10 most expensive Disneyland items in auction of nearly 900 theme park collectibles
An upcoming auction featuring hundreds of Disneyland items expected to fetch as much as $50,000 apiece will give Disneyana collectors a chance to add a bit of the Anaheim theme park’s history to their personal memorabilia collections.
Heritage Auctions will hold the Art of Disneyland Auction on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26. Select auction items can be previewed at the Beverly Hills auction house daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, March 24.
The auction includes nearly 900 items designed to make Disneyland fans drool — with everything from ride vehicles to character costumes to attraction posters from Walt Disney’s original theme park.
We’ve collected the 10 most expensive Disneyland items in the auction to help you refine your shopping list before the bidding starts. The top 10 list is ranked by estimated auction house prices with online bidding already underway ahead of the weekend auction.
1) Skyway Attraction Vehicle (Circa 1965-1994)
Estimated value: $50,000+Current bid: $10,500
This exceptionally rare original Skyway bucket ferried visitors over Disneyland for nearly 30 years. The now-iconic rounded buckets with fiberglass bodies and metal frames were introduced in 1965, about a decade after the ride debuted. A small portion of the original cable remains above the canopy of vehicle number 38.
2) Autopia Mark VII Attraction Vehicle (Circa 1967-1999)
Estimated value: $20,000+Current bid: $6,250
The Autopia car used at Disneyland for more than 30 years has been professionally restored to drivable condition with an 8-horsepower engine. The Mark VII model designed by Walt Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr has a front end inspired by a Corvette Stingray and a back-end inspired by an Opal GT.
3) Main Street USA Bench (Circa 1990s)
Current bid: $7,750
The Main Street USA bench has wrought iron side panels with floral patterns and accents painted in Disneyland’s familiar green. The 5-foot-long bench is in good condition with some distortion to the wooden slats and small dings and chips in the metal.
4) Disneyland Railroad Drumhead Sign (Circa 1970s to 1990s)
Current bid: $5,250
The back-lit sign features Disneyland’s classic Sleeping Beauty Castle logo screen printed on acrylic board. The 25-inch-wide drumhead was used on one of the Disneyland Railroad’s Holiday trains.
5) Matterhorn Bobsleds Park Attraction Poster (1959)
Estimated value: $5,000+Current bid: $2,800
The very hard-to-find Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction poster features images of the Alps with a caption that reads “Race thru Alpine Passes and Ice Caverns.” The 36- by 54-inch vintage 1959 silkscreened poster has edge wear, hairline cracks and a tiny tear.
6) Country Bear Jamboree Beehive Prop (Circa 1970s to 1980s)
Current bid: $4,100
The very rare hand-painted fiberglass prop beehive used in Disneyland’s Country Bear Jamboree attraction oozes with honey and once jiggled to the sound of bees buzzing. The beehive sat atop Country Bear Gomer’s piano with two straws so he could sip the fermented honey.
7) Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship “Jolly Roger” Flag (Circa 1960s to 1970s)
Current bid: $2,000
The exceptionally rare “Jolly Roger” pirate flag flew over the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship restaurant in Fantasyland at Disneyland. The vintage 8-foot-long skull and crossbones flag was hand-produced by Disney artists.
8) Jungle Cruise Amazon Belle Boat Sign (Circa 1955 to 1960s)
Current bid: $1,900
The rare park-used sign from the Jungle Cruise steamboat Amazon Belle still has mounting holes from its original installation. The 52-inch hand-cut wooden painted sign is in fair condition with some chipped paint around the lettering and surface wear from use.
9) Main Street USA Railroad Station Disneyland Flag (Circa 1960s)
Current bid: $1,550
The original, double-sided Disneyland flag from the earliest years of the park has Sleeping Beauty Castle, fireworks and letters sewn into both sides. The 40 x 25-inch flag flown over the Disneyland Railroad’s Main Street USA Station is exceptionally hard to find.
10) Pluto Walk-Around Character Costume Collar Prop (Circa 1990s to 2000s)
Estimated value: $1,000+Current bid: $350
The Pluto collar worn by the Disneyland walk-around costumed character has a resin dog tag with the message, “If found, please return to Mickey Mouse.” The inside of the thick fabric collar with Velcro closure still retains its original Disneyland wardrobe label with “Pluto” handwritten in ink.