People Really Want That Figment Popcorn Bucket
After only a few days, the 2022 International Festival of the Arts already qualifies as the most headline-generating event to date.
EPCOT hosted this event for the first time in 2017. Somehow, the sixth iteration of this festival has gained more attention than any previous one.
What’s the big deal this time? I cannot believe I’m saying this, but it’s because of a popcorn bucket…
The Figment Hoopla
A few years ago, Disneyland gained social media attraction due to a Pirates of the Caribbean popcorn bucket and a Trader Sam’s tiki mug.
I’m looking at both in my kitchen right now, as a friend snagged them and sent them as Christmas presents that year.
He may have had to shiv somebody to get them. Okay, I’m joking, but theme park merchandise grabs have evolved into big business.
Some people show up to buy them because they know eBay buyers will pay big bucks for particular items.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
The frantic behavior is eerily similar to when parents line up hours ahead of time for Beanie Babies and Tickle Me Elmos.
Modern consumerism has switched most of these attempts to online stores, wherein people battle daily for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles.
Disney theme parks still work the old way, though. For various reasons, ShopDisney rarely includes high-profile park items.
Fans must travel to the parks to acquire these desirable goods, leading to scenarios like this past weekend.
As part of the Festival of the Arts, Pop Eats! unveiled a Figment popcorn bucket that set the internet ablaze.
People saw this imaginary dragon bucket, and they wanted it. So, they rushed to EPCOT to get it, wherein they, well, stood in line for many hours.
The High Price of Popcorn Buckets
I’m not joking when I say that the line for Pop Eats! exceeded anything that we’ve tracked for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Some people tracked their waits at seven hours! The Figment bucket sold so well that Pop Eats! ran out of the accompanying rainbow-colored popcorn.
At that point, guests received a Figment commemorative spork instead. By Sunday, that wasn’t even the worst part.
EPCOT sold out of the Figment popcorn buckets and now warns guests that the item is unavailable.
The expectation is that Disney will get more of these in stock because they’d be crazy not to be manufacturing as many as possible.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
However, you should check the signage on the day of your visit to learn whether it’s in stock.
As for eBay, you can see the price some people are happily paying for a popcorn bucket.
The highest sale I noticed is $239, but there might be even more expensive transactions.
Other DVC News and Notes
Several DVC restaurants either have returned or will return soon. I previously mentioned Story Book Dining at Artist Point, which came back late in 2021.
Now, Disney’s BoardWalk will reopen Flying Fish on January 26th. Soon afterward, The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa returns as well.
The Saratoga Springs eatery officially reopens on February 3rd. Two weeks later, on February 17th, Jiko – The Cooking Place finally comes back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Meanwhile, on February 15th, Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort will restore its buffet service after a 23-month absence.
While Cape May Café isn’t the first buffet to bring back full service, it is arguably the most significant.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
Seafood buffets were a huge no-no during the height of the pandemic. So, this turn of events signifies that Disney believes the worst is over.
Thankfully, the data supports that notion. For example, the recent seven-day average for daily new cases in Orange County, Florida, fell to just under 50,000.
That’s an average of roughly 7,100 new COVID sufferers per day. Contrast that to the end of 2021/start of 2021, when new daily cases ranged between 46,000 and 67,000.
In other words, you can feel totally safe eating a buffet again. In fact, that’s not even the best pandemic news of the week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowed the cruise mandate for masks to expire.
While individual cruise lines will almost certainly require them for the foreseeable future, there’s no longer an official health guideline in place.
Also, you can feel safe standing in line for hours for a Figment popcorn bucket the next time that Pop Eats! gets a new supply.
Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.
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