Okay, so you might have heard of popcorn buckets at movie theatres, but did you know that you can get a Disney popcorn bucket as well.
Yeah, yeah. I’m a Disney adult. It’s cringe to get so excited over a popcorn bucket. But whatever! The popcorn buckets are back baby!
Disneyland is now offering discounted refills on popcorn if you get there buckets! And I couldn’t be more excited.
So for the uninitiated, let’s clarify firstly…
What exactly is a Disney popcorn bucket?
If you’re thinking, “Well, it’s a bucket for popcorn. Duh!”, you’re not completely wrong. It is most definitely a container to hold your popcorn. But it’s so much more!
The bucket comes in different sizes, shapes and sizes and most importantly designs. You can find a Disney Princess popcorn bucket, a Toy Story popcorn bucket, a Star Wars popcorn bucket. So there’s something for every fandom.
There are buckets in a plethora of character shapes as well. I personally adore the Pumbaa bucket I got when I visited the resort in 2022.
And the unique designs make them not just a convenient container but also a lovely souvenir for your time at Disney World resort.
I get them every time I go to Disneyland or a Disney World resort. And yes I go often (hey don’t judge!). So at this point I have several buckets sitting at home as proof of my conquests.
But is it worth buying it?
Yes. I would definitely say yes! Look I might be Disney-obsessed, but I’m not crazy. I travel to these places on a budget and I stick to it.
Now how do these buckets fit into my budget. Well, here’s the greatest thing about them. They’re not just pretty containers, they give you a reduced amount of popcorn refills.
To get your very own refillable popcorn bucket, just go to any popcorn cart in Disney World, and ask for popcorn in a refillable bucket. Yup, that’s it. That simple!
Now, when I went to Disney World resort in Florida this May, the price for this bucket was $14.29. This of course, is only for the regular buckets and not for any specialty ones.
The novelty buckets are more like collectible items and can cost you up to $30, but can even fetch amazing prices at ebay.
Now if you get this refillable bucket, then any later popcorn purchase is $2.49. Yes, this is valid throughout the day. You can also get a Disney Dining plan snack credit instead of a refill for the bucket.
The standard amount you have to pay for a regular box of popcorn is anywhere from $5.99 to $6.99, so getting a discount of at least $3.5 – $4.5 is a big freaking deal to me.
So Do They Have The Disney Popcorn Bucket in Every Disney theme park?
Yes and no! The buckets themselves you can get both in Disney World park in Orlando and in other parks like Disneyland in Anaheim.
But the option for the discounted refill for popcorn throughout the day is only available at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This is probably because there are a lot of Magic Key (a paid pass) holders in Disneyland compared to Disneyworld.
But come this August 17th and this is going to change…with terms and conditions of course.
See, if you’re a Magic Key holder in Disneyland you can get popcorn refills for $2.25 through the day if you get their King Arthur’s Carrousel bucket.
The catch is, this offer is only for their King Arthur’s Carrousel bucket and not on any other popcorn bucket. And the King Arthur bucket is only available at select locations in Disneyland Park. So you better buckle up if you want to get your hands on these.
Where Exactly Can You Get a Popcorn Bucket?
As I mentioned above, you can get your popcorn bucket at just about any popcorn cart in Disney World. Okay, let me give you my favorite places to get the buckets.
Magic World
I love Disney Princesses and wanted a Cinderella bucket and got one at the popcorn cart in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Magic World is just on the Main Street, which is at your left when you enter the park and one of the most popular parts of the theme park. It should be easy enough to find.
Animal Kingdom
This is one of my favorite spots to get novelty popcorn buckets. I got a Timon drink sipper and a Pumbaa popcorn bucket here last time I visited. I also saw a very cool popcorn bucket in the shape of Scar from Lion King here that I wanted to buy. I had to exercise every last bit of my will power not to spend my money on more than one popcorn bucket here.
Disney Hollywood Studios
There are the classic Mickey Mouse popcorn buckets near the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, in this part of the Disney World park. My friend who is a great fan of Zootopia got a popcorn bucket inspired by Nick and Judy’s adventures in the film.
Oh by the way, there is one thing I have to tell you here. When I went to Kat Saka’s Kettle in the Star Wars section of the Hollywood Studios to get some novelty popcorn flavours they said they don’t offer refills. Maybe because these are special flavors you won’t get in the rest of park. Oh well!
Can I Bring Back an Old Bucket?
Haha, nice try. But no, you cannot use an old bucket to get new refills of popcorn. It’s against the rules.
But…. I’m not a rule follower and to confess, I use my Pumbaa bucket that I bought in 2022 for the other times I’ve visited the park too. And yeah I could get the free refills.
In all seriousness, this is a very tricky thing to do. It’ll be embarrassing if you get caught, and mind you, if you get a bucket that is not being sold that year, you will be caught.
This happened once… to a friend of mine, not to me. No really. Anyway, moving on.
So Are These Buckets Worth The Drama?
I’d absolutely say so! So here is my summary on why I think the Disney popcorn bucket is a great deal. Firstly they are super cute. And yes, it matters! They come in a variety of designs with different characters and colors, making them the perfect souvenirs.
Also, these souvenirs sort of pay for themselves. Even if the bucket is upwards of $14, they save you $3-$4, every time you get popcorn because of the discount on the refills.
They are also super handy and I’ve put so many things, ranging from my sunglasses to my lip gloss in there as a makeshift purse.
Anyway it’s Disneyland. It’s supposed to be the happiest place on Earth. I’d definitely suggest living a little and just getting the Disney popcorn bucket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Disney popcorn buckets refillable?
Yes of course, that’s the whole point. You can get the popcorn refilled at any cart in Disney World. But don’t expect the refills to be free, you just get a discounted rate.
Can you use your popcorn bucket at every park?
Nope. The refillable concept only exists at Disney World. However, Disneyland parks might have special offers or seasons where they sell refillable popcorn buckets. Like right now, there is an offer where buying the King Arthur Carrousel bucket will get you discounts on the refills at the Disneyland in Anaheim. However, this is only for Magic Key holders.
Do popcorn buckets sell out?
Yes, they do. Trust me, I’ve bought quite a few myself. These buckets are a fantastic way to save money especially if you have young children who won’t stop munching on the popcorn. Also they are great collectible items. The special editions that are sold only for a brief period of time fetch good prices on eBay, especially if they’re rare.
Can you buy Disney popcorn buckets online?
No, unfortunately you cannot. You get the popcorn buckets in the Disney World or Disneyland theme park and nowhere else. The normal popcorn buckets are available at any popcorn cart, but some types or designs might be available only at select locations at the park.
Are popcorn bucket refills unlimited?
Yes, they are! Hooray! Honestly this is such a great deal. If you get the refillable popcorn bucket once, then you have to pay $2.45 instead of the usual $5-$6 for one box of popcorn. And this offer is valid throughout the entire day no matter how many refills you get.
Can you bring an old Disney popcorn bucket back?
No, please don’t try this. You are not allowed to get an old bucket for getting refills. Sometimes, the design of your old bucket is not sold by the time you return, and if you ask for refills with a clearly discontinued product, things can get awkward.
What’s the difference between Disneyland and Walt Disney World popcorn buckets?
The designs, colors and shapes are all different. Some designs you get at Walt Disney World, you might not get at Disneyland. However, the major difference is that the Disneyland buckets do not get you discounts for refills unless there is a special limited offer. Disney World popcorn buckets get you discounted refills every time.