If you’ve ever visited a Disney Park, you know that the soft drinks “on tap” at any Disney restaurant–quick-service or table service–as well as at any kiosk or pick-up window that serves sodas, are from the Coca-Cola family.
Take your pick: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, and a few more of the Coca-Cola family are represented.
And if you visit the Coca-Cola Rooftop Bar at Disney Springs, you can choose from even more flavors, such as Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Barq’s Red Cream Soda, Fanta (Blue Raspberry, Grape, Melon Frosty, Orange, Pineapple, Strawberry), Hi-C Orange, Mello Yello, Minute Maid Lemonaid, Tab, Pibb Xtra, Powerade Fruit Punch and Mountain Blast and vitaminwater.
But you might be surprised to learn that the relationship between Disney and Coca-Cola goes way back. (That should read “waaaaaay” back.) We’re talking nearly 80 years now–long before any of the Disney Parks existed.
In 1942, Walt Disney appeared on the Coca-Cola radio program called “The Pause That Refreshes on the Air.” Eight years later in 1950, Disney’s television special, “One Hour in Wonderland,” was proudly sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company.
On Opening Day at Disneyland, July 17, 1955, Coca-Cola stood by Disney as the sponsor of the Refreshment Corner on Main Street U.S.A., and the company did the same for Walt Disney World, sponsoring the Refreshment Corner when the park opened on October 1, 1971.
You’ll know it now by the name Casey’s Corner.
And the partnership has only grown since then. Now Coca-Cola is represented at every Disney Park across the globe. You’ll find Coke products at places like Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom at Disney World, but you’ll also find them at Cafe Hyperion at Disneyland Paris and at the super cool vending machine at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
And no trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be complete without a Coke Orb. Have you had one yet?
And the re-imagined Club Cool at EPCOT will offer Guests Coca-Cola flavors from different parts of the world–seven of them in all, including the Beverly drink (blech!)