The Disney Experiences Auction opens every lot at $1
Fifty pieces consigned directly by Disney go under the hammer Sunday with no reserve prices. It’s a preview for a 1,500-lot auction in October, and fans are split on the whole idea.
Every lot starts at a dollar. None of them have a reserve.
That’s how Heritage Auctions structured the Disney Experiences Auction, 50 pieces consigned directly by Disney from Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and other Disney destinations. Online bidding opened July 20.
The live session runs Sunday, August 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pacific on the Backlot Stage at the Anaheim Convention Center, hosted by Bret Iwan, the official voice of Mickey Mouse.
What’s in the Disney Experiences Auction
Retired park hardware, mostly.
WDW News Today went through the lots and found two listings for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad vehicles converted into benches, removed during the attraction’s recent refurbishment. There’s material from MuppetVision 3D*, from The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, from Dinosaur, and from the Rivers of America.
Also on the list, per Laughing Place: an event-used Mickey Mouse sign from DisneyFest in Singapore, a Disneyland drawbridge banner from the 60th anniversary, a Disneyland 50th anniversary plaque, a mummy prop from Indiana Jones Adventure, a Medusa glass slide from the Haunted Mansion changing portraits, and a sea lion ride vehicle from King Triton’s Carousel.
There are also trash cans.
This is the small version
Fifty lots is a preview.
Heritage’s own listing describes this as a mini auction ahead of a much larger sale running October 23 through 25, with over 1,500 lots from Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and other destinations.
So the D23 session is a test of the market, staged in front of the most motivated buyers Disney has.
Why fans are divided on the Disney auction
Two reasonable positions, and both are being argued loudly.
One is that these objects were headed for a landfill or a warehouse nobody visits, and putting them with collectors who care is better than either. Heritage’s framing leans on that, describing the pieces as ready for their next chapter with the fans who treasure them most.
The other is that Disney removed these attractions over fan objections and is now selling the pieces back. WDW News Today characterized the partnership as a new revenue stream built from retired attractions. Disney Tourist Blog described the reaction as running from outrage to indifference.
Both readings fit the same facts. The $1 opening with no reserve cuts slightly toward the first one, since it’s a structure designed to let a small bidder win something rather than to guarantee Disney a floor.
How to bid on the Disney Experiences Auction
Online or in the room.
Bidding runs through Heritage at HA.com, auction number 7493, and requires a registered account. In-person bidding happens at the live session Sunday.
There’s also a display room for the auction items on the second floor of the convention center, which requires event admission. Access to it is not guaranteed.
What a Big Thunder bench sells for Sunday night will say more about the October sale than any of the coverage this week has.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
Heritage Auctions (auction 7493), the 50-lot structure, the $1 no-reserve opening, the Sunday live session time, and the October 23 through 25 follow-up auction with over 1,500 lots
WDW News Today (July 2026), the lot breakdown including the Big Thunder Mountain benches and the Muppet*Vision material, and the July 20 online bidding open date
WDW News Today (June 2026), the reporting on the Disney and Heritage partnership
Laughing Place (July 2026), the highlighted lot list including the Haunted Mansion Medusa slide and the King Triton’s Carousel sea lion vehicle
Disney Tourist Blog (July 2026), the range of fan reaction and the auction’s structure and access details