Question about military discount/SOG Stars and Stripes tickets

[Happy_Haunt999]

We will have to purchase some tickets at regular price. Not sure of the number of people yet. It was 6 but could be as high as 10 or 11
When it was just going to be 6 or 7 of us we were planning on getting two rooms at AKL. Now we may either end up w 3 and have to be somewhere two can be connecting or consider a villa if we can get a good deal. We are staying in a 1brd Villa at SSR in October. We were originally at POR paying rack rate because all the military rates were gone and were able to change to SSR for $200 more, which we are all splitting. Not sure if we can afford this as a large group so we decided to splurge a little and enjoy the deluxe! We have never staying at a deluxe before so I am really excited!!
My granddaughter loves animals so I would really love to be able to swing AKL!

On the occasions that I go with my parents (dad is retired USAF), they stay at SOG and he can get up to 6 Disney Park tickets for us.

DBF and I stay DVC (although I have stayed SOG many times in the past). We rent DVC now and it's fantastic, and that's the only way we will go now (we got spoiled lol)! Last trip we split b/t SSR and AKV-Kidani and loved them both but especially the latter.
Here are some pics from our balconies at said resorts.

SSR

Kidani (AKL/Villas)

 

[TeamH5]

Another note, if your son is the only military in the group, only 1 room will be able to get the discount. If I remember right when I last booked we either all had to stay in one room, or I had to have both mine and hubby's name (bot of us are Active) attached to a room because each room required a military member staying in it. It may have changed though.

Also, I'm not sure on Sea World being free for former members. I know with Disney his medical status qualifies him all the military discounts, but not sure about SW. Their rules are different and I know I've had issues in the past just getting our immediate family in as we have more than 4 members, and that's typically the only # of tix you can get.

One more note. If you call Disney CS, from what I've *heard*, you may be able to get more than 6 SALUTE tix for a larger family, but it's on a case by case basis, and I haven't actually talked to or read about anyone that's gotten them. But worth asking.

 

[margot31]

Another note, if your son is the only military in the group, only 1 room will be able to get the discount. If I remember right when I last booked we either all had to stay in one room, or I had to have both mine and hubby's name (bot of us are Active) attached to a room because each room required a military member staying in it. It may have changed though.

Also, I'm not sure on Sea World being free for former members. I know with Disney his medical status qualifies him all the military discounts, but not sure about SW. Their rules are different and I know I've had issues in the past just getting our immediate family in as we have more than 4 members, and that's typically the only # of tix you can get.

One more note. If you call Disney CS, from what I've *heard*, you may be able to get more than 6 SALUTE tix for a larger family, but it's on a case by case basis, and I haven't actually talked to or read about anyone that's gotten them. But worth asking.

Military Disney Tips is saying that the eligible member can book up to 3 rooms and the service member has to occupy at least 1 of those rooms.

http://www.militarydisneytips.com/Disney-Armed-Forces-Salute.html#resort

 

[Momtwofour]

On the occasions that I go with my parents (dad is retired USAF), they stay at SOG and he can get up to 6 Disney Park tickets for us.

DBF and I stay DVC (although I have stayed SOG many times in the past). We rent DVC now and it's fantastic, and that's the only way we will go now (we got spoiled lol)! Last trip we split b/t SSR and AKV-Kidani and loved them both but especially the latter.
Here are some pics from our balconies at said resorts.

SSR

Kidani (AKL/Villas)

Beautiful pictures!! especially the AKL!!! That would be so amazing!!
I would love to have DVC!! I have read about people renting points but I have never looked into it.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

Beautiful pictures!! especially the AKL!!! That would be so amazing!!
I would love to have DVC!! I have read about people renting points but I have never looked into it.

Check your PM.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I bought the stars and stripes this year for my trip in October. I could have bought 2 salutes to use back to back, but then I couldn't do fast passes 60 days out for the 8 days. Plus, I needed only 7, and there was no way I could use the last day before it expired. I also looked at discounted (well, generally the discount of no tax), and for me, the cost of the stars and stripes ticket was the right choice. I'm staying at FQ. Yes, I think SOG offers this kind of ticket all the time. It's a cross between a regular ticket and the military salute one. With the stars and stripes, it's good for the water parks and hopping, but not the mini golf, like a water fun and more addition to a ticket. It's also limited to the number of days you are staying at SOG or another Disney resort. You need to show them 1, your identification that you can buy the ticket, and 2, your reservation number and where you are staying.

I found the ticket office at SOG easy to deal with, but sometimes slow, as they usually have a line.

Why couldn't you make your 60 day FP+ selections for all 8 days? We bought two sets of Salute tickets last May (2015) and were able to make FP+ for all 8 days

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Just food for thought. I'm planning our family trip for this December, during Free dining plan. We've already booked SOG at $100/night(which I believe he is eligible as tier 1 as well being disabled) I asked a Travel agent to price out an onsite resort to see what it would be, so we could use the DDP. First thing to remember is that you can't use the SALUTE tickets if you get a Pkg that includes the DDP. So you'd have to pay extra for the DP if you use any type of military discount, even for the room. The resort she quoted happened to be POR, and below is the breakdown:

SOG: $100/night x 7 nights=$700. No taxes.

POR w/o DP: $1261(for 7 nights in a room for 6 people)

POR w/ DP: $2574 (2 adults, 3 kids on DP)

The room included the military discount, no tix as we'd still have to get SALUTE tix. She wouldn't even give me a quote if we did the whole pkg no discount (so face value resort and tix to get the free DDP) because she said it was not cost effective at all.

So for $700 for a week's stay at SOG, $200 each for park tix ($4-600 for them depending if he's married), and, for the 2 or 3 of them, $1,000 would be more then plenty for food. You're looking at $2300 for 3 people, and that's staying for 7 nights. We're extending our time by going to Sea World one day (free for military and should be for him), spending a day at DS, and purchasing tix to MVMCP for another day.

Point being, if he's limited on funds but wants to take his daughter, staying at SOG, using SALUTE tix and paying full price for food will be cheaper than staying on property (and SOG is considered on property for some things like EMH) and using the DP. And that's taking into consideration price of Character meals too. We're also doing things a bit cheaper by eating breakfast at SOG every day ($5.99 and $9.99 respectively children/adults). Other than that, we will eat when/where we want and STILL make out cheaper than using the DP and staying on property.

Maybe things have changed since last May (2015), but we stayed at CBR with the military (Salute) 35% off discount. (We had to book via phone.) We used two sets of Salute tickets for each person in our party, AND we got the DDP. From what I've read, and what we experienced, booking military is the only way you can get a hotel and DDP without purchasing park tickets as part of a package.

 

[Lynne G]

Why couldn't you make your 60 day FP+ selections for all 8 days? We bought two sets of Salute tickets last May (2015) and were able to make FP+ for all 8 days

I don't know, but we were staying at the YC, and could not do all 8 days. I guess because I had bought them 2 yeas ago at my local ITT office, and each one needed to be activated before first use. I see now SOG sells them activated, but that was not available to us when we went 2 years ago. I am glad to see that now, and when I priced the Stars and Stripes for this year, it was just enough and just as cheap for the touring we are doing. Thanks for asking.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I don't know, but we were staying at the YC, and could not do all 8 days. I guess because I had bought them 2 yeas ago at my local ITT office, and each one needed to be activated before first use. I see now SOG sells them activated, but that was not available to us when we went 2 years ago. I am glad to see that now, and when I priced the Stars and Stripes for this year, it was just enough and just as cheap for the touring we are doing. Thanks for asking.

We purchased ours from our local ITT in January 2015 and were able to link all the Salute tickets to our MDE accounts prior to making our FP+ selections (we used the numbers on the backs of the vouchers). Once we arrived in Orlando, we went to Guest Relations at DS and activated the tickets so we could actually enter the parks. They didn't need to be activated to make FP+ selections, we just had to make sure the voucher numbers were in our MDE accounts.

 

[TeamH5]

Maybe things have changed since last May (2015), but we stayed at CBR with the military (Salute) 35% off discount. (We had to book via phone.) We used two sets of Salute tickets for each person in our party, AND we got the DDP. From what I've read, and what we experienced, booking military is the only way you can get a hotel and DDP without purchasing park tickets as part of a package.

Maybe I need to try that. Everything I've seen has said in order to get the DDP you have to purchase a NON-discounted pkg to include park tickets.
Is it possible though that that is only with the free DDP offer? When you booked did you receive the free DDP or was it extra?
I'm still fairly new to Disney, so I could very well be wrong. Lol

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Maybe I need to try that. Everything I've seen has said in order to get the DDP you have to purchase a NON-discounted pkg to include park tickets.
Is it possible though that that is only with the free DDP offer? When you booked did you receive the free DDP or was it extra?
I'm still fairly new to Disney, so I could very well be wrong. Lol

We stayed at CBR in May 2015 using the Salute 35% off moderate resorts.
Paid extra for the DDP (no discounts, no free dining).
Used two 4-day Salute park tickets per person.
We had to book everything via phone.

 

[TeamH5]

We stayed at CBR in May 2015 using the Salute 35% off moderate resorts.
Paid extra for the DDP (no discounts, no free dining).
Used two 4-day Salute park tickets per person.
We had to book everything via phone.

I think that's why. We were trying to get in on the free DDP offer. THAT one required non discounted room and ticket pkg.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I think that's why. We were trying to get in on the free DDP offer. THAT one required non discounted room and ticket pkg.

I found this on the military Disney tips site FAQ:

"Can I add the Disney Dining Plan to my Armed Forces Salute room reservation?
Absolutely, just ask to add whichever paiddining plan that you'd like to your Armed Forces Salute room only reservation.

However these military rates may not be combined with the Free Disney Dining Plan offers that Disney makes available from time to time.

There is a way around this, typically Disney requires only a minimum of 2-day tickets for everyone in the room. If you are staying 6 nights you could opt for the full price room, 2-day regular ticket and the 4-day Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets"

http://www.militarydisneytips.com/D...ute-FAQ.html#Can-I-add-the-Disney-Dining-Plan

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We plan to stay at a Disney resort. I am looking at Port Orleans Riverside. I am crossing my fingers they extend both the tickets and the WDW military rates My son has his heart set on taking his daughter for her 5th birthday. He is medically retired from the army so his income is limited. I did contact Disney and they said if we book and the discount is extended they will apply it.
I love that they offer such great deals for those that serve/have served

We want to book POR for next July, but have been waiting for the military hotel discount. So they said they'll retroactively apply the discount?

 

[Momtwofour]

We want to book POR for next July, but have been waiting for the military hotel discount. So they said they'll retroactively apply the discount?

They said if we booked and the discount is renewed they would apply it to our existing reservation. I am guessing providing we call right away and the discounted rooms aren't all gone because I know they are limited.