2010 Armed Forces Salute

[Family Fun Mom]

You might consider Shades of Green instead as you can still take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, and you can easily walk to the Poly and hop on the boats or the monorail. You can sleep in later, too, as you're closer to the action at SOG than at an offsite location.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

That is definitely a consideration. I hear it's a very nice resort. I'd prefer to stay at a Disney run resort if we can but SOG is a great alternative. I had almost forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[monkeybug]

Does anyone have any idea why they opted to provide a 4-day ticket rather than a 5-day? I'm not complaining. As a lover of marketing I'm merely curious.

We're going the first week in February. We had planning to but 5-day tickets at the regular price. These $99 tickets were a great surprise! I'm amused at myself because while it would be cheaper than originally planned to buy a 4-day ticket and then purchase a single ticket for day 5, I can't bring myself to do it because I'm a value junkie. Now I feel that spending money on a ticket for day 5 is a waste and we should utilize the free ticket at SeaWorld. (I'm the only one in the family that feels this way so I probably won't win.)

I'm just curious, are military visitors to the park not profitable after 4 days? Or do they end up losing money because of Shades of Green? Like I said, I'm totally not complaining about 4-day tickets. I'm just trying to understand the rationale behind it.

Maybe it's because of the give a day get a day promotion? That's how we plan on making our 4 days 5 (or we will stick with 4 and donate them). The awesome thing about this promotion is that the family can go together for a day for free, not just on individual birthdays. Maybe they gave us 4 days to encourage us to do a little volunteering to earn that 5th day? Probably not, but that makes me feel more warm and fuzzy so it's what I'm sticking with!

 

[monkeybug]

I agree that the 5 day was a much better offer, it's hard to cram in all of the Disney fun in only 4 days. If IOA does a military offer that would make it more worth the trip down the Florida.

Now, we wait to see if they offer a good pin for resorts. If they don't, we're probably staying offsite this time. Got my fingers crossed!

Lot's of people (including myself) have had luck getting pins by looking at and saving vacations on the Disney site. I saved two different vacations and got a pin in my inbox the next day. It's worth a shot!

 

[christa112]

My guess is they want people to purchase tickets at regular price as well. Like most of you have said who goes for 4 days.

 

[Mrsjvb]

while we cannot take advantage of it this year( will be in Okinawa soon enough.. off to Hong Kong disney..already done Tokyo twice)

4 days would have been perfect.. as we spend a week but skip a day in the parks in the middle for the trip.. and we do one park a day, no Hopping.

I need that day 'off' in the middle to rest up..that's my spa Day at Grand Floridian and dinner at V&A.

 

[LilGMom]

That is definitely a consideration. I hear it's a very nice resort. I'd prefer to stay at a Disney run resort if we can but SOG is a great alternative. I had almost forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!

Depending on the time that you are going you might want to look at going ahead and booking SOG as it does book up quickly. The SOG Site will give you info on the rate (based on rank) and availability. It used to be a Disney deluxe resort and just recently went a huge refurbishment. If you choose to stay off property make sure when looking you check into if the hotels offer Military discounts, a lot of them do. The DTD hotels are still offering Military discounts as well.

 

[pajules]

The Water Park Fun and More tickets are in addition to your base park tickets. Meaning you can spend a day at Blizzard Beach for instance, and that doesn't count against the 4-day park tickets.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[edk35]

We are a family of 5 including my husband who is retired from the Navy. Can we get a ticket for our son's friend with this special? Or does he have to be a family member? Thanks

 

[LilGMom]

Here is the info on the SOG site that gives info on the 2010 Military Salute tickets.

 

[arizonacolbys]

Does anyone know if you can buy more than one ticket for the same person (if you're staying under the limit of 5 tickets purchased)? For example, for an 8 day trip, could I purchase 2 4 day tickets & use them back-to-back, or could I use one in January & then another one later in the year? Or is it limited to one per person? TIA!!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Here is the info on the SOG site that gives info on the 2010 Military Salute tickets.

That posting is reasonably accurate.

However, it says that tickets must be activated by September 26, 2010. What it does not state, which is part of the program, is that all of the Armed Forces Salute 2010 tickets are valid only through September 30, 2010 and cannot be used after that date, no matter how many unused entries remain.

Does anyone know if you can buy more than one ticket for the same person (if you're staying under the limit of 5 tickets purchased)? For example, for an 8 day trip, could I purchase 2 4 day tickets & use them back-to-back, or could I use one in January & then another one later in the year? Or is it limited to one per person? TIA!!

There is nothing that I have seen that will preclude doing this (and the posted detail is three pages long).

 

[LilGMom]

That posting is reasonably accurate.

However, it says that tickets must be activated by September 26, 2010. What it does not state, which is part of the program, is that all of the Armed Forces Salute 2010 tickets are valid only through September 30, 2010 and cannot be used after that date, no matter how many unused entries remain.

It doesn't surprise me that the SOG site isn't completely correct or give all of the info. Last year when I asked my local MWR office for more info on the 2009 tickets they looked at me as if I had two heads and five eyes and was visiting from Pluto.

 

[MichelleVW]

Does anyone know if you can buy more than one ticket for the same person (if you're staying under the limit of 5 tickets purchased)? For example, for an 8 day trip, could I purchase 2 4 day tickets & use them back-to-back, or could I use one in January & then another one later in the year? Or is it limited to one per person? TIA!!

I hope so, I may do that this summer for my girls.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I will assume your mother no longer has a DD1173 so he would have to purchase and activate the tickets. The tickets can only be activated by a service member or a person whose DD1173 indicates Spouse or Unremarried Widow.

FYI, a divorced spouse may still have an ID card (eg be eligible) based on how long they were married. My MIL still has one with full benefits because she was married to FIL his entire 30 years in the USAF before they divorced.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

FYI, a divorced spouse may still have an ID card (eg be eligible) based on how long they were married. My MIL still has one with full benefits because she was married to FIL his entire 30 years in the USAF before they divorced.

I was not aware of this. The information I have is that the relationship would indicate SP (Spouse) or URM (Unremarried widow). If her card says SP then it would not be a problem.

However, if the service member has already purchased any tickets under this program, the divorced spouse would then be limited, possibly to as low as zero tickets, as the number of tickets is tied to the service member by name and date of birth (which would be on the DD1173).

 

[PrincePrincePrincess]

This is probably a stupid question, but do the four days these tickets are used have to be consecutively? Could you go to the parks on a Monday and Tuesday, take Wednesday off, and then visit the park Thursday and Friday?

I'm assuming that you can but just wanted to be sure.

 

[LBKMAMA]

If you pay the $25 does that give you a different day at the waterpark or do you need to do that within the four days as well? We did the five days last year and didn't add on because I wasn't really sure how this all worked and we had trouble doing parks in 5 days...but I thought I'd ask the ?

Thanks

 

[Mrsjvb]

This is probably a stupid question, but do the four days these tickets are used have to be consecutively? Could you go to the parks on a Monday and Tuesday, take Wednesday off, and then visit the park Thursday and Friday?

I'm assuming that you can but just wanted to be sure.

they do NOT have to be used consecutively or even in the same trip.. so ,long as you do not miss the cut off date of 30 September

 

[Mrsjvb]

If you pay the $25 does that give you a different day at the waterpark or do you need to do that within the four days as well? We did the five days last year and didn't add on because I wasn't really sure how this all worked and we had trouble doing parks in 5 days...but I thought I'd ask the ?

Thanks

that would give you four separate entrances to WP and DQ over and above 4 park entrances.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

This is a "canned" response modified for the Armed Forces Salute 2010 tickets with the assumption you have both the Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More (WPF&M) options.

Hopefully this will make it a little clearer. In effect you have two tickets with different privileges on one card. Everything expires at Midnight on September 30, 2010. Even if you use up all your major park days, the WPF&M entries remain valid until used or 09/30/10. (Note you do not have to use the days consecutively.)

You have four days of access to the four major parks (AK, DHS, EC, MK), and may visit more than one major park on a single day without any extra charges. Without the Park Hopper option you can only go to one major park per day.

You have four entries to the minor parks (BB, DQ, OT, TL, WWS). These may or may not be used on the same days as you go to the major parks. However, if you went to TL in the morning, Oak Trail in the afternoon, and Disney Quest in the evening of one day you would have used three of the four entries. (Note that leaving and returning to the same minor park on the same day does not use an extra entry.)

If you go to minor parks only on one day and do not go to a major park you do not use up one of your major park days.

If you were to go to a Water Park in the morning and then one of the major parks for the remainder of the day you would have used one minor park entry and one day of major park entry.

Note that with the ticket unless you have the hopper option you can only go to one major park per day. Unless you have the WPF&M option you cannot go to a minor park without upgrading or purchasing a separate ticket.