When 14-year-old Tamia Richardson won a ticket to Disneyland in 1985, she probably had no idea how long it would be until she found a chance to redeem it.
More than three decades on, Richardson finally used the ticket - and to her surprise, it was accepted.
"I was really hoping they'd take it," Richardson told USA Today. "I was less positive than more positive because it was pretty old."
Richardson won the ticket while visiting the park when it was celebrating its 30th anniversary. As part of those celebrations, every 30th guest was awarded a prize, and Richardson snagged a ticket to return to the park at a later date.
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The Canadian said she had kept the ticket in a box containing photos from her 1985 trip.
When she returned to Disneyland with her two teenage daughters, Mia and Maren, she brought the old ticket along with her on the off-chance it was still valid.
To be safe, she also brought along a snapshot Disneyland officials had taken of her after she won.
"I thought that maybe there was still a chance they would take it," Richardson said. "I always held out hope otherwise I'd have bought my tickets online like we did for my daughters."
After some initial confusion, Richardson was asked to talk with a supervisor, who eventually gave her the good news that the lack of expiration date meant it was still okay.
Unfortunately for Richardson, she had to hand her 34-year-old keepsake into officials, with staff forcing her to part with the relic.
"I asked them if they could tear the stub and give me back the rest," she told USA Today. "But no, they had to take the whole thing. That was disappointing."
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