DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
With numerous magical experiences returning to Walt Disney World as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, there’s no better time to start planning your Disney World vacation.
From the recently announced return of the Festival of Fantasy parade in Magic Kingdom and the opening of EPCOT’s exciting new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction to the thrills of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the reopening of The Festival of the Lion King, there is something for everyone to look forward to at Walt Disney World.
For military families, a Disney trip can bring such joy and relief to a family that is often separated through deployments and training, but the rules of the Military Salute Tickets can sometimes seem strange.
Through some recent experience, we give the lowdown on a little tidbit in the promotional ticket rules that may help on your next Disney World trip.
Credit: Disney
Walt Disney World loves the military, and very often, you will find special military discounts for both Resorts and Park tickets.
Eligible active and retired U.S. military personnel can enjoy exclusive rates at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels for stays most nights January 1, 2022 through December 16, 2022 when they book by December 16, 2022, as well as special Disney Military Salute Tickets.
For the Resort discounts, the minimum stay is 1 night and the maximum stay is 14 nights. The number of rooms for the offer is limited, so you’ll want to hurry and make your booking as soon as you get the chance!
Valid Military I.D. must be presented upon check-in and the military member or their spouse must stay in the hotel room. This offer does exclude The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Credit: Disney Tips
Disney also offers 4 and 5-Day Military Salute Tickets, available to purchase at U.S. Military Bases, Shades of Green, and Walt Disney World Resort theme park windows.
Admission with these discounted tickets is for the period from January 1, 2022 through December 16, 2022. The Walt Disney World website states:
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.
But what if you and your family already have Annual Passes? When trying to purchase Military Salute Tickets for family coming into Orlando, we were told that we had to buy one of these tickets.
As Annual Passholders, we tried to explain that we didn’t need to purchase one as we already had Park access.
We then called Disney’s Passholder contact number to confirm the situation. A Cast Member informed us that we could buy Military Salute Tickets for friends and family as long as we were there to activate the tickets on arrival.
So, next time you have friends or family trying to visit, you can buy the tickets and not go into the Parks with them, as long as you are there the first day to activate the tickets at Guest Relations or a ticket booth. The rule that “one of the tickets purchased must be used by the eligible service member or spouse” doesn’t seem to apply.
The prices for the Military Salute Tickets this year are:
5-Day Disney Military Salute Tickets
- With the Park Hopper Option: $349 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $379 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Option and Disney Genie+ service: $424 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option and Disney Genie+ service: $454 plus tax
4-Day Disney Military Salute Tickets
- With the Park Hopper Option: $329 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $359 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Option and Disney Genie+ service: $389 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option and Disney Genie+ service: $419 plus tax
Both a theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system and a valid theme park ticket for the same Park on the same date are required for each person in your party ages 3 and up.
Military members can also purchase the Memory Maker product for a special price of $98 through December 16, 2022. For 2022, the Salute tickets now include a Disney Genie+ option, adding $60 to a 4-Day Park Hopper ticket.
Credit: Disney Tips
The Disney Parks Blog explains how to purchase these special military theme park tickets and discounted hotel rates:
Military Promotional Theme Park Tickets can be purchased at your local base ticket office or via email from Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center Resort located right on Walt Disney World. These tickets must be activated once you arrive at the Walt Disney World Resort, so be sure to stop by Guest Relations and show your military ID to activate each ticket.
When you begin your search for a resort, you’ll need to call (407) 939-7830 to inquire about availability for military discounts on Disney Resorts Collection hotel rooms. To maximize availability, be flexible with your dates and resort hotel options.
So remember, as long as a military member or spouse is present when activating the tickets at Walt Disney World, they do not need to be a part of the ticketed group.
