Disney Parks and Experiences all have awesome opportunities for pin collectors to trade their pins with Cast Members and other Disney guests. Here is your entire guide to everything you need to know about Pin Trading.
Disney Parks have plenty of opportunities to trade your pins! First, or course, you need to purchase your pins. Pins are available at almost every pop-up shop and walk-in shop, and there are so many different options. The best types of pins to get are the ones you don’t like as much, so you are more compelled to trade them. Of course, you need to get a lanyard, trading ears or bag to hold your pins and show them off to potential traders. You’ll want easy access to grab pins for when you see a trading opportunity. Of course, don’t forget to get pins that you love!
When you trade your pins, you’ll do 1 of two things. Some Cast Members will have a board of pins, some that are special Cast Member pins, more about them later, and pins that have been traded by someone else. You would take your pin that you want to trade, and take off the back, and give it to the Cast Member, and they will allow you to grab the pin off the board and put your back on. Another option would be that a Cast Member has a bag or other thing, and you would trade your pin with a back included. Those are the main ways, but there might be more.
There are tons of different opportunities to be able to trade your pins. You are able to walk up to any Cast Member at any time to trade your pins, or you could attend a Pin Trading Event at the parks. At certain times of the day, and at certain locations, you will be able to meet with people and Cast Members and trade your pins. There is also an event like this on select nights on Disney Cruises, where you would meet at the lobby of the Walt Disney theatre and trade with other guests and Cast Members.
There are some rules and important things you’ll want to know about when you decide to participate in these fun events. First, you may ONLY use Disney pins that have the Authentic Pin Trading logo on the back. You can’t use any pins that are from an outside company, so don’t get any fake pins. Second, you get 1 pin for 1 pin. Just because you bought a 15$ pin, you won’t be getting more than one in return. If you have questions about trading, comment on this post and I will reply as soon as I can.
Pin trading is pretty awesome, there are so many pins to collect and find, and every pin has a reference to your favorite Disney characters and attractions. When you trade your pin, look at the image to see if there is a small Mickey, it wouldn't be impossible to find, but keep your eyes peeled. If you find one of these tiny Mickeys, then this pin is a special Cast Member pin that you can only get by trading with Cast Members. These pins are not able to be bought in stores, so that makes them super cool. Also, check the beck of the pin at the Authentic Disney Pin Trading logo, and it will tell you when your design was created.
ShopDisney is honestly the best place to look for pins, especially that they have all the limited edition pins that you might miss at the parks. The new Minnie Mouse Main Attraction collections all have pins that are themed for your favorite attractions. If you are looking for a pin with your favorite character, just search on the site.
There are so many reasons that you should try Pin Trading. It’s a fun activity, and it's a staple at all the parks. I really hope that you try it, and send me any pictures of the cool pins you get! Maybe try the Mystery Pin, or attend a Trading event. Have fun!