2022 U.S. Military Salute Ticket & Room Discount at Disney World

Walt Disney World has released the 2022 Military Salute ticket and resort room discounts for members of the armed forces. This post shares the details of these special offers, commentary about the savings, info & recommendations, and history of the company’s support for the military.

It’s well documented that Walt Disney was, for lack of a better term, distinctly patriotic. He strongly supported the U.S. military throughout his career, and even attempted to join the Army in 1918 but was rejected for being too young. He instead forged the birth date on his application for the Red Cross Ambulance Corps and spent a year in France during World War I. During the war, Walt’s brother Roy was a petty officer in the U.S. Navy and his other two older brothers, Ray and Herbert, served in the Army.

Throughout the Walt Disney Family Museum (we highly recommend all fans visit), Walt Disney’s patriotism is reinforced repeatedly. Not just in a way that is convenient for the sake of his public image, either. (There’s none of that in the museum–unlike the company’s meticulous marketing version of Walt, the museum showcases the actual human.) Walt expressed envy to pivotal members of his studio who went to serve during World War II, devoted over 90% of the Walt Disney Studios’ wartime output to publicity campaigns, and even embarked on a Latin America Goodwill Tour. In short, Walt Disney walked the walk.

Beyond Walt Disney himself, many veterans have made significant contributions to the Walt Disney Company throughout its nearly 100-year history, including Disney Legends Admiral Joe Fowler and General Joe Potter. These two were central to the creation of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and like Walt Disney’s patriotism, the work ethics instilled in both via the military is well documented.

We’ve attended a number of D23 presentations where those who worked for Admiral Joe or General Joe share amusing anecdotes of how they ran things. If the stories are any indication, construction of the Florida Project and the early days of Walt Disney World seem to reflect a certain military sensibility, sounding dramatically different from today’s approach (would probably would not fly).

More recently, the Walt Disney Company has been named by Forbes as one of the Best Employers for Veterans. In part, this is thanks to the Heroes Work Here company-wide initiative to hire, train and support returning veterans that began back in 2012.

Heroes Work Here reflects the long history of respect and appreciation Disney has for the U.S. Armed Services. The Walt Disney Company recognizes the commitment and dedication it takes to serve, and values the leadership skills and sense of purpose the military has instilled in you.

Anyway, thought it would be worthwhile to briefly reflect on that before delving into the details of the deals. There’s a lot of pessimism and valid negativity about recent decisions by the company, and I’ll admit to my own skepticism about how it uses Walt Disney as a marketing mascot. However, when it comes to the military, the company has strong bona fides, and even the seemingly tallest of tales about Walt Disney’s patriotism are actually true. He was the real deal.

Here are details & pricing for Walt Disney World’s 2022 Military Salute Ticket discounted tickets:

5-Day Disney Military Salute Tickets
Purchase now through December 16, 2022.

  • With the Park Hopper Option: $349 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $379 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Option and Disney Genie+ service: $424 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Plus Option and Disney Genie+ service: $454 plus tax

4-Day Disney Military Salute Tickets
Purchase now through December 16, 2022.

  • With the Park Hopper Option: $329 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $359 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Option and Disney Genie+ service: $389 plus tax
  • With the Park Hopper Plus Option and Disney Genie+ service: $419 plus tax

Receive admission for 4 or 5 days when you visit during the period from January 1, 2022 through December 16, 2022. You can also purchase the Memory Maker product for a special price of $98 through December 16, 2022.

Note that in addition to a valid ticket, a theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system for the same park on the same date is required for each person in your party ages 3 and up. Reservations are limited and subject to availability.

This is a frequently-offered discount, extended every year since (at least) 2009. These tickets may be used by themselves, family members (including spouses) or friends. These tickets are by far the cheapest that Disney offers, so if you qualify, jump on this deal.

This is a great price for a 4-day or 5-day park ticket. If you’re eligible for these tickets, buy them, as they are without a doubt the best deal you’ll be able to find. I would highly recommend adding on the Park Hopper option, but not the Genie+ add-on, as you can purchase that a la carte for your Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studio days at a cheaper total cost. (See our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World for everything you need to know about that.)

Next up, the Armed Forces Salute room-only discounts at Walt Disney World. These are valid most nights from January 1, 2022 through December 16, 2022. Military personnel (active or retired) receive better room-only discounts than the general public, Floridians, or Annual Passholders. Call (407) 939-7830 for rates and to book.

Precise percentage savings is not published online, and varies by season, resort popularity, and room category. Typically, the Disney Dining Plan is not included with these discounts, but may be added at full price. (Obviously not relevant in the immediate future, but we still believe it’ll return at some point in 2022.)

The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited, and has a maximum stay of 14 nights. Valid military ID will be required upon check-in and military member (or spouse) must stay in the room.

Offer excludes the following Walt Disney World hotels: the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, non-family suites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Art of Animation Resort, and Polynesian Bungalows.

The Disney Military Salute Room Discount is for active or retired US military personnel, including active or retired members of the National Guard, Reservists, the US Coast Guard, the US Space Force, the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS), and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Spouses of Military Service Members also qualify if they are able to present valid and active US Military IDs in the absence of active or retired Military Personnel or Commissioned Corps Members.

Even with these excellent savings, you might instead check out our review of the excellent Shades of Green Resort. My father is retired military, and we usually stayed at Shades of Green when I was growing up. We’ve stayed there again in the last few years, and it was looking great thanks to its last overhaul. My parents have stayed there even more recently, and my dad still loves it–preferring to stay there for the camaraderie and since (how to put this delicately…) children tend to be more disciplined there, and he has some strong opinions on that.

Shades of Green is located in the Magic Kingdom area, and is within walking distance of Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Since Shades of Green used to be a Disney-owned Deluxe Resort, its rooms are significantly larger than Value or Moderate Resorts. Additionally, the food is much more reasonably priced. Prices at Shades of Green are based upon military-ranking.

Ultimately, it’s good to see Walt Disney World renew the Military Salute ticket and room discounts for 2022. I know this is coming a few months later than normal, and the Armed Forces community has been a bit anxious and disappointed by that. Totally understandable there. I’m glad Disney continues to offer this, as I think it’s deserved, appropriate, and generates goodwill among not just members of the military–but also those in the general public who appreciate the fact that the Walt Disney Company continues to live up to its historic legacy of honoring service.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Do you have any thoughts on Walt Disney World’s 2022 Military Salute ticket or resort discounts? If you’ve called to price out a room, anything worthwhile to report in terms of availability, rate, etc? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

28 Responses to “2022 U.S. Military Salute Ticket & Room Discount at Disney World”
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