Hi Heather!
Thank you for bringing your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Like most things, popcorn just tastes better in
Walt Disney World! It's a great snack to munch on between meals and the adorable buckets are fun to collect.
There have been a few variations of refillable popcorn bucket offers at Disney World. Although each had their own terms of use, I am not aware of any that allowed a Guest to bring it back for a future trip. (though, one has recently been introduced for
Annual Passport holders at Disneyland in California) Generally, the bucket was for use during the original length of stay. I am sure some Guests have been able to use an old bucket for refills but that is not what the intended deal was for. Most likely, you will not be able to refill your bucket from last fall.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions and have fun next week!
~Lori