Magic Bands and Military Tickets

[kramerzoo]

That is not the case for the Armed Forces Salute tickets. Here is the wording from Disney:

The offer period ends on September 27, 2014. So if you used 2 days in November 2013, the remaining days would be valid until September 27, 2014.

FAQ from the militarydisneytips site:

Thanks! We've used several Salute tickets in the past few years so I know that we are able to use any remaining days throughout the year.

My concern is...and maybe I'm not reading this right...if I link my salute tickets to my magic bands, I lose one day since we won't be doing any parks on our departure day. Is my thinking correct??

However, knowing that I can use leftover days within the time frame, I won't be able to link to MBs which means I won't be able to use our bands...kinda s pointless to have us test them if this s correct as well...

Ugh! So confusing...anyone have experience with this?? We are only going for the weekend for ToT race and MNSSHP... and if really like to try out ths FP+ system...

TIA for helping out one confused Cookie...

 

[moriaw76]

We are staying at SOG in December. I just called Disney and they said as of now they are not eligible for MMB. I hope it changes before then.

 

[cbtengwife]

Just got the new Military Salute tickets which are for vacations thru Sept 2014. They have a barcode on the back that can be scanned thru the MDE app on your phone and it adds it to your account. You scan the ticket then select who you want to have this tickets attached to. I was able to do all 5 of us without a problem. As of right now Fort Wildreness isn't a test resort for Magicbands or FP+ so I am unable to confirm if you can get those after linking your tickets thru MDE. Tho I can't see why not if your resort is testing those and you were able to upload your ticket info you should be able to then schedule your FP+ passes and customize your bands.

Did you purchase your tickets from a military base? Did they have tickets on hand or did they have to order?

 

[ArielRae]

Did you purchase your tickets from a military base? Did they have tickets on hand or did they have to order?

Yes We bought them from Fort Dix / McGuire AFB in NJ.

When we arrived one lady said they were not expecting them until the beginging of October but the manager over heard stepped in and told us they didn't have them that they were expecting them by FedEx that day. So they took our number. Not 20min later we got a call they had them. My mother thinks they had them just not sure where they were. While we were purchasing them they informed us we were the first to do so that they wanted to make sure they in put everything in the computer correct so it took a little time before we were done and leaving with our tickets.

 

[cbtengwife]

Yes We bought them from Fort Dix / McGuire AFB in NJ.

When we arrived one lady said they were not expecting them until the beginging of October but the manager over heard stepped in and told us they didn't have them that they were expecting them by FedEx that day. So they took our number. Not 20min later we got a call they had them. My mother thinks they had them just not sure where they were. While we were purchasing them they informed us we were the first to do so that they wanted to make sure they in put everything in the computer correct so it took a little time before we were done and leaving with our tickets.

Okay great, I am going to Keesler AFB, MS on October 1st to get ours..... So glad to hear that they can be linked to MDE....

 

[Ariel on Land]

Ok, so I want to get this straight. If I link my voucher and am able to book FP+, I WILL be able to use them once I "activate" at the park? I'm just afraid of losing the FPs once we get there.

 

[TeamH5]

How were you able to get the dining plan with RO discount?? I was told by my TA that because we weren't purchasing a package and because we were using our discount on the room, that we couldn't purchase the dining plan? That it could only be added to package deals.

Also, just for future FYI for myself, how do we link tickets before we get to the Park?? We just came from there in August and let me tell you, FP+ would have been a GODSEND for the Wishes show, if nothing else. They had an entire area roped off that didn't get used, and it was reserved specifically for FP+ users.

 

[TeamH5]

Okay great, I am going to Keesler AFB, MS on October 1st to get ours..... So glad to hear that they can be linked to MDE....

You might want to call and make sure they have them. DH bought ours at the Pentagon and they had to order them. Was for the ones ending Sept 2013 so the new ones hadn't even rolled out yet. This was in July. It took about a week for them to come in. I'm so glad I said something and he offered to go get them (I'm overseas right now) my plan was to just show up to a base on the drive down and purchase them in person! Lol We'd have been screwed and praying SOG had some in stock.

 

[melissabryant]

How were you able to get the dining plan with RO discount?? I was told by my TA that because we weren't purchasing a package and because we were using our discount on the room, that we couldn't purchase the dining plan? That it could only be added to package deals.

Also, just for future FYI for myself, how do we link tickets before we get to the Park?? We just came from there in August and let me tell you, FP+ would have been a GODSEND for the Wishes show, if nothing else. They had an entire area roped off that didn't get used, and it was reserved specifically for FP+ users.

If you are active military or retired with proper ID you should be elidgable for the military discount RO with the dining plan. Your TA may not be familiar with it. What I suggest is to see them in person because they have to call and book that rather than online and make sure that they call. Or if they won't do that for you either cancel your reservation from them and book the reservation ypurself with disney. I know that seems extreme but if the travel agent won't book it for you then they are not doing thier job. I'm only saying it like that because I was a TA qnd I didn't care about my own bottom line, I cared about my clients and thier experiance with thier vacation.

I will for warn you though if you have your TA call and change the res for you, be prepared to be flexible. Not all room types are available for the discount. Just like any other discount. Thankfully we only had tp change pur room view to get our discount but I have heard of people having to change resorts because of no availability.

I booked my own vacation and when the military discounts came out I saved my DH and I almost $1000 on our package and tickets.

Good luck and I hope you are able to change your res.

 

[LadyZolt]

Hi, all! My DD23 and I are at Art of Animation. I used My Disney Experience online about a month ago to link my room-only ressies to my Disney Salute tickets and was surprised it let me. It knew exactly what kind of tickets I had. Then I asked for Fastpasses for each day we would be here and it seemed to let me do that. Then, I flew to Ireland because that's where my daughter was living. I was going to spend several weeks with her before we both came back to the States. While I was in Ireland, my husband got a letter from Disney telling us how to sign up for the Magic Bands. It said we had to do it by September 7, but I was unable to do that since we were busy touring Ireland, so just figured we wouldn't have them. But then I got an email saying my Magic Bands would be waiting for me when we arrived, and they were!

I checked on my iPhone app and it looked like the bands were activated to use as park tickets. That concerned me a little bit because usually you have to show a military ID in order to activate the Salute tickets. So I went to guest services at Magic Kingdom this morning, and they really did have to activate them. I had to show an ID, and the CM gave me back the plastic cards to use as backup in case the magic bands fail. The Magic Bands Fastpass+ worked like --- well, I have to say it: they worked like magic! I am delighted to experience the Magic Bands and I think they are making things easier. My Armed Forces Salute tickets are the ones for 2013 that expire at the end of September, and I bought them months ago on base near my house.

Anyway, I thought I would post my experience. I am off to head to EPCOT.

-LadyZolt

 

[amandahpanda]

Hi, all! My DD23 and I are at Art of Animation. I used My Disney Experience online about a month ago to link my room-only ressies to my Disney Salute tickets and was surprised it let me. It knew exactly what kind of tickets I had. Then I asked for Fastpasses for each day we would be here and it seemed to let me do that. Then, I flew to Ireland because that's where my daughter was living. I was going to spend several weeks with her before we both came back to the States. While I was in Ireland, my husband got a letter from Disney telling us how to sign up for the Magic Bands. It said we had to do it by September 7, but I was unable to do that since we were busy touring Ireland, so just figured we wouldn't have them. But then I got an email saying my Magic Bands would be waiting for me when we arrived, and they were!

I checked on my iPhone app and it looked like the bands were activated to use as park tickets. That concerned me a little bit because usually you have to show a military ID in order to activate the Salute tickets. So I went to guest services at Magic Kingdom this morning, and they really did have to activate them. I had to show an ID, and the CM gave me back the plastic cards to use as backup in case the magic bands fail. The Magic Bands Fastpass+ worked like --- well, I have to say it: they worked like magic! I am delighted to experience the Magic Bands and I think they are making things easier. My Armed Forces Salute tickets are the ones for 2013 that expire at the end of September, and I bought them months ago on base near my house.

Anyway, I thought I would post my experience. I am off to head to EPCOT.

-LadyZolt

So did you still have your fastpass+ reservations or did you have to make them again after the activation? This is the one question I haven't been able to get answered lol. Thanks!

 

[LadyZolt]

So did you still have your fastpass+ reservations or did you have to make them again after the activation? This is the one question I haven't been able to get answered lol. Thanks!

Yes, I still had all my Fastpass+ reservations. It works great! Hope this helps.

 

[amandahpanda]

Yes, I still had all my Fastpass+ reservations. It works great! Hope this helps.

That's awesome! Thanks that helps so much!

 

[LLR5654]

If you are active military or retired with proper ID you should be elidgable for the military discount RO with the dining plan. Your TA may not be familiar with it. What I suggest is to see them in person because they have to call and book that rather than online and make sure that they call. Or if they won't do that for you either cancel your reservation from them and book the reservation ypurself with disney. I know that seems extreme but if the travel agent won't book it for you then they are not doing thier job. I'm only saying it like that because I was a TA qnd I didn't care about my own bottom line, I cared about my clients and thier experiance with thier vacation.

I will for warn you though if you have your TA call and change the res for you, be prepared to be flexible. Not all room types are available for the discount. Just like any other discount. Thankfully we only had tp change pur room view to get our discount but I have heard of people having to change resorts because of no availability.

I booked my own vacation and when the military discounts came out I saved my DH and I almost $1000 on our package and tickets.

Good luck and I hope you are able to change your res.

We've done this three times now and have had dinning plans each time. So it's not anything new either. But I always book myself through calling Disney

 

[Lynne G]

Right, you can always add the dining plan, at full price, to any military RO. However, Disney now sees that as a package, and the rules of packages (downpayment and cancellation) now apply, whereas before, with RO, RO downpayment and cancellation rules apply. Biggest change: the cancellation tilme. Much more generous with RO.

We too have done it in the past. My TA always calls for me, and I've had no issues. I buy my tickets from my ITT office, though. The military salute tickests are a nice savings.

 

[bjgonzo]

We are planning on going in Jan. I called Disney myself to make our reservations to take advantage of the RO discount and was able to add the dining plan. It wasn't a problem at all. Your TA should be able to call and add it for you, I called to ask questions before I booked and they said I could add the dining plan at a later date. It shouldn't mess up you reservation at all since you aren't canceling your room, just adding to it to make it a package. If you have the ressie number from Disney, you may be able to call yourself and add it.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Okay great, I am going to Keesler AFB, MS on October 1st to get ours..... So glad to hear that they can be linked to MDE....

You might want to call and make sure they have them. DH bought ours at the Pentagon and they had to order them. Was for the ones ending Sept 2013 so the new ones hadn't even rolled out yet. This was in July. It took about a week for them to come in. I'm so glad I said something and he offered to go get them (I'm overseas right now) my plan was to just show up to a base on the drive down and purchase them in person! Lol We'd have been screwed and praying SOG had some in stock.

cbtengwife, if you could let me know how things work at Keesler (ie you have to order the tickets, or if you can just purchase them from the base) let me know please. My father inlaw will be purchasing our tickets from Keesler as well.

 

[isabelle315]

Has anyone gotten info on whether linking Military Salute tickets will work with the new paper certificates?? We got the plastic ticket cards last year, and of course they didn't change those out when we activated them. But, this year, I just bought our tickets, and they are paper exchange certificates which will be changed to real tickets when we activate them...

Do we know whether "pre-linking" the paper certificates works for Magic Bands and FP+? Or do we need to wait until they are activated?

I wish this were less complicated...

Julie

 

[ArielRae]

Has anyone gotten info on whether linking Military Salute tickets will work with the new paper certificates?? We got the plastic ticket cards last year, and of course they didn't change those out when we activated them. But, this year, I just bought our tickets, and they are paper exchange certificates which will be changed to real tickets when we activate them...

Do we know whether "pre-linking" the paper certificates works for Magic Bands and FP+? Or do we need to wait until they are activated?

I wish this were less complicated...

Julie

If you talking about the green paper ones that list the activation locations on The front then yes those can be linked, I was able to link mine to MDE. Just waiting for them to open up November reservations and fort wilderness which I both have for my trip in order to order my magicbands and reserve my FP+.

 

[cbtengwife]

cbtengwife, if you could let me know how things work at Keesler (ie you have to order the tickets, or if you can just purchase them from the base) let me know please. My father inlaw will be purchasing our tickets from Keesler as well.

Yes, will let you know what I find out when I go next week.....