ticket question

[chascougs]

After reading the sticky on tickets I still have a question. Reader's Digest version...My great uncle never married, no kids has served as a de facto grandfather to my 3 kids since both maternal and paternal grandfathers are long passed. Anyways, he wants to treat the kids to a Disney trip this Summer, wants us to stay at his home and wants to buy tickets but really has no interest in going to the parks himself as he is getting frail at age 75. Anyways he is retired Col in Marine Corp and thus is elligible to buy the military salute tickets. Question, I know he can buy tickets at a discount for friends and family but does he have to accompany the party to the parks or can I just take the kids without him? He has said he just wants us to spend a couple days with him in between our visits to park. Just trying to save him some money on ticket costs if possible. Thanks for replies.

 

[BrettS]

Someone with a military ID needs to be present when the tickets are purchased, so he will need to go to Disney once with you guys to buy the tickets. However, he doesn't need to get a ticket himself, nor does he need to be there when the tickets are used.

Since you said he wants you to stay at his house, I'm assuming that he's reasonably close to Disney and that it would be feasible for him to go there once to buy the tickets with you.

 

[Missytara]

He will have to be present and show a military ID to purchase the tickets, but he doesn't have to use the ticket.

Also, there are some block-out dates, so make sure you check what time of year you are going.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There are no blockout dates on the Miltary Salute tickets.

However, they must be purchased by July 31, 2010 and used by September 30, 2010.

They may be purchased at a WDW Ticket Office or at any Military Base MWR/ITT Office.

The key thing is that if purchased at a military base they must be activated at a WDW ticket window or Guest Relations Office. When being activated, or being purchased at WDW, the person purvchasing or activating must have a current active or retired military ID Card or a Dependent ID Card (DD Form 1173) showing the person as a Spouse or Unremarried Widow.

If you go to the locked sticky Everything About WDW Tickets in this Forum, especially Post #17, you can get a lot more information. An easy way to get to the sticky is by clicking on the link in my signature.

 

[chascougs]

One more question...can tickets be activated at DT Disney?...can you for example go to DQ before going to any of the 4 main parks or do you have to go TTC or a main park entry to activate tickets or can tickets be just activated at any guest service location..for example...say we arrive on Thu but don't plan on any park till Friday..could my uncle just meet us at DTD Thu afternoon and activate our tickets there without using any of the park or waterpark/dq admissions?

 

[BrettS]

If your uncle purchases the tickets at a military base then he'll just get vouchers and not actual tickets. The 'activation' process that he'll need to be present for is turning those vouchers into actual tickets. That can be done at guest services in DTD. If he purchases the tickets on Disney property then you'll be given actual tickets to begin with and there isn't an additional activation process needed.

Once you have the tickets then it doesn't matter where you go first. You'll have no problem going to DQ first, assuming you have the water park fun and more option on the tickets.

 

[chascougs]

Thanks! That's what I hoping to hear.