Now that you’ve picked the perfect Disney World Resort and made Theme Park reservations. You may be wondering what your budget should be for souvenirs. Let’s dive into a great souvenir and activity to do while on property. Pin Trading also gives you a great souvenir to bring home. Before long, you’ll be on the hunt for your chase pin!
What is Pin Trading?
Pin trading can be a fun and interactive hobby to incorporate into your next trip to Walt Disney World. While the parks and resorts sell hundreds of different pins that you can buy for your collection. Trading your pins can be a less expensive way to have a good time in the parks between rides and attractions. If you’ve never done it before, Disney has made it easy for you to get started!
Pin trading is where you trade a pin you have with another park goer, cast member, or at a pin trading location.
Getting Started: Buy a Lanyard and Some Inexpensive Pins
Themed lanyards can be purchased in the parks, on ShopDisney, or at stores such as Hot Topic and Box Lunch. Disney even offers pin trading starter sets that include a lanyard with four pins that you can trade with fellow parkgoers or cast members. I enjoy the blind boxes that Disney parks offer. You can buy a few to try to get the style or character you want, then use the rest as tradable pins throughout the parks.
Helpful Tip: Lanyards make it easy to access your tradable pins. But, I recommend holding off on wearing them until after you make it through security. When you’re trying to get through the lines to enter the park, the last thing you want to do is scramble to remove a lanyard full of Disney pins.
Find a Pin Trading Location
Wearing your lanyard lets cast members and even other guests in the park know that you’re interested in trading. The easiest way to get started though is by finding a pin trading board. The pins are located behind cashier counters in Disney merchandise shops throughout the parks or resorts. All you need to do is take a look at the pins, and see if there are any you’d like to trade for. When you find one you want for your collection, replace it with a pin that you’re willing to give up.
Find Cast Members to Trade
If you see a cast member wearing a lanyard or pouch with pins, you can also trade with them! Ask to see the pins they are offering, then let them know which pin you would like to trade for it.
Make it a Competition
As you continue to pin trade, you’ll notice that the same pins and sets pop up on boards throughout the parks. Make it a friendly competition by seeing who can create a full set or collect duplicates of the same pin first. Once you’ve finished, you can start over and use the pins you have now to keep trading.
Display Your Disney Pin Collection
After spending all that time adding to your lanyard, you don’t want to just let it collect dust under your bed until your next Disney trip. Disney-themed corkboards and banners can be found on Etsy and other online retailers to show off your new pins. You can also buy pin trading bags from Disney to keep your pins safe and organized while you’re between trips to the park.
Great Activity in the Resort
Pin trading in Disney World is not going to get you a collection of limited-edition pins. But it can become a fun way to make memories in the parks with friends and family. And you’ll always have those pins to take on your next trip.
Are you already a Pin Trader? We would love to hear how you found your most prized ones!
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