2024 U.S. Military Salute Ticket & Resort Discounts at Disney World
Walt Disney World has released its 2024 Armed Forces Salute ticket and resort room discounts for military members. 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.
This continues the company’s 100 year tradition of honoring those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Of course, it all started with Walt Disney, who was 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.
In order to serve, Walt Disney 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 O. Disney 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–it showcases Walt, the actual human, not the marketing mascot.)
Walt expressed envy to pivotal members of his studio who went to serve during World War II, devoted over 90% of the studio’s wartime output to publicity campaigns, and even embarked on a Latin America Goodwill Tour. Walt Disney walked the walk, and even the seemingly tallest of tales about Walt’s patriotism are actually true. He was the real deal.
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.
A bit tangential, but that was all further reinforced for us this year on Independence Day at Disneyland. We spent the holiday watching Air Force and Marine Ceremonial Bands, seeing military marches, patriotic Disney characters, a special version of the flag retreat, and more. It was a poignant Fourth of July in the parks, reinforcing the reality that Disneyland and Walt Disney World are still distinctly patriotic places.
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 its direction as a whole. However, when it comes to the military, the company has strong bona fides.
Here are details & pricing for Walt Disney World’s 2024 Military Salute Ticket discounted tickets:
6-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
Purchase now through December 15, 2024.
- With the Park Hopper Option: $409 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $439 plus tax
5-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
Purchase now through December 16, 2024.
- With the Park Hopper Option: $389 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $419 plus tax
4-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
Purchase now through December 17, 2024.
- With the Park Hopper Option: $369 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $399 plus tax
Valid Admission Dates
Receive admission for 4, 5 or 6 days, valid for visits January 1, 2024 through December 20, 2024, subject to the following blockout dates:
- March 24, 2024 through April 6, 2024
- November 24, 2024 through November 30, 2024
Add Memory Maker for a Special Price
You can also purchase the Memory Maker product for a special price of $98 through December 20, 2024.
Park Reservations Required
Both a theme park reservation and valid theme park ticket for the same park on the same date are required for each person in your party ages 3 and up. Reservations are limited and subject to availability.
About the Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus Options
You can purchase a Disney Military Salute Ticket that includes these options:
- Park Hopper Option:Â Visit more than one theme park on the same day after 2:00 PM.
- Park Hopper Plus Option:Â Visit more than one theme park on the same day after 2:00 PM. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. This option is a combination of the Park Hopper option and the Water Park and Sports option.
Note: Beginning January 9, 2024, Guests with a ticket with Park Hopper benefits will be able to visit another theme park at any time of day during park hours (subject to capacity limitations). So really, the above Park Hopper “rules” only apply for those taking advantage of the Armed Forces Salute offer January 1-8, 2024. For everyone else, that’s irrelevant.
Not irrelevant, apparently, is that those with Armed Forces Salute tickets must make a theme park reservation for each date of your visit. Walt Disney World is also dropping park reservations for most ticket types starting January 9, 2024. Based on the verbiage of the announcement from Walt Disney World, these Armed Forces Salute tickets are not among the “most” ticket types that includes.
Given this, we’d also expect Florida resident and other special ticket offers to retain reservations throughout 2024. It’s also likely that Walt Disney World will offer other promo tickets without reservations, using that as a distinction and selling point for certain ticket types.
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. None of the authorized third party sellers or other advice in our Discount Walt Disney World Ticket Tips advice applies for those who are eligible for the Armed Forces Salute. This is your best deal, period.Â
Next up, the Armed Forces Salute room-only discounts at Walt Disney World. These are valid most nights from January 1, 2024 through December 20, 2024. 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. (The 2024 Armed Forces Salute discount doesn’t mention the DDP one way or the other, but that’s probably because it hasn’t been relevant for the last several years. We’d expect it to be available if you so desire.)
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 Disney Resort hotels: The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, The 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, Suites in Moderate and Deluxe Resort hotels, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & 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 dad is retired military, and we typically stayed at Shades of Green (once it existed) when I was growing up. We’ve stayed there again in the last several years, and it was looking great thanks to its last overhaul.
My parents have stayed at Shades of Green even more recently, and my dad still loves it. He prefers 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. He doesn’t really do rides anymore, so I’m pretty positive he wouldn’t want to visit Walt Disney World if it weren’t for the hotel!
Shades of Green is located in the Magic Kingdom area, but sadly is no longer walkable from 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 2024. It seems like the last few years it’s been released later it was in the past, 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, and think it would be a terrible decision to discontinue it–at a time when they don’t need any more negative PR own-goals. The U.S. Military Salute is 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 2024 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!
I called the disney world room reservation number two separate occasions and was told that only the military member could book the room and not the spouse. That if the member wasn’t there at check in, I would be charged the original price. Has anyone experienced this?
I am the spouse of a retired military man. I have purchased tickets and hotel rooms with just my ID card. I have never been asked for his ID. I also recommend Shades of Green. It is a lovely resort on Disney property. The military salute tickets are the way to go, as they are the best deal you can get. They are only available at a military installation or Shades of Green. You can get up to 6 tickets at a greatly reduced price. We just came home from there.
Do you have a current active duty or retired military ID card? If so you should be able to. I’ve did DW and DL tickets and hotels with no problem.
Can someone help me? What is the name of the other military ticket that the person does not have to be with you.
Just a note. The resort discount for the military is no longer what it was since they went to the “up to x%” pricing. The past two years, I’ve gotten a way better discount using their Disney+ discount or their Chase Disney Visa discount. Right now, after pricing various resorts, I’ve learned that the value resorts are sitting around a 10% discount, so that’s all you’ll get on a suite (500+ per night) room at Art of Animation. Wilderness Lodge and Copper Creek discount was basically nonexistent, while Boulder Ridge had a 25%. Animal Kingdom Lodge was around 25%, too.
Also, the price of the Salute tickets is listed on the Shades of Green web site as slightly lower. And while you can buy the tickets at the park’s guest services…don’t! But them from a military base’s IT office or from Shades of Green. You won’t pay sales tax if you go through them; you will if you buy from Disney, and a 6+% sales tax can really add up on a ticket that’s around $400, especially when you times that by the number of people you’re buying them for!
That is all very helpful information, especially the advice on buying the tickets from the military and saving the money and the taxes. For many years now I bought my tickets at SOG. That will change now.
Leesa said: “That is all very helpful information, especially the advice on buying the tickets from the military and saving the money and the taxes. For many years now I bought my tickets at SOG. That will change now.”
For my September 2022 trip to WDW, I ordered the Military Salute discounted tickets through the Shades of Green ticket office. After providing them with a copy of my military ID, they mailed me the actual plastic tickets, not a voucher. I am pretty sure you avoid the taxes and fees buying them through the SoG ticket office.
The other advantage is that the actual tickets do not have to be verified with Guest Services when you use the tickets the first time. We just swiped our Magic Bands (with the ticket numbers added) the first day and walked right on in. If you get a voucher from one of the military bases, you may have to confirm it with your military ID the first time you enter the parks.
I would call the SoG ticket office before you buy your tickets elsewhere.
You mentioned that walking from Shades of Green to the Polynesian is no longer possible. I guess I missed something. What changed that it is now not walkable? I used that option regularly so am disappointed.
Earlier this year, they took away the path between the 2 to expand the road lanes. It is a permanent change unfortunately. We have been to shades 3 times since they did this and there is no getting around it. The path is completely gone and there are blockades.
Thank you for shining a light on this positive news Tom! One of their many reasons my family loves the Walt Disney Company is their history of support for our military. We have stayed at Shades of Green and purchased the discounted tickets and are so appreciative of these discounts. Thank you to your Dad for his service.
My husband served 10 years in the army (was there for ‘Blackhawk Down’, in Somalia, on the DMZ in Korea, etc.). He put his time in and is a proud veteran, but did not retire from the military due to health problems. I can’t understand why this benefit is not extended to all veterans. Planning to write a letter to Disney!
Shades of Green offers a salute to all veterans twice per year, in January and September. Your discharge papers are required for check in(DD214). Shades of Green sells discounted military tickets on site. You may want to contact them to see what benefits you are qualified for. Shades of Green.org
Also, all veterans with VA-documented service-connected disability ratings are eligible for SOG all year long. Here’s the entire detailed list for year round Shades of Green eligibility: https://www.shadesofgreen.org/about-shades-green/eligibility
I know that’s not the WDW Military Salute, but they do a really good job at Shades of Green. (Someday I’m going to come up with a clever backstory that matches what is basically their “theme” and give it to them, because otherwise they match or exceed many of the WDW resorts.)
Most places operate the same way. You won’t get the military discount at Universal Studios, either, unless you’re retired or active duty (or a dependent with a valid ID card). Many people join the military, serve their 3, 4, or 6 years then get out. According to the Census Bureau, from 2015-2019, there were 18.2M veterans in the United States. They’d be giving the discount to virtually everyone!
Replying to comment by PegP:
Truly, offering the discount to all veterans would substantially increase the amount of individuals qualifying for the discount, but isn’t that the point? This is a way to thank someone for their service. Your service is valuable, regardless of how long you serve.
I wish they offered something for veterans too.
Please see my comment right above yours. It was just posted.
We were just there in Feb 2023, and you could still walk from SOG to the Polynesian to use the monorail. The change happened more recently?
It started in May 2023, there’s SOG specific commentary here: https://www.shadesofgreen.org/about-shades-green/current-projects
It’s cheaper to do 6 days at DW than 4 days @ DL. I guess that offsets my airfare
Now I wait & see how much the salute tickets are for California.
Why do you not include Wilderness CampSites? They are Disney property.
Disney also doesn’t include the Little Mermaid at Art of Animation, though they do include the suites at that resort. The military discount is to fill rooms that need filling. That’s why not every resort and not every room category gets discounted. The resorts on the skyliner, for example, are highly sought after, so Disney doesn’t discount those except for AoA suites because the suites are priced like a deluxe resort without the deluxe resort’s amenities. You can get a discount at Port Orleans French Quarter, but not on a pool-view room. The base price on a deluxe studio at Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge (both DVC resorts at Wilderness Lodge) is the same, down to the penny. But try to get it with a military discount and the Copper Creek is nonexistent while Boulder Ridge sees a 25% discount. Copper Creek is the more popular choice because it’s in the Wilderness Lodge building while Boulder Ridge is a stand alone building nearby. Same with Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House and AKL Kidani Village. Jambo is always the harder one to get and the more expensive one.
This confirms the new Disney mission. Money, money, and more money!! Looking at their own bottom line and not the family vacation spot it started out as 50 years ago. Sad that families cannot afford Disney without a bag full of cash. We love Disney, but losing pleasure at the cost of everything. This may be our last visit. Hoped I could take my 3 grandkids, but fixed income does not support that, and my kids are working hard to provide all necessities for raising them. Your loss.
Thank you for your response.
The base Military Salute ticket comes with Park Hopper. The only add-on is the “Plus” option. I was getting worried they weren’t going to offer it this year, as they normally announce this a little earlier.
In planning a WDW trip for 2024, I had estimated the 5-day park-hopper ticket would be $391, based on the 2022 and 2023 prices. As you show, the actual price is $389, so I was not far off.
As for the Shades of Green, the location and price can’t be beat. Between the hotel and the tickets, I saved 30-40 percent on my 2022 trip compared to regular prices.
i miss “great moments in history…” with the muppets
I am an agent and called this morning around 10am for a military client. At that time the only military discounted rooms available at Yacht Club and Beach Club were Club Level! But it is Easter week, so there’s that….
Ok, this just made me super curious even though I know better, it would be very much not in my price range – but – how much were they? Hopefully less popular weeks there is more availability/wider variety.
That week at Club level WITH the military discount was $11k and change.