Are there any military discounts at Disney World for an honorably discharged Marine reservist who served eight years?”

Hi Tammy Lynne!

Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, and thank you oh so much for reaching out to me! Mine is a military family too, and if there is one thing Walt Disney World Resort and the U.S. Military have in common, it's change. Prior to January 1 of this year, this answer would have been that only those service members who are Active Duty, Currently Serving Reservists, Full Retirees, or those who were 100 percent service-related medically retired are the only ones able to take advantage of any kind of military pricing, both those offered directly from Disney as well as other tickets sold on base.

BUT! As of January 1, 2020 the "Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018" went into effect that now allows certain groups of non-retired Veterans to have MWR and Commissary privileges. While this act doesn't change who can qualify for Disney's official U.S. Military Promotions, there is an entirely separate, slightly discounted ticket offer that certain Vets now have access to. "Magic Your Way Tickets" are sold only at Military Ticket Sales offices, which are found on Bases/Posts and at Shades of Green. Shades of Green is an Armed Forces Recreation Center located on Walt Disney World Resort property. These tickets range from 1-day to 10, with the option to add on the Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus additions. To find a price list for these tickets, call or visit the MWR/ITT/Ticket Office website of your nearest Base/Post, or you can also find the Shades of Green price list on their website. (Click on the 'Experiences' tab near the top, then select 'Tickets/Attraction.' Click 'Learn More' under the Walt Disney World Resort section, then click 'View Full Price List' in the ticket description box.) And don't forget that tickets purchased on Base/Post or from Shades of Green are always sales-tax free!

Since this is all still so new, I reached out to the Ticket Office at Shades for clarification on who can now purchase these tickets, and this is what they sent back:

~ Veterans with Service-connected disabilities rated 0 - 90 percent (!!!)
~ Purple Heart Recipients
~ Former Prisoners of War (POW)
~ Caregivers of Veterans (Primary Family Caregivers of eligible veterans approved and designated under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance with a current official VA letter and official ID.)

When asked what is required for proof of qualification, I learned that the Veteran must have an updated Veterans Affairs ID Card/VHIC that displays "MWR, Commissary" under their picture. They were very specific that DD 214 paperwork without an updated VHIC will not be accepted.