Disney World is a great place for military service members and their families to reconnect, but coordinating accommodations, planning activities and getting the best deal on a vacation package can be complicated and downright confusing. To help readers sort through their options, HH6 Camo Chix turned to Steve of MilitaryDisneyTips.com, the number one internet site for information about Disney military discounts, for some key information and planning tips applicable to a number of possible scenarios.
About Military Disney Tips
HH6 Camo Chix: Would you please tell our readers a little about Military Disney Tips and what sets you apart from similar websites and blogs?
Military Disney Tips: Yes, I’d be glad to. Military Disney Tips was started about six years ago with the intent to help military families with their Disney vacations by spreading some of the knowledge that I’d acquired. Over the years I’d accumulated quite a bit of info and had helped several people at my squadron plan their vacations. You see I’ve been going to Disney World on family vacations since the year it opened (1971) and I actually worked there in the Magic Kingdom for 3 years in the late 80s.
Military Disney Tips is unique in that we have a narrow focus, Disney discounts and vacations for military families. There is nothing else like it on the internet. Many general public Disney sites will occasionally post about military discounts, or a general military site will post about Disney, but this is all we do. We use the same discounts that our readers do and are intimately familiar with them. I like to say “We’ve been there, done that, and got the Mickey Tee-Shirt!” and “Don’t get your Disney Military Discount information from civilians!”
I actively communicate with Disney regarding these discounts and military issues. They ask my advice on plans and I make suggestions and advocate for better policies and discounts. I’ve had quite a bit of success with this over the years.
HH6 Camo Chix: We understand that eligibility for Disney military discounts can vary depending on the service member’s status as active duty, retired, veteran, etc. Do you have a chart that breaks these discounts down for our readers?
It can be quite confusing, which is a big reason for the site’s existence. Just a couple of months ago I created a new section of the site to help with this issue. I call it the Military Discount Finder.
You start on an initial web page where you’ll see descriptions of the various statuses (Active, Reserve, Retired, Separated, Surviving Spouse, etc.). Each status has a link which leads to a web page with information which just applies to your status, you won’t have to sort through things that don’t apply to you. You’ll find discount info on Disney, Universal, the SeaWorld Parks, and other offers.
I also created a visual aid a year or so back.
Tips For Families With Young Children
HH6 Camo Chix: What are the five most important tips you would give an active duty service member and spouse with three children under the age of ten who have never been to a Disney park before?
Military Disney Tips: Families with young children should…
- Take advantage of the fabulous Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets. These tickets for Disneyland (3-day tickets) and Disney World (4-day tickets) are roughly half off the regular price!
Photo by Military Disney Tips - Take advantage of the great hotel options and discounts available. Disney’s Armed Forces Salute offers from 30 to 40 percent off Disney Resort Rooms, or you could choose to stay at Shades of Green, the Armed Forces Recreation Center located right on Disney World property.
- Take mid-day breaks. Getting to a Disney park when it opens and staying through closing is not for the faint of heart. Every afternoon you can see over stimulated, over tired kids having meltdowns, they just can’t make it through the 12 to 16 hours that the parks are open… Plus, Central Florida is very hot for a good part of the year. The heat only makes things worse. If you have an early start to the day, get out of the park by noon and head back to your resort. You’ll miss being on the pavement in the parks during the hottest part of the day. Grab a nap, a dip in the pool and head back to the parks in the late afternoon or early evening with dry clothes on. You’ll thank yourself!
- Make sure to use Disney World’s new FastPass Plus. With FastPass+ you can reserve times for rides, shows, and experiences before ever leaving home. These reservations allow you to bypass the regular waiting line, which can become very long. You’ll move right to the front of the line at your scheduled time. Disney resort guests can reserve 60 days out and others can do so 30 days ahead. You can have rides reserved for that late afternoon return to the park!!!
- Disney Stroller rentals are expensive and the strollers stay in the park. You’ll have to carry your sleeping toddler back to the room. Bring your own if possible or use an Orlando stroller rental company, preferably one with military discounts.
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Tips For Reconnecting After Deployment or While On Leave
HH6 Camo Chix: Do you have any special tips for the spouse of a deployed service member who is planning a trip to Disney World when his or her spouse is home on leave? What about tips for the service member who wants to surprise their family by reuniting at the park?
Military Disney Tips: I think the Disney Resorts are the very best place to de-stress and reconnect for a military family. There is something special and immersive when you are there, the cares of the outside world are forgotten. It’s wonderful!
Every day at Disney is special, but make sure to take some time for quiet moments away from the parks! Disney offers many other recreational things to do, horseback riding, bike riding, rent a boat, fish, or make some time to just “chill”, perhaps on one of WDW’s resort beaches. Quieter moments like this will offset the sometimes hectic pace of the theme parks.
Do make a couple of reservations for special meals, a character breakfast for the kids and a classy dinner for mom and dad. Disney’s resorts offer childcare centers so parents can have a few hours to themselves.
If you are trying to plan a surprise trip, while you are deployed can be a challenge! You’ll most likely have to coordinate with your travel agent via email and obtaining tickets in hand ahead of time for your FastPass Plus could present problems in an overseas location.
Tips For Parents of Military Service Members
HH6 Camo Chix: Many HH6 Camo Chix readers are military moms — parents of active duty military service members who, in many cases, are not married and still consider the house where their parents and siblings live to be their “home” too, when not serving. Are there any Disney military discounts available to these family members even though they are not military dependents? What advice and tips do you have for a mom who is doing all the planning for a family vacation to Disney World upon the return of her service member son or daughter from training or deployment?
Military Disney Tips: Unfortunately there are no discounts extended to those who are not the military member or spouse. But military members can use their discounts for whomever they’d like.
The Armed Forces Salute is very restrictive, due to the huge savings offered and the member or spouse must be with their party to activate tickets and through the length of the resort room stay. But there are the regular (slightly) discounted military tickets available through Base Ticket offices, which can be given to family and friends to use without the member.
Going to Disney is a great way to celebrate a training graduation or to reconnect after a deployment! Moms and Dads are free to make reservations for their party (up to 3 rooms with the Salute) as long as the member is there for check-in. the member would have to be the one to complete the ticket purchase as an ID is required. There is a lot to take in with these discounts so I’d of course recommend that they spend some time on Military Disney Tips getting familiar.
Discount Limits
HH6 Camo Chix: Is there a limit to the number of park passes or hotel rooms that can be purchased with a military discount?
Military Disney Tips: The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets do have limits. Each member (or their spouse in their place) is eligible for up to 6 theme park tickets at both Disney World and Disneyland during the time period of each individual Disney Armed Forces Salute offer. The Salute offers typically run the length of Disney’s fiscal year. The current salute ends 27 September 2014 and is followed by the next which runs from the 28th through 3 October 2015. There are allowances though for families larger than 6.
Disney’s Armed Forces Salute room discounts are unlimited, up to 3 rooms at a time as many times as you want during the offer period.
Disney’s regular military discounted tickets also have no limits, but only offer from 4 to 8 percent off.
Additional Tips: Food, Entertainment, Holidays, Overseas Disney Parks, Disney Cruises
HH6 Camo Chix: Can Military Disney Tips still be of assistance to readers who may have already booked their Disney trips before learning about your site?
Military Disney Tips: You bet! We have lots of information on things besides making your reservation. We have info on food merchandise and entertainment discounts, ticket information, using Disney’s FastPass+ system with military tickets, and reviews plus info on other things to see and do. We have also negotiated special military purchase procedures for WDW’s Halloween and Christmas parties.
HH6 Camo Chix: What military discounts are there for someone who plans to visit Disney World just for the day?
Military Disney Tips: For a one day visitor to a Disney theme park the only real discount would be a regular slightly discounted military ticket which they could purchase at their local Base Ticket Office, Shades of Green (at WDW), or the Orlando ITT Office. With these you aren’t saving much more than just the sales tax, so if there is potential for a return visit during the Salute offer, a somewhat more expensive Salute ticket would save the most in the long run.
HH6 Camo Chix: Do military discounts work the same at all Disney theme parks and resorts including Hawaii, Asia and Europe? How about Disney cruises?
Military Disney Tips: Unfortunately not. The Disney Armed Forces Salute is only available at the CONUS locations (Disney World and Disneyland). The overseas parks have no comparable offer, but some discounts may be available from area Base Ticket Offices (Ramstein AB, Yakota AB, etc.).
Aulani on Oahu in Hawaii did offer very nice military discounts in 2013, but they were not continued into 2014.
The Disney Cruise Line does offer military discounts. Military Cruise Rates are usually announced 30-60 days out from each individual sailing. The number of staterooms released varies as Disney offers the discount to fill rooms as needed.
Reservation Tips and Maximizing Your Budget
HH6 Camo Chix: Last but not least, which discounts, discount combinations, and/or methods of booking and purchase do you think are the most overlooked or under-utilized?
Military Disney Tips: If timed correctly and it fits within your budget, you could take two or more trips to Disney’s stateside parks during the upcoming Disney Armed Forces Salute. Most people assume that one trip is it, but with unlimited hotel discounts you can make several shorter trips by spreading out your ticket use.
The Disney Armed Forces Salute room reservations must be made via phone with Disney (these rates are not on the website) or through your Travel Agent.
Also, off to the question’s topic but…
Disney’s FastPass Plus system has quickly become the must do item for a Disney World vacation. This means having your plans set early, deciding on a Disney resort vs another depending on how far out you want to be able to make your FP+ selections.
Do you have a question for Steve at Military Disney Tips? Just post it in the comments section below.
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