My family really enjoys pin trading at Disney. We have two young daughters, ages 7 and 4 currently, that are both pretty shy. We started pin trading to help “get them out of their shell” and talk to cast members. It is still a work in progress to get them to interact much with the cast members, but this has certainly helped!
There are a few things you should know to help you get started with pin trading.
SHOP BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Pins can be expensive if purchased at Disney. We generally buy cheap pins on either eBay or Amazon. It doesn’t so much matter what they look like, as long as they are Disney pins since you will want to trade them anyways. They are supposed to say Disney on the back of them. Now, could you be buying fakes online? Sure, but I have not had any problems with cast members trading with me, as long as it still has Disney printed on the back of it. This can save you a great deal of money, while providing both a fun experience and cheap souvenirs!
INVEST IN LOCKING BACKS
The backs that come on the Disney pins are shaped like Mickey heads, and do not stay on that well. We purchased locking backs like these to ensure we do not lose any pins.
DECIDE HOW YOU WILL KEEP UP WITH THEM
There are many options for displaying your pins while in the parks. You can opt for lanyards:
and we have even seen people wear them on their shirts, hats, back packs, etc. We used to use a lanyard for each kid, but they are becoming more and more interested in trading, so we have accumulated more pins recently. We purchased this nifty little container for them:
It opens up like a book and has “pages” that you can attach your pins to. There are even page inserts that you can purchase and add to this for more storage space. We have liked this idea so much better!
KNOW THE BASICS
- There are some SERIOUS pin traders at Disney, and then the rest of us just do it for fun. For the most part, you will pin trade with cast members that are wearing a lanyard with pins attached.
- Cast members that are wearing GREEN lanyards can only trade with children, typically up to the age of around 12. This means that they might have more of a selection since the serious adult traders can’t trade with them.
- You can ask to trade any pin with the cast member, and they will accept any official Disney pin as a trade. Typically speaking, they will only trade 2 pins at the time per person.
- Keep your own pin backs, especially if you purchased the locking kind.
- Most cast members prefer you to not touch their pins, but just point to which one you want. They will take it off and trade with you.
- There are also some locations that have pin displays out. You can trade anything from that as well.
This little bit of information is just touching on pin trading, and we hope it helps you get started. If you have any questions, contact your PPDD travel planner.