DONE: Armed Forces Salute

[iheartmickey1111]

Well, Disney is officially ending their Armed Forces Salute Sept. 30th. I am seriously SO sad about this! I am however very grateful that I got to take advantage of it while they were offering it. Still hanging on to a tiny bit of hope that they will come up with something else (though I am sure it woudn't involve such steep discounts). Sigh....

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

Darn it! I'm so glad we took advantage of it last December and went to WDW.

We are planning on going to DL in October, the one day passes aren't too bad, but still I loved getting that discount. We might do Universal Studios instead.

 

[cmac609]

Well, Disney is officially ending their Armed Forces Salute Sept. 30th. I am seriously SO sad about this! I am however very grateful that I got to take advantage of it while they were offering it. Still hanging on to a tiny bit of hope that they will come up with something else (though I am sure it woudn't involve such steep discounts). Sigh....

Is that only for the tickets or for the discounts on the rooms too??

 

[sissy_ib]

I was lucky enough to be able to use it in 2009 and this year. I don't think my DH will be re-enlisting so we would not be able to use it again anyhow but I do hope they have the program again.

 

[wmacc]

That is sad! We've done it practically every year for almost 10 years. I remember when it was free for Active Duty and $99 for family members for 4 days. It was one of the main reasons we became DVC members! Keeping fingers crossed!!

 

[Steve TLT]

Just because this current offer (which was extended for a second year) is ending it doesn't mean that there will not be a new one.

Previous AFS offers have ended and been followed by a new (slightly modified) one.

I recently did a post on why Disney needs to end this one vs. extending it: Disney Armed Forces Salute to end officials confirm

I'm pretty confident they will have a new offer, but fingers crossed!

A couple weeks I think till we hear.

 

[iheartmickey1111]

Yes, I am keeping my fingers crossed too! Fortunately we like to go during the normal discount seasons anyway, so I'll just have to plan a little better in the future. I will get to use it ONE more time in Sept. for a solo trip the 23rd-30th!

Funny story: when me and DH went the first time in May '09 i had no idea they did discounts or anything like that, so we actually paid RACK RATE for ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE!!! LMAO!!! I still weep late at night at all the money we wasted on that trip lol!!

 

[POOHsie]

Yes, I am keeping my fingers crossed too! Fortunately we like to go during the normal discount seasons anyway, so I'll just have to plan a little better in the future. I will get to use it ONE more time in Sept. for a solo trip the 23rd-30th!

Funny story: when me and DH went the first time in May '09 i had no idea they did discounts or anything like that, so we actually paid RACK RATE for ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE!!! LMAO!!! I still weep late at night at all the money we wasted on that trip lol!!

Early in our WDW experience, I didn't know you could add days to your MYW tickets up to a max of 10. We had five-day tickets, and I planned to buy brand-new ones to extend our trip 2 days. We went to SOG for the purchase, and my brilliant young adult DD figured out that I could add days. I didn't believe her, but the SOG CM said my DD was right. DD is incredibly astute (and it's her BD today).

 

[sissy_ib]

That is sad! We've done it practically every year for almost 10 years. I remember when it was free for Active Duty and $99 for family members for 4 days. It was one of the main reasons we became DVC members! Keeping fingers crossed!!

They have been offering the Armed Forces Salute tickets for 10 years?
I used the free one they had in 2009 and I thought that was the first year they the Salute tickets. We had used the regular military tickets in 2008 when we went to Disneyland.

 

[beaucoup]

While its nice to get a discount, no company HAS to give us any discount at all. We are not due anything because we or our spouses serve, deploy & do their jobs. Even if its for 30 years.

If they decide not to come up with a new program, I can respect that & just buy tickets from Shades of Green like we have always done in the past.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

The last offer lapsed for about a month... I'm still holding out. Seems to be an afterthought for Disney sometimes. It's definitely nice though.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I'm hoping that even if they don't do the ticket discounts, they at least still offer some room discounts. I know they have shades, but I really prefer to stay officially on property.

 

[Zhoen]

The salute tickets were a major driver for our last two trips. We're the crowd that can only afford/only choose to go every 5 years or so due to the cost and a lot of other, closer, less expensive options. It would be a good idea for Disney to continue to offer something in the future, because it DOES work as a marketing gimmick, but as the PP said, it's not an entitlement. We appreciate when we get military discounts, and it does steer our shopping choices to an extent... so there's a benefit to the business... but if it is more expensive in the future, we'll either choose to pay, or go somewhere else.

Busch Gardens continues to give us a free day for us AND our dependents every year, and they have two parks within day-trip distance of my house, and there's a Six Flags 20 miles from here where we get half-priced tickets through the base, or can buy discounted season passes. It's not WDW, but it's an option.

 

[Steve TLT]

BubMunkeyBles is right in Oct. 2010 the AFS room discounts lapsed for about 4 days and the ticket discount lapsed for 24 days. This was due to contract negotiations with MWR.

I remain very hopeful. I've been regularly querying my 2 official Disney contacts for 6 months and kept getting that "We are pushing for one." (a new AFS offer). Just today I was told "No news until mid-August at earliest."

So my thought is if they have a guesstimated timeframe, they must be working towards getting the contract signed.

Just my 2 cents, fingers still crossed.

 

[capegirl]

Don't give up hope just yet..... the Armed Forces Salute may be renewed in some form. As you know Disney is really good at keeping us all guessing.
Our family has enjoyed the military discounts since 2003, so even if it does end for good, we will always be grateful for the memories we made along the way.

 

[TinkerLori]

I was really wanting to go in Nov or Dec of this year but then I saw that the discount was ending at the end of Sept. I'm hoping they have something new..

 

[RMAMom]

We are going Oct 4 and family will follow us 2 days later. I have a feeling we are going to fall through the crack between the old and new discount.

I do hope that the room discounts continue though, it has been the reason that we have been able to go a couple times a year.

 

[iheartmickey1111]

BubMunkeyBles is right in Oct. 2010 the AFS room discounts lapsed for about 4 days and the ticket discount lapsed for 24 days. This was due to contract negotiations with MWR.

I remain very hopeful. I've been regularly querying my 2 official Disney contacts for 6 months and kept getting that "We are pushing for one." (a new AFS offer). Just today I was told "No news until mid-August at earliest."

So my thought is if they have a guesstimated timeframe, they must be working towards getting the contract signed.

Just my 2 cents, fingers still crossed.

I follow your blog/facebook page, and I soooooo hope you're right! I am trying to plan a trip for April so I am just going to budget it like there is no discount at all, and then anything will be a bonus- plus hoping there will at least be general public discount since its during the value season.

 

[DOREEN1779]

I hope they bring it back. The men and women who serve our country are making such a enormous sacrifice and this is an opportunity for them to have an affordable vacation and have some much needed quality time with their family.

 

[MarineVet]

I'm hoping that even if they don't do the ticket discounts, they at least still offer some room discounts. I know they have shades, but I really prefer to stay officially on property.

Me too. We drive down (its about 7 hours for us) and have the option of driving to and from the parks because we like to go at rope drop and then leave when we get tired. This is the only thing I really don't like about staying at the Shades of Green. Their buses to the AK and DHS only run once per hour. By the time they get you there for rope drop, you are way back in the pack of people, and if you miss it leaving the park, its another whole hour to wait. We can drive, but then its $14 bucks a day to park. Otherwise, we love it there, the rooms are so big and its so nice and quiet.