No More Military Discounts?

[Kerlynne]

Since 9/11 Disney, as well as Universal, was so kind to extend great discounts, for those in the military, I'm guessing, that is over now? I have noticed each year, after the date of 9/11 the discount was getting, "not so good." Basically meaning, as time went on, we had to pay more to the door ticket price. I wish they would offer this type of special more often. Although the fanfare of encouragement and support for our military families have pretty much died out, there are still men and women risking their lives for us here in the U.S. And if simply because military pay isn't that good, especially since they are in a risking their life.
I know this time last year, they had already released that discount, that ran till December 19, 2003.

 

[Auggietina]

I've been waiting to see if they were going to do a military discount this year. I wanted to take a Mommy and Me trip while dh was in Iraq. But - it looks like there will be none this year!

 

[ILuvTinkerbelle]

I have been wondering the same thing. I know there is some deal going on now until June 8th but it is not that good. If you hear anything please PM me and I will post if I hear. The operator I talked to told me to call back end of June. We went in Dec last year, which is their slow time so I am guessing they might have something going then, at least that is what we are hoping

 

[WDWPsychoALice]

I am an exArmy wife and a current Navy girlfriend so dont think Im coming down on anyone.

At WDW there is a WHOLE hotel JUST for military and DoD onsite. The military ALWAYS has lower ticket prices. I honestly think they go WAY above and beyond what that really have to do which is nothing.

 

[caero]

We were counting on those

 

[momof3disneyholics]

You can call up area hotels for military discounts. You can get your tickets at discounts at MRW offices. The current price for 4 day park hoppers are 195.00 for adults and 145.00 for kids. Those are great discounts and they are available all year around. Not to mention the Shades of Green which has great discounts, and if that hotel is full they offer you a great discount at another onsite hotel.
If you are talking about the free tickets they gave out last year to soldiers and the 99.00 companion tickets those are over and they are not doing that this year. I know someone that works in that dept of Disney and he is almost positive that is not going to happen.
I honestly don't understand why military people are always looking for something for free. Almost every place in Orlando gives some form of discount to military families. Just because you can't walk into Disney or Universal for free doesn't mean it isn't a good discount.

 

[Auggietina]

I'm sorry -
I didn't know the name of this board has changed to "freeloading military"

Man that was uncalled for


Not once in this thread is anyone expecting or demanding anything. Yes we are disappointed, but we left it at that. Why would you care if the Military got a discount? Other organizations get discounts, the military is just one of them. Why don't you bash on them too.

Next time I see my dh I'll ask him why he expects everything for free, OH that's right, I WON'T SEE MY DH FOR 12 months, because He's fighting a war. He doesn't expect jack from anyone. He's does what he does because he loves his country

And if affording a trip to Disney because of the discounts would help my dd (7) have something to look forward to while her daddy is away - then I guess that makes me a free loading military wife. I don't care. It would have given us something positive to look forward to. Which we don't have much of right now.


So don't generalize you answer - if you know of people in the military that want stuff for free than say that

"the people that i know in the military want everything for free..."

It is unfair to judge a book by its cover.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

BRAVO, BRAVO Auggietina!
I thought the same thing when I read it, and it ticked me off. I don't think I can say anything more on the subject since you said it so well!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like that. My husband is in the army and fortunately he hasn't had to go over to Iraq. After working with alot of military familes for several years in AER and ACS it does seem like alot of junior enlisted families DO expect more than higher ranking soldiers do. I don't what causes that thinking, but to think that you should be getting things for free is wrong.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

Well....lower ranking soilders get paid a LOT less (DH is e4) and to be able to do anything nice for the kiddies (besides meeting their basic needs) you need all the help you can get. Try raising two kids on that pay, it's hard. Not so much free, but a good discount is always appriciated. My DH has been deployed for most of the last year and is leaving again next month and I am taking DDs to WDW to keep their mind of their DD being gone another 6mos or more. It's expensive to travel from NY to FL and if my mom (who lives in FL) wasn't helping we could never afford to go down to see our family for the first time in over a year. If DH was only paid by the hour....*sigh*....well then I wouldn't need any discounts....I could probably pay for others vacations too.

 

[caseywirth]

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
Sorry, didn't mean to sound like that. My husband is in the army and fortunately he hasn't had to go over to Iraq. After working with alot of military familes for several years in AER and ACS it does seem like alot of junior enlisted families DO expect more than higher ranking soldiers do. I don't what causes that thinking, but to think that you should be getting things for free is wrong.

Is your husband an officer? It makes a difference if you are a low ranking enlisted. My husband retired after 23 yrs. in the navy, so we never had money problems(my DH was already a chief when we go married). But I have know enlisted men and women who had to use foodstamps while still in the military. I think a lot, if not most people don't understand how underpaid people are in the military. So if someone offers discounts or free ticket to the military, I salute them! Because yes, I believe they deserve it!!

 

[TinkHappy]

I would just like to say...God Bless our Men and Women of our USA Military, defending our great Country. I would without a doubt pay more $$ a ticket so a military family could enjoy a moment of a little joy after going through something as mentally and physically devistating as war. War effects their family, friends and themselves in a way that we can not begin to understand (unless you have been there-I have not).

 

[weregoingtodw]

Originally posted by ILuvTinkerbelle
I have been wondering the same thing. I know there is some deal going on now until June 8th but it is not that good.

Would you mind sharing what the discount is that ends on June 8th? We're going from the 3-8th of June and could definitely use a discount!

Thanks

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
Sorry, didn't mean to sound like that. My husband is in the army and fortunately he hasn't had to go over to Iraq. After working with alot of military familes for several years in AER and ACS it does seem like alot of junior enlisted families DO expect more than higher ranking soldiers do. I don't what causes that thinking, but to think that you should be getting things for free is wrong.

You may not mean to sound that way, but you do. You make comparison between junior enlisted and higher ranking and then say you don't know what causes the junior enlisted to expect more discounts? Are you serious? Obviously you have NEVER been married to someone lower ranking and yes, I mean Junior ENLISTED. Try pulling out a pay scale and budgeting for a vacation on an E-4 pay......afterall, that is what rank most young families have to buget with. Nobody is asking for anything free. Even when Disney offered a free ticket, my husband could not take advantage of it because he was never home. Did not do us any good. What is wrong with asking for another offer? Why do you feel the need to make others feel bad for wanting the best of their precious family time? We have been lower enlisted and higher enlisted. I see the difference in communication with each group of people. It makes me sick! Often, people who make assumptions of others do so because they don't understand. Lower ranking people are not moochers.....they are just poor and trying to make the best of what they have. Higher ranking people have the means, therefore, don't need your services.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Ok, let me tell you what I have seen. I have seen them on food stamps, but yet have enough money to get allotments for stereos and big screen tvs, and then when they don't have money to fix their broken car or pay the light bill, they run to AER and their NCO's for help. They don't make alot of money, but continue to have babies.
My husband was lower ranking at one time too. We didn't make alot of money and couldn't do alot of things. Wanna know how I fixed that? I got a job! I had one child and I went to school part time and worked full time and during this time I had twins too. I found an E5's wife that was watched my kids for 50.00 a week and my husband worked during the day and also worked on getting his masters too. Our schedules worked so that the kids weren't with a babysitter more than 6 hours a day. We didn't see each much, but we knew we were working for a common good.
Never did I sit around and look for discounts and stuff for free.
As I posted earlier, there ARE discounts available all year round for military people for Disney and Universal. Just go to your MWR office or call SOG for details. It seems like you are looking for something for free if you are wanting more than what is already offered

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by momof3disneyholics
They don't make alot of money, but continue to have babies.

We didn't make alot of money and couldn't do alot of things. I had one child...... and during this time I had twins too.

How can you make judgement about other people for something you did yourself? I am glad you were not my counselor when I had to go to Navy Relief. Not everyone goes there because they live beyond their means. Please do not assume that because you are married to someone in the military, that everyone has the ability to work full-time, go to school AND have more kids to take care of. There are some less fortunate than you. I may not be the most successful person in the world, but I did what I could with my situation. Raising kids alone is not easy.
As far as the discounts are concerned........how is the military people asking for latest discounts any different than the people on the other boards complaining because the annual pass discounts are not as good or why there are not as many codes as there used to be? The bottom line is people want to save money. There is nothing wrong with asking if anyone has heard of any discounts.

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by WDWPsychoALice
I am an exArmy wife and a current Navy girlfriend so dont think Im coming down on anyone.

At WDW there is a WHOLE hotel JUST for military and DoD onsite. The military ALWAYS has lower ticket prices. I honestly think they go WAY above and beyond what that really have to do which is nothing.

I hope you are not saying it is Disney that goes above and beyond as far as SOG goes. That is not Disney....it is DOD owned. When we stay there, the money goes back into MWR. The discount tickets are same as discount tickets you buy at Welcome centers, etc. You are buying the tickets from MWR at SOG....not Disney. And you are right. Disney does not have to do anything, but much like any other company, they offer discounts to groups of people to get their business.....the same way they offer annual pass discounts, etc.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Originally posted by Sleepy
How can you make judgement about other people for something you did yourself?

Because as I said my husband and I both worked and had the means to support more children without the aid of foodstamp, WIC, AER or any other type of welfare.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Originally posted by Sleepy
As far as the discounts are concerned........how is the military people asking for latest discounts any different than the people on the other boards complaining because the annual pass discounts are not as good or why there are not as many codes as there used to be? The bottom line is people want to save money. There is nothing wrong with asking if anyone has heard of any discounts.

Because the people that have AP's have paid almost 400.00 for that pass and the discounts that come along with it. You expect one simply because of the job your husband has.

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

After reading your post, I had to sit here and wonder if I "waste" what little money we recieve. While I am sure some people do not prioritize, not everyone fits this mold.
My DH is an E4 and the only "allotments" that come out of our checks are for our dental, a bed for our DD, and money to repay a loan for AER (yes, heaven help us, we had to fix our car). We do not get paid comparable wages to where we live, so the higher cost of food, gas, and most everything else here has forced us to go on some welfare (as many of our military families do). And as for "continuing to have babies", well...why should lower ranking soilders, or any person for that matter, be penalized and told how many children they can have?! Should I have never had a little sister for my DD because we had to tighten our belts a little more? As for getting a job, it would be nice to live somewhere where there were job opportunities so I could get a job, but we have to go where the military tells us too. There is a limited amount of jobs and fierce competition for them.
As for being able to cordinate your schedules, all I can say is WOW! What's your secret because my DH has to work when he's told to, which means no 9-5 hours. Most times he works on weekends and goes in on his offtime as well.
Oh, and while you may have the luxury of not clipping coupons or looking for ways to save money, many people don't, and I am not ashamed to admit that I am one of them. My DH works his butt off and risks his very life for others because he has honor and loves his job. He has been to places and seen things that would bring most people to their knees (myself included). If anyone deserves to be able to have a vacation and spend quality time with their kids it is men and women who are in the Armed Forces. I found your post very offensive and I do not like how you lumped everyone together just because people are looking for ways to save money. Poor people deserve to visit WDW too, military families expecially!!