Military Discount question....

[Court475]

I'm going to Disney in March. My coworker, who's dh is retired military, offered to buy my tickets getting the military special because they aren't going this year. The offer says that one ticket must be used by the person in the miliary or their spouse. Even if I buy her a ticket, I still save a ton. Or would she actually have to be with me when we go to use the tickets? Am I a bad person for wanting to even use the military discount?

 

[hmdavid]

Someone with a military ID has to activate the tickets at WDW.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

You can't do that because as the other poster said, they have to be activated first.

She can go to ITT (she will know what that is) and buy discounted tickets for you and give them to you as a gift. The discount is not nearly as good though. Especially in recent years, it's only a few dollars difference.

It doesn't make you a bad person for wanting to use it but it's not your's to use.

 

[Court475]

Thanks for your replies. We are going to go the ITT route, it'll still save me about $150.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

As someone who is married to an active duty officer you can't do it. The person buying the tickets would have to be with you on the trip in order for you to use the ticket in order to activate the ticket because she has to show her military ID and sign off on some paperwork. I remember when we used the discounted tickets in 2009 they had to enter in everyone's ID (even if it wasn't a military one) and you had to sign your tickets in front of them. DH had to show his military ID and sign some piece of paper.

Sorry. And please don't take this as a flame but as someone who watches her friends deploy for 6 months or longer at a time and watch friends who are spouses play both mom & dad when their spouses are gone for a long time, I understand you are trying to save a buck but I'm so annoyed that you are trying to take advantage of something not for you. When people try to abuse privileges for a certain group then that's when we lose them.

 

[Court475]

Well I'm certainly sorry that I have offended you. My nephew is in Iraq now and I have great respect for the military. She is the one who offered since they aren't going to be able to use the discount this year themselves. I didn't go seeking it out, but I thought I'd see how it works since the wording wasn't clear. I appreciate your reply.

 

[arihillfarm]

I'm going to Disney in March. My coworker, who's dh is retired military, offered to buy my tickets getting the military special because they aren't going this year. The offer says that one ticket must be used by the person in the miliary or their spouse. Even if I buy her a ticket, I still save a ton. Or would she actually have to be with me when we go to use the tickets? Am I a bad person for wanting to even use the military discount?

She or her husband would have to be with you at the gate when the ticket vouchers (if purchased at SOG or a MWR office) are activated and either she or her husband would have to buy and activate a ticket also. She would not have to be with you the rest of the trip. Since the military tickets are meant for family AND friends, and she is a friend of yours, why not see if you can convince her and her husband to take a trip this spring? Believe me, friends and family of military families earn them too whenever a spouse is deployed. Were it not for friends, family, neighbors and co-workers pitching in, my job would be much harder when my DH is deployed. We've made the offer before to friends to travel with us using the discounted tickets since we never need all six.

-Astrid

 

[cm8]

She or her husband would have to be with you at the gate when the ticket vouchers (if purchased at SOG or a MWR office) are activated and either she or her husband would have to buy and activate a ticket also. She would not have to be with you the rest of the trip. Since the military tickets are meant for family AND friends, and she is a friend of yours, why not see if you can convince her and her husband to take a trip this spring? Believe me, friends and family of military families earn them too whenever a spouse is deployed. Were it not for friends, family, neighbors and co-workers pitching in, my job would be much harder when my DH is deployed. We've made the offer before to friends to travel with us using the discounted tickets since we never need all six.

-Astrid

OP, if she has plans to head to Disney before you ( I think I read one part that said that they were going but not at that time, and another that said they were not going but you were buying her a ticket) Have her activate the tickets for you at that time and then she can give them to you when she returns. Then you would just need to use them when you arrive at WDW. Good luck either way

 

[LuLuO]

OP, if she has plans to head to Disney before you ( I think I read one part that said that they were going but not at that time, and another that said they were not going but you were buying her a ticket) Have her activate the tickets for you at that time and then she can give them to you when she returns. Then you would just need to use them when you arrive at WDW. Good luck either way

I don't know if that would work. When we activated our tickets at the Epcot ticket window, we all had to be there and we all had to show our IDs at that time - DH's military ID, my DL, and my mom's DL. We also signed the back of the pass cards.

 

[soonerfan2008]

Honestly, I agree with the poster who said she feels annoyed. My husband in currently on active duty in the military, and when we can, we enjoy taking advantage of the deals to vacation WITH our family or friends (which is the intention of the promo and why the service member has to be with you).

I think anyone who tries to figure out a way around that, say, by having the active duty member activate the tickets and then hand them off without going with you, should be ashamed. The promo is a way to honor those who SERVE this country and protect our freedoms, not to save you a buck!

Until you have walked a mile in a military member or spouse's shoes, you probably cannot understand why it is offensive. My husband (and our friends) miss out on so many things--birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, school events, births, etc. They risk their life, their limbs, their buddies. Right now, my husband is very far away, and he will miss the next year with our kids. What Disney offers gives many servicemembers an opportunity to plan a vacation with their family when they are home. Please don't cheat to get a deal you are not entitled to--you didn't earn it, and you run the risk of ruining deals like this in the future for those who do earn it.

 

[bdcp]

Your co-worker shouldn't have offered. It doesn't matter that they're not going. That has nothing to do with it. My DH is also military and I would never do what your co-worker did. Military benefits and discounts are for military members and their dependents. You're not a bad person, but you are wrong.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Honestly, I agree with the poster who said she feels annoyed. My husband in currently on active duty in the military, and when we can, we enjoy taking advantage of the deals to vacation WITH our family or friends (which is the intention of the promo and why the service member has to be with you).

I think anyone who tries to figure out a way around that, say, by having the active duty member activate the tickets and then hand them off without going with you, should be ashamed. The promo is a way to honor those who SERVE this country and protect our freedoms, not to save you a buck!

Until you have walked a mile in a military member or spouse's shoes, you probably cannot understand why it is offensive. My husband (and our friends) miss out on so many things--birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, school events, births, etc. They risk their life, their limbs, their buddies. Right now, my husband is very far away, and he will miss the next year with our kids. What Disney offers gives many servicemembers an opportunity to plan a vacation with their family when they are home. Please don't cheat to get a deal you are not entitled to--you didn't earn it, and you run the risk of ruining deals like this in the future for those who do earn it.

I am also the wife of an active duty military member. My husband is ALSO deployed and is missing the pregnancy of our first child. I do understand the sacrifices--trust me. But when you say that the purpose of the discount is for the service member to go with their family, that isn't true. As a spouse, I could get tickets for myself and friends if I wanted to take them with me and we could go even while my husband is deployed. I just wanted to clear that up. I know all about missing out on things. I miss my husband dearly.

 

[bdcp]

It's intended for the military member and family and friends, not OR friends.

 

[soonerfan2008]

I am also the wife of an active duty military member. My husband is ALSO deployed and is missing the pregnancy of our first child. I do understand the sacrifices--trust me. But when you say that the purpose of the discount is for the service member to go with their family, that isn't true. As a spouse, I could get tickets for myself and friends if I wanted to take them with me and we could go even while my husband is deployed. I just wanted to clear that up. I know all about missing out on things. I miss my husband dearly.

You're right--my post made it seem like the service member HAD to be there, but the spouse can also go and buy the tickets to use (and actually, we will be doing just that while my DH is gone this year). I should have stated that the purpose is for the SM or the dependent to use WHILE vacationing WITH their friends/family.

I hope your deployment goes by fast and your DH is home for the birth. I have a friend whose husband got to be home for 6 weeks after their first was born, then deployed for 15 months. After being home ONE year, he was gone for the second half of her second pregnancy, the birth and the first 6 months of the new baby's life. It can be such a hard road sometimes, but I'm so proud of all those who tred that path.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I hope your deployment goes by fast and your DH is home for the birth. I have a friend whose husband got to be home for 6 weeks after their first was born, then deployed for 15 months. After being home ONE year, he was gone for the second half of her second pregnancy, the birth and the first 6 months of the new baby's life. It can be such a hard road sometimes, but I'm so proud of all those who tred that path.

thank you so very much. It's a lot to take in and we only had 3 weeks notice for the deployment which made it that much more difficult as we are newly married and expecting our first baby together. I am scheduled to have a c-section March 22nd and he will be home around the 20th, but sadly, he only gets 2 weeks. I am very grateful that he will be able to be here for Bella's birth. It's a very hard road, full of sacrifices, but I am so very proud of him and love him so much.

 

[soonerfan2008]

thank you so very much. It's a lot to take in and we only had 3 weeks notice for the deployment which made it that much more difficult as we are newly married and expecting our first baby together. I am scheduled to have a c-section March 22nd and he will be home around the 20th, but sadly, he only gets 2 weeks. I am very grateful that he will be able to be here for Bella's birth. It's a very hard road, full of sacrifices, but I am so very proud of him and love him so much.

Oh, I'm so glad he will get to be there! DH had to leave for 6 weeks when our first was just a week old--granted, it was only 6 weeks, but we did ok. My friend says that she would rather her husband be gone in the early months when the baby mostly needs Mama. She got to do all the early days exactly her way, and then by the time he got home, the babies were more interactive and her husband got to experience that. I don't know that there is any "good" time to miss out on family life, but we just all learn to "suck it up and drive on."

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Oh, I'm so glad he will get to be there! DH had to leave for 6 weeks when our first was just a week old--granted, it was only 6 weeks, but we did ok. My friend says that she would rather her husband be gone in the early months when the baby mostly needs Mama. She got to do all the early days exactly her way, and then by the time he got home, the babies were more interactive and her husband got to experience that. I don't know that there is any "good" time to miss out on family life, but we just all learn to "suck it up and drive on."

Yes, thankfully! Yeah, I would rather him be gone when she is little little rather than older. He'll be back in late August or early September so she'll still be little. And Skype is a WONDERFUL thing so he'll get to see her everyday and talk to her. Yup, "suck it up and drive on"---perfect way to describe it.

 

[LuLuO]

Yes, thankfully! Yeah, I would rather him be gone when she is little little rather than older. He'll be back in late August or early September so she'll still be little. And Skype is a WONDERFUL thing so he'll get to see her everyday and talk to her. Yup, "suck it up and drive on"---perfect way to describe it.

I found out I was pregnant a few days after DH arrived in Iraq. We had only been married 8 months at that time. Luckily I gave birth to our DD while he was home on 15 days leave. He had to return when she was just 12 days old but came home just after she turned 3 months old. It was hard but we made it. We also used the webcam to talk as much as possible through the pregnancy and after so that did help. We were so lucky to have that. Big (((hugs)) and congratulations to you.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I found out I was pregnant a few days after DH arrived in Iraq. We had only been married 8 months at that time. Luckily I gave birth to our DD while he was home on 15 days leave. He had to return when she was just 12 days old but came home just after she turned 3 months old. It was hard but we made it. We also used the webcam to talk as much as possible through the pregnancy and after so that did help. We were so lucky to have that. Big (((hugs)) and congratulations to you.

WOW! It is nice to know I'm not alone. I have a few other ARMY wives I'm connected to in my area, which is nice. Sometimes it's just so lonely. We talk everyday on the phone because he has the MagicJack which we bought at Radio Shack for $40, so he actually has a Massachusetts phone number even though he's on the other side of the world! And we have free long distance in our phone plan, so I call him whenever and he calls me whenever. And of course we Facebook and we do Skype all the time. I have to say that I have NEVER been more thankful for technology!

 

[jms920]

God bless you and your DH's for all they do.

I would have given almost anything for today's technology when I was pregnant with our first child 38 years ago. My DH was in the Navy and his ship was deployed with 10 days notice. I found out I was pregnant about 3 weeks after he left. We survived 6 months on letters and 2 brief phone calls. We considered ourselves fortunate his time was up 6 weeks before our son was born, so he flew home. He had the chance to stay in until the ship returned but refused so he could be with me. HUGS to you all and I pray for your other half!