Today, January 19 is National Popcorn Day! To celebrate, let’s take a look at how popcorn has become a staple at Disney Parks around the world.
Popcorn in the Parks
Walt Disney World
When walking into any Walt Disney World park, it’s hard to look around and not see someone with popcorn, a popcorn bucket, or even spot a popcorn stand. In fact, the very first thing after walking through the left side tunnel into the Magic Kingdom is a popcorn stand, allowing guests to start or end their day with fresh, buttery popcorn.
Popcorn Carts & Kiosks
There are many locations around Walt Disney World that sell popcorn, popcorn buckets, and popcorn refills. Most of the carts and kiosks are also themed to the areas they are located in, such as those pictured above in Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Kiosks that sell popcorn can also be found inside Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and at Disney Springs.
Most of these locations sell the basic refillable popcorn buckets and sometimes special releases (more on that later). If you already have a bucket, you can purchase refills for $2.49 at most locations around the parks.
Main Street Confectionery Kernel Kitchen
The Kernel Kitchen is located in what used to be the Chapeau but was taken over by the Confectionery when it underwent a major reimagining in 2021. The popcorn at the Main Street Confectionery comes in a variety of flavors and mixes, including a create-your-own option. Specialty flavors like the Sweetheart Popcorn Mix for Valentine’s Day and the M&M’s Starlight Popcorn celebrating the Disney Starlight parade are released on occasion for holidays and special offerings.
Maple Popcorn in EPCOT Canada pavilion
While Disney World is not known for having a variety of unique popcorn flavors, there is a cart located in EPCOT’s Canada Pavilion that sells Maple Popcorn. The flavor is popped fresh, just like at any other popcorn kiosk. You can also get refills of maple popcorn in your popcorn buckets at the same price.
Werther’s Caramel Popcorn in EPCOT Germany Pavilion
The Germany pavilion in EPCOT is home to Karamell-Küche, a candy store featuring Werther’s Original Caramel. One of the items on the menu is fresh and hand-made Werther’s Original Caramel popcorn, available for $7.99 per bag. This is a specialty bag, so it can only be purchased individually and cannot be included in popcorn buckets or refills.
Galaxy’s Edge Outpost Popcorn Mix
A colorful blend of sweet and spicy flavor can be found in the Black Spire Outpost popcorn mix at Kat Saka’s Kettle in Galaxy’s Edge for $6.99. Like the Werther’s Original above, this is an individual option and refills cannot be purchased. However, when the land first opened, the popcorn mix did have the option to be purchased in a hollowed-out MSE-6 Series Repair Droid enclosure (Mouse Droid Popcorn Bucket).
Popcorn at Boardwalk
Recently, a new snack kiosk opened on Disney’s BoardWalk. The location serves some prepackaged popcorn, including an exclusive flavor at the BoardWalk.You can read our review of the Saltwater Taffy Popcorn and try the other two prepackaged bags of Classic Kettle Popcorn and Cheesy Cheddar Popcorn.
Disneyland Resort
Unlike Walt Disney World, Disneyland does not typically offer popcorn refills; however, occasionally Refillable Magic Key Popcorn Buckets allow passholders to get cheaper refills for a limited time. Nevertheless, fresh popcorn can be purchased in paper containers and popcorn buckets at kiosks located around Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney.
Something fun about Disneyland popcorn kiosks are roastie-toastie figures that “turn” the popcorn at many of the carts around the park. The figures are historically based on clowns that would turn roasted peanuts. However, Disneyland uses them at their popcorn carts. There are several themed to various lands and attractions in the park, although some are the not-at-all terrifying clowns of old.
A few years back, Disney even shared a look at the creation of the dolls’ outfits. Check it out below:
The idea for these animated figures goes back to the very origins of the popcorn carts known as ‘Cretors’, named after their creator, in 1885. In 1893, at the Chicago World’s Fair, Charles Cretors further showcased his invention to the public: a machine derived from roasted peanut carts capable of making popcorn and seasoning it perfectly. To attract customers, he came up with the idea of painting his trolleys in bright colours, as well as embellishing them with a clown figure turning a popcorn drum, demonstrating the old way of roasting, powered by a steam engine. When Disneyland opened in 1955, ‘Cretors’ were available along Main Street, U.S.A., including in the central plaza hub, displaying the famous little animated clown.
Wonderful World of Sweets
Caramel popcorn is available at Disney Wonderful World of Sweets in Downtown Disney, complete with a store-specific Poppi popcorn bucket that is available for purchase. Poppi resembles a piece of popcorn and wears a blue Mickey ear hat.
Kat Saka’s Kettle
Batuu West currently serves Lyseed Popped Grains with dill pickle seasoning and Crait Butter Popped Grains with crait red salt instead of the Outpost Mix at Walt Disney World.
Tokyo Disney Resort
The Tokyo Disney Resort is known for its unique and sometimes odd popcorn flavors, including a Roast Beef Popcorn, Caramel & Cheese, Cookie Cream, and Strawberry Milk. Unique flavors like the Garlic-Scallop & Butter Popcorn are offered for festivals such as the Tokyo DisneySea Food and Wine Festival.
Other popcorn flavors include:
- Caramel & Salted Caramel
- Soy Sauce & Butter
- Milk Chocolate
- Curry
- Salt
- Honey
- Black Pepper
- White Chocolate
- Garlic-Shrimp
- Chinese Chili
- Corn Potage
- Strawberry Napoleon
Multiple flavors of popcorn, both the sweet and savory variety are available at different kiosks, plus at The Big Pop. Since popcorn is no small matter at Tokyo Disney Resort, flavors regularly rotate in, out, and around carts across Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Due to the phenomenon, the dedicated popcorn shop opened near the end of 2020.
Other Unique Items
With all the unique flavors and seasonings, Tokyo Disneyland also has Mickey glove popcorn tongs that can be purchased at the individual popcorn stands. Guests use these to keep their fingers clean when eating the coated kernels.
Earlier this year, Disneyland released an Insulated Cooler Bag for Magic Key holders in honor of the resort’s 70th anniversary. This same style of bag first originated at Tokyo Disney Resort, which calls the bag either a popcorn pouch or a popcorn case. Like the Disneyland version, the pouch has two divided sections in an insulated bag that are the same size as a standard popcorn box. As one example, the above image shows the popcorn pouch provided to guests booking a Tokyo Disney Resort Vacation Package.
Shanghai Disney Resort
Shanghai Disney Resort is also no stranger to unique popcorn flavors. Caramel, honey butter, blueberry and lemon, strawberry, and coconut are among the flavors available in the park. Seasonal popcorn flavors and accessories are released for special events, such as for Duffy Month.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland may not always have tons of unique and interesting flavors, but they do have their share of event-exclusive offerings. For Halloween 2025, a dark chocolate flavor was available. Beginning January 1, 2026, two flavors became available for the 20th Anniversary of the resort: Mickey and Friends Caramel & Banana Flavored Popcorn and Duffy and Friends Caramel & Pineapple Flavored Popcorn. The Duffy and Friends Party Popcorn Bucket was released early in the celebration, as well.
To celebrate the release of Inside Out 2 in 2024, Inside Out-themed Popcorn Scoops in garlic, wasabi, and hot jalapeño flavors were available for a limited time.
Disneyland Paris
Over at Disneyland Paris, popcorn carts offer both sweet and salty popcorn. Last year, the first of several new roastie-toastie animated popcorn dolls arrived at the park in the form of Mr. Toad, with plans add even more in the future. Disneyland Paris also sells a variety of specialty popcorn buckets, which can be refilled in the park.
Popcorn Buckets Around the World
There are many popular novelties at the Disney Parks around the world, but possibly the most universal are the specialty popcorn buckets. Some of these buckets have caused chaos, hours-long lines, the use of virtual queues, and release-day sell-outs of the most popular ones.
In recent years, the most popular has likely been the original release of a 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Figment Popcorn Bucket.
According to Cast Members, the wait for the bucket rose between six and a half and seven hours at its peak.
Available at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, the Death Star popcorn bucket was also extremely popular in 2025.
Often, buckets exclusive to Halloween and Christmas parties cause long lines and sell-outs at the event. One example is the Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking Ghost Phineas Popcorn Bucket, available at the 2019 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Sometimes, Disney even surprises guests with random drops. Animal Kingdom released a Scar popcorn bucket and Ed the Hyena sipper back in November with no previous announcements.
Toy Story alien buckets have been seen in various forms, just like the multiple versions of Mickey Balloon buckets available at different parks.
And all of these are just a drop in the metaphorical “bucket.” Disney releases new popcorn buckets at the parks around the world so often that it is hard to keep up. The good news is that you can actually now buy some buckets online.
As you can see, popcorn and popcorn accessories are a staple at each Disney Park around the world, even sparking some rumors that the daily popcorn sales at Magic Kingdom earns enough to cover the cost of the nightly fireworks. Either way, popcorn will continue to be a classic staple and offering that helps create Disney magic.
Is popcorn a Disney Park staple for you? Let us know on social media.
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