Hey there, hi there, Sara. Welcome back, and thanks so much for clarifying for me.
When you activate your
military tickets at a
Walt Disney World guest relations location - including
Disney Springs - you will need a photo ID for anyone over 18 in your party, so yeah, they need to be there. This will allow the tickets to be properly linked to each guest.
It is a little bit of a hassle, but if you wanted to do it on the morning of your first theme park day, you can go to
guest relations at the theme park. Hours vary at these locations based on the operating time at the park, but I've seen them open at least a short while (like 15-30 minutes) prior to park opening. You wouldn't even miss rope drop.
Thanks for giving me the chance to get you the right information, Sara!
Anna