LE Pin Release Rundown
I'm planning to be at Anaheim Disneyland on a Thursday in April which I understand to be a LE pin release day. I was hoping for a detailed rundown of a typical pin release to get an idea of if I would want to go.
Main questions:
Typical releases are monthly on a Saturday and have an LE 300 and some LE 500s. Each person is allowed to buy 2 of each pin. The queue typically starts at park closing the day before outside the main entrance. However, most people will try to arrive about 1 to 2 hours before scheduled park opening. Pin traders pass through a special security line where they are given a numbered ticket. After entering the park (park admission is required for buying LE pins), you line up according to ticket number outside the Emporium.
Inside the Emporium, you will be given a sheet of paper to fill out which pins you want and how many. After purchasing them, you can go into another line for exchanging the pins you have just purchased for new ones if there are defects (which is unfortunately common with pins these days). People who slept overnight will be able to exchange their LE 300s but most people will only be able to exchange their LE500s. Occasionally, people who slept overnight may also be able to have a second turn in line for the LE300. LE500s typically don't sell out and may appear on the racks or become game prizes/grab bag pins at future events. Usually, the last person will be done about 3 hours after park opening.
In the morning from Saturday to Monday, there will also be a pin trading game across the street. The actual game varies but the price is always two pins to play the game. You can win up to 2 game prize pins which are hidden mickeys available only at the event. If you lose, you'll be given two random pins from a bin (these bins are not better than your typical CM lanyard pins). The other reason people sleep outside the park is for more chances to play these games while everybody is still busy buying their pins. People will make trades that they arranged in the past but typically don't spend much time trading during release days. If a foreign visitor is there with many interesting pins, people may arrange to bring pins on Sunday to trade. The other type of trading comes from people exchanging their "junk" pins for pins that other traders were planning to use for paying for the game.
Hopefully this is helpful for anyone vising HKDL and I hope any responses can be helpful too.
Main questions:
- Where is it? What is the process for lining up?
- How long does it take and how early do people arrive?
- How much trading happens after people have bought their pins?
- Is there anything else special that happens?
Typical releases are monthly on a Saturday and have an LE 300 and some LE 500s. Each person is allowed to buy 2 of each pin. The queue typically starts at park closing the day before outside the main entrance. However, most people will try to arrive about 1 to 2 hours before scheduled park opening. Pin traders pass through a special security line where they are given a numbered ticket. After entering the park (park admission is required for buying LE pins), you line up according to ticket number outside the Emporium.
Inside the Emporium, you will be given a sheet of paper to fill out which pins you want and how many. After purchasing them, you can go into another line for exchanging the pins you have just purchased for new ones if there are defects (which is unfortunately common with pins these days). People who slept overnight will be able to exchange their LE 300s but most people will only be able to exchange their LE500s. Occasionally, people who slept overnight may also be able to have a second turn in line for the LE300. LE500s typically don't sell out and may appear on the racks or become game prizes/grab bag pins at future events. Usually, the last person will be done about 3 hours after park opening.
In the morning from Saturday to Monday, there will also be a pin trading game across the street. The actual game varies but the price is always two pins to play the game. You can win up to 2 game prize pins which are hidden mickeys available only at the event. If you lose, you'll be given two random pins from a bin (these bins are not better than your typical CM lanyard pins). The other reason people sleep outside the park is for more chances to play these games while everybody is still busy buying their pins. People will make trades that they arranged in the past but typically don't spend much time trading during release days. If a foreign visitor is there with many interesting pins, people may arrange to bring pins on Sunday to trade. The other type of trading comes from people exchanging their "junk" pins for pins that other traders were planning to use for paying for the game.
Hopefully this is helpful for anyone vising HKDL and I hope any responses can be helpful too.