No doubt by now you’ve heard about how Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom had a 240 minute wait yesterday- for the gift shop. People were queuing up for a legit 2-hour wait to buy endangered ride merch.
Sure, that’s kind of insane, but I do get the urge – Splash Mountain is a great ride, and as much as I’m down for the Princess & The Frog redo for a variety of reasons, I’ll miss it. It would be nice to have a memento. Alas, I’m not sure I’ll be back to WDW before it shuts down for the refurb, thus ruining my chances at both a final ride and a final shopping experience.
But wait! Thankfully I remembered I already have a Splash Mountain souvenir: a t-shirt I picked up in June 2011. If I remember correctly I grabbed it on the very last day of the trip. It’s not the most eye-catching of designs (where are the characters? Why is the color palette so muted? What is the ride name barely legible?), but the fitted crop cut is cute and – this was important as I can be cheap am frugal – it was on sale, which is probably what tipped me into “buy” mode.
Unfortunately, while I have no memory of anything ever happening while wearing it, it hasn’t aged well, which is why it hasn’t made it into a park wardrobe rotation previously. It’s got some weird discoloration on one sleeve and a tiny hole in the upper left near the collar.
I think it might be salvageable, though, with a good steam and some minor modifications – the discoloration doesn’t bother me too much, and I think I can cover over the hole and make it cuter with an iron-on patch. I’m currently trolling Etsy for a such a find, so if you have any recommendations, let me know!
I suppose this would decrease its value as an authentic piece of Disney Parks merchandise of a bygone era, but, I mean, it isn’t in great condition as it is. What is it with me and vintage Disney t-shirts?
If my mission is successful, you may see this shirt in my next Disney Dandy post; I have a brown suede skirt that might go with it well, or some skinny jeans if the weather calls for it. In the meantime, best of luck for those trying to get your hands on a Splash souvenir of your own. Here’s hoping it stays open long enough for us to get those last rides and shopping sprees in!
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That shirt does look cute! I think I may have some Splash Mountain merch somewhere, since it has been a favorite ride. I know I bought a cool cup when I was 16… it's possible it's still in the cabinets at my parents' house.
Ooh, post it if you find it!