Woman enters Disneyland using free admission ticket won in 1985

Disneyland granted one woman’s wish to enjoy a day at the happiest place on Earth by honoring her free admission ticket that she won back in 1985.

Tamia Richardson of Canada has been a fan of Disney since she was a little girl.

Richardson, a teacher and school counselor in Alberta, first visited the park in 1985 when she was 14 years old and was left utterly enchanted.

Little did she know it was the 30th birthday of the park located in Anaheim, California and she won a special prize handed out to every 30th guest. 

In 1985 she visited the Disneyland park on its 30th birthday and was one of the lucky guests who won a free admission ticket as a part of the celebration 

‘As part of the 30th Anniversary, Disneyland featured the Gift Giver Extraordinaire, which gave out prizes to every 30th guest,’ a Disney spokesperson said to CNN Travel. 

She forgot about the free admission ticket, then worth $16.50, (above) for decades but recently found it in an old box of keepsakes and decided to use it

‘Tamia won a pass to use for a return visit. She kept the pass for 30 years and used it today for admission.’

Richardson held on to that free ticket, then worth $16.50, for decades. 

The old ticket says ’30th year Disneyland Passport. Good for one admission to Disneyland and unlimited use of attractions.’

There was no expiration date on the vintage ticket.  

She finally decided to redeem it 34 years later on August 17 after she found the forlorn ticket in an old box of momentos from her past. 

‘I was a little nervous because it was an old ticket,’ she said to the Los Angeles Times. ‘I was crossing my fingers.’ 

She headed to the park with her two teenage daughters, aged 15 and 17, and the park gladly observed her pass without charging her a dime. 

At the turnstile the Disneyland employee called the manager to confirm the old pass was valid and she was let in without issue. 

‘I was a little nervous because it was an old ticket. I was crossing my fingers,’ Richardson said. The park not only accepted the ticket, they exchanged it for a new daily pass that included access to Disneyland and California Adventure Park, which is worth $199

In the 30th anniversary spectacular at the park back in 1985, Disneyland gave out a free ticket to every 30th visitor, and the 3millionth customer won the grand prize of a Cadillac DeVille sedan

Not only did they accept the ticket, the park exchanged it for a new daily pass that included access to Disneyland and California Adventure Park.   

Today a basic single day admission ticket at the park costs a whopping $149, an 800% increase over the 1985 price. A pass to visit both parks in one day costs a staggering $199 during peak summer months.

Tamia gleefully took to the magical park wearing Mickey Mouse ears and posing in front of the Magic Kingdom castle with her daughters. 

She says that she’s returned to the park several times in the past, but forgot about the old promotional ticket she won when she was 14, until she rediscovered it in an old box of keepsakes.  

‘I found it and I said, “I need to try to use it”‘ she recalled. 

In the 30th anniversary spectacular at the park back in 1985, Disneyland gave out a free ticket to every 30th visitor, each 300th visitor got a plush Minnie or Mickey toy, each 3,000th visitor got a commemorative watch and the 30,000th and 300,000th visitors received brand new American-made cars. The grand prize, a Cadillac DeVille sedan, was gifted to the 3millionth visitor at the park.