Military Discount in Florida
 

Hey guys I am shortly taking the family to Florida (Kissimmee) and know that some parks and attractions give free/reduced entry to members of the coalition forces. Does anybody have any good gen or top tips on how to enjoy the positive attitude that our American cousins have toward military personnel?

Busch (sp?) Gardens.

Free entry for you, missus and 2 kids I think.

Show 1250 and enjoy some war hero lovin !!!

Florida Discounts
 

You and your family can get into Busch Gardens nr Tampa and Sea World on your 1250.

Best deal accommodation and tickets discounts are at Shades of Green the US Military R&R centre which is actually in the grounds of Walt Disney World Resort...Awsome facility, 4* hotel, great food, its own 18 hole golf course and the disney train stops right out side. I think it around 80 bucks a night.

Check on line.

Hope this helps

Seaworld now ask to see papers showing you 'active' because of REMFs stealing the freebies. This years Shamu show is dedicated to the coalition forces, it is over the top but shows just how much they (and UK forces) are appreciated.

Shades of Green sounds perfect for Mrs Stuff and I but reading the elegibility pages I can see nothing that entitles coalition forces to a stay. Have I missed a vital clause or is it US forces only?

This would tie in nicely with a stay at Shades of Green. What do they take as "Active" proof. Deployment signals, detachment record card or a nice shiny OSM*?



* Assuming it doesn't take the medal office 18 months to issue it like Mrs Stuff's last one.

It's active vs retired - you have the right ID to show active. Stuff, basically everywhere you are, and I mean everywhere, ask for the Military discount, you'll get it. Even a couple of % is better than a poke in the eye etc.

Its several years ago that I was there, but I called in to the Naval Base in Orlando and went to the ticket shop in the PX. All you needed was a 1250.

I booked a modest 4 door saloon car and got a free upgrade to a Lincoln Town Car (V V V nice thanx) on production of a military ID card. If its good enough for the president, then its good enough for me. I loved it and fuel is so inexpensive as to not give a toss how far we drove it.
http://www.edmunds.com/media/seo/500...n.town.car.jpg

So....

Do you tip 15% on the original ... or
...the discounted total.

Bit of left hand ...right hand there methinks!!!

MOG

Certainly the Navy Lodge's have stopped for the timebeing, allowing foreign military to stay for recreational reasons. They will only allow you to stay when on orders. There used to be a MWR office in Orlando but been a few years since I was last there.


Enjoy

ps found this, it may help.

http://www.protocoltraining.com/Semi...e%20orlando%22

I'm sure if you were to speak nicely to your admin office they could knock you up a no cost travel order for "Familiarisation and Liasion" puposes.

It worked for me.:cool:

If you want to throw in a visit to something aviation-related, the excellent http://www.fantasyofflight.com offers a military discount. It's about a mile of I-4 (junction 44 IIRC) between Orlando and Tampa.

Whilst I've been Stateside i've only ever had to show my ID Card as proof. Anywhere that says Mil discount (not country specific but proabably not French ;) ) has not worried that I was a brit.

I got an entry discount at Fantasy of Flight earlier this year, for just saying I am ex-UK Mil (don't have a 1250 anymore).

Great place, Kermit Weeks flies something from the collection nearly every day, if he's there. At weekends, if enough punters can be found, you can crew-in for a B-17 trip, for about $350 - couldn't see the CAA allowing that!

Seaworld and Busch Gradens
 

So, showing my current issue (RAF F1250) Military ID will be sufficient to get in free at these parks.

I won't need anything else to show I am 'ACTIVE' ?

To avoid upset, be prepared to pay, just in case. Remember it is a bonus, not a right. Seaworld Orlando has a special entry gate for service families. It is at the other side of the wave pool, away from the main entrance.

Thanks for the tips and pointers guys, I will make use of them no doubt. All I have to worry about now is not running into a bunch of fellow ascoteers delayed down route asking me how much I paid and telling me what allowances I could have got if Id gone with albert airways!

Suggest you check out this site and once registered look at the Attractions page.
http://www.forcesdiscounts-mod.co.uk
Or look at http://www.herosalute.com
HPT