Military Salute Tickets : Vent / Warning to anyone going in January

[GreenTea13]

My Disney World trip is at the end of January and I had NO idea that the Disney World Military Salute Tickets were 'special order' and that it would take FOUR WEEKS to get. (It wasn't that way with the Disneyland tickets so I don't understand why it is like this for Disney World tickets.) What is worse is that the tickets have 'been on sale' according to some sites since October, but according to my local office the Disney site was having issues and they weren't allowed to sell ticket in till a little less than a week ago, which is just HORRIBLE timing! Because of this I won't get my tickets for another four weeks and I have to start my FastPass booking NEXT WEEK. (Believe me, I have been trying to buy park tickets for the past month and a half, so if they had been selling when they should have this would not have been an issue) So yeah, I'm going to miss out on early FastPass booking because for some reason the base couldn't sell me tickets sooner. This is just so aggravating.

I am never going to Disney in January ever again, I normally go during December so this stuff isn't normally an issue. (plus I'm already a bit sad I will miss Christmas time at the park, so this is just another reason to not go in January over December for me)

 

[Amanda Hall]

Too late now but you can order them directly from SOG and they will email you the ticket numbers and you can link them online . They are already activated as well and will ship them if you are not staying with them.

 

[GreenTea13]

Yeah, I knew about ordering from Shades of Green, but I was really confused by the order form and thought it would be easier to just order them in person at the travel office. Though I didn't know about them giving them to you activated already via email, I thought I was going to have to wait. So glad to know that for the future

 

[gharter]

Our son was able to purchase their tickets at his base.
He just had to activate them when we got to the parks the first time.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Sorry it's been so stressful for you. I used to typically go early each January, because I ran the marathon, and we wouldn't get our tickets in time for the 60 day window. We were still able to get the fast passes we wanted--just had to do a lot of "checking" in the days up to our trip!

Also, my Dh ordered our tickets for our February trip (I'm not doing the marathon this year.) They told him it would be several weeks for the tickets to come, but they actually arrived in 8 days! This was at the Pentagon, I hope your tickets come much earlier than anticipated too.

 

[Leigh L]

Yeah, I knew about ordering from Shades of Green, but I was really confused by the order form and thought it would be easier to just order them in person at the travel office. Though I didn't know about them giving them to you activated already via email, I thought I was going to have to wait. So glad to know that for the future

So sorry you missed your 60-day window because of the delay, I hope your tickets come way faster than they said.

I highly recommend Shades of Green's ticket office. We used to order locally, but found it much easier to do at Shades of Green, and found they usually have tickets available shortly after the Salute is announced. If staying with SOG, the scans come in email the day they confirm your purchase (usually 2-4 days after you send the form in). If you aren't staying with them, they'll FedEx your activated tickets to you for a fee (earlier in 2019, it was $10 when we did it) and those come fairly quickly too.

Hope you have a wonderful trip . (We are going the same time frame you are.)

 

[alldiz]

Yeah, I knew about ordering from Shades of Green, but I was really confused by the order form and thought it would be easier to just order them in person at the travel office. Though I didn't know about them giving them to you activated already via email, I thought I was going to have to wait. So glad to know that for the future

Hi,
I am a DVC member and I am bringing my BFF and her son to WDW in May.
She was going to get the tickets at her base in Nebraska........
She is arriving late afternoon , myself early morning .
I figured I have to wait till evening to activate... and possible her 5yr old might be “done” for day...
How does she buy through Shades of Green?
And if so are they Activated? I can enter park before she arrive?
Thanks
Kerri

 

[Anna131517]

Try another base. I just went to our ITT office and picked up six five-day tickets. I did notice there seemed to be a long list of people waiting for the six-day tickets.

 

[subtchr]

How does she buy through Shades of Green?
And if so are they Activated? I can enter park before she arrive?
Thanks
Kerri

Send an email to advancedtickets@shadesofgreen.org. They will send an order form. Fill that out, sign it, and send it back. They will call within a few days to get the cc number, and ship them FedEx within a few days ($12 shipping fee).

The tickets sent from SoG will be activated tickets, so no need to wait for her. They do reserve the right to ask for eligible military ID when using the tickets, but we have used them for 3 years now, and were never asked.

 

[subtchr]

I am never going to Disney in January ever again, I normally go during December so this stuff isn't normally an issue. (plus I'm already a bit sad I will miss Christmas time at the park, so this is just another reason to not go in January over December for me)

So sorry you are dealing with this frustration.

But be aware this is an issue with your travel office, not Disney or the salute tickets in general.

This will be our third year in a row going the first week in January with salute tickets. I email Shades of Green for an order form the day the next year's salute details are announced (around September 26). I have received a quick response each year, sent the order form back, got the call, and received activated tickets within a week via FedEx. No worries about having them linked before my fastpass window opens in early November.

We live not far from a base, but do not plan to use them for these tickets because of the possible delays, and because they are not activated. By buying direct from Shades we can skip the activation at the parks.