Magic is Possible
When I picture Disneyland, or Walt Disney World, I think of a magical time: Fireworks, yummy food, Disney characters, music, rides and my kids having the time of their lives.
Being in the Navy, my husband has been on deployments, trainings and a sea tour, all the while I was either pregnant with or nursing one of our children. This meant a family vacation was basically out of the question for a long time, especially to either of the Disney parks.
When we found out we would be stationed in Southern California, I knew that we needed to take a trip to Disneyland. We did some research and discovered there are many discounts available for military members and their families; you just need to know where to look.
If you are planning your own family vacation and want to make it even more magical, here are some discounts for you to keep in mind.
Of course, always remember to have that military ID available – it’s like your own golden ticket to these discounts/rates!
1. Park Hopper Tickets (both Disneyland and Disney World)
Through Disney’s Armed Forces Salute program, military personnel can get discounted tickets to Disney theme parks. These deals are good for all military members, including active duty, retired military and spouses, National Guard and Reserves.
Typically, these rates must be purchased through your military installment’s ticket office, which is also referred to as the ITT office. You are able to get 6 per family throughout the year. However, I have heard through the grapevine that Disneyland will honor these rates at the gate. I have not tried it myself though.
There are restrictions (can only purchase 6 at a time) and blackout dates, so be sure to check the fine print so you can plan accordingly.
Also, since these tickets are not purchased directly through Disney (except for Shades of Green) each ticket requires a military ID verification on day one. Everyone you are activating a ticket for MUST be present for activation. Once activated, the party can split up, go to the parks on different days/times, etc. Also, if you have people in your party arriving at a later time, they still need the service member or spouse present (with military ID card) to activate their tickets.
Disney World
For the 2019 Armed Forces Salute at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, you can choose between a 4-day or a 5-day Disney Military Promotional ticket.
You can use the 5-day Park Hopper ticket when you visit during the period of January 1, 2019 through December 19, 2019 for only $257 plus tax and a 5 Day Park Hopper Plus for $307 plus tax. For a 4-day Park Hopper Ticket, during the same period it would be $241 plus tax and only #291 for a Park Hopper Plus. If you already purchased the Park Hopper and want to upgrade to the Plus pass, you will need to pay the difference of $50. To put this in perspective, the same 4-day Park Hopper Pass at retail would cost up to $448 per person.
That is about 50% off!
Disneyland
For the 2019 Armed Forces Salute at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, you can choose between a 3-day or a 4-day Park Hopper ticket. Purchase now through December 16, 2019, and receive admission for 3 days for just $178 or 4 days for $198 from January 1 through March 22 and April 9 through December 19, 2018.
The blackout dates are April 14th-22nd and of course, these tickets are unable to be used during the Christmas holidays.
Looking at a retail ticket, they would normally be up to $350, which is again a really nice discount.
At that price, consider taking a grandparent or babysitter in order to get some alone/adult time at the parks! Seriously….DO IT.
2. Lodging (Disney resorts)
Now the last couple times my family went to Disneyland, we were fortunate enough to find a hotel room close to the park (10-minute walking) for the price we wanted.
All of our children were under 4 years of age and so we didn’t need much room and instead simply used the hotel for naps and bedtime. However, there are some amazing rates with the park hotels that are worth looking into!
The Disney Armed Forces Salute program, which provides the great rates for the passes, also provides discounts for Disney Resort hotels, where military members can get select rooms at 30-40% off the normal rates.
This includes a variety of deluxe resorts, moderate resorts, and value resorts at Walt Disney World, and also resorts at Disneyland (which includes Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.
There are restrictions, such as the number of rooms at the reduced rate, and in some cases there is a minimum stay requirement that may apply.
There are also blackout dates, so be sure to call ahead so you can get all the specifics before planning your trip.
Other than being super close to all the magical fun, by booking with a Disney Report, you have the option of taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours.
This allows you early admission to select attractions, stores, entertainment and restaurants during each day of your hotel stay. That’s one extra hour of fun before the park opens to the general public, which is a great way to enjoy a slower pace and shorter lines.
Especially if your children are early birds like mine are!
3. Lodging (Shades of Green)
Another option for lodging is Shades of Green. Shades of Green is an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) in Orlando, Florida. It is a military-owned resort located within Walt Disney World that offers affordable military room rates and discounted tickets for all Disney World venues.
This not something I have personally taken advantage of (since we are on the west coast, but I knew people who have and they have been very pleased with the experience.
Although you aren’t directly on Disney property, the entire process is easy and doesn’t take away from the experience. It also offers complimentary bus transportation to the Disney World Theme parks as well as provides the Extra Magic Hours benefit, which is a huge plus.
4. Photo Packages
All through both Disneyland and Walk Disney World, there are photographers at different locations posed and ready to take your photo and capture a special moment.
They give you this card, or you can use your annual pass or Magic band and you can have it scanned at each place and then purchase the photos before you leave or online.
(Custom Shirts from Skylar’s Treasures)
For $98 plus tax, service members can purchase a Disney World’s Memory Maker (Photo Package). This is a substantial discount and the Memory Maker is between $149-199 plus tax retail. No more than two (2) Memory Maker products may be purchased at the special price by an Eligible Service Member or their spouse (but not both). This military discount on the photo package is only available at the Guest Relations office at the parks.
At Disneyland, the Photopass Plus can be purchased for $49 plus tax. The Disney PhotoPass Collection product can only be purchased at Main Street Photo Supply Co. at Disneyland Park or Kingswell Camera Shop at Disney California Adventure Park and are only available to eligible service members or their spouses.
I have heard that there may be a 3-day delay between the date of purchase and activation, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. I will have to try it out for myself our next trip!
Go Make Some Memories!
In the end, we all know there is a lot that goes into planning a Disney vacation. Everything from keeping kids occupied when traveling, the food to pack for the trip and even how to keep everything organized! However, by taking some time researching discounts with Disney, this can become a relaxing escape once you arrive. Plus save you money on tickets and hotels and even some of those extra magic making perks.
After all, there are so many other things that I personally would rather spend my money on when vacationing (like souvenirs)!
