EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts is back for 2026, and with it comes the annual tradition that has Disney fans setting alarms and refreshing their phones as their lives depend on it. Yes, we’re talking about the Figment popcorn bucket.
What’s New This Year
Disney revealed the latest design, and it’s definitely leaning into the artistic theme. This year’s bucket shows Figment dressed up as a little painter. He’s got a purple beret sitting on his head, a bow tie around his neck that’s covered in paint splatters, and he’s holding a paintbrush. It’s honestly pretty adorable, even if you’re not part of the Figment collector crowd.
The bucket will be available exclusively through mobile order at the Odyssey building when the festival kicks off on January 16. That’s a key detail because it means no physical lines snaking through the park. Everything happens through the My Disney Experience app.
Why Disney Fans Go Crazy for These Things
If you’re not deeply immersed in the Disney community, the entire Figment popcorn bucket phenomenon might seem bizarre. Why would anyone care this much about a plastic container? But for fans of the little purple dragon, these buckets have become serious collectibles.
It all started in 2022, when Disney released the first Figment-shaped popcorn bucket during the Festival of the Arts. The response was absolutely wild. People waited in lines that lasted seven hours or longer just to buy one. News stations picked up the story because it was so unusual. After guests spent their entire day standing in line, resellers turned around and listed the buckets on eBay for hundreds of dollars.
Since then, Disney has released a new Figment design each year during the festival. In 2024, it was shaped like the Imagination Pavilion with Figment on a rainbow inside. Last year’s version featured Figment sitting on a light bulb, and it actually lit up. Each release brings the same frenzy, though Disney has gotten better at managing the chaos.
How the Disney Mobile Order System Works
Instead of making people wait in physical lines, Disney switched to a mobile ordering system for these premium buckets. Here’s how it typically goes: The mobile order option opens up early in the morning through the My Disney Experience app. You need to be logged in, have your payment info ready, and be quick. Really quick.
Slots fill up fast. We’re talking minutes, sometimes even seconds. If you manage to secure a spot, you’ll get a time window to pick up your bucket at the Odyssey building. But there’s a catch. Disney only makes a limited number of these buckets each day. Once they’re sold out, you’re out of luck.
The Disney Reality Check
Let’s be real about what you’re signing up for if you want this bucket. First, you need to wake up early. Like, really early. You’ll be competing against thousands of other Figment fans who are just as determined as you are. Second, even if you do everything right, you might still not get one. The demand consistently exceeds the supply.
And then there’s the resale market. Scalpers know these buckets are valuable, so they’re in the virtual queues too. They’ll buy their limit and immediately flip them online for two or three times the original price. It’s frustrating for genuine collectors, but it’s the reality of limited-edition Disney merchandise.
Is It Worth It?
That depends entirely on how much you love Figment and whether you enjoy the thrill of the hunt. These buckets typically cost around $30, which isn’t terrible for a Disney souvenir that you can actually use. You can refill it with popcorn throughout your trip for just $2.25, so there’s some practical value there.
But the real value is in the collectibility and the memories. If you’re someone who displays Disney souvenirs at home or who genuinely loves Figment as a character, then yeah, it might be worth the hassle.
Mark Your Calendar
Festival of the Arts runs from January 16 through February 23, 2026. If you want this bucket, be ready on opening day. Download the app now, ensure you’re logged in, and set multiple alarms for yourself. Your best chance is always the first day of the festival, before word spreads, and everyone realizes how cute it is.
And if you don’t get it? The festival still has incredible food, beautiful art installations, and the Disney on Broadway Concert Series. Don’t let a popcorn bucket ruin your day. But if you do score one, enjoy that little victory. You earned it.
