Every Disney Parks fan dreams of owning a piece of Walt Disney World Resort. Over the years, the Florida Disney Park has given die-hard fans many chances to make their mark.
Some fans bought bricks on the pathway to Magic Kingdom, while others purchased Leave a Legacy plaques at EPCOT. Others buy into Disney Vacation Club (DVC) contracts, pre-paying for a lifetime of magical vacations.
But what if you could own a piece of Walt Disney World Resort history? That dream came true this month for a few lucky fans with open wallets.
Van Eaton Galleries in California held an auction titled “Exploring the Disney Universe,” which included over 1500 items from Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. One of those items was a Goofy character costume head, once worn by Disney entertainment Cast Members at Walt Disney World Resort in the 1990s.
The Disney character head was expected to bring in a minimum of $3,000 and up to $6,000. But the final bid came in at a whopping $19,000! The Goofy head was among the most expensive items sold, with a Haunted Mansion 50th anniversary guitar and an “it’s a small world” concept painting for Disneyland by legendary Imagineer Mary Blair, both selling for $32,000 each.
Other notable sales include a Park Hopper character costume, an eight-and-a-half-inch bronze sculpture of Figment and Dreamfinder sculpted by Bill Toma, a 1990 site plant print of EPCOT by John Horney, and a “Cast Members Only” sign from Spaceship Earth, according to The Orlando Sentinel.
Any Disney fans who weren’t lucky enough to purchase any of the auctioned historical items can view photos and final selling prices on Van Eaton Galleries’ website. The Studio City, California-based auction house periodically holds Disney-themed auctions featuring thousands of pieces from private collectors.
What item would you have liked to purchase from the Van Eaton Galleries auction?