The Best Disney Deals for Your Military Family

Did you know that as a member of the military, you can take advantage of special rates at Disney destinations? YES! Disney grants specialized rates AND tickets for active duty, active reserves, retired, and 100% disabled service members. Sometimes they are up to 40% off regular prices! Oftentimes for large military families that saves THOUSANDS of dollars. I’m going to go through each of these offers and how you can take advantage of experiencing your own magical adventure.

The list of Disney destinations that offer a military rate includes:

• Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida
• Disneyland, Anaheim, California
• Disney Cruise Line sailings
• Aulani a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina Hawai’i

Each of these destinations offers something unique but special for each family, whether it’s a theme park, a day on the sea, or hitting the waves in Hawaii, an adventure is out there! Military families get the extra perks of enjoying these magical places with a discount as a form of gratitude for their service. 

Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World located in sunny Orlando Florida is the largest Disney destination (obviously not counting sailing the seas). They have four theme parks, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. They also have two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Walt Disney World offers a “Military Basic Package” which includes lodging at select Walt Disney World property resorts. Travel protection can be added to these packages for $82.50 per adult and $6.50 per child but this is not required. There are select resorts and room types that are not valid for this offer. You MUST present a valid ID upon check-in to avoid further charges. 

Military hotel rates can only be called in by a travel agent or the guest. I personally, as a travel agent, have significantly shorter wait times since my phone line is different than the regular guest line.

Valid admission and hotel rate dates are available for January 1, 2023, through December 15, 2023. Blockout dates apply; 4/2/23-4/15/23 and 11/19/23-11/25/23. 

To secure your Military Basic Package all you need is a $200 deposit (or $200 + travel protection) at booking and then the remainder is due 30 days prior to check-in. You can pay as little or as much as you want in the time between, with no required monthly minimums!

Theme Park tickets and Military Salute tickets are offered for military members and can ONLY be purchased via a base ticketing office. Military service members are allotted 6 tickets PER service member. There are rare exceptions in the case of there being two parents and 5 kiddos but that is up to the cast member’s discretion. You will also be able to get a discounted Memory Maker which is a photopass with unlimited photo downloads of the photos captured by the Disney Photopass photographers. The ticket options and pricing options are below:

5-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket

• Park Hopper: $369 + tax
• Park Hopper Plus: $399 + tax (the plus just means access to the waterparks)

4-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket

• Park Hopper Option: $349 + tax
• Park Hopper Plus: $379 + tax

Military Memory Maker with unlimited photopass downloads $98

• Memory Maker is bought upon arrival at Guest Services they say buy it from Disney Springs guest services but I’ve personally gotten mine from inside the parks Guest Services with no issue

Other Walt Disney World options for Military

Shades of Green (SOG)

SOG is a military only resort located “in the Disney bubble” but is NOT a Walt Disney World resort. This is a DOD exclusive property run much like normal base operations. Rooms are only valid to book by service members and are subject to availability. Prices for SOG vary because their pricing is based on service member rank, not just a general discount price. For some families this is cost effective since it is by rank but for some it is often the same price or can be more expensive than staying at a Walt Disney World resort. This resort can NOT be booked by a travel agent since this is a DOD run facility. Disney transportation, Mears Connect, and Sunshine Flyer do NOT run to this resort since it requires ID for entry.This resort is not themed, there’s not really anything Disney about it and honestly reminds me of temporary lodging facilities (TLF). Even before becoming a TA, I would always pick a Walt Disney World resort over SOG, sometimes it was cheaper and hey if I’m at Disney I want to dive completely into the magic.

You can also purchase theme park tickets from Shades of Green. These tickets do come activated already but they are not always an immediate purchase. Always check with them to see how long their ticket turnaround time is. During peak season it can be as long as 3 weeks. I personally have never had any of my clients wait that long but it doesn’t hurt to ask especially if your base can do it in less than a few hours. 

*Disclaimers and other important information*

• Genie+ is no longer available for pre-purchase at this time
• Tickets bought through Shades of Green are activated
• Tickets bought from a military installation ticketing office are NOT activated. This just means that when you arrive you will have to go to guest services with the tickets provided by your ticket office, show your military ID and have the cast member “turn them on”
  • You should ABSOLUTELY still link your tickets and make theme park reservations prior to arrival.This is required for entry
  • Please make park reservations, make park reservations, make park reservations

Disneyland

Welcome to the OG! What’s that you ask? The Original Disney resorts and theme parks! Disneyland in California is Walt Disney’s first dream and project with the theme parks. I kid you not, you can feel that nostalgia in every corner of Disneyland….OoOo chills am I right? Anaheim offers two parks Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Like World, Disneyland Resort offers Military discount rate rooms with their on-site resorts and travel protection can be added for $82.50 per adult and $6.50 per child but this is not required. You MUST present a valid ID upon check in to avoid further charges. 

Military hotel rates can only be called in by a travel agent or the guest. I personally, as a travel agent, have significantly shorter wait times since my phone line is different than the regular guest line.

Valid admission and hotel rate dates are available on select nights January 9, 2023, through December 15, 2023. Blockout dates apply and are as follows; 4/2/23-4/15/23.

Hotel booking for Disneyland is a bit different. For securing your military rate room at the Disneyland Resort you just need a deposit at booking. Deposit price will depend on the total price of your stay and can vary. With this hotel only booking the remainder isn’t due until check-in! Yes you read that correctly check-in! Most of my clients, myself included, like to plan and budget ahead of time. Planning out their finances and paying off their room prior to their arrival to avoid any billing issues. I mean no one wants to have a mishap with USAA or Navy Federal mysteriously trying to charge $2,000 and having them block it because they suspect your card has been stolen. It’s always easier and safer to have that headache phone call prior to running into Goofy.

Theme Park tickets, Military Salute tickets, are offered for military members and can ONLY be purchased via a base ticketing office. Military service members are allotted 6 tickets PER service member. There are rare exceptions in the case of there being two parents and 5 kiddos but that is up to the cast members discretion. You will also be able to have the option to add Genie+ Service ahead of time with the ITT office or upon arrival, the price is the exact same. Personally I’d just wait, you might not even need it or want it. At Disneyland the Genie+ Service is not only rides but also that Photopass unlimited downloads BUT it adds it on everyone’s tickets. So if you have no interest in any of the rides offered with Genie+ but you want to utilize the photopass, realistically you only need one person to buy the Genie+. That’s a Genie+ hack they don’t tell you but that’s why my clients have me.

The ticket options and pricing options are below and taxes are already included:

3-Day Military Park Hopper Ticket

• $245
• with Disney Genie+ $320

4-Day Military Park Hopper Ticket

• $280
• with Disney Genie+ $380

*Disclaimers and other important information*

• Tickets bought from a military installation ticketing office are ACTIVATED. You can go straight to the turnstiles once you arrive at Disneyland Resort.
  • You will be asked to show your military ID at the turnstiles to verify eligibility 
  • Please link your tickets to your Disney account prior to arrival and make park reservations, make park reservations, make park reservations

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise line offers special military rate offers on select sailings for new bookings only. The link will show what sailings and ships are eligible. Not all ships and itineraries are eligible for the military promotion. Service members are limited to one stateroom per service member. The majority of these itineraries are the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico. All of the magic of a Disney adventure is aboard a Disney Cruise just on the sea! Some of these rates are even extended to Marvel and Pixar days at sea! These are days on the water that are completely immersed in the theme specified. They go all out with character experiences, shows and more! These rates can be booked online, or called in by a travel agent, or guest.

Aulani a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i

Disney’s Aulani in Ko Olina, Hawai’i offers service members up to 30% off on stays Sunday through Thursday until March 31st, 2023. This is the current 2022 offer. Yes, 2022! The Military rates for the rest of 2023 have not been released. If/when they come back, check back in with me for all of the deets! This offer can only be booked by being called in by a travel agent or guest.

Why should you use a travel expert who specializes in Disney?

As promised in the intro now I get to chat about myself. If giving you all of that information didn’t convince you then let me sweeten the pot. Using a travel agent (TA), at least utilizing my services is FREE. You read that correctly, when clients book with me, it costs them nothing. Guess what? You pay the same price whether or not you utilize a planner. So for example, if your trip is $300 then it will be $300 if you book with me or $300 if you do it solo. Why not take advantage of having a Disney BFF expert in your pocket? When my clients book with me not only do they get to relax while I do the heavy lifting of finding the best offers, dates, and accommodations for their family but they get a ton of extra perks. Plus let’s keep it real, you’re not going to go to a cake baker to get your tires fixed right? Right! So use an expert, a person who is genuinely passionate about making memories magic and unforgettable. Keep reading to find out what is included in my services! I am a travel specialist with Mickey World Travel, a Platinum Level EarMarked Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

Keep in mind picking a TA is not always one size fits all. What I offer may not be what another TA offers and so on. Even if you choose not to book with me don’t be afraid to ask your travel advisor questions to get to know them better and vibe them out. You want someone you mesh well with because their purpose is to make sure YOU make the most out of your vacation. When it comes to my clients, my job is to make sure YOU get what you want out of your trip. I am here for YOU. This isn’t my Disney vacation or experience, it’s yours so if someone isn’t making your experience magical then it’s time to find a new fairy godmother or a villainous one. Here are just a few of the things I offer my clients when they book with me:

• Custom itinerary building: have a day-to-day plan for your adventure
• Book all of your dining reservations, VIP tours, after-hour events, magical extras, and more, no waking up at 6 am in a panic for you!
• Genie + Help guide, my Villainous packing guide, and complete access to me during your stay
• My personal foodie guides that are applicable and updated during your stay

Ready to get started or just get some free no obligation quotes for your next adventure? Fabulous! You can reach me a few different ways:

Email: [email protected] 

My Facebook page – like and follow to stay up to date and message me for any info! 

Instagram – “on the ‘gram” I’m known as Villainous Ventures! You won’t find many pretty pink princesses here but follow for more of an influencer, creator vibe. I share travel and Disney tips. But it’s me physically eating my way around the parks, dropping some nerd info about the Wizarding World, or just enjoying the villainous things in life. Since this is Wives of the Air Force, you can also find me on Spouse-ly! I have been featured on their social media accounts and their podcast “I’M Possible”.