Deep Discount Disney Celebrates America Year-Long Ticket Returns for 2027, First Deal on Lakeshore Lodge
Walt Disney World has released 2027 Armed Forces Salute ticket and resort discounts for military members. This post shares the details of these special offers, including the return of the deeply-discounted Disney Celebrates America WDW year-long ticket that costs less than half the price of an Annual Pass, as well as the first-ever room-only deal on Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge!
Although the Semiquincentennial celebration for the 250th Anniversary of the United States is over, some aspects of the “Disney Celebrates America” campaign are continuing on. This includes that aforementioned not-so-Annual Pass, as well as Soarin’ Across America in the parks, military merchandise collections (including a new one out right now for Veterans Day) and more.
This continues the company’s over 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 served in the Army. If you want to learn more about this, we highly recommend a visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Walt Disney walked the walk; he was the distinctly patriotic real deal.
Beyond Walt Disney himself, many veterans have made significant contributions to the Walt Disney Company throughout its over 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. Suffice to say, 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 more bureaucratic approach.
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.
Anyway, here are the official details of the 2027 Disney Military Salute (or Armed Forces Salute) at Walt Disney World:
2027 Walt Disney World Military Ticket Deals
Choose between the Disney Celebrates America Military Salute Ticket or a 4-Day, 5-Day or 6-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket, with either the Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option—for visits in 2027. The following promotional tickets are available for purchase:
6-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
- With the Park Hopper Option: $469 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $499 plus tax
5-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
- With the Park Hopper Option: $449 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $479 plus tax
4-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket
- With the Park Hopper Option: $429 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $459 plus tax
Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus Options
Choose from military promotion tickets with one of these options:
- Park Hopper Option: Visit more than one theme park on the same day.
- Park Hopper Plus Option:Â Visit more than one theme park on the same day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket.
Tickets may be purchased at participating US military sales outlets by Eligible Service Members (defined below) or their spouse, for use by themselves, family members and friends. Tickets may not be otherwise transferred, distributed or resold.
Tickets can be purchased at participating military base ticket offices (including Shades of Green) or at Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket windows. No tax if ticket is purchased at a base ticket office or Shades of Green. Tax is added if ticket is purchased at a theme park ticket window. The actual prices charged at the individual US military base ticket offices for Disney Military Salute Tickets may be less than the prices set forth above.
Disney Celebrates America Military Salute ‘Annual’ Ticket
It’s back for another year! With this ticket type, visit again and again through December 21, 2027, with park reservations required:
- With the Park Hopper Option: $549 plus tax
- With the Park Hopper Plus Option: $579 plus tax
Disney Celebrates America Military Salute ticket holders may hold up to 5 park reservations at a time on a rolling basis.
Valid Only for Park Entry
Tickets do not include parking or any discounts on dining, merchandise or other offerings. This is true of all ticket types, including the Disney Celebrates America Military Salute ‘Annual’ Ticket. Although it offers nearly year-long admission, it is NOT an Annual Pass in the traditional sense of the term. More on this in the commentary below.
Admission Dates
Disney Celebrates America Military Salute Tickets and Disney Military Salute Tickets are valid for park admission only, from January 1 through December 21, 2027. All ticket types require an advance park reservation and are subject to the following blockout dates:
- March 21 through April 3, 2027
- November 21 through November 27, 2027
Tickets and options expire and may not be used after December 21, 2027.
Park Reservations Required
To enter a theme park, both a valid ticket and a park reservation for that park are required. Before purchasing this ticket, check that reservations are available for this ticket for the date(s) and park(s) you would like to visit. Make your reservations immediately after purchasing your ticket because reservations are limited, and you may not be able to get a reservation for your desired date or park. View the park reservation availability calendar.
Add Memory Maker for a Special Price
You can also purchase the Memory Maker product for a special price of $98 through December 21, 2027.
The specially-priced Memory Maker product can only be purchased at Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket windows by Eligible Service Members or their spouse. No more than a total of 2 Memory Maker products may be purchased by an Eligible Service Member or their spouse.
WDW Military Salute Deal Eligibility
Walt Disney World defines “Eligible Service Members” as active or retired members of the US Military, including 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 Eligible Military Service Members also qualify if they can present valid and active US Military IDs.
The eligibility rules have been a hot topic each year that we cover the Military Salute and Disney Celebrates America discount. Former military members who do not qualify (by virtue of not being active or retired) argue that their service should recognized and honored by Disney.
Other military members assert that this would make the pool too large, and limits have to be drawn somewhere. This blog is not taking a side either way; we don’t have a dog in this fight. Just noting that this has long been a controversial definition, and re-litigated endlessly over the years.
WDW Military Ticket Deal Analysis
The Disney Celebrates America Military Ticket is obviously the best deal of the bunch at only $80 more than the 6-day ticket. This is a hefty price increase over last year, but this year-long ticket is still far and away the best option of the bunch. It was a steal of a deal last year during the America250 celebration, and it’s nice to see the not-so-Annual Pass return.
Despite it not being an Annual Pass that’s eligible for discounts, parking, etc., this is nevertheless similar to Walt Disney World’s Sorcerer Annual Pass, but with additional blockouts around Easter. Notably, the Sorcerer AP is only available to eligible Disney Vacation Club Members and Florida residents, and that costs $1,139.
The least-expensive Annual Pass that the general public can purchase is the top tier Disney Incredi-Pass, which has no blockouts, but also a massive $1,749 price tag. We would also note that both tiers of actual APs saw massive price hikes last month, so it’s not as if Disney is targeting the military with higher costs.
Comparatively, the “Disney Celebrates America” Military Year-Long Ticket is an exceptional deal. It’s less than half the price of the comparable Sorcerer AP and one-third the cost of the Incredi-Pass. Its cost is on par with the Pixie Dust Pass, which has a ton of blockout dates (including all holiday weeks and every single weekend) and is only available to Florida residents.
Assuming you’re a military member (or family) and plan on spending over 6 days at Walt Disney World in 2027, this “Disney Celebrates America” all-year ticket is a great value. Again, not technically an Annual Pass…but offers better access than half of the actual APs.
The one big downside is that this all-year access ticket does not offer Annual Pass benefits. In particular, it does not offer free parking at the theme parks nor does it entitle ticket holders to any special discounts on food, merchandise, etc.
Depending upon how often you visit, where you stay and whether you drive or rent a vehicle (versus using Disney transportation), this could be a difference maker. We use our AP discount a ton, and probably save more money per year than the APs cost in the first place, but we never park a vehicle at the theme parks.
If you’re primarily eating at Shades of Green or counter service restaurants, that lack of a discount may not make a difference. Or if you’re a Disney Vacation Club or Disney Visa Cardmember who has access to other, alternative discounts.
We heard from many military members who took advantage of the Disney Celebrates America year-long ticket this year and got incredible value out of it. For others, it didn’t make sense versus a traditional AP due to the lack of parking and discounts. As always, your mileage may vary.
As for the 4-6 day tickets, they’re the best deals that Walt Disney World offers. These really encourage purchase of the longer duration since the incremental cost for anything more than 4 days is pretty low. Same idea with the Disney Celebrates America Military Ticket. It’s $80 extra whether you visit for 7 days or over 300 days.
My only real ‘critique’ of the Military Salute Tickets is that the Walt Disney World version continues to require reservations. The blockout dates already serve this role, and it’s pointless to have reservations on regular (non-AP) tickets in 2027. It’s not 2022 anymore.
Honestly, I’d go a step further and say it’s also silly to have reservations on Walt Disney World Annual Passes in 2027. Disneyland is a different story. But this is a point I’ve harped on repeatedly, and it really appears that Walt Disney World just wants a selling point for traditional tickets with pointless and nearly meaningless friction on promotional offers.
No further analysis of these Walt Disney World ticket deals is necessary. Year in and year out, these are the cheapest tickets that Disney offers. If you qualify, jump on this deal. 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
For those already looking ahead to 2028, the 4-6 day ticket deal is a frequently-offered discount, extended every year since (at least) 2009. The cadence over the last few years has been to release between Halloween and Veterans Day, so if you’re already anxiously awaiting the 2028 version of this deal, it’s safe to anticipate that sometime between the start of Disney’s new fiscal year in October and November 11, 2027.
2027 Disney World Military Resort Discounts
Next up, the Armed Forces Salute room-only discounts at Walt Disney World. These are valid most nights from January 1, 2027 through December 21, 2027, with a book-by date that’s also December 21, 2027 (meaning this is one deal that won’t end early).
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 make reservations. Walt Disney World has once again published an actual rate and discount chart for the room-only discount. Here are the savings you can expect:
Valid military ID will be required upon check-in and the military member (or spouse) must stay in the room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if there are more than 2 adults per room. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
This offer 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.
Offer excludes the following room types: Club Level Rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House; Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge; Bungalows, 1-Bedroom Villas, 2-Bedroom Villas and Penthouses at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows; and all 3-Bedroom Villas.
Whereas the ticket deals are unparalleled, military room discounts are fairly middling. These savings tiers are about on par with an average general public room-only offer for the respective timeframes, with the only real advantage here being that they’re bookable much further in advance.
Bounceback deals (which also are bookable far in advance) are better than this, as are Annual Pass and Florida resident rates. For that matter, we’d expect to see ‘stay longer and save more’ general public offers for 2027 that end up surpassing some of these rates. This has been the case for at least the few years, since Walt Disney World started publishing a rate chart, so nothing new here.
The big ‘news’ with the release of military room discounts is the inclusion of Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge. This is the first time that the upcoming resort, which opens on July 1, 2027, has ever been included in a special offer. As discussed in Walt Disney World’s Newest Resort is Open to Book & Starts at $500/Night, But You Should Wait for Deep Discounts, it definitely won’t be the last time.
It’s nevertheless good to see Lakeshore Lodge land in the top-tier, as opposed to Walt Disney World (erroneously) assuming demand will be off the charts and they can get away with lesser savings for Lakeshore Lodge.
Even with these resort discounts, 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 as adults, but it’s admittedly been several years.
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 more, ahem, disciplined and well-behaved guests. He’s got some strong opinions on all of that, and it’s probably a good thing his only “blog” is a Creed Thoughts-style Word doc. 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. Room rates at Shades of Green are based upon military-ranking.
Ultimately, it’s good to see the Walt Disney Company renewing and expanding the Military Salute special offers at Walt Disney World, along with bringing back the hugely popular “Disney Celebrates America” year-long ticket deal. I’m glad Disney continues to offer this, as it’s well-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.
I’d likewise love to see more initiatives like the broader “Disney Celebrates America” campaign from the last year. As mentioned elsewhere, this is exactly what the United States needs more of in these unnecessarily charged and polarized times. Exercises in patriotism instead of politics that remind us of what makes this great nation special and works to unite the country instead of divide us. Walt Disney World already brings together people from all walks of life in the first place, and is a distinctly patriotic place.
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 the 2027 Disney Celebrates America Military Salute discounts for Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our analysis? 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!
