I jumped into Scrooge McDuck’s Money Bin — and it was great, but yes, the coins kinda hurt
It’s very rare that a childhood dream actually comes true. While I am still waiting on the day I wake up and I’m a mermaid, I should really get 7-year-old Rachel on the phone and tell her that some 20-something years later, she’s going to get to live out a completely different fantasy: While still fin-less, she’s going to jump into Scrooge McDuck’s giant Money Bin and love every second of it.
Disney XD is getting ready to premiere their DuckTales reboot — which is aimed at children, naturally, but let’s be real, I am going to watch every single episode. DuckTales was a huge part of my childhood, and has started creeping into my adulthood. When Disney announced the reboot for 2017 I thought, “Wow, this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
And then I got to jump in the Money Bin.
D23 Expo, Disney’s giant bi-annual convention for all things Disney and Disney adjacent, just wrapped up. DuckTales was there, of course, and I WAS THERE FOR DUCKTALES. I am pleased to report that the DuckTales panel was filled to capacity (no, I have no idea what the capacity of the theater was, so let’s say *a lot*) and it was bursting with cheering fans (and maybe some who cried, and maybe that was me).
I am also pleased to report that throughout the weekend, the hottest ticket at D23 was actually Scrooge’s Money Bin. Like, not even kidding about that. The wait to get into the Disney Store at D23 (where you could buy all the ~exclusive~ merchandise) was roughly about 45 minutes, and the wait for the Money Bin was well over two hours. After a while, they sadly had to cut the line because there were just so many guests hoping to jump.
Obviously I managed to finagle a way to jump into the Bin twice.
Yes, I waited FOR A LONG TIME to jump into the Bin twice, I’m not ashamed at all (I also raced into the convention hall as soon as it opened in the morning and made a beeline over there). The second time I went back to the Bin, the nice lady directing everyone how to jump exclaimed, “You’re back!” It was like when the Barista knows your coffee order, but this case, everyone knows I like cartoon ducks.
Now, what was it like? Let me be honest with you: It was magical, and also the weirdest sensation ever.
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/OlxFdMkABl
— Rachel Paige (@rachmeetsworld) July 15, 2017
You’d think the Money Bin would be like a giant ball pit. It is not. While the coins aren’t hard plastic, they’re still plastic. (I also maybe ended up with an odd bruise on my wrist from where I hit the coins, and I’m a little convinced the force of hitting them gave me shin splints — but it was still great!!)
It’s just a very weird feeling to be swimming among giant, plastic circular disks. And then I got kinda…stuck in it. Little kids could easily climb in and out because they are kids. But I am an adult woman. I fell deep into the Bin (because of gravity and weight) and could not for the life of me get out. One of the staffers at the Bin had to wade into the coins and get me out. If anyone has pictures of this, please send it my way. I was in there for like A SOLID MINUTE trying to get my footing and it was just not working — arms were flailing, I was literally trying to dig my way through coins, and I kept slipping further into it.
However, I was having the time of my life.
It’s not every day something like this happens, so yes, very hashtag blessed.
For those keen on jumping into the Money Bin themselves, I have some bad news for you: It’s in retirement now. From what I was told — and yes, I asked — this was the last appearance of the Money Bin (it also stopped by the Radio Disney Music Awards earlier this year). That’s not saying it will never come back. This might be one of those “hound Disney enough until they bring it back” things.
As for me, up until the point I get married/have kids/win an Emmy/meet The Rock, when people ask me, “So what’s the best moment of your life so far?” I’m going to be like, “Are you familiar with the television show, DuckTales?”
