26 January 2023 , 14:46
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Bottles of water claiming to be from the now-closed Disneyland ride Splash Mountain are being sold on eBay with bidding on some of the items reaching over $10,000 (£8,000).
The iconic ride at Disney World Florida closed on January 23 this year to cheers from onlookers.
But since its closure, containers of water and pebbles claimed to be from the much-loved ride have been listed for sale on eBay for thousands of dollars.
Some even come with official looking certificates, "proving" their authenticity.
Bidding on one listing - a water bottle full of water with 'Splash mountain water' hand written on it with a marker pen - has gone above $10,000.
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A zip-lock bag of the water is also listed on the sales website.
Splash Mountain closed on January 23 (MediaNews Group via Getty Images)On the last day the ride was operating, people queued for more than three hours to have a go.
There are plans to reopen the log-flume as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024.
Splash Mountain opened in 1989, based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South.
Since its release the film has been widely criticised for its portrayal of African Americans and plantation life, which many consider racist.
The ride will be re-themed (Getty Images)Due to the film's controversial legacy, Disney has not released it on any home video format in the US, and the film has never been available on streaming platform Disney+.
The decision was made to rebrand the ride in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protest that swept across the US and the world following the death of George Floyd.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a shareholders meeting in 2020: "I've felt, as long as I've been CEO, that 'Song of the South' was — even with a disclaimer — was just not appropriate in today's world."
Before the decision was made a petition was widely signed calling for the ride to be changed.
Some of the listings on ebay.co.uk (Ebay)The Change.org petition read: "While the rides [sic] storyline is not an exact version of the movies [sic] plot line it is derivative from it, the characters, the songs and locations are all main features of the ride.
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"Disney has removed Song of the South from its library, refusing to share it on DVD or their streaming services.
"The best next step to remove all traces of this racist movie would be to re-theme Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog themed ride."
A counter-petition calling for the change to be scrapped gathered over 94,000 signatures with many criticising the 'woke' nature of the decision.
The ride was a classic log-flume where people got soaked with water (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be based on the film The Princess and the Frog, which follows Princess Tiana and an alligator as they prepare to throw a Mardi Gras party.
The film featured Disney's first black princess.
Disney described the upcoming attraction as such: "In Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you’ll join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis during Mardi Gras season as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration for the people of New Orleans.
"This new scene is the thrilling moment you first drop into the bayou and encounter some friends both new and familiar."