Splash Mountain: Water From Disney World Ride Fetching Hundreds Online After Closure

Splash Mountain will soon be a distant memory. Disney World fiends lined up for hours on end Sunday to be one of the last riders on the decades-old Frontierland attraction. Now, just hours ahead of its official closure on January 23rd, water taken from the aquatic ride is fetching hefty sums online.

As of Sunday evening, at least seven jars of the water captured on January 22nd were found on eBay, ranging from low-end auctions starting at five dollars, to one auction with 23 bids at $81, to another Buy It Now option stationed at $149.95. As of this writing, just one of the listings from Sunday's water-retrieval attempts has sold, a small four-ounce jar for $34.95.

Why is Splash Mountain closing?

Last December, Disney World officials announced the ride would permanently shutter on January 23rd to make way for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the first amusement park ride based on The Princess and the Frog. While the bones of the ride will remian the same, the look and story will be changed in the coming months before its reopening next year.

"While we've explored many new themes in the past, [2019 is] when we really began to hone in on Princess Tiana's story," Walt Disney Imagineering president Bob Weis told Disney's D23 of the decision to move away from the animated characters seen in the 1946 film Song of the South. "That said, Splash Mountain has been the subject of many conversations through the years. Its brilliant ride platform and landscape create the potential for great storytelling."

Disney World's Splash Mountain officially closes permanently on January 23rd. Disneyland's Splash Mountain currently remains in operation, and Disney has not yet confirmed a closing date. Both the Florida and California versions of Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open in 2024.