Hey there, hi there, Debra! Welcome to planDisney. We are happy to have you stop by with a question for us!
I am excited to hear you are planning a visit next summer! If your dad is a veteran and wants to gift you tickets, it really depends on what tickets he is going to gift you. He won't have to be present to get the discount, because all special ticket offers for military are not purchased on property. Military ticket offers are available for purchase at participating military base ticket offices or through GOVX.com. If your dad is retired, there are special tickets available for active duty and retired called the
Disney Military Promotional Tickets, and those do need the military member present on the first day of use to activate them, as well as have the military member use one of those tickets. Active duty and retired service members also have the opportunity to purchase one park per day tickets for a special price, and those do not need to have the military member present. They can gift these to friends and family. There are also standard tickets available for a discounted price available at participating military base ticket offices that those with base and ticket office privileges can purchase which don't have the same stipulations as other military ticket offers. I always recommend checking out the
special offers to see what you may qualify for.
If you are visiting next summer, you will be able to experience the
70th Anniversary Celebration before it fades away in August 2026. The Paint the Night Parade is not to be missed! Be sure to check out
Disney Parks Blog closer to your visit so you can make sure you don't miss any announcements on any other happenings at Disneyland Resort!
Debra, thanks again for stopping by! We are here for any other planning questions you have along the way!
Carrie