Bright suns, Star Wars fans: The TSA has lifted a ban on thermal detonator-shaped Coke bottles, which the agency initially deemed looked like replica explosives.
The bottles, which are for sale exclusively inside Star Wars lands in Anaheim and Orlando, are shaped like small orbs that resemble either a droid or a thermal detonator, depending on your point of view.
The ban came as a response to a question on Twitter to @AskTSA. A concerned traveler shared an image of the bottles, commenting “I know these look dodgy, but can they be packed in suitcase?”
@Ask TSA replied: “Replica and inert explosives aren’t allowed in either carry-on or checked bags.”
A TSA representative further clarified that “these items could reasonably be seen by some as replica hand grenades” but that the agency would continue to review the issue.
Well, that review is over, and it’s good news for Disney, which just opened the second Galaxy’s Edge location in Orlando on Thursday.
In a reversal, a TSA spokeswoman said in a new statement to CNN, “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.”
At $5.49, the bottles are one of the cheapest souvenirs available at Galaxy’s Edge. And they’re popular: Disney has limited guests to three bottles per transaction to prevent hoarding.
In April, CNN Business broke the exclusive news that Coca-Cola and Disney were partnering to create the bottles, which are designed with logos of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Dasani water in Aurebesh, the fictional Star Wars language.
At the time, Coke was betting on souvenir sales.
Susan Propp, Coke’s vice president of strategic partnership marketing, told CNN: “I think guests will probably drink one to stay hydrated or enjoy it in the land and then probably throw one in their backpack and take it home.”