Big and back: Sequel to giant Disney auction coming soon

Another big batch of Disney memorabilia and theme-park relics is going up for auction, and up for grabs are notable items such as a Space Mountain ride vehicle, stained-glass window panes from Cinderella Castle and items from the no-longer-with-us Great Movie Ride.

Van Eaton Galleries has announced “The Joel Magee Disney Auction – Part 2” will take place May 4-5.

Magee, who lives in South Florida, owned what Van Eaton calls the largest privately held collection of Disney memorabilia in the world. Part 1 of the sale, held in July, brought in $7 million, including $387,200 for the three hitchhiking ghost animatronics from Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion.

The auction sequel again is heavy on Disneyland and Walt Disney Studio merchandise. About a fourth of the catalog – nearly 350 items – has Walt Disney World roots. But they cover a range from various matchbooks (touting Top of the World, Fort Wilderness, Dapper Dans) to costumes worn by both cast members and animatronics to a big foam Figment head used in the development of Epcot’s Journey Into Imagination.

Here are five WDW-related items that caught our eye if not our bidding paddle.

Space case

Rocket No. 23 from Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain roller coaster is not in mint condition, of course. There are scuff to the seat backs and wear to vinyl seats. It’s been around and around since 1975. Little red flag: It’s the original body and interior of the three-seater “On a custom recreated chassis.” Special shipping arrangements are required. Van Eaton estimates a winning bid between $15,000 and $20,000.

Window to the world

There are four sections of Cinderella Castle stained glass available, three of them with coat of arms motif. They’re about 18 inches wide and originally high in the large windows of King Stefan’s Banquet Hall, now known as Cinderella’s Royal Table. (Estimated bid: $2,000-$4,000 apiece.)

Flat and Dopey

A more modern item was seen on a construction wall during the New Fantasyland project, which wrapped up in 2014. The auction features a set of seven flat dwarf figures and a large scroll that told the back story of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Grumpy and Co. are about 43 inches tall. (Estimated bid: $3,000-$5,000 for the eight pieces.)

Animal instincts

A sign from the ride vehicles for Kilimanjaro Safaris gave visual direction for the animals of the savannah, for those of us who can’t tell their okapi from a hole in the ground. There are scratches, a chip on the corner and “typical wear from park use” in the 38-inch-long piece. (Estimate: $300-$500.)

Hollywood tour

There are several props from Hollywood Studios’ Great Movie Ride, which was closed down in 2017. There are a handful of mummy figures with “intentional distress,” a Busby Berkeley dancer and a window pane from Patrick J. Ryan’s Bar (inspired by 1931’s “The Public Enemy”). Most showy: the Great Movie Ride poster, which was printed on Plexiglas and stood outside the attraction. It features artwork of the bulky ride vehicles as characters from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Indiana Jones,” “Casablanca,” “Mary Poppins” and more look on. The “translight” poster’s estimated bid is $4,000 to $6,000.

Others

Filed under You Don’t Need Yet Want: A Pleasure Island hard hat featuring Moon Man (a.k.a. Funmeister), River Country ticket stub, Seven Seas Lagoon ferryboat life vest, Town Square Theater trash can and a red vest from guest relations cast member costume.

In 2021, Magee told the Orlando Sentinel that the bulk of his collection had fit into his 9,000-square-foot West Palm Beach home, although it took five semis to haul it all away for auction. Magee has appeared on History Channel’s “Pawn Star” and is referred to as “America’s Toy Scout.”

For a digital version of the auction catalog and information about bidding, go to vegalleries.com.

dbevil@orlandosentinel.com