Sesame Place Military & Veteran Discount
One free admission a year (plus up to 3 dependents) for active duty, Guard, and drilling reserve — and 50% off single-day tickets for veterans, verified online through ID.me.
Yes — the Sesame Place military discount is one of the strongest in the theme-park world. Through parent company United Parks & Resorts’ Waves of Honor program, active-duty service members, activated or drilling reservists, and National Guard members get one free admission per year — for themselves and up to three direct dependents — at Sesame Place Philadelphia (or SeaWorld/Busch Gardens instead), verified through ID.me and valid through December 31, 2026.
Veterans get 50% off single-day tickets (up to six) through ID.me — online only, computed off the front-gate price. Two things to note: the widely shared free veteran admission ended July 5, 2026, and because the 50% keys off the higher gate price, it’s worth comparing against the day’s public online sale price. Repeat visitors should price the Military Season Pass, which adds free parking, two guest tickets, and in-park discounts.
NavyWeek is an independent guide, not affiliated with Sesame Place, SeaWorld, or United Parks & Resorts. The parks control these offers and change windows frequently — verify dates on the park’s own page before buying.
Opens sesameplace.com/philadelphia/tickets/military · Verification via ID.me
Sesame Place Military Discount — Key Facts
- Discount
- Active duty/Guard/drilling reserve: 1 free admission/year + up to 3 dependents. Veterans: 50% off single-day (up to 6 tickets)
- Verification
- ID.me (online, before purchase)
- Who qualifies
- Free tier: active duty, activated/drilling reserve, National Guard (retirees excluded). 50% tier: veterans, including retirees
- Where to redeem
- Online only via the park’s military pages — not at the front gate
- Stacking
- No — ticket offers are mutually exclusive; season-pass perks layer on visits
- Offer windows
- Philadelphia: through Dec 31, 2026. San Diego veteran offer: visit by Jul 31, 2026
- Best total-savings path
- Free Waves of Honor admission if active; veteran 50% vs. public sale price otherwise
- Region
- US — Sesame Place Philadelphia (Langhorne, PA) and Sesame Place San Diego (Chula Vista, CA)
Source: Sesame Place Philadelphia — Waves of Honor military tickets hub · Last verified: July 14, 2026
A family of four can get in free — if you claim it online before you go
The Waves of Honor free admission (service member + up to 3 direct dependents) is worth roughly $444 on Philadelphia’s published online prices — but it cannot be claimed at the front gate.
- Verify your status with ID.me on your park’s military tickets page before your visit.
- Claim the free admission for yourself plus up to three direct dependents in the same online flow.
- Bring valid military/dependent ID to the park and check blockout dates when you book.
Once per calendar year; active duty, activated/drilling reserve, and National Guard only — retirees, inactive/standby reserve, and DoD civilians are excluded. Philadelphia offer valid through December 31, 2026.
BEST SAVINGS PATH
The smartest route depends on your situation. Answer the two questions to find your best path, or scan the full decision table below.
Find your best path
1. Are you active duty, National Guard, or a drilling reservist (not retired)?
2. Will you visit more than once this year?
Active duty, Guard, or drilling reserve: claim the free Waves of Honor annual admission (you + up to 3 dependents) online via ID.me. Veterans: take the 50% single-day offer, price-checked against the day’s public online sale.
One free admission for you plus up to 3 direct dependents — $0 for a family of four. Claim it online via ID.me before you go.
Use your free annual admission, then price the pass — unlimited visits, free parking, 2 guest tickets, and in-park discounts usually win on 2+ visits.
Up to 6 tickets at 50% off the gate price — but price-check the day’s public online sale, since the 50% keys off the higher gate price.
Repeat visits shift the math to the pass: unlimited entry through January 3, 2027, plus free parking and in-park discounts on every visit.
| Path | Stack | Effective price | You save | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waves of Honor free admission (active duty/Guard/drilling reserve) | No stacking; once per year | $0 (member + 3 dependents) | ~$444 | You’re active duty, Guard, or drilling reserve and haven’t used the annual benefit — unbeatable. |
| Veteran 50% off (ID.me, online only) | No stacking; up to 6 tickets | ~$222 if gate ≈ online price; the 50% is off the higher gate price | ~50% off the gate price | Veteran family with flexible dates inside the offer window (Philadelphia: through Dec 31, 2026). |
| MWR/ITT base ticket office | Closed channel; prices vary by office | Varies — often below online list | Varies | You have base access — compare against the ID.me offer before buying. |
| Public advance-purchase / flash sales | Public pricing; no verification | ~$200–$280 historically | Often comparable to the 50% offer | No military status, or a flash sale undercuts the gate-based 50% math. |
| 2026 Military Season Pass | Pass perks layer on visits (parking, F&B/merch discounts, 2 guest tickets) | Price not published — appears in the ID.me flow | Pays off on 2+ visits | Local military family visiting more than once this season. |
* Cashback figures — rates as of July 14, 2026. Portal cashback rates move weekly, so re-check the current top portal before you buy.
WHO QUALIFIES
Through parent company United Parks & Resorts’ Waves of Honor program, active-duty service members, activated or drilling reservists, and National Guard members get one free Sesame Place admission per year for themselves plus up to three direct dependents, and veterans get 50% off single-day tickets (up to six, computed off the front-gate price) — both verified through ID.me and redeemable online only, not at the front gate.
- Active-duty service members — one free admission per year plus up to three direct dependents (Waves of Honor, via ID.me); they also qualify for the 50% single-day offer.
- Activated or drilling reservists and National Guard members — the same free-admission benefit as active duty.
- Veterans — defined by Sesame Place as retired or honorably separated officers and enlisted personnel — get 50% off single-day tickets, up to six, via ID.me.
- Military retirees — qualify as veterans for the 50% offer, but are excluded from the free active-duty admission.
- Dependents — up to three direct dependents free with the active-duty admission (dependent ID required); veteran families are covered through the up-to-six-ticket allowance.
- Inactive/standby reserve, Merchant Marine, and DoD civilians — explicitly excluded from the free-admission benefit.
- First responders — Sesame Place runs a separate first-responder ticket offer outside Waves of Honor; check the parks’ first-responder pages for its terms.
| Audience | Discount |
|---|---|
| Active duty, activated/drilling reserve, National GuardOne free admission for the service member plus up to 3 direct dependents, via ID.me; Philadelphia offer valid through December 31, 2026 (choice of Sesame Place PHL, SeaWorld, or Busch Gardens). Excludes retirees, inactive/standby reserve, Merchant Marine, and DoD civilians. | Free admission (1/year) |
| Veterans (retired or honorably separated) — active duty also qualifiesOff the front-gate price, up to 6 tickets, online only via ID.me. Philadelphia: book and visit January 1 – December 31, 2026. San Diego: redeem and visit by July 31, 2026. Some blockout dates may apply. | 50% off single-day tickets |
| Military families visiting 2+ times (2026 Military Season Pass)ID.me-gated pass: unlimited visits through January 3, 2027, 2 free guest tickets, free general parking, 10% food & beverage, 15% merchandise, and 20% off Abby’s Magic Queue. Get the price through the ID.me flow. | Pass price not published |
HOW TO REDEEM
Online at sesameplace.com
- Open your park’s military tickets pageGo to the Sesame Place military tickets page for the park you’re visiting — Philadelphia (Langhorne, PA) or San Diego (Chula Vista, CA). Each park runs its own Waves of Honor offers.
- Verify with ID.meClick through to the active-duty (free admission) or veteran (50% off) offer and verify your military status through ID.me. Both offers are online only — they are explicitly not available at the front gate.
- Claim or buy your tickets in the same flowClaim the free tickets (service member + up to 3 direct dependents) or buy the 50%-off tickets (up to 6) in the same online checkout, up to the ticket cap.
- Bring ID and check blockout datesBring valid military or dependent ID to the park. Tickets are date-bound, and some blockout dates may apply — check them in the purchase flow before you book.
HOW IT WORKS
Verification is by ID.me on the park’s website before purchase. You click through from the park’s military tickets page to the active-duty or veteran offer, verify your status with ID.me, then claim the free tickets or buy the 50% tickets in the same online flow. There is no front-gate military discount — both offers are explicitly "not available at the front gate," so unverified walk-ups pay the full gate price. Bring valid military or dependent ID to the park; active-status offers require ID reflecting active status at the gate.
Know which tier you’re in. The free annual admission is limited to active duty, activated or drilling reservists, and National Guard — it explicitly excludes military retirees, inactive/standby reserve, Merchant Marine, and DoD civilians. Retirees aren’t left out entirely: Sesame Place defines veterans as "retired, honorably separated officers and enlisted personnel of the U.S. military," so retirees qualify for the 50% single-day offer instead. Each park also sets its own windows: Philadelphia’s free and 50% offers run through December 31, 2026, while San Diego’s current veteran window requires visiting by July 31, 2026.
A freshness warning: many blogs and military-family sites still promote free veteran admission at Sesame Place. That limited promo — free one-day admission for veterans plus up to six direct dependents, claimed by June 30 and used by July 5, 2026 — has expired. The standing veteran offer is 50% off, not free. And since that 50% is computed off the front-gate price (which is meaningfully higher than the everyday online price of $110.99 for a Philadelphia one-day ticket), price-check it against the day’s public online sale before buying: online flash sales have historically priced one-day tickets low enough to rival the gate-based 50% math.
Visiting more than once? The 2026 Military Season Pass (ID.me-gated; price not published — it appears in the ID.me flow) includes unlimited visits through January 3, 2027, two free guest tickets, free general parking, 10% off food and beverage, 15% off merchandise, and 20% off Abby’s Magic Queue. Unlike the ticket offers, the pass’s perks layer on every visit. Families with base access can also compare MWR/ITT ticket-office prices, which the San Diego park confirms sell discounted Sesame Place tickets year-round.
Exclusions & fine print
- Online only — neither offer is available at the front gate. Showing a military ID at the gate gets you nothing; verify through ID.me and buy online before you go.
- The free admission excludes military retirees, inactive/standby reserve, Merchant Marine, and DoD civilians. Retirees instead qualify for the veteran 50% offer.
- The free admission is capped at once per calendar year per service member, plus a maximum of three direct dependents; the Philadelphia offer must be used by December 31, 2026.
- The veteran 50% is computed off the front-gate price — which is higher than the everyday online price Sesame Place publishes — so the real saving versus simply buying online in advance is smaller than "50%" sounds.
- Ticket offers don’t stack: the free admission, the veteran 50%, MWR/ITT base tickets, and public sale tickets are alternative ways to buy the same admission — pick one per person.
- Some blockout dates may apply to the ID.me offers; separately ticketed events are excluded, and parking is not included (free general parking comes with the Military Season Pass).
- San Diego’s current veteran window requires redeeming and visiting by July 31, 2026; Philadelphia’s runs through December 31, 2026.
- The widely shared free-veteran-admission promo (claim by June 30, visit by July 5, 2026) has ended — pages still advertising free veteran tickets are out of date.
SOURCES
- Sesame Place Philadelphia — Waves of Honor military tickets hub — Sesame Place
- Sesame Place Philadelphia — Active-duty military offer (free annual admission + 3 dependents) — Sesame Place
- Sesame Place Philadelphia — Veteran offer (50% off single-day via ID.me, online only) — Sesame Place
- Sesame Place San Diego — Veteran offers (50% off up to 6 tickets; MWR/ITT note) — Sesame Place
- United Parks & Resorts — Waves of Honor program page — United Parks & Resorts
- Sesame Place Philadelphia — Tickets & pricing FAQ — Sesame Place
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Sesame Place offer a military discount?
How much is the Sesame Place veteran discount?
Is Sesame Place still free for veterans?
Do retirees and reservists qualify?
How do I verify — does Sesame Place use ID.me?
Can I use the military discount at the gate?
Can I combine it with promo codes or other ticket deals?
Does the free admission work at both Sesame Place parks?
What is the Sesame Place Military Season Pass?
What about first responders?
What’s the cheapest way for a military family to visit Sesame Place?
MORE MILITARY DISCOUNTS
All military & veteran discountsEditorial policy
- Source priority. We cite Sesame Place's official discount page and the identity-verification provider (ID.me) first. Discount amounts, eligibility, and exclusions are quoted from those sources and confirmed on the "Last verified" date above.
- Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
- Review cadence. Because Sesame Place can change these terms at any time, the offer is re-verified against the official page on a recurring basis and whenever a reader reports a change.
- Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
- Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
- Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.
