Our new love for Pin trading at Disney

In one of our more recent Disney trips, my girls and I discovered Pin Trading. If you don’t know what Disney Pin trading is, its SO much fun! Here are the basics on Disney pin trading.

Some Disney cast members (usually those working at shops, hotels, and general open area guest relations) will be wearing lanyards, or belt pouches that display a number of pins. Those pins are there to be traded with guests. You can ask any cast member with a pin to trade any one pin they have, for one of your pins. You can also find pins for trading on trading boards at many shops, or public areas in the parks and Disney Springs. You can purchase pins online prior to your trip or in the parks. I also suggest getting something to hold and display your pins while trading in the parks. My kids like to use a basic lanyard. I like something I don't have to wear around my neck all day so I use this small Disney pouch. It also comes with a lanyard, but I can easily toss it in my backpack when I'm not trading.

The trading process itself is a lot of fun. Hunting for a character you like or a style of pin you want to collect can make the process a little bit like a treasure hunt around the park. The best part is the souvenir these pins make when you get home. The question for us was, what do we do with the pins now? For me, the solution was easy; we made a simple display for them. I like to keep little touches of Disney in my house in very subtle ways. To do this, I purchased a cheap picture frame and a piece of craft foam from the craft store. I removed the glass from the frame, glued the foam into the opening and pinned my pins onto the foam. I now display my pin collection on my living room bookcase as a discrete reminder of our trip and collecting.