The ride from the old, old-school version of Dumbo The Flying Elephant Attraction sold for $150,000 at a recent Disney prop and memorabilia auction.
The 9.5-foot length from the Disneyland version of Ride was sold at Disney Studios and Parks auctions at Van Eaton Gallery, based in Studio City, California.
This particular elephant has an auction history, Van Eaton said. In 1992, the first Disnena Convention became the first Dumbo Ride to be revealed by Disney. After being removed from the ride, the unit was converted to ground photography.
The certificate of reliability from Disney means the vehicle is from 1955 and is original to Disneyland. However, the gallery believes it comes from a redesign in the 1960s, as the ears of the pieces sold were not designed to move like the original. So, Dumbo Buyer, please be careful.
Other notable sales from recent auctions included a life-size “Star Wars” stormtrooper statue that was once purchased at Star Wars Launch Bay in Disneyland. I went for $10,500 at a recent auction.
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A series of concept paintings by Disney legend Mary Blair is set in preparation for animated films such as Cinderella, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, and are available for sale from $10,000 to $15,000.
Van Eaton Galleries regularly operates Disney-based auctions with a variety of items, including theme park signs, cast member costumes, name tags, attraction posters, resort furniture, vintage souvenirs, and various props. Gallery owners collect work from many sources, including the public. They identify successful bidders, but the bidder is not the bidder.
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The latest sale wasn’t too heavy for items related to Walt Disney World. The top seller was the rare 2003 “coming soon” attraction poster for Mickey’s Phil Hal Magic, a 3D show still operating at the Magic Kingdom theme park. The winning bid was $2,500.
The early attraction posters at Euro Disneyland, now known as Disneyland Paris, have become even better. They drew bids between $3,000 and $9,500 for artwork promoting Lucky Nugget Saloon, Phantom Manners and Discovery Mountain. It opened as Space Mountain.
For more information, please visit vegalleries.com.
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Original issue: July 14th, 2025 10:37am EDT
