An upcoming auction of prized Disney Parks memorabilia offers guests the chance to bring home their very own ride vehicles that have been retired from service at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. The upcoming Disney auction, heralded as “The Art of Disneyland: From Stagecoaches to Monorails… and More,” is hosted by Heritage Auctions and will be held on March 25-26, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.
This auction offers a diverse range of lots from almost every division of The Walt Disney Company. Whether you’re a fan of Disney Parks Worldwide, Disney Cruise Lines, animation art, or something else, there is something for everyone.
“This event has lots that showcase every aspect of the Parks,” says Jim Lentz, Heritage Auction’s director of animation art. “You’ll see more than 850 lots spread over two full days. You’ll see lots that tie to Main Street, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and more.”
The auction has something for everyone. The wide-ranging lot has Cast Member costumes, attraction props, signs, concept art, restaurant menus, furniture, and so much more. At present, online bidding is underway, and a number of items have already received bids. While some of the prices may appear reasonable, it is likely that these amounts will increase significantly once the auction officially commences in a few weeks’ time.
Here are some of the many items up for sale:
Walt Disney World’s former Snow White’s Scary Adventures Attraction Vehicle
A used attraction vehicle from Walt Disney World’s former Snow White’s Scary Adventures attraction (Walt Disney, c. 1980s-90s) will be up for auction. At press time, a current bid of $4,200.00 has been placed on the vehicle.
This is an incredibly rare original attraction vehicle is composed of a painted fiberglass body with a metal frame and lap bars. It was designed to resemble being made of carved wood, and features the front nameplate of the dwarf “Dopey.” The vehicle measures 80″ long, 50″ wide, and 40″ tall. According to the auction catalog, the vehicle is in good park-used condition, with small chips and wears along the trim of the base, and some surface wear throughout. This item will ship out of Beverly Hills and shipping fees will vary.
Disneyland – Skyway Park Attraction Vehicle
For Disneyland fans, there is a Disneyland – Skyway Park Attraction Vehicle (Walt Disney, c. 1965-1994) up for auction. The current bid (at press time) is $5,250.00.
This is an extraordinary and highly uncommon original Skyway bucket vehicle that was used in Disneyland. For nearly four decades, the Skyway transported guests around property, offering some of the most stunning views of Disneyland that one could ever hope to see.
The attraction was introduced in 1956, but it wasn’t until 1965 that the vehicles were redesigned with the now-iconic, rounded shape that harkened back to the bygone era of Tomorrowland. The bold colors – such as this bright orange bucket – and rounded bodies of the Skyway infused Tomorrowland with a sense of excitement and motion as guests traversed this unique section of the Park.
The vehicle is crafted from painted fiberglass with a metal frame, and remnants of its original cables can still be seen at the top of the canopy. The door still functions and latches, while the interior retains its stylish Skyway safety plaque. The side of the vehicle is labeled with the number 38. It stands an impressive 6ft tall, is 69.5″ wide, and measures 4ft deep. The auction house says it is in “very good condition,” with a few minor scratches and scuffs that are consistent with its use and removal from the Park. The Skyway ceased operations on November 9, 1994.
Overland Stagecoach Original 9 Passenger Coach with Wells Fargo Strongbox and Gear
Although this stagecoach was never used at any Disney Park, it was an actual working stagecoach and is “being offered as an homage to the “Rainbow Mountain Stagecoach” ride that operated from 1955 to 1959 at Disneyland. Currently, the bidding is at $675.00.
The Overland Stagecoach Original 9 Passenger Coach with Wells Fargo Strongbox and Gear (c. 1870’s). is an original full-size, nine passenger Overland Stagecoach that originally functioned as an actual working stagecoach. It’s last official run was from Tombstone, Arizona to Sacramento, California.
The coach has a Disney connection, having been owned by Ben Hathaway, a close friend of Walt Disney and a fellow Anaheim entrepreneur. Hathaway was the proprietor of Tiffy’s restaurant, which was initially situated in the Disneyland Hotel in the late 1950s. His name is hand-painted above Tecolote Ranch on a canvas flap beneath the driver’s seat.
This relic of the Old West dates to the 1870s measures 8.5′ tall, 14′ 10″ long, and weighs 2840 lbs. It comes complete with a Leather window and storage flaps, Wells Fargo strong box, wood trunk, wood cage, bolt for the tongue assembly, and two wood block/leather brake shoes. The auction catalog says the coach is in “used condition and sold as-is with no warranty or promise of functionality implied.” The stagecoach is located in Dallas, Texas, the winning bidder will need to contact Heritage Auctions for shipping inquiries.
Mark IV Monorail Cabin from Walt Disney World
What Disney fan hasn’t said, “I would LOVE to have my very own monorail!” Well, here’s your chance. Up for auction is a used Walt Disney World – Park Monorail Mark IV Cabin (Walt Disney, 1984-90s). Currently, the bid sits at $105.00, but don’t expect that figure to stay there for long.
Since monorail cars rarely – if ever – come up for sale, this is an exceptionally rare artifact from the Disney Parks. It is an original Park-used Mark IV Monorail Cabin from Walt Disney World from when the park opened on October 1st, 1971.
This cabin is an authentic piece from the Mark IV Monorail Lime that was utilized at Walt Disney World beginning in 1984. Following its retirement in the early 1990s, Monorail Lime was sold and relocated to the Las Vegas Monorail System, where it was renovated and repainted to its current state, featuring a blue stripe. Consequently, by acquiring this cabin, you not only obtain a genuine artifact from Walt Disney World but also a slice of Las Vegas history.
This incredible vehicle is primarily composed of metal and painted fiberglass. All four of its doors on its primary side still manually open and close, and all of its windows are still intact. Inside the cabin are eight rows of seating, an emergency phone, warning signage for the overhead emergency exit, “watch your head” signage over the doorways, and “no smoking” and “no food or beverage” plaques. The cabin measures approximately 80″ x 96″ x 28ft long. The condition is Fair to Good, with moderate wear throughout from its use, removal, and age, particularly to the paint and trim near the bottom of the doors. There are a few small absent pieces, such as three door handles on the back side of the Monorail cabin.
Disneyland – Autopia Mark VII Functioning Attraction Vehicle
This Autopia Mark VII car from Disneyland was professionally restored to functioning and drivable condition. The Autopia’s vehicles were designed by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr, who has reported that he fashioned this generation of the car to have a front-end inspired by a Corvette Stingray, and a back-end inspired by an Opal GT. Early bidding has the vehicle priced at $1,150.00.
From 1967 to 1999, this type of vehicle was utilized at the Park. Since the car bodies were constructed from fiberglass, when the Mark VIIs were replaced with the newer Mark VIIIs in 1999, the Park recycled the chassis and various mechanical parts, and only replaced the shells with the updated design.
This specific car has been painstakingly professionally restored to functioning, drivable condition. The fiberglass body still retains its original padding and original metal grip bar. The safety plaque itself is original to the park, but the graphics have been recreated. The chassis was built to resemble how it would have been seen in use at Disneyland for over 30 years. A new and modified 8 hp predator 4 cycle engine perfects the attraction experience for a drivable and ridable attraction vehicle. No seatbelt or bumpers are included. Heritage Auctions say that the Autopia Mark VII vehicle is in very good condition with small surface scratches and minor wear from use. It measures approximately 9.5ft long, 4ft wide, and 3ft tall.
Disneyland – Haunted Mansion Hatbox Ghost Maquette by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily (Walt Disney, 2011)
This Disneyland – Haunted Mansion Hatbox Ghost Maquette by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily currently has a bid of $210.00.This rare hand-painted maquette by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily of the infamous Hatbox Ghost is from their personal archives. This maquette was created by Kevin and Jody based on Imagineer Collin Campbell’s unique stylization of the character, as seen in the iconic 1969 Disneyland Record, “The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion.” Complete with fiber “hair,” it stands on a wooden base and is displayed within a glass bell jar.
“When viewed through the wavy glass, the figure takes on a mildly distorted appearance that makes him even more ghostly,” said Kidney. This detailed maquette measures 13″ x 7″ x 17″ tall within the glass, and is in very good condition. It is signed by Kevin and Jody on the back of the base.
Disneyland – Enchanted Tiki Room Tangaroa lamp Production Sample
Although it won’t last long, right now this Disneyland – Enchanted Tiki Room Tangaroa lamp Production Sample is looking like a bargain at $1.00.
This is a production sample is also from the studios of Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. It is composed of resin and wire, and was created for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. According to Kidney, “We get asked about this item by collectors more often than just about any other item.” Originally, Daily’s design intended to have the individual tiki babies turn the lights on and off by pulling them down, however this proved to be difficult to achieve while maintaining the desired look of Tangaroa’s branches. The sample includes two tiki babies hanging by wire from the “lamps.” It measures 12″ x 6.5″ x 16″ tall and is in Very Good condition. It is signed by both Kevin and Jody underneath the base.
Walt Disney Studios Limited Edition 7ft Street Sign by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily
This is an exceptionally rare and sought-after full-size street sign designed by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, based on the sign first displayed at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank in the 1940s, and has a current bid of $240.00. This sign has been featured in films, photo ops, and promotional materials for decades. Faithful to the original, this limited edition sign has movable arms that direct viewers to such locations as Mickey Ave and Dopey Ave, Animation, In-between, Special EFX, Ink & Paint, and more. It is made of painted resin and metal and stands an impressive 7ft tall. The condition is very good with minor surface wear from the previous display.
The Disney Store – Fantasia Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse and Brooms Character Display
Currently at a bid of $310.00, this magnificent group of rare Disney Store character display figures recreates Mickey’s famous Sorcerer’s Apprentice scene from “Fantasia.”
Although the description doesn’t give the exact Disney Store these pieces served as an actual display, they were part of one of the stores. This group of painted fiberglass figures includes Mickey at 38″ x 15″ and two brooms measuring roughly 28″ x 12″. The water buckets measure about 12″ x 7″.
These very rare store props exhibit typical wear as expected from years of use. The buckets and cleaning kit were designed to be removed from the broom’s hands. Overall condition is categorized as fair to good.
Mr. Toad Original Concept Paintings for Figure Set Group of 6 by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily
Another fan favorite is Mr. Toad. Here is a grouping of six Mr. Toad Original Concept Paintings at a bid of $26.00. This is an extremely rare set of 6 paintings featuring characters from Walt Disney’s Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The characters (from the Wind in the Willows half of the film: Mr. Toad in his stolen motorcar, Cyril the horse, Ratty, Moley, Angus MacBadger, and two treacherous Weasels) were drawn by Kevin Kidney and hand-painted by Jody Daily.
The paintings were Kidney and Daily’s concepts for a proposed line in the Tiny Kingdom series in 1999, however, the Tiny Kingdom line ended during this set’s production. Five years later, Kidney and Daily were able to give this original art new life as the basis for their limited edition set of Ichabod and Mr. Toad pewter miniatures.
The 6 concepts are painted in acrylic, and each is trimmed and applied to a larger sheet with production notes and the signatures of both Kidney and Daily. The artwork has 13.5″ x 10.5″ and is visible in a 15″ x 12″ frame. The condition is very good. Heritage Auctions notes that all frames are sold as-is.
From March 20 through March 24, Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills will offer a public preview of the sale. Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/7314.
Will you be placing a bid on any of these amazing items? Let us know in the comments below.
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