrella).

       Reply

273. Phil says

     10 May 2018 at 17:50

     Hi, Your site says that a military member or spouse does not have to be present on subsequent park visits, “Once the tickets have been activated your party does not need to stay together. You can all go to different parks, at different times, on different days, on any day through the end of the offer.” The MWR ticket office in Hawaii put out a different policy, “At least one eligible military ID must be presented on subsequent visits.” Is this a policy change for 2018 or an outdated limitation? I’m confused as to what is the correct answer.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       11 May 2018 at 05:36

       Hi Phil,

       While most people working in Base Ticket Offices are doing their very best, they often give out bad information due to high turnover, lack of training, and lack of knowledge which is all out of their control. You would not believe some of the costly nightmares I have had to try to help with.

       What you were told is incorrect. No change that I am aware of.

       You didn’t mention which Disney resort destination you were talking about, Walt Disney World or Disneyland, but the policy has been the same at both (just as you quoted above) for at least 5 years.

       There was a time in the past during which Disneyland did require the member to enter each time with their guests (they could then separate), but after discussions I got them to drop this policy and match WDW. Your MWR may still be saying the same thing they have always said since before the policy change. (I assume we are talking about Disneyland)

       Reply

       • Phil says

         18 May 2018 at 13:01

         Hi Steve,
         Thank you very much for your clarification. I was wondering if there had been a recent policy change because my family and I used the special military passes for our visit to Disneyland/ California Adventure Park, last Dec. and did not encounter any problem entering either park separately once these passes were activated.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           18 May 2018 at 16:19

           You bet Phil.

           Any intel you might gather in person in the future is always appreciated!

           Reply

274. kathy says

     16 May 2018 at 16:53

     I need some clarification…my husband is retired AF and we both are passholders..question…bringing friends in to go to the World with us…we will buy 2 tickets at SOG for them..can we do this and not have to buy one for us to use? also going to DL also and will be buying tickets when we get there and also bringing friends..will we all have to go together everyday at the same time..we are staying at different resorts and may not be ob the same schedule

     Reply

     • Steve says

       17 May 2018 at 05:32

       Hi Kathy,

       Passholders like you and me do not need to buy Salute tickets when bringing others.

       At DL you will show one military ID when entering the first time with your guests, after that this is not required and you may enter at different times.

       Reply

       • Steve says

         17 May 2018 at 05:33

         Or go to different parks.

         Reply

         • kathy says

           17 May 2018 at 16:56

           thanks!!

           Reply

275. Catherine says

     29 September 2018 at 15:10

     If just my husband and I are going, can we use more than one of these tickets in the same trip? We’re both retired if that makes a difference.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       29 September 2018 at 22:56

       Yes absolutely Catherine!

       See: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/faq/can-i-use-the-disney-armed-forces-salute-tickets-back-to-back/

       This started back in 2012: http://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/disneys-armed-forces-salute-now-easier-to-use-for-some-military-members/

       Reply

     • Steve says

       29 September 2018 at 22:58

       BTW, since you both are retired military you are eligible for 12 tickets between the two of you!

       Also, I’m assuming not FL residents… as the silver pass is about the same as 2 salute tickets and gives way more days

       Reply

276. Becky Freeman says

     8 January 2019 at 03:36

     I am wondering when the Salute tickets become available for purchase for the following year (assuming the offer is renewed) – do you need to wait until January 1st or can you purchase once the renewal is announced (in Sep for example)? We are planning a trip for Jan 2020, but would hopefully be able to purchase in advance in order to make Fast Pass reservations. Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       9 January 2019 at 09:51

       Hi Becky,

       IN the past they used to be available the day the Salute was announced. But the last couple of years it has taken a while for them to become available for purchase.

       For Disney World they will be available before the first of November so that 60-day FastPasses are possible. Shades of Green typically is the first DoD outlet to have them.

       Reply

277. Heather Lynch says

     18 April 2019 at 09:15

     Hi! I have a question about purchasing more than the 6 tickets. I have 7 children, one of them will be 18 on our trip but still only a junior in high school and still completely a dependent. Will he be considered an adult as far as not being able to purchase the extra ticket beyond the 6, or a dependent since he’s still in high school?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       19 April 2019 at 06:44

       Hi Heather,

       That won’t be a problem. There shouldn’t be any question when you show his dependent ID.

       Reply

278. Donna says

     24 April 2019 at 00:39

     Thanks for all this information!

     We can’t decide if we want the Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option. I’ve read on this site that you can add the Plus option after the fact. If we buy the Park Hopper ticket, how do we add the Plus option when we’re there?

     Thanks!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       24 April 2019 at 06:11

       Hi Donna,

       You bet!

       You sure can. If you buy/bought your tickets from your base ticket office you can upgrade it through Disney. Just go to any Disney ticket or guest relations location and pay the $50 difference plus tax. You have to do so before the ticket is fully used up.

       If you buy/bought your tickets from Shades of Green you can also do the transaction there as well as the above. No tax at Shades, but if you are not staying there you have to get there to do it.

       Reply

       • Donna says

         24 April 2019 at 19:40

         Thank you!

         Reply

       • Debbie says

         31 October 2019 at 18:06

         Steve, does that go for extra days as well? I am getting 4 day tickets, but I may want to add a couple to go later in the year. This is for 2020.

         Reply

         • Steve says

           1 November 2019 at 07:01

           Hi Debbie,

           The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets can only be upgraded to longer Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets or annual passes.

           So at WDW with a 4-day you could upgrade to a 5-day or 6-day Salute ticket before you fully use the 4-day one.

           At Disneyland (you didn’t say where) the 4-day is the max.

           Reply

279. Hua says

     10 September 2019 at 17:11

     I have a friend who purchased 4 Disneyland tickets from NEX in Hawaii. Unfortunately, she cannot find the tickets she bought and her and her family will be leaving Hawaii this Friday to go to Disneyland. She contacted NEX and they said there is nothing they can do. Is there anything that my friend can do? She spent $700 for 4 tickets.

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 September 2019 at 08:55

       Hi Hua,

       Because you are asking I assume they did not take pictures of the back of the tickets to link them to their Disneyland app.

       If they’ve done either of these they will have no problem, just show the pics or the app on their phone at the Disney ticket window. They will take care of them.

       If not, they are indeed out of luck, since it seems the ticket office did not keep track of the ticket numbers.

       That’s what’s needed is the ticket numbers. The original receipt would be a bonus, but no good without the numbers.

       Reply

280. Annie says

     30 September 2019 at 21:13

     I am active-duty. I bought and activated tickets for myself and two friends. If I’ve only use 2-days of a 4-day Military Salute pass, can I bring a couple other friends and buy additional Military Salute tickets for subsequent visits?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 October 2019 at 06:10

       Yes, absolutely Annie.

       Reply

       • Steve says

         1 October 2019 at 06:10

         Your 2019 tickets are valid until 19 Dec 2019

         Reply

281. Jessica says

     21 October 2019 at 11:04

     Hi! If I go with a service member to Disney World for 2 days (and are together for activation) can I use the remaining 2/3 days (depending on the tickets bought) on a vacation later in the year when the service member is not with me?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       22 October 2019 at 06:31

       Hi Jessica,

       Yes you can do that.

       Reply

282. Scott Fedor says

     1 November 2019 at 11:11

     If one military member buys the tickets – do they have to be the same military member who activates them? I am asking – since I don’t live near a base – and might have a buddy buy the tickets and ship them to me. Is that allowed? As long as I am the member activating them? Or does he need to be with me when they get activated?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       1 November 2019 at 17:26

       Hi Scott,

       The only time a person is tied to the tickets for eligibility purposes is during the activation process. SO yes, someone else could buy them and you could activate them.

       Note some base ticket offices misunderstand this process and think they have to write names on the back of the tickets/vouchers, they do not.

       Also have you seen: https://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/disney-military-discounts/buy-military-discounted-disney-tickets-by-phone/

       Reply

283. Lea/Ivan says

     4 December 2019 at 12:58

     We have two days left on our Disney Hopper tickets that’s about to expire on the 19th of December 2019. We purchased it from MWR military facility. We won’t be able to use it because of my husband’s military commitment schedule. Is there a way we can be credited toward the next ticket purchases for 2020?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       4 December 2019 at 16:43

       Hi there,

       Unfortunately according to the rules, the tickets you have are for the totally independent 2019 Disney Armed Forces Salute offer, which ends on 19 Dec as you noted. At that point it’s over and done.

       The 2020 offer is a totally separate offer.

       You could try to call and make your case. If they should agree, make sure they email you a will call ticket code which you can link to your MDE. Don’t rely on their saying just travel here and we’ll give you the ticket then!

       Reply

284. Cathy Acree says

     7 March 2020 at 19:06

     Could the retired military person/spouse buying the tickets by 2 4-day tickets and 3 6-day tickets? Or do the 5 tickets have to be the same length?

     Reply

     • Steve says

       8 March 2020 at 09:36

       Hi Cathy,

       You can buy different lengths.

       Reply

285. Cyndee says

     12 March 2020 at 15:20

     Can the active duty member purchase the Salute 2020 Disney World tickets for his now divorced spouse and their dependants and another extended family member, and also activate them (day prior most likely), but not use a ticket himself or go into the park…only go activate the tickets? Does he have to be one of the ticket users? Thank you!

     Reply

     • Steve says

       12 March 2020 at 17:04

       Hi Cyndee,

       The member may but 5 tickets for whomever they’d like.

       They must have one of their own. There is no way around this! The only exception is if they are an annual Passholder.

       They do not need to use the ticket! Even buying this ticket that won’t be used you still save big compared to the regular full price tickets.

       The member and the whole party must be there at the same time to activate the tickets.

       Reply