Military Salute ticket question

[deedeenmickey]

I am going back to WDW!! I purchased military salute tickets in Feb 2009. According to the website this offer started January 2010. Can I buy tickets for this promotion period???? Has anyone done this? My husband is active duty so we are eligible every other way.

[deedeenmickey]

Oh yeah...can you buy these tickets at the entrance or do you have to buy them from Shades of Green. And.....do they start selling them before the park opens??? Being there for only 3 days we will want to get in the parks ASAP and we are getting in late the night before so SOG will be closed.

[wdwfansince75]

The tickets can be bought at SoG, or at the park ticket offices, or at military bases. They must be activated at the parks.
The ticket office at SoG opened was open at 8AM on our last trip.

[deedeenmickey]

Thanks!!! Can they be bought at any park or just MK?

[disneygal2010]

I work @ the Shades of green ticket office,and those military salute tickets may be purchased at any disney theme park ticket window,the ticket desk at shades,or any participating itt/mwr military base office.The main difference between buying them @ shades instead of at the gate is you pay no sales tax when you purchase them there (as it is considered an military installation)though you will still have to stop by any theme park ticket window,or guest relations location to activate the tickets w/military id.Our office is open MON-THU 8AM-7PM AND FRI-SAT-SUN 8AM-9PM.If you arrive after 9pm and still want to purchase the tix,going to the guest relations kiosk at downtown disney would be your best bet.(most of the theme park ticket windows will be closed by that time)

[deedeenmickey]

Thanks DisneyGal! I called and left a message at the SOG ticket office so if you get my message you can disregard! Haha! Thanks so much!

[mama2six]

We are getting them for our trip in July and our base here is too small to have an ITT office.
I didn't want to pay tax at the gate (we are paying a lot for all 8 of us to go, so I need to save where I can!) and I didn't want to spend our first morning going to Shades of Green to get them.
So, I found another base that will sell them to me via fax & phone and only pay shipping.
That way, I have them in my hands before we leave and it is one less thing to worry about.

[deedeenmickey]

Thanks all! Do you know how much sales tax is??? I am wondering if it is worth my while I am only buying 3. Thanks again.

[CleveRocks]

Sales tax at Disney is 6.5%, except at the three All-Star resorts, which are in a different county than the rest of WDW and have a 7% sales tax.

[miasmom]

Hello,
I am posting on behalf of my wonderful sister, who is part of the CDC in Atlanta. The CDC is part of the Navy, but she doesn't get military ID like the rest of the more "traditional" service-people. And she is not part of a "base". She's tried to figure out what she needs to bring to SOG to purchase tickets, but no one at her office seems to know.

Is anyone here part of CDC or has knowledge of what she needs to bring to purchase tickets? Or perhaps how she can purchase in advance? She lives in Atlanta, and I believe works at CDC headquarters or nearby, so she could go there if that is what she needs to do. But so far, we can't seem to figure out how to get park tickets!

thanks
karen

[deedeenmickey]

I am not familiar with the CDC but if it is military or Department of Defense she should be able to purchase tickets from the Shades of Green. The ticket hotline number for questions is (407) 824-1403.
You will likely have to leave a message and have them call you back but they can tell you what documentation to bring if she is eligible. Good luck!

[wdwfansince75]

The CDC is part of the Public Health Service, under the Dept of Health and Human Services. Of the approximately 10,000 personnel in the CDC, less than 1000 are in the Commissioned Corps, which is considered a "Uniformed Service". It is the Commissioned Corps of the CDC that is eligible for SoG.
According to the SoG website: Eligiblity includes the Commissioned Corps of Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Required ID is DD Form 2, PHS 1866-1 or 1866-3. If her ID is a PHS 1866-1, or PHS 1866-3, she would be eligible, but will need the ID at check in.

[MARY POPS' MOM]

thanks disneygirl2010 for the perfect info!

[miasmom]

Thank you all so much. My sister is Commissioned Corp (she has a bunch of stripes and I am very proud of her service.) I called the SOG ticket office, so thank you very much for that direct number. Had to leave a message, but I am hopeful that she can get discounted tickets.

She would like to bring my 5 yo niece to visit us while our NJ family is in WDW in August, but the ticket prices are just too high to justify a 2 day trip for her and she can only come for the weekend.

I'll let you know if I am successful, since this issue seems to be one big question at her office. She was told that she was not eligible for park tickets (only SoG), but it seems that she might be. I hope that if I can get the right info, I can pass it on to other families in her office that have also been told they are ineligible. Fingers crossed - I would love nothing more than to share the MK with my gorgeous niece!!! I'll even spring for a princess meal, since what 5 yo wouldn't love that?

[wdwfansince75]

The SoG and Disney websites state that:
These tickets are for active and retired United States Military, including Coast Guard and active members of the Reserves or National Guard, and permanently disabled veterans with a valid military ID card.
Reservist on active duty must show current orders to active duty.

As I recall, from association with the Commissioned Corps in the past, members have many benefits, such as GI bill entitlement, VA benefits, and elibility for exchanges, commissaries, and on base housing. Not sure if not included them was intentional, or an oversight...Perhaps she could contact the Division of Commissioned Corps Officer Support (DCCOS) (877–463–6327) and ask the question.