Disney's Armed Forces Salute 2009

[MacGregorga]

Thanks for the info, guys! This Salute the Troops Companion ticket offer is really a great one, and it's worth decifering all the confusing rules, I think.

[pixiesmimi]

We got our tickets at the NAS Jax ITT office in Jacksonville Fl. They had a sheet of paper that went over all the rules for Salute to the Military and on the back it listed the different companion tickests that could be purchased. I wish I had it with me but I remember.

5 Day Ticket $97
5 Day Park Hopper $129
5 Day Park Hopper with water parks was something like $170+

There were also two other ticket choices that I just cannot remember at this time.

If you are driving to Disney and coming down I-95 then you go right by the Navy base if you take the I-295 by-pass. It might be worth stopping by there and taking a look at their tickets.


We leave in the morning! Oh yes!!!!

Why would yours be $97 when ours were $99 and the offer when it first came out was $99???? Also, it said to add the park hopper was an extra $25. Your prices don't add up. Are they being choosy about what prices they are offering different bases?

[Marilyn Michetti]

This is the most confusing offer ever. It's generous, but like walking through waist high mud understanding it.

I just bought my ticket, plus four companion for WDW. They are "hoppers" with an option to add water park later. This was the same lady that sold my the Military Salute for DL in April, and she's still not sure of the rules. She asked if I had trouble activating my ticket in April - I didn't. They had to be ordered, and will be in next week.

[starflyer59]

Why would yours be $97 when ours were $99 and the offer when it first came out was $99???? Also, it said to add the park hopper was an extra $25. Your prices don't add up. Are they being choosy about what prices they are offering different bases?

I'm not sure why the price differences. I went back and looked at the receipt and it was $97 dollars for the 5 day Companion ticket.

We did not have any problems activating the tickets this past weekend. We went to guest relations on Friday and handed the CM my ID and the two tickets, he punched in some numbers and ran the cards through a reader and then said "have a magical day"

Each time we used the cards (tickets) they never asked for ID or anything.

[pixiesmimi]

So where did you go to activate? Guest relations? Is that at the ticket gate or where? Wonder if they will add my park hopper to mine since our ITT wouldn't do it or if I will have to go to the ticket booth. We will have ADRS the night we activate so don't want to have to stand in a long line. Also, let me get this right, you don't have to get bracelets any more for EMH, right? Just show your Key Card at the rides?

[Marilyn Michetti]

It's $99. If someone got them for $97, it was probably a mistake.

[pixiesmimi]

That's what I thought. You got a little discount there. My ITT told me the park hopper addition would be $50 but I know she was wrong because it is supposed to be $25. I'm taking a copy of the offer with me just in case.

[starflyer59]

So where did you go to activate? Guest relations? Is that at the ticket gate or where? Wonder if they will add my park hopper to mine since our ITT wouldn't do it or if I will have to go to the ticket booth. We will have ADRS the night we activate so don't want to have to stand in a long line. Also, let me get this right, you don't have to get bracelets any more for EMH, right? Just show your Key Card at the rides?

Guest Relations at the park are normaly to the left or right of the ticket gate.

No wristbands for EMH anymore. You show your key card at the rides.

We used 3 days of our 5 this past weekend. We are taking my son to MK on the 9th for his birthday and then my daughter for her B-day in Dec.

[starflyer59]

It's $99. If someone got them for $97, it was probably a mistake.

HI Marilyn. No mistake. I went back to ITT this morning to look at some other tickets and I verified the prices again for the Salute to Heros companion ticket.

This is the prices at NAS Jax.

$97 - 5 day 1 park per day ticket

$121 - 5 day Park hopper

$121 - 5 day with water park and More

$145 - 5 day w/hopper and water park fun and more

I have the flier with the prices on it right here in front of me. It's weird that different ITT's would have different prices and options.

[pixiesmimi]

That is weird. The girl at our ITT said, when I questioned her about not being about to get the park hopper there and why others could get it at their ITT, that maybe that base had more people that went to WDW from there or something. That didn't even make sense. Being so close to FL here, I would think we had as many or more going to WDW from here as anywhere else. I don't understand why they don't all run the same way or offer the same things. Next time you go over there, ask them what the difference is and see what they say.

Leaving tomorrow! Can't wait!

[pixiesmimi]

So, we just got back from our trip. We went over to Guest Relations to the right of the baggage check for me to get my park hopper and have the tickets activated. I had to trade my hard card ticket for a paper one that was a park hopper. Bummer! DH got to keep his hard card. She did only charge me $25 for the upgrade. She put his SSN in the computer from his ID. That was all there was to it. After that, it was just treated like a regular ticket the rest of the week. This was a great trip and great promotion.

[starflyer59]

That's great to hear. We still have two days left on our tickets so we are taking my son to MK on Wednesday for his Birthday.

This program was awesome and I hope Disney does it again next year. It's the most generous thing that Disney has ever done for the military.

[Marilyn Michetti]

The neatest thing about it was that we went to DL in April, and now WDW with the same deal. In Calif. it was three days, and now five in Florida. I asked several times.........

[DMBdiva26]

I'm trying to work out if the military member who buys the ticket has to be the military member who activates the ticket with group.

We need one extra ticket for our family and we're being told two different things. We've been told, "yes you can get an extra ticket over the 5 companion" and we've been told, "no you can't get an extra ticket over the 5 companion."

If another military member purchases an extra companion ticket (he only needs three of his five) would our family member be able to use it or is it best to just buy a regular PH for the extra member of my family?

[starflyer59]

When i got my free 5 day ticket I had to sign the back of it before I left ITT. That way no one else would be able to use the ticket. It was the same with my spouse. She had to sign hers before we left ITT.

I think the guidelines say's that it has to the military member or the spouse of the member that activates the ticket.

[DMBdiva26]

When i got my free 5 day ticket I had to sign the back of it before I left ITT. That way no one else would be able to use the ticket. It was the same with my spouse. She had to sign hers before we left ITT.

I think the guidelines say's that it has to the military member or the spouse of the member that activates the ticket.

Yikes, I don't think my entire party will be with us when we go to ITT for the tickets.

[pixiesmimi]

Well, when my DH went tot he ITT to get his ticket, they made him sign it there. But they didn't make me sign mine when I picked mine up. No, the whole family doesn't have to be there. Only the military member or spouse or both. I'm not sure about if the extra ticket could be activated by you or the person purchasing it because they didn't ask us who was using our tickets just kept telling us that we could get 4 more any time. He just can't get another one. So those 4 would be on their own except to have someone activate them. They told us to go ahead and get them and then use them later but we weren't going back before Dec. I guess DH could use one of the companion tickets if we went back. Not sure how all that would work. I would just ask the ITT if an extra ticket is bought by another sponsor, if that person had to activate it or if you could. That's the first I have heard about something like that but have been wondering if your family was larger than 5, what you would do (like you had more than 4 children.)

[starflyer59]

We was at MK on Sept 9th to use our 4th day and we had to do the finger thing to use our tickets.

[pixiesmimi]

We was at MK on Sept 9th to use our 4th day and we had to do the finger thing to use our tickets.

But you always have to do the finger scan to use your tickets. ????

[starflyer59]

The weird thing is we did not have to do it everytime. Out of 4 days used and leaving and coming back to the parks during the day we only had to do the finger thing twice.