Disney Pin Trading | How Does It Work

Disney pin trading is such fun for kids and adults alike. Pin Trading is a hobby officially supported and promoted by Disney and participated in by the Cast Members. Many thousands of unique pins have been created over the years. From Mickey and Minnie to Star Wars there is sure to be a pin out there for you to trade.

You can also collect pins from special Disney events through the year such as RunDisney events, Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party and more. There is no limit to the collection of pins you can have.

My daughters each have books and lanyards filled with pins, and most of them have a special meaning behind them from each trip we have taken.

HOW TO TRADE PINS

Any Cast Member wearing a lanyard or pin placket can trade pins as long as they are not doing something else (like ringing someone up on the register). Simply approach the Cast Member and ask them to trade. They will then show you the pins they have available to trade and your child can pick which one they like. Keep in mind you can trade two pins per cast member.

Often times the resorts have a pin board in the gift shop and will have it out daily during different time to trade there as well.

Pins are available for a limited time. The starting price for a pin is $7.95. Limited edition pins, and special pins cost up to $14.95. Featured Artist and Jumbo Pins cost between $20 and $35 and Super Jumbo pins cost upwards of, and sometimes beyond, $75. Pins are often released at special events, movie premiers, pin trading events or to commemorate the opening day of a new attraction. You can honestly turn pin trading into a full-time hobby beyond the parks.

Pins have always been present at Disney parks, but it wasn’t until 1999 as part of the Millennium Celebration that Disney Pin Trading at the Walt Disney World Resort was introduced. The next year, the craze spread to the Disneyland Resort, which has become the home of most Pin Trading events.

PIN TIP: Go on eBay and look for Disney Pins, you can often purchase them in bulk and your kids can keep the good ones and trade the others. Make sure they are real, as the back will have a Disney copyright on it.

There is actually a pamphlet from Disney on how to trade pins. Here are a few bullet points from the instruction manual.

To trade a pin with a Disney cast member, the pin must be made of metal and have a representation of a Disney character, park, attraction, icon, or other official affiliation. Additionally, the pin must have a Disney copyright on its back.
Guests must trade with Cast Members, one pin at a time, with the pin back in place (pins have functional sharp posts)
Guests can make up to 2 pin trades per cast member per day
Refrain from touching another person’s pins or lanyard, ask to see the pin so they can bring the pin into closer view
The pin that is traded to the cast member cannot be a duplicate of any pin they already have on their lanyard.

There are many official locations where a guest can find Disney pins for purchase including Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line.

Do you or your children trade pins at Disney?

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