Category — Military Families at Disney World

My friend Steve at MilitaryDisneyTips.com has published recently a couple of important news items for military families:

• He’s broken the story that families can now use the 4 day Disney World Military Salute tickets back to back for a trip longer than 4 days. See this.
• He’s also recently posted on a new Universal Orlando military deal–the first since Harry Potter opened.  See this.

Thanks, Steve, for writing about these!

Steve from MilitaryDisneyTips.com has a great post here on the top ten things you need to know about Disney’s Military Salute tickets.

It’s based on trying to answer the most common questions he gets around this fantastic, but often confusing, deal.

Check it out!

DISNEY’S ARMED FORCES SALUTE EXPLAINED

With the announcement of the FY2013 Disney Armed Forces Salute, there’s lots of interest in and questions about the specifics of the new program.

The details of this program can be complex, as it marries rules and fine print from two of the world’s great bureaucracies with some extensive formal and informal personal discretion about the rules and fine print from Disney World cast members.

The upshot is a bunch of difficult-to-understand formal rules, and a bunch of not-obvious possible exceptions to them.

I try to help on this as much as I can, but the real expert–and someone I turn to almost weekly for help–is Steve from MilitaryDisneyTips.com.

Steve has a great FAQ on the Armed Forces Salute.  The questions he addresses are below, and the links will take you directly to his material on the topic!

General Armed Forces Salute Questions

What is the Disney Armed Forces Salute?
Am I eligible to participate in the Armed Forces Salute?
What Discounts are offered during the Armed Forces Salute?
What is the time frame of the Armed Forces Salute?
At which Disney Parks is the Armed Forces Salute available?
What are Blockout Dates (sometimes called Blackout Dates)?

Armed Forces Salute Hotel Discount Questions

What Hotel Discounts are available during the Armed Forces Salute?
How do I make resort reservations using the Armed Forces Salute discount?
Can I add the Disney Dining Plan to my Armed Forces room reservation?
Are there any dates when the Armed Forces Salute room discount is not available?

Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Ticket Questions

What types of Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets are available?
What are the Park Hopper and Water Park & More Options
Who is allowed to purchase the Armed Forces Salute Tickets?
How many Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets can I purchase?
When do the Armed Forces Salute Tickets expire?
Are there any dates when the Armed Forces Salute theme park tickets are not valid?
Where can I buy the Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets?
How do I activate the Armed Forces Salute Tickets?
I need more Armed Forces Salute Tickets what can I do?

DISNEY WORLD MILITARY SALUTE TICKETS AND ROOM RATE DEAL FOR 10/1/2012-9/28/2013

Update July 2013: This deal has been offered for FY 14–October 2013 into September 2014–as well! See this.

Steve at MilitaryDisneyTips.com broke the news earlier today that there’s a new Disney World offer for US active and retired forces for FY 13–specifically, October 1 2012 through September 28 2013.

There’s two separate deals: on tickets, and on hotels.  I’m seeing some inconsistencies, and am missing a fact or two which I’ll fix later, but based on Steve’s scoop and the draft press release which Disney sent him, and he forwarded to me, here’s the details:

NEW 2012/2013 DISNEY WORLD TICKET DEAL FOR THE ARMED FORCES [Read more →]

See this.

Update 8/6:  See this.

NO EXTENSION OF DISNEY WORLD ARMED FORCES SALUTE

Steve at MilitaryDisneyTips.com published here that the current Disney World military salute deal for military families will not be extended beyond its expiration date of September 30.

AN FY 2013 DISNEY MILITARY SALUTE OFFER IS STILL POSSIBLE

This does not mean that there’s won’t be a similar offer after September 30; it just means that if there is one, it likely will have different prices and perhaps other differences in the details.

Based on past performance, a new FY13 Military Salute offer, if there is one, could be announced anytime from next week until well after the current salute expires.

Steve’s discussion has more detail on both points.

LINKS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

• Military Families at Walt Disney World
• Deals and Discounts
  • Military Discounts and Deals
  • Other Walt Disney World Discounts and Deals
• Shades of Green
  • Review of Shades of Green
  • Splitting Your Stay Between Shades of Green and Another Resort
  • Overflow Rates at Shades of Green
  • Shades of Green website
• Other Resources for Military Families
  • DisneyMilitarySales.com
  • Disneyworld.com/military
  • MilitaryDisneyTips.com