The Many Popcorn Carts of the Disneyland Resort – A Look at Storytelling Through a Classic Theme Park Snack

It’s no surprise that Disney is a master of detailed thematic elements in its parks. Whether it is the details in the lands, attraction queues, or even food carts, Disney truly stands out when it comes to attention to detail. The popcorn carts of the parks are no exception. Here, we’ll take a look at the design elements of the Disneyland Resort popcorn carts, and how each of them are so unique. 

We’ll start with the seven carts in Disneyland. There are two carts on Main Street – one in Town Square, and one at the Hub. Both have the same design and font, but differ in hues. They very much have turn-of-the century looks that perfectly match Main Street USA. Town Square’s cart has a muted red tone, while the Hub has a more vibrant red, which fits as you move toward the bright land of Fantasyland. The carts also have unique characters who “help” keep the popcorn fresh. Town Square has a Dapper Dan style character, while the Hub has a clown.

Next, we’ll move on over to Tomorrowland, where the cart has bold, clean lines and colors reminiscent of a retro space look. The added character is a little astronaut.

 

Over in Fantasyland, we’d expect that the cart would be full of whimsy, and it is! It sits perfectly by “it’s a small world” and matches the facade and color scheme of the attraction. A little clown sits inside and keeps the popcorn going!

Moving on to Toontown, this cart is obviously full of character! The fonts, the cartoony elements could only be found at a Toontown popcorn cart! It’s one of the most fun carts, and is kind of tucked away over by Mickey’s house. A train conductor keeps that popcorn ch-ch-chuggin’ along.

Now, we head over to Frontierland, where the cart fits the Wild West theme. The fonts and muted colors work for this western spot of the park.

The last popcorn cart of Disneyland is absolutely ghostly. Over by the Haunted Mansion, a creepy ghost keeps the popcorn ready for those who didn’t become a happy haunt. The colors match the mansion and it’s logo, while the fonts and design elements perfectly coincide with the beloved attraction.

Disney California Adventure has three popcorn carts that equally fit into each of their respective lands. I, however, am not including the popcone Cozy Cone as it is not a cart.

First up is the one on Buena Vista Street. It has a very 1920’s feel, and I think it pays an homage to the California Zephyr that used to sit at the entrance of the park when it first opened. It also is the largest cart of all of the popcorn carts in the resort.

In Grizzly Peak Airfield by Soarin’, you can see a vintage cart, featuring ironwork like in early models of airplanes. To complete the look of an older aircraft, there’s even a little propeller spinning inside.

And lastly, we have the newest cart over in Pixar Pier. It is a little more simplified and gives an early century boardwalk feel, all while matching the color scheme of Pixar Pier.

Well, there you have it, a look at the popcorn carts of the Disneyland Resort! Each of them are so unique, and we applaud Disney for their attention to all details! 

Which popcorn cart is your favorite?


Comments

5 responses to “The Many Popcorn Carts of the Disneyland Resort – A Look at Storytelling Through a Classic Theme Park Snack”

  1. geekswhoeat Avatar
    geekswhoeat

    Great article!! I have always loved Disneyland Popcorn and it is great seeing all of the photos of the various carts!

  2. Merrinda Trindle Avatar
    Merrinda Trindle

    Thanks for this article!! Never even thought about the different carts..just love the popcorn!!! Now we will pay attention to the carts as well. How about Galaxy Edge? Will there be something new in space? We will now be looking for it.

  3. David Allan Avatar
    David Allan

    Nice article! I want to point out that you describe 8 wagons and note at the beginning that there are 7. Wagons at Disneyland. I worked in the department that maintains the wagons since 1974 (off and on). I have a lot of first hand info on the Disneyland Popcorn Wagons.

    1. Oh wow, how fun! Thank you! I will have to make sure Caitlyn sees this! :)

  4. when do the carts open?

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