Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog! This may be one of my favorite questions ever because I am such a popcorn connoisseur, so I’m thrilled to help you think this through ahead of your sailing, Amanda.
If you ask me, popcorn is basically a food group. My daughter even texts me from college to ask whether I have eaten anything besides popcorn on a given day. With that in mind, it probably comes as no surprise that one of the very first things I do on embarkation night is purchase a popcorn bucket. Not only does each ship and sailing offer fun and often unique designs, but the refills are so affordable that I don't want to waste a single minute before digging into my favorite snack.
While I love the idea of bringing a little pixie dust from Magic Kingdom with you, refillable popcorn buckets are intended for use during the specific Disney experience in which they were purchased. In other words, a theme park bucket is not officially eligible for discounted refills onboard a Disney Cruise. That said, with seasonal designs, character-themed options, and cruise-exclusive buckets often popping up, I am always happy to add another one to my collection.
I have occasionally heard of Cast Members at
Preludes refilling a popcorn bucket from the parks or a previous cruise without asking for proof of purchase, but that truly falls into the magical surprise category rather than something you should plan on. I would consider that the exception, not the rule. Some of my fellow planDisney panelist pals,
Adrianna &
Prince, have also shared great insights on this exact scenario, so it may be worth checking out their responses as well.
In the meantime, start dreaming of all the incredible eating ahead of you. One of my favorite Disney shirts says, “I’m just here for the snacks,” and that motto definitely applies at sea. From enjoying a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar before (yes, I said before) dinner in the main dining room, to creating an ice cream float with unlimited soft serve on the pool deck, to grabbing a slice of pizza before settling in for a movie on Funnel Vision, there is no shortage of treats onboard. And of course, let us not forget
complimentary room service around the clock. Warm chocolate chip cookies before bed are always a win.
All this talk has me dreaming of my next Disney Cruise already. I hope this helps answer your question, Amanda, and if anything else pops up before you set sail, your
planDisney pals will be right here and happy to help.
SEA ya real soon,
Sami