Need help, this time without the judging

[hoaks2]

So, here is what I posted last time:

Hello! My wife and I, along with another couple, are going to Disneyworld on September 18th. We are so excited, as none of us have been there before. The downside is that our 5th member is missing. He is in the Air Force and was stationed in Georgia, so he was just going to drive down to go with us. He is my best friend from High school, and one time roommate to my wife and I. Anyway, long story short, after we had already bought airline tickets (no small feat, as we live in Oregon), and he picked up the Military salute tickets for all of us, he gets orders to ship out in July. So, while we still have to go (we bought our airline tickets online at a discount, so no cancel/refund), he is in southern Iraq. Apparently, EOD doesn't count as combat troops, so he is still there.

While that is obviously unfortunate, here is my problem: we are kind of doing this trip on a budget, and because none of us are married to my friend in the military, we have to upgrade the tickets to full price if we can't find someone in the military to activate them. Does anyone have any ideas? I tried a craigslist post, but I am not getting anything. We may have to resort to looking for somebody with a buzzcut at the gates. The cost to upgrade our passes, somewhere around $700 would really kill us.

Any ideas? Or does anybody know a military person in the area? We can provide compensation if someone just made a trip all the way out there.

Thanks for the help!
Mike
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Pretty much all I got back was hate from people who seem to think I am trying to scam the system apparently. Here is the thing: my friend, who is like a brother to me and has grown up beside me, purchased these tickets. They were for OUR vacation to Disneyworld. The whole intent of the trip was to go and SEE HIM! But, as I stated above, he has been unexpectedly deployed (received orders 1 month before having to deploy). Now, I understand people getting riled up if I were just trying to get in to the parks for cheap. But that is not just the case. My wife and I have very little money, and we basically scrounged everything for this trip. I don’t see it as dishonorable to any service member to expect to use what I paid for. Like I said, I have been best friends with this guy since we were kids, so I did as much to “earn” it as any of his family members. I find it rather insulting to insinuate that I am “stealing” the discount. Basically, I’m stuck with an un-avoidable trip that has already gone to disaster, and I am trying to make the best out of it. Can you really blame me? I have little money, and the one trip to go see my best friend before he got sent to Iraq has gone wrong, and yet I'm the bad guy? I came here seeking honest advice from other Disney travelers, not criticism. So please, does anybody have any serious advice?

 

[mousebymarriage]

Have you tried calling disney directly and explaining the situation? With so many soldiers being deployed over the past few years and most with very little notice (and Disney trips are usually booked months and months in advance) I am sure there are other "families" that have had this problem. I understand that you are not blood related to this man but, in my opinion family doesn't always have to be blood, family is in the heart as well!

Good luck! I hope everything turns out well.

*if you already tried calling I would call again and speak to a manager. Sometimes when you call disney or any customer service line the answers are not always the same depending on who you speak to.

 

[hipchickie]

No advice, sorry - but I hope your friend comes home safely

 

[hoaks2]

Thank you both. Mousebymarriage, I have tried the phone line before, but I didn't try the manager approach. I figured the same thing, because like you said, trips are usually planned ages in advance (I planned mine 11 months in advance! last October), and I was told that I was basically out of luck because none of us were married to him (and don't think that I didn't consider it ). If that doesn't work, I will try my luck with a manager at the guest services desk at the park when we get there, but I would rather not have to leave it until too late.

Again, thank you both for your honest help.

 

[mamaLori05]

can you reschedule to when he might be home? Otherwise, (and I'm not judging you by any means), the only other option I see is to "upgrade" to the reg tickets or cancel. I'm pretty sure Disney requires someone from the military to be present and show an ID when entering the parks using a military discounted ticket.

 

[sydneysmom]

You still have the same problem and are looking for different answers. My suggestion ? Switching your hotel to a less expensive hotel to save money or staying offsite to save money. there are plenty of ways to save money without having to ask someone in the military to activate military tickets...when YOU aren't in the military.

But there are a thousand different ways to save money if you want to go to Disney. Everyone on this board does something to save money in order to have their dream vacation. You might want to see if you could do less expensive tickets...do without park hoppers or if you have any add-ons. But honestly, I don't know how many people are going to give you advice on how to find someone in the military to activate your tickets. Especially when you're not going to be with someone from the military. I too have very good friends that are serving, and God bless them. I wouldn't dream of using the situation to my benefit. but that's just my opinion.

 

[richmond282]

The only options I see are to reschedule (which still may be cheaper than the difference in ticket prices) or pay the difference. I'm not being mean. I just don't see any other options.

 

[hoaks2]

Sadly, because of the airline tickets, re-scheduling is out of the question. I tried that one right off the bat. Also, the military tickets we have are not refundable, and we can't hold on to them until he gets back because he gets back in January, after the tickets expire anyway.

As for saving money, I have already done literally EVERYTHING to save money. I have the cheapest hotel available, not near the park, and I have pulled every string to get everything as cheap as possible. If we can't find a way in (and if Disney won't budge), then I will probably have to borrow money to upgrade the passes.

And Sydney's mom, I don't really care for your opinion. This isn't necessarily for my benefit, but for necessity. You made it clear last time that you don't understand my situation or sympathize. I don't think we have the same idea of "family."

 

[LovableGluttons]

have you considered doing a couple of timeshare presentations for the free tickeys? We found ours on ebay and did it back in 2007. Dh and I sat through two of them for two tix ea plus decent accomodations for two adults and two kids.

 

[tinker&belle]

Has he tried calling or emailing? I don't know if he has the time/ability depending on what his job is, but they might handle a call from him differently (no experience of my own, just a hunch.)

 

[KathyTX]

The bottom line is that you simply do not qualify for these discounted passes.

This thread is closed- please do not post this topic again.