Introduced at the turn of the century (sounds historic, right?!), pin trading has been a very popular activity for guests visiting Disney destinations from Walt Disney World to Disneyland and even at sea and beyond! While it’s not as difficult as booking FastPass+ during high season, here are a few tips to get the most out of your pin trading experience.

Disney Pin Trading

 

Starting Your Disney Pin Stash

Pin trading starter kits are available all over the parks and resorts and typically feature a lanyard and five or six pins for around $30. While that’s not a bad deal (pins start at around $8 and go up from there individually), you can definitely save a little money if you know where to look. If you have a local Disney outlet, stop in and browse a bit. While not often, we’ve occasionally found pins for $2 a pop. The Disney Character Warehouses (there are two within a short drive from Walt Disney World) are a great spot to pick up discounted pins, as well as starter kits. I typically pick up several of the same pin so the kids have no qualms about trading them away. Pins can also be found at a discount online via Amazon or eBay.

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Get Pin Wise: Lots of 50 pins for $25 may seem like a great deal, but be aware that these are typically counterfeit scrappers. Yes, they can be traded at the parks, as most cast members don’t have the time or knowledge to examine them, but they’re illegal. Most fanatical traders can spot them a mile away, so it becomes your own ethical dilemma whether or not to put them in the hands of novice pin traders or unsuspecting kids.

 

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Sometimes you get pixie dusted with pins, too!

Time to Trade

There are other guests with albums of pins in the parks daily, but these probably aren’t going to be your go-to if you’re just starting out in the game. They want to complete collections, find rare pins, etc. Plus, if you got those eBay pins and they see them, they might call you out in loud, embarrassing fashion. You can always chat up other guests with lanyards to see if they’re willing to trade, too. The kids have occasionally swapped pins with other kids while waiting for parades, on queue, etc.

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Your safest and most consistent bet is to find cast members. Most in flexible positions (aka NOT the guy checking your safety belts) have a lanyard (or a small swatch clipped on a belt) and will trade up to two pins per person. Many desks (hotel, gift shop, etc.) will also have a pin board or display from which to trade.

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More Pin Pointers

  • Make it a game! Choose a movie or theme and trade for pins that fit your niche. I always keep an eye out for villain pins when the kids are trading and will occasionally swap one myself if I see one I like.
  • Be conscious of your pins if you choose to wear them. Sometimes they will wiggle out of their backs and fall. We’ve found and almost lost many a pin during our travels. If you lose a pin back, most of the pin carts have extras on hand if you need one, but it wouldn’t hurt to stop in and ask at any gift shop if you’re in a pinch.
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Pin backs are also available for purchase…of course. 😉
  • Use them when you get home! We keep a few on the lanyard and hang it as a display, but we use many of them as tacks on corkboards. A fun way to take a second and enjoy the magic every day.

 Do you trade pins? What are your best tips for Disney pin trading?

Get Park Wise: If you miss your bus, get in touch with a cast member, and they will reschedule for (likely) the next bus. It’s usually about 20 minutes behind yours, so be sure to stick around so you don’t miss that one, too.

Have you taken advantage of Disney’s Magical Express? What are your thoughts, tips and suggestions?

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Jessica Ma'ilo
Jessica is a special education teacher by day and blogger and Fairy Godmother Travel agent by evening. When not supervising play dates or sleepovers, she can be found creating, sewing or singing. She loves hitting the Disney Parks, and she and her family escape to the World and Land as often as they can. She can be contacted at [email protected], and you can also check out her family blog, Magic, Memories, Mayhem.