2010 Armed Forces Salute

[mdrob214]

We have a trip planned for the end of August - only available time to go due to upcoming deployment work ups/school schedules/hubby currently in Haiti. Since tickets must be purchased by the end of July, I called the two bases near me to see if they had tickets available yet and both said they have the 4 day base tickets and the other tickets with PH and/or WPF&M would not be available on base. We'd like both of those options so my question is can we add those once we get to Disney and if so, would I only have to add $50 or so per ticket (making it the same price as if I'd bought it with those options on base vs whatever the price would normally be for both options?)

Yes--you can add those options at WDW. You'll just ahve to pay tax on them, I would think.

ETA--From the first post in this thread: The tickets are four day base tickets for $99 (plus tax) each. There is no free ticket for the service member. the Park Hopper and the Water Parks Fun & More options can be added for $25 (plus tax) for each option. The tickets cannot have either more days or No Expire added.

 

[dd50]

Where did you find that on the disney site? I have been trying to search but keep coming up with the 2009 info.

Thank you.

 

[littlezar]

Yes--you can add those options at WDW. You'll just ahve to pay tax on them, I would think.

ETA--From the first post in this thread: The tickets are four day base tickets for $99 (plus tax) each. There is no free ticket for the service member. the Park Hopper and the Water Parks Fun & More options can be added for $25 (plus tax) for each option. The tickets cannot have either more days or No Expire added.

I understand that, but I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. I have to buy the tickets at the local base because we are not going to be in Disney until after the cutoff to buy tickets. My ITT office only has the basic 4 day ticket. So what I'm asking is if I show up with 6 basic $99 tickets, will they let me exchange them and pay the $50 (or so) per ticket to have the 4 day ticket with the PH & WPF&M option?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

littlezar,

IF the answer here is that it can't be done, how about this angle............

Call SOG and see if they can send they correct type of tickets to your ITT office so ITT can sell them to you. It may take a few phone calls but it might be another option.

 

[bgdiznee]

I am sure among all these pages the answer to my question has already been posted, but I am in kind of a panic today.

My DH who is retired military and who had planned on being with us next week at WDW just found out because of work he can't come.

Aside from being very dissapointed that he will miss out on this family vacation, he was also going to buy our $99 military tickets.

So finally heres my question(sorry, I had to vent). I am the retired members spouse, I have a valid ID. So I can go to any park ticket window and purchase and activate the passes?

Please tell me this is correct.

Thanks for lisitening and any help!

 

[dd50]

I am sure among all these pages the answer to my question has already been posted, but I am in kind of a panic today.

My DH who is retired military and who had planned on being with us next week at WDW just found out because of work he can't come.

Aside from being very dissapointed that he will miss out on this family vacation, he was also going to buy our $99 military tickets.

So finally heres my question(sorry, I had to vent). I am the retired members spouse, I have a valid ID. So I can go to any park ticket window and purchase and activate the passes?

Please tell me this is correct.

Thanks for lisitening and any help!

Spouses with ID can purchase and activate.

 

[dd50]

I understand that, but I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. I have to buy the tickets at the local base because we are not going to be in Disney until after the cutoff to buy tickets. My ITT office only has the basic 4 day ticket. So what I'm asking is if I show up with 6 basic $99 tickets, will they let me exchange them and pay the $50 (or so) per ticket to have the 4 day ticket with the PH & WPF&M option?

Yes, you can upgrade them at the park and DTD but you will pay the sales tax. It seems that most bases only have the park tickets and not the others with PH and WP.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The rules is the tickets may only be purchased until July 31. However, they can be activated after that date. Also, you can purchase the hopper and/or WPF&M options after that date as long as you have the tickets. According to the official notification

4-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Tickets may be upgraded to add the Park Hopper® Option and Water Park Fun and More option. These options may be added any time prior to September 30, 2010. The no-expiration option is not available. Additional days may not be added to this ticket.

and everything expires at 2359 on September 30.

 

[bgdiznee]

Spouses with ID can purchase and activate.

Just to clarify, spouses of both active duty and retired members can purchase and activate these tickets?

(I know, I sound paranoid. Forgive me, LOL)

 

[littlezar]

Awesome! Thank you mdrob214, BridgetBordeaux and Cheshire Figment for answering my questions! Back to planning now!

 

[Mrsjvb]

Just to clarify, spouses of both active duty and retired members can purchase and activate these tickets?

(I know, I sound paranoid. Forgive me, LOL)

if you have a valid spouse ID, you can buy and activate AD or retired. only children/non spouse dependents such as in laws cannot buy or activate.

 

[mdrob214]

Just to clarify, spouses of both active duty and retired members can purchase and activate these tickets?

(I know, I sound paranoid. Forgive me, LOL)

Yes--enjoy your trip!

 

[Melknor]

Has anyone actually used a GAD voucher yet and then later that day upgraded to their military ticket? Any issues? I know someone asked and was told it can be done, but I'm looking for first hand report that someone did it and had no issues.

 

[surfergirl602]

I'm really hoping that Disney decides to extend this offer. We're going in October this year, and we're not able to get tickets if they expire in September.

 

[hmdavid]

I'm really hoping that Disney decides to extend this offer. We're going in October this year, and we're not able to get tickets if they expire in September.

I am hoping this is extended, too. Our trip is in early December and being able to take advantage of this would save us a lot of $$$!

 

[surfergirl602]

I am hoping this is extended, too. Our trip is in early December and being able to take advantage of this would save us a lot of $$$!

Same here. There are six people in our family, plus my inlaws are joining us for this trip. I could use the savings wherever I can get them.

 

[cm8]

I think that is because from what I've seen on the WDW site to add PH it is $26/ticket and if you add it while at a MWR/ITT office it is $25/ticket. So you are saving $1/ticket by adding the PH on base. If you buy two tickets you can then use your savings to buy a soda from a resort machine.

 

[Clover9990]

Wait a second! Maybe I am misunderstanding something here, because this seems too good to be true.

Are you saying that if I buy an Armed Forces Salute Ticket with the WP&M option for $124, I can go to any 4 parks (MK, DS, EPCOT, or AK) for 4 days (only one park per day without the hopper option added) PLUS go to 4 of the other parks (such as Blizzard Beach and Disney Quest) for 4 *more* days, for a total of 8 days?!

 

[LadyZolt]

Wait a second! Maybe I am misunderstanding something here, because this seems too good to be true.

Are you saying that if I buy an Armed Forces Salute Ticket with the WP&M option for $124, I can go to any 4 parks (MK, DS, EPCOT, or AK) for 4 days (only one park per day without the hopper option added) PLUS go to 4 of the other parks (such as Blizzard Beach and Disney Quest) for 4 *more* days, for a total of 8 days?!

You could do it that way, yes. Think of the WPF&M as "admissions" and not "days," though. You have four admissions to the WPF&M, and four "days" at the main parks. So you could go to EPCOT in the morning (using 1 "park day" ticket), then in the afternoon, go to Blizzard Beach (using one WPF&M "admission"), then go back to EPCOT for Illuminations on the same day.

Also, you could use several WPF&M options on the same day -- for example, go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, Typhoon Lagoon in the afternoon, and Disney Quest at night, and that would use three of your WPF&M admissions.

You can plan it out to use only one a day -- if you go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, you can leave to go back to your hotel for a bit and then re-enter Blizzard Beach later that same day without using a second WPF&M admission, for example. So if you did that, then yes you could do a different main park or WPF&M thing for 8 total days. Hope this answers your question and have a magical time!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Clover9990]

You could do it that way, yes. Think of the WPF&M as "admissions" and not "days," though. You have four admissions to the WPF&M, and four "days" at the main parks. So you could go to EPCOT in the morning (using 1 "park day" ticket), then in the afternoon, go to Blizzard Beach (using one WPF&M "admission"), then go back to EPCOT for Illuminations on the same day.

Also, you could use several WPF&M options on the same day -- for example, go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, Typhoon Lagoon in the afternoon, and Disney Quest at night, and that would use three of your WPF&M admissions.

You can plan it out to use only one a day -- if you go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, you can leave to go back to your hotel for a bit and then re-enter Blizzard Beach later that same day without using a second WPF&M admission, for example. So if you did that, then yes you could do a different main park or WPF&M thing for 8 total days. Hope this answers your question and have a magical time!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

Thanks so much, Dorothy! We're locals, so I was moreso thinking along the lines of using 4 of our WP&M admissions on 4 separate days over the summer (not consecutively- just visiting, let's say, one waterpark every 2 weeks for 8 weeks) and then using our regular parks days when we go back in September. Would this be possible?

Thanks again for all of your help!