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Disney fans say they're hoping to get a new collectible popcorn bucket by having friends wait in line and ship them across country

Apr 16, 2022, 02:45 IST
Insider
The Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland.Disney Parks
  • Disneyland will start selling a parade-inspired popcorn bucket and matching cup on April 22.
  • Insider spoke with five fans about how they plan to purchase the coveted merchandise.
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Die-hard Disney fans often take drastic measures to visit the company's theme parks, from splitting expensive vacations with friends to donating plasma to fund trips.

But some fans are equally as passionate about getting their hands on coveted Disney merchandise. The company announced via social media on Tuesday that Disneyland will soon sell a popcorn bucket and cup inspired by floats featured in the fan-favorite Main Street Electrical Parade.

Both collectibles light up and will go on sale starting April 22. Parkgoers will be limited to buying two of each, according to Disney, and availability "may vary throughout the summer season."

So to ensure they can add the products to their collections, five fans told Insider how they plan on getting them.

Longtime Disney fans and self-described '80s kids told Insider they were excited to see Disneyland's new merchandise because it reminded them of their childhoods. The popcorn bucket is shaped like the "Pete's Dragon"-themed Elliot float, while the cup is designed to look like the parade's turtle character

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But 43-year-old Melissa Temple noted that she lives in Arizona and is unable to purchase the merchandise for herself the day it goes on sale.

"It's probably going to be gone before I get there in June, so I decided to tweet out and see if any of my Disney friends are going and can get me one," she said of the bucket. "I also asked a few people in Facebook groups."

"A couple of people are telling me they might try, but it depends how crazy it is — they're not willing to wait six hours to get me a popcorn bucket, which I completely understand," she added, referencing the craze that ensued when Disney fans waited hours in line to buy Figment-shaped popcorn buckets at Disney World in January.

Jessica Fain, a 36-year-old Disney fan and influencer from Georgia, also told Insider that she plans to have "three or four friends" in the California theme park attempting to buy her one.

The Elliot parade float in Disneyland's 1996 Main Street Electrical Parade.Frank Wiese/AP

Others say they'll likely turn to resale websites like eBay and Mercari if they can't get one from the theme park.

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Hope Roush, 37, said she'd potentially pay between $50 and $60 for a bucket online because she's "always loved" the movie "Pete's Dragon" and has childhood memories of watching the parade at Disney World.

Sarah Wilbur of Arizona added that she'd likely "pay double" whatever the products end up being sold for at the theme park (Disneyland has yet to release prices for the cup and bucket).

Still, Roush, Wilbur, and Temple agreed that they won't accept any of the sky-high price tags that are often attached to Disney popcorn buckets online.

"I can either spend $300 on tickets to go to Disneyland for three days, or I can have this popcorn bucket that's probably going to collect dust on a shelf," Temple said.

These buckets were being sold for hundreds of dollars on Mercari on Friday.Mercari

One fan who will be at Disneyland next week is 22-year-old Anyssa Martinez. She's eager to purchase the turtle-shaped cup because her boyfriend, a Disney employee, once worked on the float.

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It was also the Main Street Electrical Parade where Martinez and her boyfriend first connected. He waved at her from a float while she watched in the audience, and they coincidentally formed a relationship months later.

"I sent Disney's post to my boyfriend right away and I was like, 'We have to get them! How soon can you get to the park?'" she said. "We definitely want to go as soon as we can, but our park reservation is for two days after they're released, which is a little bit worrying."

"That said, I remember when Disneyland had Mickey sippers and there was a big rush the first day they released," Martinez said. "But then they sold them for a long time at the parks — they might even still have them."

But as Roush noted, Disney fans "are a passionate bunch" and are preparing for all situations.

"People collect the buckets, so when you release limited ones of beloved characters that obviously increases demand and urgency," she said. "I fully expect this to be another Figment situation."

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