Walt Disney World Annual Passholders are getting something genuinely special this summer: a brand-new, passholder-exclusive popcorn bucket designed to celebrate all four theme parks, available starting May 1, 2026, as part of V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days. There is also a new merch collection dropping at the same time, so if you are a passholder planning a summer visit, you will want to read every detail below before you go.
This is not a repurposed design or a seasonal leftover. The new V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days popcorn bucket was created specifically for Annual Passholders by designer and illustrator Ashley Taylor. The bucket artwork celebrates all four Walt Disney World theme parks and features a cast of fan-favorite Passholder magnet characters woven into the design. It is a bucket that actually earns its exclusivity.
Pricing is expected to land around $14.50, which puts it well below most sculpted Disney park buckets and in line with standard popcorn cart pricing.
Where to Buy It Starting May 1, 2026
Disney is spreading this one across the entire resort, which is the right call. Starting May 1, 2026, the V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days bucket will be available at these five locations: Magic Kingdom Park City Hall Popcorn Cart, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park Chakranadi, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Popcorn Cart located between The Hollywood Brown Derby and The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure, EPCOT Popcorn Cart in World Celebration near Creations Shop, and Disney Springs Mainstage Cart in the Marketplace between World of Disney and Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop.
That last one is notable. The Disney Springs location means you can pick up this bucket without a park ticket at all, which opens it up to passholders who want the collectible without burning a park day. Watch the My Disney Experience app for the latest updates on V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days as the event gets closer.
If you want to explore everything currently available at the parks by way of a popcorn bucket or sipper, our full guide covers every active bucket at Walt Disney World right now, including the latest Star Wars popcorn buckets at Hollywood Studios: Disney Popcorn Buckets — Fantasy Land News. You can also read our dedicated coverage of the Star Wars popcorn buckets that came to Walt Disney World for May the Fourth.
New V.I.PASSHOLDER Merch Collection
The new V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days merch collection. Image: Disney.
Alongside the bucket, Disney is launching a full V.I.PASSHOLDER-branded merchandise collection this spring. The line is designed to wear your Annual Passholder status on your sleeve, quite literally, with pieces built for actual park days rather than shelf display.
The collection includes an Adult Zip-Up Hoodie, Adult Tee, Loungefly Crossbody Bag, Adult Baseball Hat, and a Corkcicle Canteen. A Loungefly crossbody designed around Passholder identity is the standout item here. Passholders who carry a park bag already know how often a quality crossbody comes in handy, and Loungefly’s Disney collabs consistently deliver on wearability.
When and Where to Shop the Merch
The rollout is staggered across two windows. Starting May 1, 2026, the collection lands at Creations Shop in EPCOT. Then, starting the week of May 10, 2026, it expands to Emporium in Magic Kingdom, World of Disney in Disney Springs, and Discovery Trading Company in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Passholders can use their standard 20% merchandise discount on all items in this collection. If you are buying the Corkcicle canteen or the Loungefly bag, that discount makes a real difference. Plan accordingly and make your EPCOT visit first if you want first access.
V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days is Disney’s way of giving Annual Passholders something tangible beyond park access. An exclusive popcorn bucket with original artwork from a named designer, a merch collection built around passholder identity, and a resort-wide retail footprint covering all four parks and Disney Springs means Disney is actually putting effort into this event. For passholders who feel the parks can sometimes treat them as background traffic rather than the loyal regulars they are, this kind of acknowledgment matters. The Ashley Taylor bucket design in particular, with its four-park celebration and magnet character cast, is the kind of piece that will show up in passholder collections for years.
Keep checking the My Disney Experience app as May 1 approaches. Disney has a habit of adding locations and surprise details close to launch.
For more on everything coming to Walt Disney World this summer, keep following Fantasy Land News. Our full guide to every active Disney popcorn bucket is updated regularly at fantasylandnews.com/disney-popcorn-buckets/. Join our community of Disney fans at fantasylandnews.com/the-realm.
