Anyone else agree????

[mom of 3G's]

Voluntarily and for pay, don't forget.

There are some that receive no pay, don't forget.

 

[SpiffyTigger]

I am a soon to be Marine wife and I am the daughter of a retired Airman. If it weren't for some of these discounts I never would of been able to go to Disney as a child. I have never even stayed on property before either. We have only used the discounts by buying our tickets on base.

I know what it's like for families to go a year without seeing each other and know what it's like to reconnect. It is not easy especially if you have kids. Disney is a place that allow that fun worry free time these families need. Enlisted military pay you make below the poverty line all the states. With this years discount with free tickets it finally made those Disney dreams possible for a lot of people I know. You have to remember that a military family can plan their whole vacation and two days before it can be canceled and that family member could be going to war. I know many people who that has happened to. My whole entire wedding and Disneymoon was almost canceled because of a deployment.

I don't think I'm entitled to discounts either. I hardly ever use military discounts or discounts I receive as a teacher. It does help when your trying to give your family that one special memory before your loved one deploys.

 

[WDSearcher]

Well DW lost a chance to thank at least the Vounteer Firefighters with the give a day get a day discount.

Our Vol. FD looked into the discount you can regester your FD but they will give the free day only for doing something other than firefighting. IE you can wash the Fire truck and get free day but not fighting fires seemed strange to me.

Seems perfectly logical to me. Fighting fires is what the firefighters do normally, right? I mean ... it's the reason the volunteer firefighters exist in the first place. They would do that anyway. So if you want them to go "above and beyond", you have them volunteer to do other stuff. Plus, I'm sure Disney would prefer that people not put themselves in danger for a Disney ticket. I mean yes ... the volunteer firefighters do that anyway, but can you imagine the publicity if someone said, "Yeah ... it was really too bad about Bob getting hurt like that. We were all at this fire, thinking that we'd be getting our free tickets to Disney World for the volunteer effort, and he fell off the ladder and broke both his legs."

 

[akira1113]

I also do not agree with the original statement.

While I do respect law enforcement, firemen, etc. one great distinction between them and the military is the amount of pay. For example, many police officers that I personally know make over $100,000 per year with overtime. Some even surpass $200,000 a year. They and many others can afford Disney prices, while many military families rely on payday advances and credit cards just to survive. I know I'm generalizing, but there is a HUGE gap in the pay between the military and public safety personnel.

 

[badblackpug]

Shoot, if the folks on the Dis can't decide what professions are "discount worthy," how in the world is Disney supposed to decide?

We all work hard for a living, no matter what we do. Who our heroes are is a matter of perspective and life experience. No one persons job is any more important or noteworthy or "noble" than anyone else's. Lack of discount does not, in any way, reflect a lack of respect for any one individual or group.

 

[MissyDVC]

Shoot, if the folks on the Dis can't decide what professions are "discount worthy," how in the world is Disney supposed to decide?

We all work hard for a living, no matter what we do. Who our heroes are is a matter of perspective and life experience. No one persons job is any more important or noteworthy or "noble" than anyone else's. Lack of discount does not, in any way, reflect a lack of respect for any one individual or group.

Well said

 

[Doctor P]

I also do not agree with the original statement.

While I do respect law enforcement, firemen, etc. one great distinction between them and the military is the amount of pay. For example, many police officers that I personally know make over $100,000 per year with overtime. Some even surpass $200,000 a year. They and many others can afford Disney prices, while many military families rely on payday advances and credit cards just to survive. I know I'm generalizing, but there is a HUGE gap in the pay between the military and public safety personnel.

There is also a huge gap in the benefits that some conveniently forget to mention (and not in favor of public safety personnel).

 

[JoliBug]

There is also a huge gap in the benefits that some conveniently forget to mention (and not in favor of public safety personnel).

Totally off the point of the thread but since you mentioned it....
Our biggest benifit that we get for free is health care and it's not much of a benefit, more of a hinderance. Military health care is a joke. If you have any serious issue you are better off paying out of pocket to see a real dr than wait to see when, if ever the military dr's will see you let alone treat you. They don't call it vitamin M for nothing.

 

[livie1205]

There is also a huge gap in the benefits that some conveniently forget to mention (and not in favor of public safety personnel).

holy cow where do you live? my dh makes NO WHERE near that...

 

[livie1205]

[/b]

But that's just it, Disney has been offering discounts out the wazoo.
4/3
Bounceback rates
free dining
40% off room rates
get into the park for your birthday free
get a free park ticket for a day of service in 2010

There cannot be anyone out there still paying regular rack rates anymore.
Christmas is probably the only week that doesn't offer a discount.
The service men I know don't even use SOG because the other discounts are much more attractive.

If a LEO or fire fighter are not getting a discount at disney nowadays, sorry they are not trying real hard

we live in fl and have APs so we do get those discounts,I meant other then the rg discounts they give...

 

[Mamapapa]

Lots of professions put their lives on the line every day. What about construction workers, penetentiary personnel, teachers?

Wow... really? You're going to compare a fireman or police officers job to that of a teacher? That simply blows my mind....

 

[MissyDVC]

Wow... really? You're going to compare a fireman or police officers job to that of a teacher? That simply blows my mind....

Maybe so, if you are talking about danger but we are talking about who "deserves" a discount at WDW.

 

[BlovesC]

Wow... really? You're going to compare a fireman or police officers job to that of a teacher? That simply blows my mind....

But see, that's yet another silly point about this thread. You can't sum up an entire group of people as easily as is being done here. There are generalizations being thrown about that were seemingly ripped right out of TV. I know cops who face about as much danger as the average mailman, I know teachers who hate their job and take their frustrations out on their students, etc, etc, etc. Likewise, I know plenty of people who are employed in less 'noble' jobs who are actively changing the lives of those around them for the better without any glory. Everyone's definition of hero is different, but I personally assign such a distinction on merit, not title.

That's why I think it's silly to expect Disney to show financial 'respect' to whichever group of people WE deem important. It shouldn't be about money, and it shouldn't be about trying to get the world to feel exactly how you feel. If someone has their own personal heroes, they should show them respect and appreciation at their own level on their individual basis.

 

[JasonsPrincess]

I agree ! Firemen are paid quite well for the risks, military folks make next to nothing for thier service.

My DH is a firefighter and does not get paid quite well..... in fact the county keeps forcing them into furlow days. Our honeymoon was a week of his vacation..and due to furlow he didn't get paid for a single day of it as well as 32 other hours. He also used to volunteer which doesn't pay anything.

Now I don't think that we are entitled to anything, we go with the regular discounts put out for the general admission. I also agree that its difficult to draw a line, and to keep uproar to a minimum its best just not to have discounts like that.

 

[carrie6466]

I can't find the quote now, but just wanted to say for the record that around here penitentary/correction officers are employed by the local county sheriff's dept. and are law enforcement officers with full police powers

 

[hookedonears]

Police and Firefighters should be eligible for Shades of Green if they're not already.

 

[Ember]

About a week ago Chapters offered a 20% discount to teachers. I'm pretty sure it wasn't because they thought all other professions weren't worthy, rather they were choosing to celebrate one. I see what Disney is doing as the same thing.

 

[blondinkaya]

My dh is active duty, and he was a reserve patrol officer at our last base (meaning that he wore a sheriff's dept uniform and patrolled the area like the paid deputies, only he was a volunteer). I view the military discount as an unexpected surprise. And, of course, it's an attempt on Disney's part to bring in more money. From what I've seen (I work on base with military folks), it's working. Dh and I know several people who have taken/are taking trips, thanks to the ticket deal and the 40% off rooms deal. They pump money into dining and the shops, so it seems to be working.

As for my family, we're using the free dining package with one-day tickets, upgrading to the DxDP, and the military 5-day ticket deal. We're taking mil and her dh with us. This trip was planned before the military deal ever came out. Without the military discount, we would be paying much, much more than what we are. I guess, in principle, I should be rejecting the discount because I think many others deserve the discount as well, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, kwim?

My point is that, if you ever come across a discount that you might be able take advantage of, do so! If not, then c'est la vie. It's not something to expect.

ETA: The guy who's renting our house that we bought at our last base (where dh was a reserve deputy at) is not making anywhere near $100K/yr. That figure is laughable (albeit sad). Even with overtime, he's lucky if he hits $35K/yr ...

 

[AMB1]

I always assumed that the military discount was given in recognition of the extended periods of time that military families spend apart when a family member is deployed. In addition to placing their lives in danger (as police and firefighters also do) they also leave their spouses and children for months or years during periods of war.

I assumed the discount was meant to assist military parents give their children a happy family memory during their limited leave periods.

 

[JoliBug]

Police and Firefighters should be eligible for Shades of Green if they're not already.

They are not included because it is not a hotel owned by Disney, it is a hotel owned and operated by a military oranization on disney property.