Tips for a Military Orlando Vacation
- Military families can take advantage of a wide range of military-only discounts in Orlando, Florida.Palais de la belle au bois dormant - disney paris image by bourrin from Fotolia.com
If you or your spouse are active in or retired from the military, and you're planning a trip to Orlando, Florida, there are a number of military-friendly services that offer savings on lodging, flights, car rentals and theme park admission. Organizations such as Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) and Armed Forces Vacation Club (AFVClub) negotiate steep discounts and provide information on special services available to soldiers and their families. - Soldiers and their families can stay at lodges on any military installation. Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach and MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa are within an hour's drive of Orlando. Although lodging on the base might seem unnecessarily far away, savings and convenience can outweigh the extra travel. Frequently, room rates are greatly discounted compared with off-base hotels and include kitchenettes, on-site laundry, military security and easy access to commissary (supermarket) and base exchange shopping, military medical facilities and on-base recreation. Room rates at both installations range from $39 to $53 per night based on number of occupants and active-military rank.
Keep in mind that military personnel with official duty status get higher priority than non-duty travelers. Because remaining space is treated as "Space A," or space available, you need to call well in advance to secure accommodations. - If you're planning to center your trip on Disney World, consider staying at Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center situated on Disney's property. It is one of only two military-only resort hotels in the continental United States. Rooms range from $110 to $250 based on room size, occupancy and military rank. Rooms do not have kitchens but restaurants and cafes are on the hotel's premises.
Military personnel are also eligible to stay in properties advertised through Armed Forces Vacation Club, a service offered by Endless Vacations (a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide). The site maintains a database of resorts, hotel rooms and houses. To make reservations, call customer service and provide your military identification. Although the site features hotel discounts, the real deal is through the Space-A and Resort Hotels links. Some condominiums are just $350 per week, and some resort homes with three or four bedrooms and a pool cost less than $1000 per week. - Occasionally, you can find discounted military fares through FMWRC's Information Tickets and Travel (ITT) Division, and during the off-season, many airlines such as JetBlue offer cheap Florida tickets from major cities. If time isn't a concern, you can take a Space-A Hop to MacDill or Patrick Air Force Base. The Space-A (Available) travel program is a military benefit that allows authorized passengers to take surplus Department of Defense aircraft seats after all space-required passengers and cargo have been accommodated. It is generally free except for taxes and minimal fees. Because it is unreliable, you should research the rules governing Space-A hops, what options you have should flights be redirected or canceled and which locations offer frequent Hops.
- Orlando theme parks run regular promotions geared toward the military community.Castle in the sky image by irum from Fotolia.com
Military personnel and their families can purchase discounted tickets to Disney World theme parks, Universal Studios or Sea World through FMWRC's Information Tickets and Travel (ITT) Division. Additionally, some of the theme parks, including Disney, offer their own discounts and special offers for military families. The offers change periodically, so check Disney's website for current offers. - Many car rental agencies have special pre-negotiated arrangements with Armed Forces Vacation Club, FMWRC and other military service providers. Avis, Enterprise, Hertz and Budget are just some of the car rental agencies that offer discounts in Orlando to military dependents. Prices are based on vehicle size, time of year and your credit history.
