Water with strong sentimental value. Souvenirs and memorabilia related to the Splash Mountain water attraction at Disney World, Florida, are purchased on eBay’s online sales platform. A trend born from the closure of this trunk-shaped water train. And one type of product is particularly on the rise: water samples that vendors say they took on the last day the attraction was open, multiple US outlets including CNN and FoxNews report.
A bottle at auction for more than €9,000
On the site, simply type “Splash Mountain” to find a long list of jars, plastic bags, and water-filled bottles starting around €50 (excluding shipping) for a small jar up to €150 for the largest containers. big.
An offer for a plastic bottle also stands out because the auctions reach, at the time of writing this article, €9,263.93, not including more than €1,800 of VAT. If the seller seems trustworthy (1,200+ sales made and a 97.5% satisfaction rate), it’s hard to say if the bidders are that trustworthy. There are about forty hours left before the transaction is complete and it is possible to cancel an auction up to 12 hours before the time limit.
Other souvenir items with the “Splash Mountain” logo are sold on the site for significant sums, such as a watch, a pin (€60), a T-shirt (€100), a board game (€200) or even a watch (€730).
Another symbol of the attraction’s fan enthusiasm, it took up to 220 minutes to wait in line to sit on a log at the height of its crowd, according to the specialized Twitter account Thrill Data.
An attraction deemed racist
The closure of the park and the nostalgia of some enthusiasts are part of the controversy that has shaken the park for a few years. In fact, the attraction, opened in 1989, is based on the film southern melodyanimated film released in 1946 that places its action in the years after the American Civil War and which is accused of racism due to the stereotyped representation made of blacks.
Accusations that contrast with the inclusion values defended today by Disney that have resulted in particular in a diversification of the profiles of its characters, support for the Black Lives Matter movement as well as activists fighting against anti-LGBTQI+ legislation in Florida and that also have drawn the ire of local authorities.
These developments have thus led the company to announce in 2020 the closure of the attraction at Disney World, in Florida, as well as its version at Disneyland Park, in California. They should eventually be replaced by attractions on the theme of the movie. The princess and the froglaunched in 2009. However, the Japanese version of the attraction should remain open, as Disney has not communicated on this issue.
Source: BFM TV
