Ticket Questions for Those in the Military

[christianweecare]

My son is active military and plans to purchase 4 military salute tickets for us all for our December trip. My question, as I am always the family vacation planner, concerns the military salute tickets. I thought someone in the military might have an answer to my questions. Can he purchase the military salute tickets at his home base prior to our visit or does he have to wait and purchase them at Shades of Green? I would really like to be able to have them in hand prior to our visit so that we may make our fast pass selections when our window opens. Also, I have read that he will have to activate all of our tickets at guest relations once we arrive. Is that still correct? I appreciate your help and appreciate your service to our country.

 

[loves to dive]

Yes, he can purchase them on base if they do that, I don't think all the bases do. The first time my son used his, I think his wife called Disney and purchased them then they activated them at the gate. No matter how you get them, I'm pretty sure you are going to have to activate them. Also, I'm not sure if he can get the discount for anyone other than him and a spouse, we've never tried to get them for me since I have APs. I think to be used those who don't have military IDs are going to have to be with him whenever they go into the park. Again, not sure since his wife had and ID and I have the AP. The best bet is for you to call Disney and ask them, the last time we went they just bought them at the gate, we went through the IG at Epcot and it didn't take long at all.

 

[PSULion]

If he gets them at his local base, be warned that they may have to order them which can take a few weeks sometimes (it does at ours). They will be VOUCHERS, that need to be activated. You all have to go together to get them activated. Once they are activated and exchanged for actual plastic tickets, you are free to split up. The military member does not need to be there every time you enter a park.

Another option is mail order from Shades of Green. For $10 shipping fee they will send you gate ready tickets (meaning they do not require activation) via fed ex.

With vouchers OR gate ready tickets, you can enter the number on MDE and make your Fastpasses ahead of time.

 

[CVolkin]

Hi! Have your son or his wife contact ITR or Leisure and Travel office wherever they are. Our ITR office here at Redstone Arsenal sells the tickets. My husband is deployed to Afghanistan, so we are taking Grandma with us in May. I, as the spouse, was able to purchase the tickets and I will be the one to activate them at Guest Services on the first park day. Once you have the tickets, you can register them on My Disney Experience and get those Fastpasses 30 days in advance. Once the tickets are activated, you do not have to be with the military member or spouse to enter the parks.... Have fun!

 

[christianweecare]

To those of you that have responded, were the tickets that you purchased the Military Salute tickets? Will Shades of Green allow you to order the Salute tickets?

 

[PSULion]

To those of you that have responded, were the tickets that you purchased the Military Salute tickets? Will Shades of Green allow you to order the Salute tickets?

Yes.

 

[christianweecare]

Thank you!

 

[auralia]

He can buy them at his base. My base was sold out so I contacted shades of green and ordered them from there, they mailed them for a 10$ fee. Worth noting my base charges an extra 5% if you use a credit card, no fee if you pay via cash not certain about check. I received them within one week and had no problem linking them. Yes he will have to activate them at a guest relations window. We never go in a park on our first day so it's never a problem. We either activate them at down town disney or at the guest window at the magic kingdom... usually we have a snack or meal at a monorail resort, monorail over to magic kingdom because the kids love the monorail, activate the tickets, and take the boat to fort wilderness for the sing along or go back to our hotel at that point. Or downtown disney dinner and then activate it.

He will need his military ID in order to activate the tickets.

 

[PSULion]

He can buy them at his base. My base was sold out so I contacted shades of green and ordered them from there, they mailed them for a 10$ fee. Worth noting my base charges an extra 5% if you use a credit card, no fee if you pay via cash not certain about check. I received them within one week and had no problem linking them. Yes he will have to activate them at a guest relations window. We never go in a park on our first day so it's never a problem. We either activate them at down town disney or at the guest window at the magic kingdom... usually we have a snack or meal at a monorail resort, monorail over to magic kingdom because the kids love the monorail, activate the tickets, and take the boat to fort wilderness for the sing along or go back to our hotel at that point. Or downtown disney dinner and then activate it.

He will need his military ID in order to activate the tickets.

When did you do this? That used to be how it worked (needing to activate the ones from Shades of Green) but for the 2016 salute tickets, Shades of Green is mailing out activated tickets, not just the vouchers.

 

[christianweecare]

Just an update to my original post. My daughter-in-law was able to purchase the military salute tickets at her husband's base this week. I consequently was able to link the tickets to mydisneyexperience. Yea! I know that we still have to activate at guest relations once we arrive. Thank you all for your help!

 

[auralia]

I guess I don't know that the shades of green ones are activated or not.... I won't be using them tell April.

 

[PSULion]

You can tell by looking at them as they look totally different...

Non-activated vouchers say something like exchange certificate on them. They are like the hard glossy paper.

Activated tickets look like green credit cards or gift cards with a Disney character on the front. Nowhere on them do they say anything about exchanging them.

 

[Brokakaycharanla]

Not only will he have to activate the tickets but you will have to be present at activation if you plan on using one of those tickets. If you have any more questions or concerns, I highly recommend www.militarydisneytips.com It's a great resource.

 

[larryz]

Yes he will have to activate them at a guest relations window. We never go in a park on our first day so it's never a problem. We either activate them at down town disney or at the guest window at the magic kingdom... usually we have a snack or meal at a monorail resort, monorail over to magic kingdom because the kids love the monorail, activate the tickets, and take the boat to fort wilderness for the sing along or go back to our hotel at that point. Or downtown disney dinner and then activate it.

He will need his military ID in order to activate the tickets.

Just a note -- we activated ours at a ticket sales window at DHS -- didn't need to go over to Guest Services...

 

[AFwifelife]

We always activate at the TTC ticket window.

 

[brinkley07]

Activation is easy. Whoever has the military ID must be present, so your son or his wife, when you first use the ticket. When you go to any park you can activate at guest services or any ticket window can usually help. Then you can all go into the parks. It's a very easy process.

 

[twodogs]

I know OP has her tickets now, but for others reading, remember no sales tax on Military Salute tickets bought on base or at Shades. Sales tax is charged if you buy at regular Guest Services. And don't forget to add Water Parks and More option to the ticket (and/or park hopper). Not much more money but gives you up to 8 park days: 4 regular park days and 4 water park days!!

 

[christianweecare]

HI! I'm the OP. We went with the PH tickets. We will have a two year old with us that will need a nap everyday so I would imagine we will be going back to the room each day. The PH will allow us to be flexible with our parks. Maybe one park in the morning and another park in the latter part of the day. We're going in December so we decided that the water park option may not be an option.

 

[BMonhaut]

This thread has helped me out. One question, might be kind of dumb. Can you buy the park ready tickets through Shades of Green without staying there? Our party prefers to be able to do fastpasses at 60 days out. I always bought the vouchers through our MWR place here, but park ready would be nicer on arrival day. Thanks

 

[sharonabe]

This thread has helped me out. One question, might be kind of dumb. Can you buy the park ready tickets through Shades of Green without staying there? Our party prefers to be able to do fastpasses at 60 days out. I always bought the vouchers through our MWR place here, but park ready would be nicer on arrival day. Thanks

Call and ask. But just a word of caution. Only ONE person has said here that they actually got park ready tickets from SoG; they may not still be sending them. It never hurts to ask, though!