Military Tickets

[KerryCM]

Just returned from purchasing the military salute tickets from Arnold AFB here in TN. I usually have to order them, but now they keep them in stock. The best thing was they activate them right there at the ITT office! It was great. They go right on the Disney website, special place for them and activate the tickets. No more vouchers and waiting at Guest Services.
Just thought I would post this for others who are buying from local bases. Arnold is a very small base too.

 

[subtchr]

Just returned from purchasing the military salute tickets from Arnold AFB here in TN. I usually have to order them, but now they keep them in stock. The best thing was they activate them right there at the ITT office! It was great. They go right on the Disney website, special place for them and activate the tickets. No more vouchers and waiting at Guest Services.
Just thought I would post this for others who are buying from local bases. Arnold is a very small base too.

This is only partially correct.

If they are salute tickets, then when you purchase them, it is true that they are “activated” in the sense that you can link them to MDE and book park reservations. Bases now have the white ticket card “blanks” with the red and blue design. But you cannot enter the parks with those.

You still need to do the final activation step in person at the parks, by showing eligible military ID at any ticket window or guest services. This is true for salute/military promotional tickets sold at ANY military travel office other than Shades of Green. At that point you will be given the actual ticket cards good for park entry.

Note that some travel offices still give incorrect info about this. Also note that this only applies to the most heavily discounted 4- or 5-day salute tickets, not the slightly discounted MYW military tix.

 

[KerryCM]

The letter that I got with them says that I can enter the parks with the tickets. Not at home now, but will post a copy of the letter I received with the tickets when I get home.

 

[StarCruzer]

Interesting! We exclusively buy tickets from Shades of Green so we don't have to worry about the activation issue. They're usually pretty fast too, we get tickets in about 5 business days.

 

[KerryCM]

Here is a copy of the letter that they gave me with the tickets

 

[KerryCM]

This is only partially correct.

If they are salute tickets, then when you purchase them, it is true that they are “activated” in the sense that you can link them to MDE and book park reservations. Bases now have the white ticket card “blanks” with the red and blue design. But you cannot enter the parks with those.

You still need to do the final activation step in person at the parks, by showing eligible military ID at any ticket window or guest services. This is true for salute/military promotional tickets sold at ANY military travel office other than Shades of Green. At that point you will be given the actual ticket cards good for park entry.

Note that some travel offices still give incorrect info about this. Also note that this only applies to the most heavily discounted 4- or 5-day salute tickets, not the slightly discounted MYW military tix.

That is exactly what has happened in the past. They explained to me, that beginning January 1st a new program was introduced to them that they needed to be trained on. The woman said she though it would be difficult at first, but it really was quite easy. Now your tickets are activated right there and you can connect them to your Magic Bands or use the tickets. Naturally, you need to show your ID on base, but that was it. It does save a major step at the parks for us. We get them for our son and his family, along with my husband. I use my Main Gate being a retired cast member.

 

[subtchr]

The letter that I got with them says that I can enter the parks with the tickets. Not at home now, but will post a copy of the letter I received with the tickets when I get home.

Does it say this at the bottom?

If your tickets are the white ones pictured above, they are not valid for entry.

If they are the green background or 50th anniversary gold statue ones, then they have changed the system for 2023, as you were told.

 

[KerryCM]

No it doesn’t! That is the only paper I got not including the receipt for the tickets. It looks nothing like what you posted above.

 

[KerryCM]

I will make sure I bring the tickets with me just in case. We always stay at either the Beach Club or the Boardwalk and use the guest service window at the International Gateway. I will check with them before my son arrives, they come the day after us, to make sure and report back. We go February 8th.

 

[subtchr]

I will make sure I bring the tickets with me just in case. We always stay at either the Beach Club or the Boardwalk and use the guest service window at the International Gateway. I will check with them before my son arrives, they come the day after us, to make sure and report back. We go February 8th.

What do the tickets look like?

 

[subtchr]

I will make sure I bring the tickets with me just in case. We always stay at either the Beach Club or the Boardwalk and use the guest service window at the International Gateway. I will check with them before my son arrives, they come the day after us, to make sure and report back. We go February 8th.

It's not that you need the tickets. It's that when you scan in at the gate, whether with tickets or MagicBands or MagicMobile, unless things have changed for 2023, you will be told you need to go to a ticket window or guest services to show eligible ID to fully activate the tickets in the system.

You can see that the letter you got says and looks the same as the top of the one I posted. It seems that yours doesn't have the further information.

Again, it COULD be that things have changed (again), but this has been a big discussion point for over a year, once the military bases started getting the white plastic cards (they call them "blanks") to use so that people don't have to wait until the vouchers could be ordered and shipped. And many MWR/ITT offices misinterpreted the information they received, and were told that guests could enter with the white cards, because they were "activated". But they were only activated in the sense that they could be linked to MDE, to book park reservations.

I am confident that if you received the white cards as pictured, they are still not good for park entry. Please let us know how it works out.