Welcome, Jennifer!
It’s great to connect with a fellow Virginian as you plan your upcoming visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. There are a few different ways to honor our military and service-related families through special offers on tickets, and I’m happy to bring clarity to this for your exact situation. My husband is also a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) employee and what you describe is how we most often purchase our family’s theme park tickets, so let’s review what’s possible for you.
Yes, you may purchase discounted Magic Your Way theme park tickets in a variety of day-increments to suit your family’s vacation plans at your
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) office on base. You will show your Common Access Card (CAC) as formal identification to purchase, but you can buy the number of tickets needed for your family and friends. Good news, when you have these tickets in hand you don’t need to take time on vacation to activate them – these are activated and ready for use once you receive them. Be sure to link the tickets to your
My Disney Experience account upon receipt so you can begin planning more fun details for your trip.
Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) on the Walt Disney World Resort Property, also offers discounted Magic Your Way tickets akin to those you can purchase on base. You can purchase these through an online form and receive your activated tickets in the mail. With your Virginia location and DoD affiliation it sounds like a base is nearby, but this is another opportunity that you’re eligible for if not convenient to visit a base in person. The MWR and Shades of Green ticket prices are often very close; sometimes a local MWR subsidizes the discounted price so there can be a slight variation. My husband purchases ours at the Pentagon; depending on the number of theme park days we desire, they may not have them in stock but can order exactly what we need and then we receive the physical tickets soon after. I advise you to purchase your family’s discounted Magic Your Way tickets in the most convenient method for you.
Another special offer you may have heard of is
Disney’s Military Salute Tickets, a 4- or 5-Day ticket offer which is exclusively for active or retired military personnel and their families. In addition to more specific eligibility and theme park days, these tickets must also be activated in person with the eligible service member showing Military Identification upon arrival. These tickets are
limited to a purchase of six per year.I hope this helps clarify how to get a great deal for your family on tickets for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation, Jennifer!
Did you know that DoD employees are also eligible for special rates on Disney Cruise Line vacations?I'd love to help you maximize the magic on this special vacation with additional tips and ideas as you plan! Feel free to
write me back directly if you'd like to continue our conversation.
Happy planning,
Amy