Disney on a Budget – Pin Trading Without Breaking the bank. Pin Trading is one of the things that my kids find the most fun about a Disney trip. If your aren’t familiar with Disney Pin Trading, you are allowed to trade pins with any Disney cast member that is wearing a lanyard. You simply ask to see their pins, and the will bring their lanyard closer for you to view. If you see a pin you want, you may trade one of your pins for one of theirs.
There are some guidelines to pin trading that Disney has posted:
- The main criteria to judge whether a pin is tradable or not is that it must be a metal pin bearing a “©Disney”mark on the back that represents a Disney Event, Place or Location, Character or Icon.
- Pins should be in good, undamaged, tradable condition.
- For a safe trading experience, please trade one pin at a time, hand to hand with pin backs attached.
- Guests may trade a maximum of two (2) pins per Cast Member, per day.
- Please refrain from touching a Cast Member’s or Guest’s pins or lanyard. If you need a closer look, kindly ask the Cast Member or Guest wearing the lanyard if she or he can bring it into clearer view for you.
- Monies, gifts or receipts may not be exchanged or used in trade for a pin.
- When trading with a Cast Member, Guests should offer a pin that is not currently displayed on the Cast Member’s lanyard.
- Pins from other business units of The Walt Disney Company (i.e.ABC, ESPN) are accepted for trade.
- Operating participant pins that show a Disney, Disneyland®Resort, or Walt Disney World®Resort affiliation are accepted for trading.
- Plastic pins, rubber pins or other non-metal pins are not accepted for trading.
- “Personalized Name”pins are not accepted for trade.
- “Broche style”or “clasp pins”are not accepted for trade.
- Disney Service Award pins, Spirit of Disneyland®Resort pins, Partners in Excellence pins or Cast Member costume pins (i.e. Host/Hostess Badges, Disney Trainer) are not tradable.
The Disney pins can be very expensive.
The individual pins can range in price from $6.95 – $19.95. Wow! Can you imagine paying $19.95 for a pin? Here are some pointers to help you get started pin trading (on a budget).
- You can buy starter sets at the Disney theme parks, the starter sets are priced at $24.95, they contain a lanyard and 4 pins. This is a great value compared to buying everything individually.
- You can buy mystery grab bags of pins at a discounted price, the pins in these are usually less desirable, but that way it makes it easy to trade. The kids don’t want to hold onto them.
- You can find pins marked down online at the Disney Store. Remember, you don’t have to buy pins you like, because the plan is to trade them anyway.
- My best (and cheapest) advice for pin trading is to check out ebay. You can buy misc. pins in lots.
Now, all of my kids are starting out with pins to trade for our trip to Disney world, and it won’t be costing an arm an a leg. They are thrilled (and so is Mom)!
If you want to learn all there is to know about Disney pin trading visit their official pin trading site. Do you kids love the pin trading experience too? I would love to hear your thoughts, and any money saving tips you may have.
Learn more about souvenirs in the Walt Disney World parks plus Destinations in Florida can help you choose your souvenir purchases on your next Walt Disney World vacation.
Christy is a fellow Disney lover who blogs over at Thrifty and Thriving. Her blog focuses on smart living for a richer life.
Ginger says
Who do you buy your pins from on Ebay?
Jessica says
I would also love a recommendation for a great eBay source for the pins. My kids are going to loooove this!!!
Kelly says
Do you have recommended sellers from eBay? Someone that you have used? I don’t want to get fake pins.
Thanks!
Julie says
We have been collecting pins since 2000. What a great way to meet people..We love it…
thanks kristin
Andrea Fuller says
Great advice! I’ve always wanted to do this!
Lea says
Kristin-It seems like I had read before that you have someone that you purchase your pins from? Can you tell me where?
Thanks and keep up the great work!! :)
Lea
bonnied says
Trading is fun—but I am so in love with anything Disney that I do not want to let one of the go!!!
Stephanie says
We are heading to Disney in 3 days….I just started worrying this morning about having the trading pins in our carry-on luggage! Wondring if they will be allowed through security?!?!
We are only doing carry-on this year so my only other option would be to UPS them to the hotel before we leave.
Thanks for your advise.
Brenda says
THanks for the trusted ebay source for pins. On our last trip we came home with the pins we loved – I think we will be leaving those at home and starting over – buying ahead is a great way to accomplish that!
Christy @ Thrifty and Thriving says
Too funny Natalie, regarding the princess pins. My daughter traded a pin with a cast member, it was an “I love Troy” pin from High School Musical, I have never seen a guy so happy to get rid of a pin.
Ryhan says
I never got in to pins my self. but good idea.
Natalie says
I always buy our pins on ebay about a month before our trip. I make sure to buy pins I know my kids won;t mind parting with. The first time I bought a lot of pirate and mickey pins they wouldn’t trade them because they didn;t want to part with them. Now I buy princess pins : )
Julie says
Pin trading is the best. We have been trading pins since our first trip to DisneyWorld in 2000. This is the best way to get to know the cast members and meet people as you travel around the parks. Enjoy. FInd some original pins.
Lisa C. says
I would have never thought to look on Ebay…thanks!
Kris says
I saw a post on this topic recently on the DIS boards, I think, and people were saying that when you buy pins off E-bay for $1 apiece or less that you are probably getting a cheap imitation made in China (or elsewhere) even if it does have the Disney logo on it. True die-hard pin traders were very upset about people doing this because then they end up trading the pins they just bought for $10 or more for a cheap imitation and to them it cheapens the experience so many have stopped trading their pins.
I’m not saying all sellers on E-bay do this, but it is something to consider when you think about how cheap pins are online or at Wal-mart or Target. I had considered purchasing some off E-bay thinking “what’s the harm” but I I’m reconsidering.
Jeananne says
We were going to skip this but after reading this, I am now convinced to do it! I showed the kids and they were excited. I checked out a couple on ebay. I think that is the way to go!
maggie moore says
Steve I think that is a fabulous idea!!! I got a lanyard on our first trip 3 years ago and just collected pins but didn’t trade. In fact the MAIN reason I even bought the lanyard was to keep my Photopass card and Key to the Kingdom at the bottom of it for easy access. (I saw some other people doing it – we were rookies then!) Last year my little boy said he wanted to “get one of those things to wear around his neck with some pins on it.” $40 later, he had a lanyard and 3 pins! It would have been awesome if he had already had the lanyard because it was around $9 I think, and in Disney dollars that’s another pin! :-)
Shannon says
Thank you for explaining pin trading so well. This was the first I had heard of it. Planning to go to Disney with our Give a Day Get a Day passes and my kids will love this.
Disney Pins says
We are thinking about making some lanyards and giving each of our guests that book with us a Disney pin to get them started.
What do you think? We give our guests that book Disney vacations with us some very nice gifts, but thought this might be a little thing to add to our bag of goodies. – Steve PixieVacations.com
Karen A says
I never really got into the pin trading. 2 reasons. First is, I didnt really have access to them when they became big, so it never caught my interest. And second, now that I can get them as often as I want, I am afraid I will spend to much money on them seeing as how I would want to keep all the pins!!
Lesley says
My kids were too young on our trip in December to trade, but we aren’t going back for probably 3 years, so by then they may want to pin trade. Thanks for the tip on eBay.
Christy @ Thrifty and Thriving says
Hi All! I thought I would answer some of the questions you had.
Megan – Yes, adults can trade too. You will see lot of adults with lanyard full of pins too.
Lindy – Yes, they trade pins at Disneyland (that is where we have done all our trading so far). You can also trade outside of the parks at the downtown Disney districts too.
Pin trading really is a lot of fun, and it adds another bit of magic and fun to any Disney trip.
Babs says
I got some pins at the tourist trap stores in Kissimee just outside the Disney gates. My grandaughter is too young to trade, but she loved the pins to wear on a lanyard around her neck. These stores also have every item you could want, so if you have the time the trip outside the gate is very money saving.
Judy says
I just bought a bag of pins on ebay last night for July trip. We have never traded pins before. I read your post awhile back about ebay pins and decided to try it. Thanks for the tip.
Dawn Beattie says
When we were there last month we bought pins at Super Target about a mile from the park for $4.95 each! Much cheaper than at the park.
jo ann says
Loved your article. I ordered some pins
Tracie Trump says
My BF loves the character fightfighter pins! I have a hot pink tinkerbell lanyard and plan to get some pins on our memorial day weekend visit! [email protected]
Lindy says
That sounds like so much fun! My kids will love that. They do it in Disneyland too? I will start collecting pins now! Thanks for the tip.
David says
I got into pins on our trip to WDW in 2008. I didn’t trade a lot of them because my kids, my mom, wife and cousins all picked one out for me so they all have sentimental value. I did how ever trade one my SIL bought me. Not because I don’t like her it was because the CM had a Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle pin. Now my kids and wife are all hooked so i buy a grab bag of pins from Ebay before our trip. We sit down as a family and draw numbers to see who picks in what order. It kind of gets you in the pin trading mood!
Carrie says
We’ve been trading since 2002, but recently some of my now 12 year-olds pins were ruined. I know he’s excited to rebuild his collection and eBay is definitely a great place to begin.
Jennifer Sutton- Discovery Toys says
I found a lanyard FULL of pins & a bunch of extras in a plastic bag at a yardsale for $1!!! Most are ones we would want to keep but that’s ok too! ;) We’re moving back to FL next year & will be saving for annual passes. My boys 2 & 4 have never been & I can’t wait to take them! (They didn’t have pin trading when I was little & went to Disney)
Melinda D says
I use the same seller from ebay also. She is awesome and I always receive great pins super fast. Plus, she is great about giving me specific characters if I ask and she has some. I have been using the pins throughout the year to go with birthday presents, Easter baskets, Stocking stuffers, reward good behavior, etc. The kids and I (yes, I plan on pin trading also) keep our pins on lanyards that we purchased from Michael’s in their dollar area.
Megan says
I have been to disney so many times and have never done any pin trading. Is this something adults do too or is it just for children? My son is 7 months old so I think it will be awhile before he gets into this.
Melody says
We did not do this on our first trip but will start next year!
Robin says
I have never heard of these before….very neat!
Ryann says
I just bought each of the kids a lanyard on ebay, and a clear badge thingy to attatch to them to keep their ID/dining cards in. I’ll start getting some pins soon!
Kathie M says
I have never traded before but it sounds like fun. Guess I should have bought all those pins on clearence a the Disney store outlet and saved them till we go!
Aimee says
We didn’t try this on our last Disney trip, but we will next time – thank you so much for all the wonderful tips!! Sounds like it would be a lot of fun to trade pins!!
Lisa says
We aren’t going to Disney until next June but I went ahead and started buying pis now from this seller. thanks for the info.
Christina says
Thanks for the tips! I actually want to do a little pin trading myself during our next trip so I’ll be sure to use some of these ideas.
diane says
We went last month and my son loved trading. I spent a ton on buying pins…..will buy from Ebay next trip :)
Ann Marie says
My oldest and one of the middle boys has gotten really interested in pin trading. The other two not so much yet! We have gotten some from two or three different folks on ebay(one you suggested). Sometimes it’s hard to choose which ones you will part with. Emilee doesn’t necessarily go with the flow, she picks what she is “looking for” and that might be not what you would expect. Ha! They have a lot of fun doing it. The pins we buy in the park of her “favorite rides”, go on her “untradeable side”. Last trip she was collecting the pics with the Roman Numerals on them. Who knows what it will be next trip.
Dawn says
Ebay is great for picking up pins at great prices!
Tiffany Thomas says
I found some on ebay too. Luckily I don’t love them all, so I can part with them!!
Renee D says
This is something that my DH and DS spend waaayyyyy too much money on. Thanks for the tips!
Amber says
I collect the new pookl a looz there are to many pins I’d like and I’d go broke lol