Disney World is a place all children, and even many adults, dream of going to.
The theme park’s high prices keep a significant number of families away.
Luckily, they give back to the United States military by providing a variety of generous discounts to past and present service members.
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About Disney World
Walt Disney World is a themed resort in Orlando, Florida.
It is one of the largest theme parks in the world, measuring in at almost 40 square miles.
It contains four entertainment divisions, including Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.
The resort is also home to restaurants, stores, hotels, spas, and golf courses.
Since Disney is a household name and has been creating beloved movies for almost 100 years, its theme park is an interest of many.
Throughout the streets, visitors see actors dressed as their favorite movie characters.
They walk past magnificent structures, including the life-scale model of Cinderella’s castle at the entrance of the main park.
Disney fans come to see the sights, ride the rides, and just to take a break from life while being surrounded by fictional stories that are dear to their hearts.
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What Is The Official Disney World Military Discount?
Disney World offers 2 main discounts on admission to their resort.
Disney Armed Forces Salute
The first and best offer is the “Disney Armed Forces Salute.”
This deal brings admission prices down to just over half of their typical cost.
These special tickets also have a set price, when normal tickets fluctuate based on the time of year.
The Disney Armed Forces Salute discount is available for 4 or 5 day ticket passes. The price of a 4 day ticket is $241 plus tax.
The price of a 5 day ticket is $257 plus tax. These tickets include the “Hopper” option that allows you to visit multiple Disney theme parks.
The “Hopper Plus” option, which allows you to also enter into their two waterparks, is available for an additional $50 instead of the typical $85.
The Disney World military discount also allows members of the armed forces to add the “Memory Maker” package for only $98 instead of the regular $169 price tag.
The Memory Maker package gives visitors a place to store the photos and videos from the trip.
They can access pictures taken on rides or with characters in costume.
The photos are all taken by professional photographers and then uploaded to an individual and secure Memory Maker web page.
The military discount at Disney World also extends to the resort’s many hotels.
Visitors who take advantage of the Disney Armed Forces Salute discount are eligible to receive a percentage off for their hotel room along with the significant deals that they are already receiving.
Deluxe resorts are up to 40% off, while moderate rooms and Fort Wilderness cabins can be up to 35% off.
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Standard rooms are discounted at up to 30% off.
These percentages are highest during low-traffic times and lowest when the parks and resorts grow closer to reaching capacity.
Because of this, you can get the best deal on a hotel room if you go to Disney World during an off-season time of year.
Disney Regular Military Discount
The second Disney World military discount is the “Regular Military Discount.”
This deal is no where near as good as the Disney Armed Forces Salute, as it only provides service members with 4-8% off of their total ticket price.
The exact deal is dependent on the time of the year.
However, it is still a beneficial discount to know about if your trip misses a guideline and is restricted from the better deal.
The regular military discount is typically more useful on shorter trips, since the Armed Forces Salute Discount benefits kick in at four and five day trips.
How Is The Discount Claimed?
The Disney World military discount is not as easily claimed as other military deals available today.
It cannot simply be “added to your cart” while you shop for tickets online.
To take advantage of these discounts, you will need to buy your tickets through a military base, directly at Disney World’s gates, or through Disney’s military hotel, Shades of Green.
If you cannot reach one of these locations, some bases will help you to make your purchases over the phone.
Buy Tickets In Person At Your Local Base
The easiest way to claim this discount is in person.
If you live near a base, you can go to your local Ticket and Travel Office.
Make sure to call ahead to ensure the office has the tickets you are looking for. The tickets will be given to you as hard copies and cannot be printed off.
It can take up to two weeks for tickets to reach your local office when they need to be restocked.
You will need to plan ahead of time if you want to guarantee that your tickets will be available to purchase.
Step 1: Call at least 2 weeks ahead of time to ensure your tickets are in stock
Step 2: Visit the Travel and Ticket Office at your local base to purchase your tickets in person
Buy Tickets At The Disney World Gate
You can also purchase your tickets directly at the Disney World gate.
If you choose this option, you should be prepared to spend time waiting as the gate can be extremely busy.
Be sure to bring your military ID with you for proof.
Also remember that only Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets can be purchased at the gate; regular military discount tickets need to be purchased ahead of time.
Also keep in mind that you will likely not be able to buy Fast Track passes with this option as they usually sell out 60 days before they are intended to be used.
Step 1: Go directly to the Disney World ticket gate when you arrive at the theme park
Step 2: Show the cashier your military ID and ask for the Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets
Buy Tickets At The Shades Of Green Hotel
Buying tickets at the Shades of Green hotel is a good option if you need a regular military ticket or if you’re looking for a way to skip the long lines at the front gate.
It is also a convenient option for those who are staying at the Shades of Green hotel already.
Step 1: Go to the front desk and ask to purchase Disney World military discount tickets
Step 2: Tell the cashier if you’d like to use the regular military discount or the Disney Armed Forces Salute deal.
Step 3: Show the cashier your ID for proof of service and purchase your tickets
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Buy Tickets Over The Phone Through Patrick Air Force Base
If you cannot get to a local base and you would like to buy your tickets ahead of time, you may want to consider purchasing tickets with your discount through Patrick Air Force Base.
To use this service, you can call the Patrick Air Force Base Ticket and Travel office.
They will confirm your military status and eligibility and for a $10 fee they will send you the tickets that you purchase through FedEx.
Step 1: Call Patrick Air Force Base at 321-494-5158 Tuesday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm, or on a Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm..
Tell them you’d like to purchase Disney World tickets.
Step 2: Click here and fill out their phone order / credit card authorization online form.
Once filled out, email it to [email protected]@gmail.com.
Step Three: Wait for your tickets to come through FedEx
Buy Tickets Through Camp Pendleton
Buying tickets through Camp Pendleton is similar to buying tickets through Patrick Air Force Base.
They do not have an online form to fill out, so they will tell you how to confirm your military status when you call them.
They still mail your tickets to you through FedEx for a $10 fee.
Step 1: Call Camp Pendleton at 760-725-5863 Monday through Saturday between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm.
Step 2: Tell them you would like to purchase Disney World tickets, and follow the directions they give you over the phone.
Click Here to see their full price list for all attractions, including Disney World and Disney Land.
Purchase Discounted Hotel Tickets
The Disney World military discount hotel prices cannot be used online, either. To get 30-40% off your hotel room, call 407-939-4249.
They will explain what offers are available for the dates you’re looking at and they will help you book your room(s).
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Who Can Claim This Discount?
Active and retired members of the U.S military are able to take advantage of the Disney World military discount.
National Guard, Reserves, and Coat Guard members are included in this deal.
The discount is also available to spouses, widows of servicemen who have not remarried, and foreign partners who currently work at a U.S. base and have a permanent U.S. military ID.
What Are The Restrictions?
The Disney Armed Forces Salute discount has a variety of restrictions, all of which are addressed on the official page here.
The discount can only be used if the service member or their spouse is one of the people attending the trip.
The tickets cannot be purchased and given to a non-service member as a gift.
Military ID’s are checked at the gate to prevent this from happening.
Service members can only use six promotional tickets at a time.
If the group of larger than six people, the remainder of the guests will need to pay full price for their admission to the resort.
Tickets also need to be used within the same calendar year that they were purchased in.
The tickets cannot be used within blockout dates.
These dates typically fall in Spring Break and Winter Break time frames, though the specific dates change each year.
Hotel restrictions include not being able to be used on blockout days as well.
Hotels also have a limit of three rooms per military member.
The military discount cannot be combined with any other offers and the discount may lessen if there are more than two adults in one room.
It’s also only available for the specified hotel rooms and can never be used to stay in a suite.
If you’re planning a trip with a larger group of people or during a time that falls on blockout dates, you can still use the regular military discount.
The regular military discount has less restrictions.
It simply needs to be used by the military member.
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Overall, Disney World is an exciting family vacation and a company that treats its country’s service men and women with respect.
They offer a significant discount that can add up to about 50% off regular admission tickets.
They also have add-on discounts for Hoppers benefits, hotels, and Memory Makers.
It is clear that Disney wants to give back, and they’re doing a great job. They are extremely generous to those who are fighting or have fought for our country.
Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting.
Rob is also a Commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), with over 1,500 hours of flight time.
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