What do theme parks do with old character costumes?

April 28, 2016, 1:07 AM

I've had some temporary character/mascot performance gigs over the years but none of those were ever at a theme park, especially not the Disneys and Six Flags of the world.

I always wondered though, what happens to old character costumes/suits when the big name parks replace or retire them?

I saw one blurb (and it didn't surprise me) that in Disney's case, the authentic character costumes are destroyed, under a policy that basically says if an average joe on the streets could tell that the costume came from a Disney park, it must be destroyed when it's retired/replaced.

That wouldn't be much of a surprise given the way Disney parks operate. But what about other theme parks? Looney Tunes character costumes from Six Flags, for example? Or characters that only appear for a limited period (e.g. to promote a TV show or movie for a season or as long as the brand is popular)?

I've been browsing entertainment memorabilia lately, and there's so much stuff (movie props, costumes, etc.) that goes into storage for years and/or is auctioned off, etc. I know firsthand the mascot-like costumes get disgusting pretty quickly (at least on the inside) but even if old and worn, I would imagine that they'd still be somewhat valuable if there were a market for it.

Anyone have any insight on this, for ANY big-name theme park with characters?

Replies (1)

April 28, 2016, 4:44 AM

I'm guessing destroyed.

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