No More Military Discounts?

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
They don't make alot of money, but continue to have babies.

We didn't make alot of money and couldn't do alot of things. I had one child...... and during this time I had twins too.

How can you make judgement about other people for something you did yourself? I am glad you were not my counselor when I had to go to Navy Relief. Not everyone goes there because they live beyond their means. Please do not assume that because you are married to someone in the military, that everyone has the ability to work full-time, go to school AND have more kids to take care of. There are some less fortunate than you. I may not be the most successful person in the world, but I did what I could with my situation. Raising kids alone is not easy.
As far as the discounts are concerned........how is the military people asking for latest discounts any different than the people on the other boards complaining because the annual pass discounts are not as good or why there are not as many codes as there used to be? The bottom line is people want to save money. There is nothing wrong with asking if anyone has heard of any discounts.

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by WDWPsychoALice
I am an exArmy wife and a current Navy girlfriend so dont think Im coming down on anyone.

At WDW there is a WHOLE hotel JUST for military and DoD onsite. The military ALWAYS has lower ticket prices. I honestly think they go WAY above and beyond what that really have to do which is nothing.

I hope you are not saying it is Disney that goes above and beyond as far as SOG goes. That is not Disney....it is DOD owned. When we stay there, the money goes back into MWR. The discount tickets are same as discount tickets you buy at Welcome centers, etc. You are buying the tickets from MWR at SOG....not Disney. And you are right. Disney does not have to do anything, but much like any other company, they offer discounts to groups of people to get their business.....the same way they offer annual pass discounts, etc.

[momof3disneyholics]

Originally posted by Sleepy
How can you make judgement about other people for something you did yourself?

Because as I said my husband and I both worked and had the means to support more children without the aid of foodstamp, WIC, AER or any other type of welfare.

[momof3disneyholics]

Originally posted by Sleepy
As far as the discounts are concerned........how is the military people asking for latest discounts any different than the people on the other boards complaining because the annual pass discounts are not as good or why there are not as many codes as there used to be? The bottom line is people want to save money. There is nothing wrong with asking if anyone has heard of any discounts.

Because the people that have AP's have paid almost 400.00 for that pass and the discounts that come along with it. You expect one simply because of the job your husband has.

[remyandhollandsmommy]

After reading your post, I had to sit here and wonder if I "waste" what little money we recieve. While I am sure some people do not prioritize, not everyone fits this mold.
My DH is an E4 and the only "allotments" that come out of our checks are for our dental, a bed for our DD, and money to repay a loan for AER (yes, heaven help us, we had to fix our car). We do not get paid comparable wages to where we live, so the higher cost of food, gas, and most everything else here has forced us to go on some welfare (as many of our military families do). And as for "continuing to have babies", well...why should lower ranking soilders, or any person for that matter, be penalized and told how many children they can have?! Should I have never had a little sister for my DD because we had to tighten our belts a little more? As for getting a job, it would be nice to live somewhere where there were job opportunities so I could get a job, but we have to go where the military tells us too. There is a limited amount of jobs and fierce competition for them.
As for being able to cordinate your schedules, all I can say is WOW! What's your secret because my DH has to work when he's told to, which means no 9-5 hours. Most times he works on weekends and goes in on his offtime as well.
Oh, and while you may have the luxury of not clipping coupons or looking for ways to save money, many people don't, and I am not ashamed to admit that I am one of them. My DH works his butt off and risks his very life for others because he has honor and loves his job. He has been to places and seen things that would bring most people to their knees (myself included). If anyone deserves to be able to have a vacation and spend quality time with their kids it is men and women who are in the Armed Forces. I found your post very offensive and I do not like how you lumped everyone together just because people are looking for ways to save money. Poor people deserve to visit WDW too, military families expecially!!

[weregoingtodw]

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[two4ruff]

How sad.
My husband just left TODAY for a one year deployment. I thought looking at the boards would cheer me up. I'm sorry I picked this thread.

Please excuse me, as I'm off to raise my two kids on enlisted pay (yes, I work too), pay my light bill, and search my home high and low for that big screen tv. My dad was a high ranking officer and I'm offended by the portrayal some on this thread are giving the enlisted. There are just as many civilian folks who can't handle money and are looking for handout. How would I know? Maybe thats where my degree in social services is a clue.

If I wanted to get this offended, I would have gone to the debate board.

[weregoingtodw]

My hubby is leaving next month for his one year 'hell tour.' It just stinks, doesn't it? We had to do a lot of finagling in order to get his leaving date extended so we could all have our vacation together.

Hang in there - most of us realize that we're all in this TOGETHER! Something someone told me the other day that might help you - remember that every day spent apart takes you one day closer to the day that you're together again.

Hold your head high and remind yourself that you're doing without your husband, and your children are doing without their daddy, so that we can all continue to enjoy our freedom. Spend your time with those two precious children and don't give a second thought to what one uninformed person has to say.

Sending prayers that this year will pass quickly...

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by two4ruff

My husband just left TODAY for a one year deployment. I thought looking at the boards would cheer me up.

How are the kids handling it? Are you doing ok? I know it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for my son and I to finally let the reality set in. He is older now, so better able to understand, but still difficult in the long run to not be rebellious. Are you going to try that paper chain or candy idea? If there is anything i can do to help, let me know.

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
You expect one simply because of the job your husband has.

my husband wears the rank....not me.

[katerkat]

LADIES! Of all the people on here, we should not be the ones fighting!!

There is nothing wrong with asking about discounts. Heck, we're on a 2LT salary (plus mine) and we could not have gone to Disney last December without the discounts. I don't think anyone here EXPECTS a discount - they are just expressing the opinion that it would be nice. Which it would be!! Maybe our spouses don't pay for it like an AP - but they do pay for it in many other ways, including long, long deployments.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the DB.

[Otto's Doll]

Just got this

ANHEUSER-BUSCH ADVENTURE PARKS EXTEND FREE ADMISSION PROGRAM FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL

""Operation Homecoming" Honors Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen Serving Overseas During Last Summer's "Operation Salute"

St. Louis, Mo., May 21, 2004 - The Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks will extend a tribute program for U.S. and coalition military personnel and their families that last year saw more than 800,000 people visit SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Sesame Place free of charge.

"Operation Homecoming" will honor those members of U.S. and coalition armed forces who were serving overseas and unable to take advantage of free theme park admission offered as part of last year's "Operation Salute" program.

"We recognize that many of the men and women who have sacrificed so much during our military operations in the Middle East and elsewhere were unable to take advantage of last year's program," said Keith M. Kasen, Chairman of the Board and President of Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC). "As the initial tours for those service members draw to a close and they begin returning home, we hope they and their families will honor us with a visit."

The program will be offered to those service members who served overseas between Memorial Day 2003 and Veterans Day 2003. The offer, which is valid from Memorial Day 2004 through Veterans Day 2004, includes one free admission to any one of the company's three SeaWorld and two Busch Gardens parks or Sesame Place. Qualified military personnel can register on-line, print the form and bring it on the date of their visit to expedite the admission process. Registration forms can be found at www.seaworld.com, www.sesameplace.com and www.buschgardens.com.

Like Operation Salute, the offer allows one free admission to the service member and one free admission each for as many as four direct dependents. Additional tickets may be purchased at a discount. The offer is valid for admission to one park only. Military retirees and their dependents are not included.

To take advantage of the offer, service members and dependents 10 and older need only present a valid Department of Defense I.D. and deployment papers showing that they were serving overseas during Operation Salute. Tickets will be issued at participating parks after service members complete a short registration form. Dependents of deployed service members who took advantage of last year's Operation Salute tribute are not eligible for a second free admission under this program, but may purchase tickets at a discount.

Operation Homecoming is the third tribute to U.S. armed forces launched by the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. Following the Gulf War, more than 1 million service members and their families were given free theme park passes during the company's Yellow Ribbon Summer celebration.

Busch Entertainment Corp. today also launched "Military Appreciation Days," a program that offers discounted admission to its parks to all members of the armed forces. Military Appreciation Days and Operation Homecoming begin May 31, 2004 and run through Veterans Day, November 11, 2004. Military Appreciation Days tickets may be purchased only at participating military base ticket offices. Tickets will not be available at park ticket windows, and the discount applies to single day tickets only.

BEC operates nine adventure parks: SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove in Orlando; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa., near Philadelphia; Water Country USA in Williamsburg and Adventure Island in Tampa. BEC parks play host to more than 20 million guests each year. BEC is the family entertainment subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.

[WDWPsychoALice]

Gotta join in here..when I was married to an E3 at Fort Drum a few years ago we lived offbase and still had plenty of money to do stuff. Also if you have a degree in social work why dont you go apply at the Social servises office..they were always hireing when I love there just a year and a half ago.

Also I have 2 kids and was living on an E3 wage and I wasnt working nor did we have to get extra money at ANYTIME...and paying a HORRENDOUS heating bill...Sorry I feel no simpathy for you..

[weregoingtodw]

Originally posted by WDWPsychoALice
Gotta join in here..when I was married to an E3 at Fort Drum a few years ago we lived offbase and still had plenty of money to do stuff. Also if you have a degree in social work why dont you go apply at the Social servises office..they were always hireing when I love there just a year and a half ago.

Also I have 2 kids and was living on an E3 wage and I wasnt working nor did we have to get extra money at ANYTIME...and paying a HORRENDOUS heating bill...Sorry I feel no simpathy for you..

Please, before you go jumping on people, re-read the thread. The poster with a degree in Social Work was not asking for sympathy in the least. All she said was that her husband just deployed, and that she came to the boards looking for support (not a handout), and was dismayed to find military wives bashing one another. She did not indicate that she was either seeking a discount or angry at those who were seeking discounts.

Fortunately, I've never had to survive on an E-3 salary, so I can't comment on that personally. However, I do know (and so does everyone else who wants to look it up) how much an E-3 makes, and it's not alot. Obviously we have no way of knowing whether your spouse was actually military or not, but I do wonder why you would refer to Fort Drum as a "base" rather than a "post".

[CACruiser]

As a former military wife. (Air Force husband retired after 21 years of Enlisted life) I would like to give Kudos to my fellow sisters!

When I met my husband, he was E-4. I worked and we saved. We made sacrifices. He went to Saudi after Desert Storm as part of a clean up crew. Not in serious danger, but that was his JOB.
Being in the military is a government contract and some of the hardest work in the world. Did we deserve some perks? Sure!
Why? Because it keeps up the morale of the service people. It is a way for many companies to appreciate some of the hardest worked and underpaid Americans! They also have to serve, regardless of personal opinion of their government, leaders, etc.
They lose a lot of personal freedom, just so everyone can have theirs!

Unfortunately, some companies just get on the bandwagon of "Support'n the Troops" just to appear patriotic. After the public hoopla of excitement dies down, so do their discounts.

Many military members forget to check their local MWR associations on bases for discounted tickets! Shades of Green has discounted tickets in their sales office. Yep, we gotta go out of our way to find it...Im fine with that. I do not expect the extras to be right in my face. I like bargin hunting!!!

Now, as for the low blows about families having babies, abusing the system, etc. For MOST military families, the struggle to make ends meet! I have seen wasteful people in and out of the military who have plenty of money for beer and nothing for baby formula! But, regardless of their circumstances, no one can judge the size of their family, or the desire to get discounts!

Imagine an unlisted spouse married to a military person in the position of being called up and sent at any moment. In a situation of a family, Mom is generally the only adult around that offers any stability. There is no shame if she stays at HOME with her kids! Many military wives who DO work, often to make a real career, because they tend to move around a lot. They are at the mercy of their husband's career.

Anyway, no one is asking for anything free....we are asking for a break!

Remember, not everyone who uses coupons are broke. Some people use wisdom on how to stretch their $ to do more! There is no shame in that either!

Anyway folks! Do not forget to check your local MWR! And it NEVER hurts to ask "Do you offer a military discount"?

Now that "we" are retired(Not really, we entered our second careers) Yes, we still work! We still use our discount privlidges any where we are qualified! Gosh, even some seniors get discounts and that is just for being a certain age. (And they deserve it too!)