Regardless of who wins the Super Bowl this evening, you probably know what the winning quarterback will say at some point.
Since 1987, the winners of the biggest games in the NFL have announced their plans to go to Disney World or Disneyland to the cameras, one of the longest and most successful marketing campaigns in the Magic Kingdom.
A lot has changed in the last 36 years, especially in terms of prices. Obviously, when an NFL champion goes to Disney, the experience is a little different than yours and mine. And the journey is, naturally, compared to a garden.
Still, since Phil Simms first shouted the word after leading his team to victory over the Denver Broncos, it has become an expected part of the game.
Few realized that Simms was paid $75,000 to shout after the game. And even fewer know that Denver quarterback John Elway was paid the same amount for not saying anything. (Disney pays two in advance for said line to cover its bets.)
And while the line (and advertising) is most associated with the Super Bowl, Disney has expanded the campaign to include the NBA Finals, the World Series, the Olympics, NASCAR races and even. American Idol final.
All in all, 62 other people have announced their plans to go to Disney after the big event. Today’s declaration will be the 63rd.
For the price, Disney has really gotten more expensive since the first ad was released, but maybe not as much as you think. Tickets to Disney World cost $28 in 2017 (that’s a $2 increase from the previous year and a 50% price increase since 1984). When adjusted for inflation, the ticket earned by Phil Simms is worth $74.73 in today’s dollars.
In 2023, tickets to the park will run between $109 and $189, depending on when you go and which park you choose. (That doesn’t include taxes, by the way, or the relatively new upcharges for shorter line privileges available with Genie+ and Lightning Lane.)
If Phil chooses to stay at the Polynesian Resort, one of Disney’s top hotels, during his stay, it will cost $120 per night ($320 and change in modern dollars). Today’s winners, who have to pay, will see rates ranging from $653 to $959 per night.
Photo with Mickey? It’s still free, even if you don’t win the Super Bowl.
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