How to Plan a Stress-Free Vacation as a Military Family

So, you want to plan a family vacation? Great! What’s the problem? Oh, you’re a military family and have no idea what your schedule looks like for the next 6-12 months because the squadron, manning, and operational tempo is constantly changing. I get it. I think a lot of us in the military community have been there a handful of times. What if I told you I’ve cracked the code on how to plan a magical vacation for your military family and keep it stress-free? Here are my top five tips & tricks to do just that:

1. Always look for Discounts

I refuse to buy or purchase ANYTHING without first seeing if there is a discount code or promotion out there. Chances are, there is. The same thing goes for travel, especially as a military family! Now, the goal isn’t always to find “the cheapest rate” because, let’s be real – sometimes the cheapest = low quality. Military discounts are available for many different types of travel destinations, and using those discounts can help you and your family afford a better quality vacation at a lower price point! Here are a few of my favorite travel suppliers that offer incredible savings for military members (that you might not have known about):

Disney Theme Parks & Disney Cruise Line

Want to visit my buddy, Mickey Mouse?! A trip to Disneyland (California), Walt Disney World (Florida) or aboard a Disney Cruise Line sailing is certainly within reach, especially given the incredible savings afforded to military members! Active duty, retired, or 100% fully disabled have access to “Military Salute Park Hopper Tickets” which are specially priced for 3 & 4 days (Disneyland) or 4 & 5 days (Walt Disney World). These are going to be the best deal on tickets, but if you have a shorter trip in mind, there are still savings available on 1, 2 or 3 day tickets as well. 

*Tickets must be purchased through your base ITT/MWR office or through the Walt Disney World DoD Hotel Shades of Green. They are limited to 6 per military family, per resort location (so 6 for Disneyland and 6 for Walt Disney World), per calendar year. You can read more about Disney Military Perks from a fellow WAF Travel Agent in this blog post here.

More information about specially priced tickets can be found here: 

• Disneyland
• Walt Disney World

Same goes for room rates – Disneyland and Walt Disney World offer specially priced rates on select on-site hotels (sometimes up to 40% off the regular racked rates) which can easily get you a Deluxe hotel on a Value budget.

*Room-only reservations must be made by phone, and a valid military ID must be presented at check-in to confirm eligibility. Disneyland limits you to two military rate rooms per visit while Walt Disney World limits you to three military rate rooms per visit. If you want to vacation at the parks multiple times in one year, you can totally do that!

More information about special military room rates can be found here: 

• Disneyland
• Walt Disney World

How about a cruise with Captains Mickey & Minnie? Special military rate fares are available for select cruises and itineraries aboard Disney Cruise Line and are typically posted 4-6 months before a given sailing. These are space-available, so if you see something you like you should jump on it quickly!

*If you book a cruise with Disney Cruise Line and then see a military rate become available, it unfortunately cannot be applied to your vacation. This is where a last minute trip could be in your benefit…wait until those fares are released before making any plans!

More information about discount cruise fares can be found here: 

• Disney Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises

If just a family friendly or luxury cruise is on your travel bucket list, then try checking out Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises! These are two of my favorite and preferred cruise lines (I’ve sailed many times!) Royal Caribbean offers special rates (a percentage discount) on select sailings for military personnel and their families, while Celebrity Cruises offers stateroom discounts (a dollar amount) depending on the class and category you book!

*Eligibility requirements apply, and will either be verified at booking or at check-in before boarding the ship. You can read more about them here:

• Royal Caribbean
• Celebrity Cruises

Sandals & Beaches Resorts

Needing a relaxing adults-only getaway or family beach adventure, then Sandals & Beaches may be right up your alley! Military members and their families can save an additional 10% on top of any other promotion at all of the Sandals & Beaches resorts. These all-inclusive resorts span many tropical locations, including Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, the Bahamas, Curacao, Grenada, and Barbados.

*Just make sure your service member has travel clearance for a specific country & leave approved before booking any out of the country adventures!

Airfare

Most airlines do indeed offer military rates – you just have to call to ask! If you aren’t liking the price you see online, check over the phone to see if they have something available for you or your military member.

Hilton Honors & Marriott Bonvoy

Where are my Amex Platinum cardholders at? Make sure you read the WAF blog post all about the Amex Platinum card, and why you might want to consider applying for one as a military family here. One of the perks afforded to you is membership in their higher tiered rewards categories: Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite. Wherever possible, use these perks to book discounted rooms directly with Hilton or Marriott. On top of that? You’ll earn points to be able to use for future stays at hotels around the world!

Visit your local ITT/MWR for other tickets. If you don’t follow your local ITT or MWR office on Facebook (or other social media they may have), I think you should go do that right now. Many places offer specially priced tickets only available at these base offices, and you can typically find pricing and more information on their websites.

2. Stay Flexible

A phrase we have heard all too often as Military Wives, “don’t make plans, things could always change!” Ain’t that the truth! We don’t get the luxury of planning 6-12 months out, so make sure you manage expectations and assume the “No Plan, Game Plan” (as my pilot husband likes to refer to it.) If you see a chunk of free calendar space, keep an eye on hotels, airfare, and your military member’s schedule. Write down a list of a few different options so that when the time comes to book, you aren’t disappointed if you have to modify or significantly alter your big travel plans! When booking travel, always make sure to look at the cancellation and reservation modification policies (and read their fine print) before putting any money down. You’ll want to make sure that you have the absolute best chance of making changes with little to no penalty should your service member’s schedule change last minute.

3. Book Direct and Consider Travel Insurance

A lot of the big vacation package deals can certainly be appealing, especially if you want to book through a third-party supplier. I always recommend booking directly through the travel supplier (theme park tickets, hotel room reservations, cruise itineraries, etc.) to have one line of contact should something go awry. Most of the time, the policies for modifications & cancellations are lenient with military members, especially if leave is recalled or if your service member gets called to last minute duty or deployment.

If your family decides to book through a third-party supplier, please consider purchasing travel insurance. Typically you can purchase the travel insurance offered through the supplier, but another option is to look at a secondary supplier like Allianz or even through USAA! Travel insurance will cover the cost of your trip for delay or cancellation, but also in the event of a medical emergency or even severe weather that could affect your vacation! Honestly, if the past few years in the travel industry have taught us anything – buy the travel insurance!

4. Get Creative with your Budget

Most travel suppliers often offer the ability to pay off your vacation over time leading up to your actual trip! How nice is it that you can arrive for your Disney vacation, cruise or relaxing all-inclusive getaway with not a single penny left on your balance due?! Research these options before making your deposit, as a payment plan is not always available. You can also develop a savings plan as a family 6-12 months before your vacation to set money away so that when the balance finally is due, you aren’t stressed about paying it off right before your trip.

Another tip I like to share is purchasing discounted gift cards when you see them on sale! Did you know that you can use Disney Gift Cards towards the total cost of your vacation? Did you also know they go on sale at Target from time to time? Did you also know that your 5% off with the Target RedCard also applies to gift cards purchased at Target? I just gave you my secret roadmap to getting a Disney discount without hunting the Internet for one. You’re welcome!

5. Hire a WAF Travel Agent

I know you have a lot of choices when it comes to your vacation, but working with a travel agent isn’t as archaic as it used to be. Some of us may even remember our parents making appointments with the local brick & mortar travel agencies in the 80s & 90s to book vacations. Note to self: it’s not like that anymore!

Enter – the WAF Travel Agent. A modern, virtual, personal travel assistant to help you with everything you need in order to plan your next vacation and keep it stress free. Have you figured out by now that I am one of them?

When working with a travel agent as a military family, make sure you hire someone who is well-versed in travel for military families! There is nothing worse than working with someone who is a travel expert, but not familiar with the unique challenges the military community faces. A travel agent is your point person to adjust your travel plans should you need it, while you focus on the home front. Rapid deployment orders came through and you’re stuck figuring out if, how, and when you’ll actually take your vacation? No worries. A travel agent (like me) specialized in working with military families will handle everything while you worry about more important matters, like getting your service member and your family ready for what is sure to be a stressful and emotional change for everyone. I’ll handle the trip – don’t worry about it!

The military always keeps us on our toes, but with the right strategy and the right game plan, your next vacation as a military family does not have to be stressful! Use these tools, and onward you go! I hope you picked up a few tips & tricks along the way. Better yet, reach out to me if you’re interested in working with a travel agent. As I always say, “Travel is on the horizon, and the magic is just beginning…”