Disney Experiences Auction Announced For D23
Disney fans attending D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will have a chance to bid on original pieces from Disney’s theme parks and resorts.
Heritage Auctions announced The Disney Experiences Auction – Rare and Remarkable Finds, a 50-lot sale featuring select, verified pieces consigned by Disney. The auction will take place Sunday, August 16, during D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
The sale will be presented live at D23, with online bidding also available through Heritage Live. According to Heritage, the auction includes original park-used, park-displayed and event-used artifacts from Disneyland, Walt Disney World and other Disney destinations.
The offering spans decades of Disney Experiences history, with items ranging from attraction props and ride vehicles to anniversary banners, signs and displays. Heritage said the sale reflects the creativity and craftsmanship behind Disney parks and resorts.
Jim Lentz, Heritage’s Vice President of Animation Art, said the auction has something for every Disney fan. He said the pieces represent the artistry and storytelling that have made Disney parks and resorts meaningful to generations of guests.
Among the highlights is an original event-used Mickey Mouse sign from DisneyFest in Singapore, one of Disney’s earliest projects in the country. The auction also includes an original Disneyland park-used drawbridge banner from the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, which welcomed guests approaching the drawbridge of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Another featured item is an original Disneyland 50th Anniversary “The Happiest Homecoming on Earth” oval plaque from the resort’s 18-month jubilee celebration.
Attraction pieces are also part of the sale. Heritage listed a Disneyland park-used mummy prop from Indiana Jones Adventure, an original Disneyland park-used Medusa glass slide from the changing portrait sequence inside the Haunted Mansion, and an original sea lion ride vehicle from King Triton’s Carousel at Disney California Adventure.
Additional highlights include a Rococo-style armchair and footstool from Disney California Adventure’s Mad T Party, a giant new-in-box Magic Key created for Disney Store opening ceremonies, a Walt Disney World display featuring Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and a Walt Disney World merchandise display celebrating the 45th anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
Heritage also said the auction includes rare and unique lots connected to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, it’s a small world, Polynesian Village, Muppet*Vision 3-D, EPCOT, Tomorrowland and D Street at Disney Springs.
Tickets for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event are required for entry, and Heritage said access to the auction room is not guaranteed. Bidding will be available in person and online. All lots will open at $1 and will be offered without reserve.
Heritage also noted that additional Disney Experiences material is scheduled for a separate auction this fall, running October 23 through October 25.