Disneyland honors free admission ticket won back in 1985

A ticket for free admission to Disneyland that was given to a California man in 1985 was honored by the park when his daughter attempted to use it 39 years later.

Scott King visited Disneyland during 30th anniversary celebrations on Aug. 28, 1985.

“At the time, they were giving away a lot of prizes. One was a Cadillac Seville. I thought I had won a car,” King told KTLA-TV.

The prize turned out to be a Disney Passport ticket for free admission to the park.

“When I got there, they awarded me with a ticket and an ‘I am a winner’ badge, and I said, ‘What about the Cadillac?’ and they laughed and said, ‘Not today buddy,'” King told KABC-TV.

King said he ended up putting the ticket into a scrapbook, where it remained forgotten for 39 years.

“My daughter decided that she wanted to go to Disneyland with her boyfriend,” King said. “She was telling me about how expensive it was now and everything and I said, ‘You know, I have a ticket. Let me see if I can grab it.'”

He said his daughter, Sabrina, 18, had more than earned a trip to Disney.

“She just graduated high school with a 4.3, valedictorian of her class, and this is something she deserves for all the hard work she did,” he said.

Sabrina King and her boyfriend, Ruben, took the Disney Passport to the park and brought it to a ticket-taker.

“My daughter handed the ticket to admissions, and the man collecting tickets was so animated, saying this was a really rare thing,” Scott King said.

A park manager signed off on the 39-year-old Passport and Sabrina King entered the park for free.