If you’ve ever visited Walt Disney World, chances are you’re familiar with the popular activity of pin trading. Disney pins are located pretty much everywhere around the Disney theme parks and resorts. On one of my more recent trips to Disney Springs, I finally decided to buy a few for myself and have since gone down the rabbit hole of pin trading. If you’re looking to get started with pin training, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading for the ultimate guide to Disney pin trading!
What is Disney Pin Trading?
Disney pin trading is an interactive experience that allows guests to swap their pins with other guests, as well as Cast Members.
While it’s now grown in popularity, pin trading has actually been around for years. Pin trading was first introduced in the parks in October of 1999 as part of the parks’ Millenium Celebration. Now, more than 20 years later, pin trading has become a mainstay of the Walt Disney World experience. Not only are there pin-trading events both on and off property but there’s even an entire website dedicated to it called Disney Pins Blog, which provides a list of all upcoming pin-trading events.
Pin Trading Prices
While it’s free to trade pins with other guests and Cast Members in the parks, pins are categorized into four price points when purchased brand new:
- Green/Silver: $14.99
- Blue/Yellow: $12.99
- Pink: $14.99
The more expensive the pin is, the more intricate or popular the design may be. The good news is that you can trade for any pin you like, so if you have a green pin but want to trade it for a pink one, you can. This is a great little trick to getting more expensive pins at a reduced rate. Just remember, you may have to wait a while to find the one you’re searching for if you choose to not buy it outright.
While this is the current price point of most pins throughout the parks, these prices are, of course, subject to change without notice.
How Many Pins Should I Bring to Disney World?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but most pin traders agree that 50 is probably the best number. For starters, this gives you a nice enough selection to bring into the parks so you won’t have to worry about duplicates.
Also, 50 pins can easily fit inside a ziplock bag in your backpack. Second, it gives you enough flexibility to trade during the duration of your vacation.
How to Pin Trade at Disney World
If you’re ready to start pin trading at Disney World, the first thing you should know is that there are countless pin trading stations scattered throughout the parks. As such, your first step will be knowing where to look.
The easiest way to find pins up for trade is to look for a Cast Member wearing a pin lanyard. When you see them, walk up to them and ask to see if you can check out what they have available. If you find one you like, you can trade one of yours with them. If they don’t have any pins you’re interested in, no worries.
Disney Pin Trading Rules
Like with pretty much everything in Disney World, pin trading does have some rules. First and foremost, you should only swap authentic Disney pins. Unfortunately, there are a lot of counterfeit pins that have popped up on sites like eBay, that sometimes make their way into the parks. Flip your pin over to see if it has a copyright logo on the back. Official Disney pins will also have a Mickey Mouse head backing (but more on this later). If you genuinely didn’t know you had a counterfeit pin, a Cast Member will still let you trade.
Second, all pins should be in good shape before they’re traded. This pin isn’t going to be staying with the Cast Member; it’s being given to them to be traded with another pin trader. Pins should be clean and free of any cracks, chips, or missing pieces.
Here are some additional pin trading rules:
- You can only trade two pins per Cast Member per day
- All pins should be affiliated with Disney
- Disney name pins (i.e. – Courtney or John) can’t be traded
- Guests will not be allowed to trade for “showcase pins,” which are solely used for pin-trading demonstrations
Do not touch the pins on the board or lanyard. Instead, point to the one you’d like to see and the Cast Member will grab it for you.
How to Pin Trader With Other People on Vacation
While visiting Walt Disney World, it’s going to be very easy to spot another pin trader like yourself because they’re usually either wearing a lanyard or a see-through backpack full of pins. If you spot this person and want to pin trade with them, all you have to do is go up to them and ask if they’re interested.
If they are, the two of you can take a look at what you have and if interested, swap them with one another. If they’re not interested, that’s okay. There’s no harm in asking!
That being said, there is some etiquette to pin trading with others on vacation:
Etiquette for Pin Trading With Other Park Guests
When you’re pin trading with other park guests, remember that the trading experience is a two-way street. Trading only works when both of you have something you want to trade for. Like Cast Members, there is a time and place to inquire about someone’s pin. Don’t ask them while they’re eating or mid-conversation if you can avoid it. Remember, extend the same courtesy to them as you would want to be extended to you.
The takeaways:
- Don’t touch someone’s pins without permission
- Only bring authentic pins on vacation with you that are in good shape
- Don’t ask to swap more than 1 or 2 pins at a time
- Bring something valuable with you if you are interested in swapping it for something more valuable
- Be friendly!
As you can see, the rules for pin trading with vacation guests are very similar to those with Cast Members. With these golden rules, you’ll be well on your way to an excellent pin trading experience.
Pin Trading Tips
If you want to give pin trading a try but aren’t ready to fully commit yet, we recommend buying a starter kit. A starter kit is usually themed to a certain design or movie. For example, I ended up buying a mystery pack of themed balloons for around $20.00 These packs don’t cost a lot of money and can be a great introduction to pin trading around the parks. Keep in mind that these kinds of pins may be easier to trade with Cast Members than other park guests due to how common they are.
Why Bother Pin Trading When You Can Buy?
As I briefly mentioned earlier, I went ahead and bought my first set of pins at Disney Springs. That being said, what is the benefit of pin trading if you can just buy what you want anyway?
Here are a few of the reasons why pin trading is worth it:
You Can Still Get Hard-to-Find Pins
Why bother pin trading when you can just buy? Well, the answer is that you actually can’t always buy what you want….at least sometimes and for an affordable rate.
As I said, Disney pins have been around since 1999. That’s over 20 years' worth of pins that are no longer sold in the parks. Furthermore, there may be limited edition pins like the Scar in green flames pin that features the iconic Walt Disney Imagineering logo. This pin, for example, was released in 2016 and there were only 250 copies made.
By pin trading, you’re able to find pins you normally wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. That scar pin? It sold on eBay for about $2,000. Simply put, not everyone may realize the worth of the pins they carry around (or care) So it’s not out of the realm of possibility you’ll find something rare without the multi-thousand dollar price tag.
It’s a Free Souvenir
Sure, you may have paid money for the pins on your lanyard, but on your current Walt Disney World vacation, pin trading allows you to get something that’s brand new without paying a dime for it.
Pin collectors absolutely treasure their pins. As such, pins are actually one of the best souvenirs they can bring back from their Walt Disney World vacation. Finding something you love at no cost to you? Sign me up!
You Have More Say Over What You Get
When I went to Disney Springs, I bought a few mystery pin packs of my two favorite rides in the parks: the Haunted Mansion and the Tower of Terror. Sadly, I wasn’t a big fan of either pin I got. That’s the downside to mystery pin packs.
However, the upside to pin trading is that it gives you way more control over the pins you collect. While I am okay with these pins being in my collection, I would have preferred something different. By pin trading, I can swap for a pin of the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror I genuinely like, instead of just accepting whatever I opened up. Having more control over what’s in my collection makes the collection more meaningful.
Pin Trading Spots Throughout the Parks
The good news is that there is no shortage of pins throughout the parks. I’ve broken down the pin trading locations by each Disney park:
Pin Trading Locations in Magic Kingdom
There are nine pin trading stations in Magic Kingdom:
- Main Street Theater
- Frontier Trading Post
- Space Mountain gift shop
- Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop
- Memento Mori
- Sir Mickey’s
- The Emporium
- Fantasy Faire & Big Top Souveniors
- Ye Old Christmas Shoppe
Which one is best? It depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for. If you’re looking for the most options, a visit to the Emporium is best because they have the most Cast Members. For a variety of pins, look no further than the Frontier Trading Post.
Pin Trading Locations in Hollywood Studios
There are 10 pin trading locations in Hollywood Studios:
- The 5 & 10 Store on Hollywood Boulevard
- Rock Around the Shop
- Sunset Ranch Pins and Souvenirs
- Crossroads of the World