Disney popcorn buckets are often highly sought after by Disney collectors and Disney fuels this demand by releasing brand new popcorn buckets for limited-time events and holidays. There will usually always be a viral popcorn bucket with each season that creates hour-long lines in the parks and high resale values on sites like eBay. For those who are new to this Disney popcorn bucket phenomenon, the idea of standing in line for hours to get a popcorn bucket might seem crazy but these popcorn buckets are well-designed and often include light-up features that prompt guests to use them as home decor or to sit proudly on their collector's shelf.
As someone who has fallen into the habit of collecting Disney popcorn buckets, let's go over the popularity of these buckets, current Disneyland and Walt Disney World buckets, and tips. Often collectors will include popular drink sippers in this category too as these create the same following of popularity.
Current 2024 Disney Popcorn Buckets
The upcoming 2024 limited time popcorn buckets at Disneyland and Walt Disney World focus on park celebrations being held this summer.
Pixar Fest at Disneyland takes place April 26th, 2024 through August 4th, 2024 at Disneyland and will feature multiple Pixar themed popcorn buckets. The Dug popcorn bucket, above, will be a Magic Key holder exclusive.
The Coco themed guitar popcorn bucket will be available for all guests during Pixar Fest.
There will also be a Pizza Planet truck popcorn bucket for Pixar Fest!
Season of the Force at Disneyland takes place April 5th through June 2nd. Jabba the Hutt Bucket will be available starting April 5th and the Salvaged Stormtrooper Helmet Bucket will be available starting May 4th.
Over at Walt Disney World, a limited time popcorn bucket featuring Pumba will part of the celebration for the Lion King's 30th anniversary at Animal Kingdom. This new popcorn bucket will be available for the first day of the celebration on June 10th and through September 6th, while supplies last.
Walt Disney World will also be receiving the popular Salvaged Stormtrooper Helmet Bucket but no official release date has been announced yet. It will be available in Hollywood Studios as part of the May the 4th celebration so I would guess we'll see it debut close to that date.
Disney Popcorn Bucket Popularity
Disney popcorn buckets and sippers have risen in popularity helped along by social media which often contributes to some of these buckets going viral. The more limited in quantity a popular bucket is, the chances are it will also rise in popularity as collectors try to get their hands on these rare collectible Disney Parks items.
And of course, with anything collectible, you will see resellers in the theme parks often using their Annual Pass to purchase larger quantities of the popcorn buckets to resale on websites like eBay. This also will drive up popularity if the resale prices are high.
Some popular popcorn buckets feature icons from limited-time Disney Parks celebrations. The Main Street Electrical Parade summer celebration in 2022 featured two iconic popcorn buckets/sippers of iconic parade floats. These popcorn buckets created long lines throughout the parks and sold out quickly.
Another example of a popular limited-time Disney popcorn bucket was the popcorn bucket released for the 50th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion. This bucket connected to the other hitchhiking ghosts being sold in the park. So essentially if you bought one, you'd want all three!
And of course, Halloween and Christmas popcorn buckets and sippers are common each year. Some popcorn buckets will repeat and some will be released that could be exclusive to that season. Usually, scarcity increases demand and the quicker these popcorn buckets sell out, the more popular they become.
Disneyland Popcorn Buckets
Disneyland's current popcorn bucket lineup will focus on any holidays and celebrations the resort is featuring. So during the Disneyland Halloween season, you can expect popcorn buckets that feature Disney characters in Halloween costumes or characters from notable Halloween films. This Halloween included many popular offerings like the Coco skull sipper, Minnie Mouse dressed as Winfred Sanderson, and Donald Duck in his candy corn costume. The Halloween season also included two Disney popcorn buckets to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Nightmare Before Christmas with a Zero bucket and one featuring the Mayor's town car with Oogie's boys.
Once the Halloween season ends, the Disneyland holiday season will include a full offering of holiday popcorn buckets. You might see popcorn buckets featuring characters in their Christmas best, reindeer sippers, and more. Many of these buckets often light up!
Some familiar favorites we've seen featured over the years at Disneyland for Christmas have included a light-up Christmas tree bucket with popcorn garland and a Pluto dressed in his Christmas sweater!
And of course, even other celebrations will receive popcorn buckets like we saw in the past with the anniversary of the Haunted Mansion and the Main Street Electrical Parade. This is part of what makes collecting popcorn buckets/sippers so exciting, there's always new ones to look forward to throughout the year.
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Disney World Popcorn Buckets
Walt Disney World also has its own offerings of Disney popcorn buckets although many Disney fans lament that Disneyland often gets a bigger selection! Walt Disney World will follow the same pattern of popcorn buckets available for seasonal holidays like Halloween or Christmas but also including items for other celebrations.
The Disney Halloween Donald Duck sipper was featured on both coasts this year along with the Mayor's car from Nightmare Before Christmas. Over at Walt Disney World, this was a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party item. This popcorn bucket was popular at both parks with long lines each time it came in stock.
Another limited-time offering to celebrate the Disney 100th Anniversary at EPCOT also includes a purple Mickey Mouse balloon popcorn bucket.
Previously, both coasts saw the Cinderella carriage popcorn bucket to celebrate the anniversary. As you can see, Disney loves celebrations and will roll out a full selection of Disney popcorn buckets for Christmas, Halloween, and other seasonal events.
Disney Popcorn Bucket Tips
Collecting popcorn buckets and sippers at Disneyland and Walt Disney World can be a bit challenging especially if you have your heart set on the most popular one! Here are my best tips on snagging these collectible Disney items and avoiding the longer lines!
- Read the food guides- The seasonal popcorn buckets/sippers will be released in the food guides for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The guides will typically list all the locations it will be offered at and which date. The earlier in the season you visit, the better your chances are at getting any popular Disney popcorn buckets. Here are all the food guides for both Halloween and Christmas:
- Use mobile order– Some popcorn buckets/sippers are sold at locations offering mobile order. You can even pick a mobile order time for later in the day but do so right at 8AM when the park opens so you can be sure yours will be set aside. Once they sell out, they will quit offering mobile orders. This is how I got the Minnie Mouse as Winifred Sanderson Sipper at Disneyland, I simply placed a mobile order at park opening, and walked right up and got it! On my way to pick up my mobile order, I saw long long lines at other stands for this same sipper. She sold out later that day!
- Rent a locker- after you've secured your popcorn bucket, rent a locker to store it in so you're not dragging it all over the parks!
- No need to clean- Don't worry about cleaning out your popcorn bucket or sipper, most of them are sold with the popcorn or drink in a cup separately so you don't need to worry about rinsing out your collectible.
You can use your Disney popcorn buckets as decorations especially if they are from Halloween or Christmas. Many collectors even have an area in their home to display them all. Beyond just popcorn buckets and large sippers, you can also find collectible straw clips, glow cubes, mugs, cookie jars, and more! It is quite easy to fall down the novelty item rabbit hole with Disney products.
In fact, Tiana's Palace at Disneyland now offers its own ceramic serving plate which is one of the nicer novelty items we've seen featured.
Are Disney Popcorn Buckets Refillable?
Only Walt Disney World offers popcorn bucket refills, you cannot get popcorn bucket refills at Disneyland. This is likely due to the large population of passholders (Magic Key) at Disneyland. Walt Disney World caters more to a once in lifetime Disney trip visitors so it's likely more cost-effective to offer it there.
At Walt Disney World, popcorn buckets can be refilled for $2 for the length of their stay. So only current popcorn buckets can be used for refills, you cannot bring one from a previous stay. Currently, Walt Disney World refills a popcorn box and hands it to you rather than refilling your bucket itself.
Since a single popcorn snack costs $5.50, this is a worthwhile investment if you plan on eating popcorn more than once during your stay! The cheapest popcorn buckets start around $10 and can go as high as $30 for the more intricate designs. You can refill your popcorn bucket at any of the Disney parks, not just the one you originally bought it at. Overall, this is a good value since this is a good sharable snack that you can take advantage of multiple times during your stay.
Here is the full list of all the popcorn bucket refill spots in Walt Disney World:
Magic Kingdom
- Main Street Popcorn Cart – Left entrance of train station near Guest Relations
- Castle Plaza Popcorn Cart – On the Tomorrowland side of the hub at the end of Main Street
- Fantasyland Maurice’s Amazing Popping Machine – Between Gaston’s Tavern and Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Fantasyland Storybook Circus Popcorn Cart
- Liberty Square Popcorn Cart – Near Liberty Tree Tavern
- Frontierland – Beside Westward Ho Refreshments
- Frontierland – Outside Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Tomorrowland Popcorn Cart
- Adventureland Snack Cart- Between Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise
EPCOT
- World Celebration Popcorn – Cart across from Imagination Pavilion
- World Celebration East Popcorn – Near Test Track
- Canada Pavilion
- Fife and Drum Tavern – America Pavilion
- Future World Popcorn Cart – Near pin trading station
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Hot and Fresh Popcorn – Just past Starbucks
- Animation Courtyard Popcorn Cart
- Hub Popcorn Cart – near Hyperion Theater
- Hollywood Hills Amphitheater – Fantasmic!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Mahindi Snack Cart in Harambe
- Harambe Market
- The Feeding Ground – Discovery Island
- Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks outside Expedition Everest
Disney Popcorn Bucket FAQ
Of course, like with most popular Disney items, there are always a few questions to answer.
Are Disney popcorn buckets worth it?
That depends, if you like to collect Disney popcorn buckets then yes they are worth it! If you are looking to purchase a refillable bucket, the price is worth it if you plan on eating popcorn more than once during your trip.
How much do popcorn buckets sell for?
Most Disney popcorn buckets retail for under $30 in the parks but depending on how popular they are, they might sell for more on sites like eBay. Usually, the resale price will be highest when they come out and drop over time.
Can I buy a Disney popcorn bucket online?
No, you cannot buy Disney popcorn buckets online from Disney. The only place to purchase them online is through resale sites although you can mobile order your bucket while in the park.
How long can you reuse a Disney popcorn bucket?
Popcorn buckets can only be refilled for the length of their Disney World trip. Popcorn buckets from previous visits may not be re-used.
Why are Disney popcorn buckets so popular?
Disney popcorn buckets are nostalgic and they have become so intricate over the years with light-up features and popular character designs.
How much are Disney World popcorn bucket refills?
Popcorn refills are $2 per refill at Walt Disney World.
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FYI > After the October price hikes, DISNEYLAND is NO longer offering discounted Popcorn Bucket Refills .. .. You have to purchase a regular popcorn ($6) if you want any more .. ..
Not sure if thats an old article about the Pumba bucket over at WDW. They have had that bucket at least a year now. DL has all those great buckets for Pixar We havent seen a new bucket at WDW since the Epcot figment Bldg bucket in January.