Military Promotional Ticket Offer Question

[Kevin1281]

• Subject to certain exceptions, Disney 4-Day/5-Day Military Promotional Tickets for admission to the Walt Disney World Resort are not valid until activated by the Eligible Services Members (or their spouses) at Walt Disney World theme park ticket windows.

1) If they are not valid until activated at Walt Disney World theme park ticket windows, does that mean we won't be able to link to MDE in advance and do our FastPasses 60 days out?

2) What are ticket window lines like at the parks? Probably insane, right?

 

[over50visits]

(1) No it doesn't mean that, we have done just that
(2) We have never ever thought the ticket window lines were too long. Maybe some have, but "avoid the lines and buy online early" feels much more like a marketing strategy.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

2) Another ticket window you can use to activate them is also a Water Park ticket window.
We have done that many times......even if our Mil Tkt did not have any waterpark benefits.
We usually drop by on our afternoon of arrival and get that done so we can do rope drop at a park the next morning.

 

[Kevin1281]

(1) No it doesn't mean that, we have done just that
(2) We have never ever thought the ticket window lines were too long. Maybe some have, but "avoid the lines and buy online early" feels much more like a marketing strategy.

Ok, cool, thank you. Glad to hear that the ticket lines aren't that bad. Still a little confused though. If you are able to make your FastPasses with them at 60 days out, wouldn't that mean they are already activated?

 

[Kevin1281]

2) Another ticket window you can use to activate them is also a Water Park ticket window.
We have done that many times......even if our Mil Tkt did not have any waterpark benefits.
We usually drop by on our afternoon of arrival and get that done so we can do rope drop at a park the next morning.

Smart. I like it.

 

[3SpoiledPrincesses]

If you purchase your tickets through Shades of Green they will Fedex the tickets to you, which are already activated. You can also request them to send you a copy of the back of the tickets via email. The back has the code which you link to MDE.

It’s a simple process. Contact them and have them email you the form. Print it out, sign it, scan and email it back. Once they receive it, they will call you within a few days to verify the order and get the last 4 of your CC #.

If you do need to go to guest relations to activate from a voucher, I will say that I went to MK guest relations yesterday at rope drop to purchase Memory Maker with my military ID and there were only a couple people ahead of me. The parks this week have been crazy crowded too.

 

[sharonabe]

Ok, cool, thank you. Glad to hear that the ticket lines aren't that bad. Still a little confused though. If you are able to make your FastPasses with them at 60 days out, wouldn't that mean they are already activated?

Nope it doesn't. MDE "sees" you have a ticket and thus allows the FP+, but if you try to go through the tapstiles without activating, you won't be able to.

 

[SweetMimi]

Are the tickets you purchase on base vouchers that need to be activated at the gate? We usually just buy our tickets at Shades of Green when we get there but was thinking of getting them earlier this trip.

 

[subtchr]

If you buy your military tickets at a base ITT office, you will receive exchange certificates. The number on these CAN be linked to MDE, to enable booking FPs.

You still need to stop at any ticket window or guest relations to show eligible ID to activate the tickets. They will give you the plastic ticket cards at that time. Many people who arrive the day before they plan to use the tickets do this at Disney Springs.

We have our military tickets shipped to us from Shades of Green. You can do this even if you are not staying there. It costs a $10 FedEx fee for the order, but they send activated tickets, which saves time on arrival. No need to stop to activate.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

If you buy your military tickets at a base ITT office, you will receive exchange certificates. The number on these CAN be linked to MDE, to enable booking FPs.

You still need to stop at any ticket window or guest relations to show eligible ID to activate the tickets. They will give you the plastic ticket cards st that time. Many people who arrive the day before they plan to use the tickets do this at Disney Springs.

We have our military tickets shipped to us from Shades of Green. You can do this even if you are not staying there. It costs a $10 FedEx fee for the order, but they send activated tickets, which saves time on arrival. No need to stop to activate.

Also, at least for us, the tickets are $5 cheaper at the military base than at SoG.

So, for 5 people, SoG would be $35 more,with shipping.

It only takes a few min to activate. So, if you will be getting there the day before, and it is not inconvienient to activate them, might as well save some money.

If activitating them would be a hassle, or interfere with rope drop, get them from SoG.

As PP said, you get the same FP booking windows either way.

 

[subtchr]

Also, at least for us, the tickets are $5 cheaper at the military base than at SoG.

Fair enough. The difference for us (WPAFB ITT) is only $3, according to the price list. But that difference is negated by a $3 processing fee per ticket. I don't know how many base ticket offices do that. So the only difference is the $10 FedEx. I don't go the base much, so avoiding taking the time for a trip there to order them, another trip to pick them up, and then the time to activate (usually just a few minutes, as you wrote, unless there are unusual lines or a cm who is not as familiar with the process) is worth $10, to me. But each person values his or her time differently!

 

[Kevin1281]

Sounds like Shades of Green might be the most hassle-free way. Thanks.

 

[t griffin]

If you buy your military tickets at a base ITT office, you will receive exchange certificates. The number on these CAN be linked to MDE, to enable booking FPs.

You still need to stop at any ticket window or guest relations to show eligible ID to activate the tickets. They will give you the plastic ticket cards at that time. Many people who arrive the day before they plan to use the tickets do this at Disney Springs.

We have our military tickets shipped to us from Shades of Green. You can do this even if you are not staying there. It costs a $10 FedEx fee for the order, but they send activated tickets, which saves time on arrival. No need to stop to activate.

how will we know who’s ticket is who’s? Will a cm ID at the turnstiles? What if my teens want to go to a diffrent park & my little ones want to go to MK? will they be asked to show ID?

 

[sharonabe]

how will we know who’s ticket is who’s? Will a cm ID at the turnstiles? What if my teens want to go to a diffrent park & my little ones want to go to MK? will they be asked to show ID?

If you order them from SoG, you assign them. Each ticket has a different character on it (usually), so it's easy. These are already activated, so everyone can head to their chosen park with no worries.

If you get them from the base, you'll have to activate before using them, and they'll be assigned then. No one will ask for ID once this is done, so everyone can go where they want.

 

[t griffin]

thanks, i’d hate to have to catch a bus to another park. im glad disney offers this.

 

[t griffin]

If you order them from SoG, you assign them. Each ticket has a different character on it (usually), so it's easy. These are already activated, so everyone can head to their chosen park with no worries.

If you get them from the base, you'll have to activate before using them, and they'll be assigned then. No one will ask for ID once this is done, so everyone can go where they want.

back again, just got off the phone with sog & they told me, “We do not send out activated tickets and you have to activate them the first day as a family” so i was like well that kills our rope dropping strategy, but then I thought to myself even the website says they send actual disney tickets and not vouchers. The website also says we wouldnt have to wait in the line to activate them. The information provided above is for the military salute tickets correct? Because if so someone at shades of green needs to be educated before hopping on the phone and just giving out false information.

 

[fillydash]

When purchasing WDW tix from SoG, does the mil purchaser also need to go to the parks at the same time as their guests? I was looking to purchase tickets for my teen grandchildren and my daughter to enjoy the parks while I just enjoy the hotel until later in the day. If I purchase advanced tixs, do I have to head to the gates with them to activate since I am the mil cardholder? Or can they go to rope drop and I join them later in the day?

 

[Countrywife45]

We are arriving the night before, where in Disney Springs can I activate them?

 

[compshu]

Tickets can be activated at Guest Relations in Disney Springs Town Center, it used to be near the Marketplace Co-Op but that changed when DS was completed. We've done that a few times, it was always more convenient for us since we can active on our arrival night, and then they are ready to when we head to the parks the next morning. The authorized sponsor must be present when activating, and must have their CAC or other proper military ID. Once they are activated, the party can split up however they choose. The tickets will be linked to your Magicbands and basically become just like any other ticket at that point.

 

[sharonabe]

back again, just got off the phone with sog & they told me, “We do not send out activated tickets and you have to activate them the first day as a family” so i was like well that kills our rope dropping strategy, but then I thought to myself even the website says they send actual disney tickets and not vouchers. The website also says we wouldnt have to wait in the line to activate them. The information provided above is for the military salute tickets correct? Because if so someone at shades of green needs to be educated before hopping on the phone and just giving out false information.

When the Salute first came out, SoG did NOT mail already activated tickets. They started doing that just a few years ago. There's always a possibility they will go back to just sending the vouchers that need to be activated upon arrival, especially if there has been some misuse of the already activated ones. So the CM could be right, but no one has come here to the DIS to say that's what's happened. Unfortunately, that's probably what it would take for us to know. They won't make any kind of announcement if they do it; they'll just do it.