A real-life version of Up's floating house sounds like a terrible idea, but Airbnb is offering exactly that
Which stage of late capitalism is this?
Are you afraid of heights? No? Maybe you should look into spending a night inside Up's floating house courtesy of Airbnb, just so you can tell your grandchildren (if you survive).
Via CNN, the "vacation destination rental company" announced on on May first a series of limited-time, special locations named 'Icons' that pay homage to "the greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more." It remains to be seen whether this will be a recurring thing from the company, but so far, the initial selection of locations is quite large, with Up's floating house being the most striking by far.
The official description of the Up house reads as follows: "Sleep inside one of Disney and Pixar’s most iconic homes – and yes, it floats. You’ll explore Carl’s world in this detailed re-creation of his home, complete with more than 8,000 balloons, and located in the scenic red rocks of Abiquiu, New Mexico." According to Airbnb, the house will actually float (with the help of a crane), but exactly how long you'll be left hanging isn't mentioned. Imagine trying to sleep inside a floating house for an entire night. In any case, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
On top of all the details, there's also this hilarious host card (see below) that introduces Up's Carl Fredricksen to those lucky (or unlucky) enough to win the stay in a battle against other interested guests. Right now, it appears to be free, so maybe check it out if you're in New Mexico or fancy going there just to spend a night inside what looks like a gigantic torture device.
Far more normal (and even enticing in some cases) are other options in the 'Icons' list, among which you can find Prince's 'Purple Rain' House, a recreation of Inside Out 2's emotion headquarters, and even a cartoony X-Men mansion based on the (fantastic) Marvel animated show X-Men '97.