This Viral Video Revealed How Much Disneyland Annual Passes Cost In 2003, And Um...I Need A Moment

1 hour ago 5

I'm 24, and I grew up minutes distant from Disneyland, which means that I got to acquisition it successful its prime.

A babe wearing Mickey Mouse ears is held by an big successful sunglasses. They're astatine a store with colorful items successful the background

In the 2000s, assemblage sizes were reasonable, A Bug's Land reigned supreme, they inactive gave retired escaped breadstuff connected the bakery tour, and these atrocious boys were sold connected Main Street.

Five pairs of children's princess-themed sandals, each adorned with a princess quality decoration connected the front

I look backmost connected my Southern California adolescence with fondness. A batch of my favourite memories with friends were spent implicit shared churros astatine Paradise Pier, warring for our lives connected the swinging gondolas, and coordinating poses for the representation astatine the extremity of the creator formerly known arsenic California Screamin'. (RIP, my saccharine angel.)

Two radical with curly hairsbreadth wearing 3D glasses smiling and posing with bid signs wrong a themed venue with decorative elements

But past I spot what the parks are similar now, and it inspires a consciousness of melancholy wrong me. Tickets are insanely expensive, hold times are bananas, and it seems similar adjacent breathing wrong a three-mile radius of Mickey costs an limb and a leg.

A ample assemblage of people, immoderate wearing hats and sunglasses, locomotion done a bustling outdoor abstraction with trees and awnings disposable successful the background

I effort not to deliberation astir it excessively overmuch due to the fact that past The Yearn comes connected similar a atrocious flu. But this video from @k80mariee precocious came crossed my desk, and curiosity got the champion of me.

Person pointing to a Disneyland yearly walk prices poster from 2003, showcasing antithetic walk options and benefits

She precocious posted astir uncovering a Disneyland pamphlet from 2003 successful her parents' closet. It was a brochure that broke down the outgo of Disneyland yearly passes that year.

Child with Mickey Mouse backpack pointing astatine taxable parkland entrance

Like me, Katelin grew up successful Southern California and remembers visiting the taxable parkland arsenic a child.

People walking astir large, sculpted letters spelling "California" successful an outdoor plaza. One idiosyncratic is sitting and resting successful the shade

"I had an yearly walk for astir of my childhood, including 2003," she told BuzzFeed. "It's been brainsick to spot however overmuch it's changed."

Amusement parkland astatine nighttime with a ample Ferris instrumentality and an orange, spherical structure. Palm trees and soil heighten the lively atmosphere

Knowing what prices are similar successful the parkland now, Katelin was shocked to find what prices the Disney pamphlet of yesteryear boasted. Here's what it said:

First up, the "'2-Park' Southern California Annual Passport."

Mickey Mouse waves portion riding a Dumbo elephant thrust with a smiling kid sitting beside him

This was disposable lone to SoCal residents and offered 205 days of admission. However, #RealOnes retrieve that passholders utilized to beryllium capable to rotation up to Disneyland connected 1 of their blockout days, wage an other $25, and summation admission.

Four radical smiling and holding taxable parkland tickets with cartoon quality designs

Yearning.

A idiosyncratic with agelong hairsbreadth leans thoughtfully against a wall, wearing a casual V-neck top

Additional perks included discounts connected dining, peculiar edifice rates, and an yearly parking walk for $40.

People waiting successful enactment for a tram astatine an indoor station; the tram has an orangish airy connected top

For the year, the lowest tiered enactment successful 2003 was $105.

The "2-Park" Southern California Annual Passport offers 205 days of admittance for $105, with a blackout time sojourn enactment for $25. Includes discounts and different benefits

GULP!

Person with agelong hairsbreadth and disposable tattoos, wearing a sleeveless top, appears to beryllium speaking oregon gesturing, seated successful a country with books successful the background

OK, adjacent up — the "'2-Park' Deluxe Annual Passport."

People bask a roller coaster thrust implicit water, with a scenic amusement parkland backdrop and a fewer distant buildings

This walk was precise akin to the SoCal nonmigratory one. It offered the aforesaid perks, but was disposable to anyone, careless of address, and offered much days of admittance — 320 total.

Person celebrating portion passing done turnstile astatine amusement parkland tram entrance, with others waiting successful enactment down them

The terms for this deluxe walk was $165.

Flyer for "2-Park" Deluxe Annual Passport offering 320 days entree to Disneyland, excluding blockout days. Costs $165, with monthly outgo options

OH! WOW! :D

Cartoon quality Squidward successful a apical chapeau and bow necktie stands successful an creation gallery, looking discontent

And, finally, there's the final, highest-tier pass. The "'2-Park' Premium Annual Passport."

People walking nether a Disneyland Park motion with a Disney California Adventure logo, surrounded by trees and flowers

Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

This walk included escaped yearly parking and had zero blackout dates. You could rotation up immoderate ole day, parkland for free, and queen retired with Mickey. Aaaand, you could bash that each for the terms of...

Mickey Mouse successful a colorful outfit sits connected a reddish carpet adjacent to a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, giving a thumbs-up

$225.

"2-Park" Premium Annual Passport includes entree to 2 Disneyland Resort taxable parks, parking, peculiar events, and discounts for $225

...........................

Person with a amazed expression, lasting shirtless successful a crowded indoor setting

RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A idiosyncratic with agelong hairsbreadth is yelling with their rima unfastened wide successful a melodramatic scene

Sorry. Just needed to clang retired truly quick. I'm good now. Kind of.

Man successful a suit and necktie smiling, caput turned somewhat to the side. Office mounting successful the background

To enactment things into perspective, let's speech 2026 pricing astatine the House of Mouse. Hold onto your Mickey ears!

Retro-style illustration of a cartoon rodent character, wearing reddish shorts, looking frightened successful a mechanical room

Parking for a azygous time is $40.

Sign indicating shuttle autobus to Disney Parks with a autobus icon and an upward arrow. Trees successful the background

Once upon a time, determination were accelerated passes. Rides utilized to person ticketing stations wherever you could scan your ticket/pass and get a gaffe with a instrumentality time. You would past instrumentality to the thrust astatine your designated instrumentality clip and spell done a "fast pass" line, which was usually importantly quicker than the standby line. And, if you could judge it, accelerated passes were free!

25 with a QR codification and day details

Fast passes person been replaced by the Lightning Lane pass. A Lightning Lane Multi Pass is $34 for the day, but immoderate rides, similar Rise of the Resistance successful Galaxy's Edge, necessitate an further acquisition of a Lightning Lane walk circumstantial to that ride.

Sign speechmaking "Lightning Lane" extracurricular Splash Mountain entrance, indicating a faster queue line

Daily tickets scope anyplace from $104 to $289, depending connected the benignant of ticket, clip of year, and time of the week.

Ticket prices scope from $104 to $224 per day, varying by the fig of days selected. Options are for 1 to 5 days

Deep breath. Now onto yearly walk prices.

Person meditating with eyes closed, wearing a sleeveless, high-necked top, hands successful a mudra presumption against a plain background

There are 4 tiers of yearly "Magic Key" passes: the Imagine Key (open lone to Southern California residents), the Explore Key, the Believe Key, and the Inspire Key.

A Disneyland motion celebrates 70 years with a colonisation number of 650,000,000 adjacent the Disneyland Railroad entrance

The lowest-tier walk enactment (the Imagine Key) costs $599 per year. This walk blocks disconnected each holidays, astir weekends, and the summer. Parking is discounted 25% for Imagine Key walk holders.

Imagine Key (SoCal Only) walk disposable for $599

To recap, the 2003 mentation of this, the "'2-Park' Southern California Annual Passport" was $105. That's an summation of 470.5%.

Animated quality with ample chapeau and gloves looks worried, biting their glove, successful a rustic setting

The adjacent tier up is the Explore Key, which costs $999. Block retired dates see astir Sundays, large holidays, and immoderate summertime days. Like the Imagine Key, the Explore Key offers passholders a 25% discount connected parking.

Ad for "Explore Key" priced astatine $999, labeled arsenic "New!" with icon of a cardinal and compass

The Believe Key is $1,474. Some weekends and astir holidays are blocked disconnected with this pass, but the summertime is not. Parking is discounted 50% with this pass.

Icon of a cardinal with "Believe Key" substance supra $1,474 price

The mid-tier walk successful 2003 was the "'2-Park' Deluxe Annual Passport." It outgo $165. If you're comparing it to the Explore Key, that's a 505.5% increase. That complaint is adjacent higher erstwhile comparing it to the different mid-tier pass, the Believe Key. It's a 793.3% increase.

Animated quality dressed successful a tuxedo and apical hat, lasting successful a country with a amazed expression

And, lastly, the Inspire Key. Ripping the band-aid disconnected — it's $1,899. Parking is included, but, dissimilar the highest-tier walk successful 2003, this walk does not connection 365 days of admission. Despite being the highest-tier pass, determination are inactive blockout days, chiefly astatine the extremity of December for the holidays.

Inspire Key pricing is $1,899

Finally, let's comparison the premium walk prices. $225 successful 2003, and $1,899 successful 2026. That's a 744% increase.

Mickey Mouse is sitting nervously successful an alley astatine night, surrounded by metropolis buildings and a agleam satellite successful the sky

And, I cognize everyone is astir apt thinking, "Well, what astir inflation?!?!?!" So, fto maine consult my good, precise depressing friend, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics ostentation calculator:

Adjusting for inflation, $105 (the terms of the 2003 "'2-Park' Southern California Annual Passport") would beryllium worthy $193.66 now.

Image of a CPI Inflation Calculator showing $105.00 successful January 2003 equals $193.66 successful May 2026

In 2003, the "'2-Park' Deluxe Annual Passport" was $165. Now, it would beryllium worthy $304.32.

$165 successful January 2003 equals $304.32 successful May 2026 successful buying power

And, finally, the Big Papa "'2-Park' Premium Annual Passport" walk successful 2003 was $225. That would beryllium worthy $414.98 now.

CPI Inflation Calculator shows $225 from January 2003 equals $414.98 successful May 2026

So, um, yeah! Those are the prices! Shocking, right? The radical successful the comments of Katelin's video definite look to deliberation so:

Comment questioning wherefore summons prices person accrued to $700+, noting a past terms of $105 equates to astir $200 today

People were besides pointing retired however galore of the perks from the 2003 passes had seemingly disappeared now:

"the information that the $2,000 walk doesn’t adjacent person 365 days is crazy."

They're voicing their scorching blistery takes:

Jessie says, "So Disney is greedy..." Katie replies, "And h2o is wet" with a laughing emoji

Lots of radical who, similar Katelin and I, grew up successful the country were besides sharing what they retrieve from aged Disney:

A idiosyncratic reminisces astir having premium passes to parks successful the aboriginal 2000s, mentioning debased crowds, McDonald's fries, and the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" show

Thoughts?? If you grew up going to Disneyland (or Disney World), we privation to cognize what kinds of changes you've clocked, too. Let america cognize successful the comments, oregon usage this anonymous form.

Read Entire Article