For more than two years, we’ve known that Splash Mountain’s days were numbered both at Disneyland and in Walt Disney World. Last weekend, the time finally came for the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction, as Sunday was the last day of work. As expected, it was a very busy day, as the fans wanted to ride Splash Mountain once again. There have probably also been brisk sales of Splash Mountain-related merchandise, but the situation may get a little out of control as many people use eBay to sell water taken from the attraction. And people pay amazing amounts.
At least one sale of the proposed Splash Mountain water cost almost $150 (opens in new tab), and many other auctions are currently underway. At least one at the time of writing has a “Buy Now” option for $350. Most of the current auctions are held with tens of dollars, but one of them exceeded $ 200 (opens in a new tab). It is clear that there are people who are so fans of Splash Mountain that they want to own a part of it.
Of course, there are a couple of significant problems in this whole case. Firstly, people are willing to spend money on water. Where there was once water, it’s still just water with bromine. Another, potentially more serious problem is that none of these waters have been obtained in any official formal way. And therefore it is impossible to verify the validity of the item put up for sale. It can be tap water, and the buyer will not know about it until he receives the goods. If the seller has the ability and foresight to add bromine to the water, which in Disney parks is used to permanently purify the water in the rides, giving it a characteristic smell, people will never be able to tell.
But even if every seller on eBay is absolutely legitimate in what he offers, the fact that it has come to such a point is slightly disturbing. Splash Mountain has become the center of the theme park’s culture war. The initial call to change the theme of the attraction was made because many fans felt that the connection of “Splash Mountain” with “Song of the South”, a 1940s film with some serious problems concerning race relations, was not suitable for a family theme park attraction.
In the end, Disney agreed and announced that both versions of the attraction in North America would be rethought. The log chute ride will remain, but with a new story involving a Disney princess and a frog. Since then, many fans have called on Disney to reverse its decision and leave Splash Mountain as it was. At the moment, by 2025, the only remaining Splash Mountain will be in Tokyo Disneyland, which has not announced plans to change this version of the attraction.
The Disneyland version of Splash Mountain is still running, although the attraction is expected to close in a fairly short time. The Adventures of Indiana Jones, another popular attraction near Splash Mountain, is currently undergoing a major renovation, and the haunted mansion will be closed in just a couple of days to transition from its haunted mansion holiday form back to the standard version. ride. Most likely, Splash Mountain remains open until these rides resume operation.
