Official 2012/2013 Disney Military Promotion - Updated Post #187

[Claire&TheBoys]

Originally Posted by katiemely

Random question: I have a Disney Visa and am determined to earn enough Disney dollars to pay for our February trip (tickets/food). My question is can I use my Reward dollars at SOG to get our tickets?

No. Shades of Green is not owned/operated by Disney. You can only use Rewards dollars at Disney merchants. Even a few of the stores in the parks/resorts don't accept them.

[danceintherain]

Originally Posted by appleorchard

The way I took it, you can split the buying of the tickets as long as the military member or spouse is there to buy them and activate them, which is nothing new. I can't imagine that there will be any problem with your sister using them without you there, unless they plan, like you said, on IDing everyone every time they go through the gate. What a mess that would be! And even when you're on a trip with someone, you're not always together the whole time. I think your sister would be fine using the unused portion of the ticket on a later trip. That would probably be my sister's plan too--it's what she's done in the past.

These rules always start out at the beginning sounding way more complicated than they end up actually being. What did seem different is that on the official offer, it sounded like the military member or spouse had to use one of the six tickets, if you bought six. In this Q&A session, it sounded like the military member has to use one if you're buying six. My AP runs out before my DH's, so I was thinking I could use one of tickets if we bought six. Guess not.

Can't wait to get feedback when people first start using the tickets. We won't be using them until 2013, since just DH and I are going in Oct. and I already have my DD and DGD's tickets for next week. Can't wait--an all-girl trip!

The earliest I will probably be able to plan a trip for is December (we're still in South Korea awaiting orders back to the States) and it's probably more likely that we won't go until January, or later, so I too can't wait until people start dealing with it.
My sister is trying to get her husband to agree to spend money on Disney at all. Apparently, he's not a huge fan of Disney, so even $156 for 4 days and a free place to stay (his parents have a house there) isn't all that appealing to him. She said that he'd be more likely to pay the $300 for them all to have 1 day in Universal than $450 for 4 days at Disney.
I'm not sure if being able to use additional entitlements later on would help, or not, but I'm sure my sister's in-laws would appreciate the possibility of my sister bringing her kids down there to visit them as much as she chose.

[Alice28]

I'm excited for the new salute! This will be the third or fourth time my family has been able to benefit from this huge money saver. SO THANK YOU DISNEY!

My specific question is- in the past I have always bought my tix at SOG cause we were either staying there, or we had a rental car and could easily get there. My galpals and I are going for just a four day weekend in October and we're staying at WL (and getting there via ME). So I want to buy our passes for us at Magic Kingdom. My question is------do I have to go to the TTA to buy military tickets for MK? Or can I go to the Guest Services window right by entrance to MK? I'm pretty sure I can go to Guest Services, but i want to waste as little time as possible! Thanks for any help---

Robin

[Cheshire Figment]

Yes. You can buy the tickets at any Park ticket or Guest Relations window. You just cannot buy them at the Resorts.

[buffettgirl]

Originally Posted by Alice28

I'm excited for the new salute! This will be the third or fourth time my family has been able to benefit from this huge money saver. SO THANK YOU DISNEY!

My specific question is- in the past I have always bought my tix at SOG cause we were either staying there, or we had a rental car and could easily get there. My galpals and I are going for just a four day weekend in October and we're staying at WL (and getting there via ME). So I want to buy our passes for us at Magic Kingdom. My question is------do I have to go to the TTA to buy military tickets for MK? Or can I go to the Guest Services window right by entrance to MK? I'm pretty sure I can go to Guest Services, but i want to waste as little time as possible! Thanks for any help---

Robin

but don't forget, if you buy them outside of SOG you'll have to pay tax on the passes.

[JavArmy]

Originally Posted by Alice28

I'm excited for the new salute! This will be the third or fourth time my family has been able to benefit from this huge money saver. SO THANK YOU DISNEY!

My specific question is- in the past I have always bought my tix at SOG cause we were either staying there, or we had a rental car and could easily get there. My galpals and I are going for just a four day weekend in October and we're staying at WL (and getting there via ME). So I want to buy our passes for us at Magic Kingdom. My question is------do I have to go to the TTA to buy military tickets for MK? Or can I go to the Guest Services window right by entrance to MK? I'm pretty sure I can go to Guest Services, but i want to waste as little time as possible! Thanks for any help---

Robin

If you decide to go to SOG to get the tickets, just remember that it is a not too long walk across the street from the Poly. If I remember correctly, there may be a boat that goes from WL to the Poly. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

[Claire&TheBoys]

Originally Posted by JavArmy

If you decide to go to SOG to get the tickets, just remember that it is a not too long walk across the street from the Poly. If I remember correctly, there may be a boat that goes from WL to the Poly. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

There's no boat directly from WL to Poly, but there's a boat from WL to the Contemporary. From there, you could get the monorail to Poly, then walk to SOG. It's not a bad walk. However, I'm not sure that the time involved is worth $9 tax per ticket. You will also have to wait in line at MK to activate them.

If you live near a military base, call and find out if they stock the tickets. I've bought them at our local Navy base, no tax, and they also sell them at a discount (like $5/ticket). You still have to activate them.

[JavArmy]

Originally Posted by Claire&TheBoys

There's no boat directly from WL to Poly, but there's a boat from WL to the Contemporary. From there, you could get the monorail to Poly, then walk to SOG. It's not a bad walk. However, I'm not sure that the time involved is worth $9 tax per ticket. You will also have to wait in line at MK to activate them.

If you live near a military base, call and find out if they stock the tickets. I've bought them at our local Navy base, no tax, and they also sell them at a discount (like $5/ticket). You still have to activate them.

Aha! That's right, from the Contemporary, sorry. I got confused since we stayed at the poly last time, but now that you say so, I remember taking the monorail over to the contemporary before taking the boat! Thanks for clearing that up! Sorry for the bad advice!

[Alice28]

No bases are in Oregon. Shipping from ft Lewis in Washington costs $22 with fedex. I think I'll just eat the tax in Disney.

SOG is a good 10+ minute walk from polymonorail. If it's hot it's the longest 10 minutes of your life. I know, cause I've done it many times. The hassle of WL boat to contemporary, then monorail to poly, then walk to shades, then walk back to poly and mono or boat to MK is not worth the $10 in tax I would save for my one ticket. IMO of course.
Not to mention I will have just flown a redeye flight from Portland Oregon. I think its best to just boat it to MK gate and buy at guest relations. :-)

Can't wait! I think I'm at 55 days.

[saturdaygirl]

i read this whole thread, but i am still confused!

i'm planning on surprising my best friend with a trip to wdw in oct. i'd been waiting on the military promotion but was convinced that they weren't doing it anymore lol so i went with a regular disney vacation package. now, both of my parents are retired army; i'm not in the military whatsoever and i don't have an id anymore as i've aged out.

can they get me two tickets? where do you activate them? AT disney or like on base here? does one of them need to be there?

thanks!

[buffettgirl]

Originally Posted by saturdaygirl

i read this whole thread, but i am still confused!

i'm planning on surprising my best friend with a trip to wdw in oct. i'd been waiting on the military promotion but was convinced that they weren't doing it anymore lol so i went with a regular disney vacation package. now, both of my parents are retired army; i'm not in the military whatsoever and i don't have an id anymore as i've aged out.

can they get me two tickets? where do you activate them? AT disney or like on base here? does one of them need to be there?

thanks!

If they are not going to be physically present in Disney then they can't activate them for you. They can buy them on base, but they're no good unless they're activated. This is the same as in previous promotions.

[saturdaygirl]

Originally Posted by buffettgirl

If they are not going to be physically present in Disney then they can't activate them for you. They can buy them on base, but they're no good unless they're activated. This is the same as in previous promotions.

rats! my mom would never fly to florida for one day LOL

and no random military person could do it? i'm grasping at straws now

[Claire&TheBoys]

Originally Posted by saturdaygirl

rats! my mom would never fly to florida for one day LOL

and no random military person could do it? i'm grasping at straws now

I'm afraid not. It would use up some of that servicemember's quota.

You can either invite your parents to come along on your trip, or you can stay with the package you've already booked. No way around it, sorry.

[swimchick1984]

Well I guess it is a good thing that we are dual military, since they have put out that you can not use the four day passes back to back. Guess I will get 2 tickets with my ID will get two tickets. Then I will get 2 tickets with my DH ID.

[mckryan]

Cheshire Figment, may I message you privately to ask specific questions about the military salute tickets or would you rather I post it here? It's about multiple trips, friends using tickets without us there, etc.