When Magic Kingdom reopened this past week, people rushed straight to Splash Mountain. The log flume and its merchandise have been the center of Disney fan’s attention since it was announced that the popular ride would be getting changed to feature Princess and the Frog. Merchandise has been flying off the shelves both online and in the parks. To combat the demand and account for social distancing, Disney even implemented virtual queues for those wanting to get into Splash Mountain gift shops. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing merchandise, but when the Parks opened for cast member and Annual Passholder previews, it was clear that a problem had risen.
People began purchasing merchandise in bulk and then selling the products online for ridiculously high amounts. Cast members and Annual Passholders already have a discount, but merchandise was made even cheaper when Disney announced that cast members would receive a 50% discount on merchandise for the remainder of July. When the Parks reopened and when this article was published, there have been no limits placed on Splash Mountain merchandise.
A quick search on resale sites like eBay will produce many results of users price gouging in order to make a profit on the high demand products. What’s even more insane, is that people have been taking the product photos inside the parks. We’ve seen prices as high as $330 for a set of 3 plushies.
This action of reselling clearly violates the terms and conditions that Passholders agree with. The agreement reads:
“Benefits and discounts are for personal use only and may not be used for any commercial purpose including, without limitation, to obtain or purchase items or services with the intent to resell such items or services.”
Those who violate these terms are at risk of having their passes suspended or revoked. There has been word of Disney finding those who break their agreement and subsequently removing that guest’s annual pass.
There is no word as to when Splash Mountain will be permanently closed for it’s Princess and the Frog refurbishment, so people have been rushing to purchase memorabilia in fear of a close closure date. In the meantime, one can only hope that Disney will implement merchandise limits as well as double down on the price gougers.
