Hi there, Stephanie!
Thanks for your question and welcome to planDisney! I'm happy to help with your ticket question.
Eligible US military members are able to purchase promotional theme park tickets for the Disneyland Resort through US military base ticket offices. Valid military identification is required to use the tickets, so as long as the eligible military member is with your party then you'll be just fine. The situation you described with a new party member joining you works as long as the eligible military member is there to show identification when they activate their ticket. You can see more
details about the military tickets online, or ask any questions at your base ticket office. If you need help locating your ticket office or want to speak to them in advance you can find a
list of participating base locations on the Disneyland website.
Did you know that eligible US military members can also qualify for
special rates at Disneyland Resort Hotels? They do! If you haven't picked a hotel for your visit yet then I highly recommend calling to see if a magical rate is available. My personal favorite is the
Disneyland Hotel because there's so much cool history in the decor and theming. But no matter which resort hotel you choose, there are some
really great benefits for guests...like early entry to the parks!
Since you're visiting with a military member you might want to take a few moments to enjoy the Flag Retreat Ceremony on Main Street, U.S.A. one afternoon. You can find the exact time for the ceremony in the Disneyland Mobile App on the map under the Entertainment section, it's usually around 4:30 PM. It's a really lovely Disneyland Park tradition!
Stephanie, I hope you and your party have a wonderful visit to the parks!
Keep moving forward!
Amanda