Walt Disney World's Ticket Prices, Then and Now

Today Walt Disney World and Disneyland ticket prices are increasing. This prompted a lot of discussion on various Facebook groups about the exorbitant prices that a family must spend for a Disney vacation. It also made people ask "Do you remember when it was only _____ to get into the park?"

Caution, if you are faint of heart, and seeing what a vacation to Disney World used to cost will bring you pain, look no further!

These items were sent to me by my wife's Aunt Sandy, Uncle Roger, and cousin Jill from their trip to Walt Disney World in July of 1982, just a couple of months prior to EPCOT Center's opening.

From their park tickets, we can see what days they visited, June 30th and July 2nd, 1982.

This was Jill's child's ticket.

 

$17 for a 2 day passport!  Adjusting for inflation, that is approximately $41 in 2013.
A 2 day pass for kids 3-9 as of today is $172.

Aunt Sandy and Uncle Roger's Tickets.
Their tickets were $21, which adjusts to just under $51 in 2013!

Today a 2 day ticket for ages 10 and up is $184!

Adjusted for inflation, $1 is under $3 today. Parking at the time I originally wrote this article in 2012 was $14.

I'm no sure if the parking lot is still broken down into the same characters, as we don't rent a car when we fly in. On this day, they were parked in Pluto, space 21.

There is obviously more to do at a Disney Park today than 31 years ago. And operating costs I'm sure have increased dramatically. But what is the point when families stop going to the Parks because they simply can't afford it anymore?