National Falls Prevention Week: Find the right medical alert system for added peace of mind.

Content starts here

These Veterans Vacation Discounts Mean You Can Get Away Affordably

Great deals are available for those who served our country in uniform and their families

Katherine Gustafson,

AARP Experience Counts

Published April 04, 2024

An outside look at gateway, the deep space launch complex and kennedy space center

Take a trip to Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA

U.S. military veterans can access a plethora of discounts and perks, from deals on sunglasses to thousands off on new cars. But nowhere does the list of discounts available to vets seem to go on as long as in the vacation and travel sector.

Some vacation discounts require you to be a member of WeSalute (formerly Veterans Advantage), a prominent discount site for veterans that offers a range of membership plans at varying costs. Enrolling gets you free travel protection for you and up to four family members.

More Ways to Benefit

View All

Related Benefit 1
Related Benefit 2
Related Benefit 3
Related Benefit 4
Related Benefit 5

With so many deals out there, the world is your oyster for relaxation and adventure. Fancy a resort? A cruise? A voyage to Antarctica?

Any roundup of these offers is sure to be incomplete because there are simply too many discounts to list. The best rule of thumb is to ask every venue or service provider whether they have a military discount.

You can subscribe here to AARP Experience Counts, a free e-newsletter published twice a month. If you have feedback or a story idea then please contact us here.

Military discounts at amusement parks

SeaWorld gives veterans and up to three guests one complimentary admission per year. You must verify your status through GovX by Sept. 4, 2023, to take advantage.

Legoland offers veterans a free one-day Legoland-only ticket or a two-day Hopper ticket that provides admission to Legoland and Sea Life Aquarium.

Disney World offers retired military members—those who served 20 years or more—special pricing on four-day and five-day tickets for visits in 2023, and veterans who are enrolled with WeSalute can get up to 17 percent off tickets ordered online or by phone.

Cave of the Winds Mountain Park gives the military community 10 percent off any full price cave tour and ride with the code MILITARY23 and a military ID.

Six Flags offers day tickets to veterans for $32.99, a big discount from the gate price of $74.99 and a smaller deal compared to regular-price day tickets bought online, which range from $35-45.

Kings Dominion offers veterans up to $30 off tickets prices for up to six guests.

Universal Studios Hollywood states that it gives military retirees and 100 percent disabled veterans “phenomenal” discounts, details of which they don’t publish online. These deals must be accessed via a Military Ticket Office.

Cultural and natural experiences

The National Park Service offers veterans a free lifetime Military Pass, which covers entrance or day use fees at 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests.

Kennedy Space Center offers veterans complimentary admission and 50 percent off one-day admission for up to four guests on Veterans Day every year.

Colonial Williamsburg gives veterans and up to three direct dependents complimentary admission once a year, either on Memorial Day weekend or Veterans Day weekend, as well as 25 percent off single-day admission and annual passes all year.

Dollywood offers veterans, spouses, and dependents a discount of $26.70 on one, two, and three-day theme park tickets and season passes.

National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, offers veterans $10 off tickets year-round for on-site ticket purchases.

Resorts with military discounts

Here are a few of the myriad resorts that offer military discounts:

Sun Outdoors RV Resorts offers veterans 20 percent off of select RV sites at participating resort locations with the code SALUTE.

Sandals Resorts offers veterans 10 percent off booking at its all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, the Bahamas, Curaçao, Grenada, and Barbados.

Beaches Resorts offers veterans 10 percent off at its all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos.

Westgate Resorts offers veterans 10 percent off at its locations around the country.

Get veteran discounts on cruises

Margaritaville at Sea, a three-day, two-night cruise from Palm Beach, Florida, to Grand Bahama Island offers veterans a free cruise, as well as an offer of cruises for family and friends for as low as $49 each on select sailings.

Atlas Ocean Voyages offers veterans up to 20 percent off any suite or stateroom cruise fare on select yacht-style cruises and expeditions throughout the world, including to the Arctic.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers veterans 10 percent off the cruise fare portion of any cruise, and the discount can be combined with Norwegian’s Free at Sea promotion that includes unlimited open bar, free specialty dining, free excursions, and free airfare for a guest.

Special offers on tours and expeditions

As with resorts, many tour and expedition companies offer discounts to veterans, so always ask when booking. Here are some to start with:

Outward Bound offers free outdoor adventure trips to recent veterans who have deployed as a part of their service.

Sea Lion Adventure Tours in Juneau, Alaska, offers veterans 10 percent off any of their tours, which include private marine safaris and sea kayaking adventures.

Moaning Caverns in Vallecito, California, offers veterans 10 percent off cave tours and spelunking tours using the code VIP at checkout.

Hot Air Expeditions in Arizona offers veterans and everyone in their ballooning party $20 off per person for all hot air balloon rides with the code MILITARY.

Green Boat Tour Company, a family-run airboat business in Desoto County, Florida, offers veterans $10 off their tour and $2 off for their guests.

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer specializing in creating content related to technology, business, finance, the environment and other topics for companies and nonprofits such as Visa, Adobe, Lumeon, Skift and the World Wildlife Fund. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including Slate, TechCrunch, YES! Magazine and Forbes.

AARP Membership

Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join