In recent days, a mini controversy has been brewing at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme parks in Disneyland and Disney World - specifically in regards to some novelty soda bottles. It all started when the Transportation Security Administration responded to a Twitter question asking if it would be okay to travel with the containers (given that they are meant to look like the Star Wars equivalent of grenades), and their response was rather unequivocal: "Replica and inert explosives aren't allowed in either carry-on or checked bags."
This caused a bit of an uproar, given that many people fly to the parks, and because it's one of the few unique pieces of memorabilia that is moderately inexpensive. Now it seems that the complaints have made a difference, as the TSA has basically reversed course on their ban on Thermal Detonator Coke bottles.
CNN has received an official statement from the government agency, which has been reviewing the issue over the last few days, and a decision has been made to allow Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attendees to fly home with their souvenir soda bottles. Explaining the situation and the new policy, a spokeswoman from the TSA said:
We have completed our review, and instructed our officers to treat these as an oversized liquid. Because these bottles contain liquids larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters), they should be put in checked baggage or emptied to be brought on as carry-on item.
Basically, if you want to bring a Thermal Detonator Coke bottle home with you via airplane, you'll have to make sure that it is empty, and fit it into either your checked baggage or in your carry-on.
This new ruling will surely be regarded as good news by those who don't want to totally empty their bank account while trying to find some kind of exclusive item that they can keep as a token to memorialize their trip to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Not everyone is going to be able to drop $200 to build their own custom lightsaber, so $5.49 per Thermal Detonator Coke bottle is reasonable by comparison (though it's certainly still an inflated price by real world standards).
Truly the only people who will be disappointed by this news are the folks on eBay who purchase the specialized soda bottles strictly so that they can be re-sold. The former TSA ban created a particular shift in the supply and demand market, as online auctions were temporarily the only resource for anyone outside driving distance of Disneyland or Disney World, and unable to make it to a post office. Now this reversal totally changes things.
Furthermore, Star Wars: Galaxy Edge also still has policies that prevent people from simply buying and reselling the parks' entire stock. Visitors can only buy three bottles per transaction.
Those who want to get their own Thermal Detonator Coke bottles can do so now by traveling to either Orlando, Florida or Anaheim, California and purchasing passes to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The theme parks are now open in both Disneyland and Disney World, and you should check out the CinemaBlend YouTube page to get a sneak peek.
Image courtesy DisneylandNews.com/Disney
