Woman visits Disneyland using a ticket she won in 1985 - Inside the Magic

The Happiest Place on Earth is a place to create lasting memories with your loved ones no matter what age you are…and apparently, no matter what year you bought your theme park ticket. One woman was pleasantly surprised when she was granted entrance into Disneyland park using a ticket she won for free over 30 years ago. Here’s the story.

Over 30 years ago as part of Disneyland’s 30th anniversary in 1985, Tamia Richardson won a free ticket to the Happiest Place on Earth. Back then, she was just a teenager, Disneyland tickets were only around $16, and lands like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (and an entire second theme park) didn’t yet exist. Not to mention the cost of a ticket to enter just Disneyland park has increased exponentially in the past 30 years: adjusting for inflation, Richardson’s free ticket would only be worth $39.30, whereas today, a one-day, one-park ticket today can cost anywhere from $104 to $149, depending on the day.

Given how much time has passed, Richardson wasn’t sure if Disneyland Resort officials would allow her to use her free ticket over three decades later.

“I was a little nervous because it was an old ticket,” she said to the LA Times. “I was crossing my fingers.”

In 1985, a free Disneyland park ticket was given to every 30th Guest as part of the theme park’s 30th anniversary. Richardson was lucky enough to be a winner back when she was just 14 years old. And this week, she was lucky enough to have her prize honored a the Disneyland gates. After a Cast Member working at the Disneyland gates called over a manager to assist, Richardson and her two teenage daughters were granted access to the theme park, making their trip all the way from Canada worth it.

Even though Richardson has returned to Disneyland several times since visiting back in the ’80s, she only found her free pass recently.

“I found it and said, ‘I need to try to use it,'” she said. She mentioned that she and her daughters were on a mission to hit all the attractions in Disneyland. We hope they succeeded.

Source: NBCLA, LA Times