Here is a document that I created a while back and posted on Dizpins (Admin note: DizPins was an old pin-trading forum that is no longer around). It is a guide to pin trading locations at WDW that has been compiled with info provided by many of the Dizpins folks - some of whom have come over here. It also has some other tips. Please post any changes that you are aware of. I will update my master file as well as this post.
This guide was put together from posts on (the now-defunct) Dizpins and personal experience at WDW. Any references to “I” or “we” in this guide could be any DisneyPinForum user.
1. All Locations:
3. Magic Kingdom:
These are the locations @AshleyV has personally confirmed over the last couple weeks in WDW:
All-Star Movies Resort (current as of 12/17/18)
- Donald's Double Feature gift shop: Mickey-shaped pin board behind the desk for package pick-up, available upon request
- Guest services @ front desk: Large rectangular pin board, available upon request
Animal Kingdom (current as of 12/16/18)
- Expedition Everest gift shop: Everest-shaped pin board behind the counter/in the window, available upon request
- DinoLand pin cart adjacent to seating location for Rivers of Light: Dino-shaped pin board that the CM was holding, I assume usually you'd have to ask for it
- Disney tour cart right next to Harambe Fruit Market & Kilimanjaro Safaris: Small black pin board, usually laid out on the counter
EPCOT (current as of 12/11/18)
- KidCot pin boards in Norway, Germany, Italy, France, etc.: Pin board usually laid out on counter
- Village Traders: Pin board usually laid out on counter
Disney's Hollywood Studios (current as of 12/13/18)
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster gift shop: Pin drum over by photo pickup, usually laid out on the counter
- Pin cart outside Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: Smaller pin drum, available upon request
I also had some luck trading with CMs at World of Disney in Disney Springs and Beverly Sunset Boutique at Disney's Hollywood Studios, though just about every single merch shop had CMs wearing pin lanyards.
I know there are many, many other locations spread out in WDW and DLR besides the few I mentioned. If anyone can verify the locations mentioned throughout this thread so we can get a current list going, that'd be great!
Pin Trading Tips at WDW
This guide was put together from posts on (the now-defunct) Dizpins and personal experience at WDW. Any references to “I” or “we” in this guide could be any DisneyPinForum user.
1. All Locations:
a. Guest Relations: Every guest relations in the parks and at Downtown Disney have a pin book that you can ask to see, often they are pretty picked over but you never know when they are going to refresh it! So it doesn’t hurt to check! (Such as City Hall at Magic Kingdom)
b. Backward Pins: - Look for pins that are on backward on the CM lanyards. They are called “Hidden,” “Mystery,” or “Surprise” pins as you don’t know what you are getting until you trade for it.
c. Other cast members: – Look for the lanyards on the cast members who are kind of “out of the spotlight.” Look for custodial people, monorail workers, bus drivers, and workers like those. Although these are not out of the spotlight, Managers usually have some good pins. They usually have hip lanyards on so when it’s cold you literally have to ask if they have pins.
2. Downtown Disney:a. DTD Trading Hut occasionally has a treasure chest where you answer a Disney trivia question. You have to answer a question RE Disney if you get it right you can hand over your trader pin (one per guest) and dig into the Treasure Chest (pins are in a plastic type ball). The good news there is some good stuff in this Chest...i.e AP’s LE’s and Hidden Mickey Lanyard pins. They also walk around occasionally with small boards in the Hut that you can trade from (2 pins per guest).
b. Downtown Disney West Side: The DisneyQuest shop over on the West Side never seems to get too picked over especially when it opens so that is always a place to look. When Disney Quest opens (11:30am) all the cast members and managers are just coming on duty so they have fresh lanyards so that is always good to check. Also, when you are walking down to marketplace on your right hand side there will be a pin cart about half way back and they will have a large pin board sitting out. D-street has a Vinylmation only lanyard. You must trade a Vinylmation pin for another Vinylmation pin
c. World of Disney at Downtown Disney Marketplace: At a table in the pin room of the World of Disney Store there is an event at 2:30 and 6:30pm in which they bring out a book full of pins and you can pick two pins in the order of the trader who arrived first. I would recommend getting there a half hour to 45 min. early (sometimes I even got there an hour early) in order to get a good spot. Also, the books while I was down there they said that all the hidden pins were hidden Mickey pins in the book. Part of the fun too was just trading with all the traders while waiting in line for the cast member to arrive.
i. Need any of the new Hidden Mickey pins?: The World of Disney at Downtown Disney opens at 9:30am. The Bibbity Boppity Boo store opens at 9am. So, if you go there and are waiting at the rope line for the opening at 9:30 to the rest of the store you can really find some great pins on the lanyard because all the cast members are just starting and they each have like 2 of the new hidden Mickey pins so it is a great way to get a jump start on your collection.
3. Magic Kingdom:
a. Scoop: This trip we met scoop and played “secret pin trader game” as well as got him to autograph a pin and received a continuing the traditions pin! It was so much fun and we got tons of great pictures with him and his dogs! This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! He is most consistently found early in the mornings in Main Street USA on Mondays and Wednesdays.
b. Tomorrowland: at the pin cart they have a trading board available to anyone who asks for it. It is a small board they keep under the counter so be polite and just ask!!
c. Town Square Exposition Hall (Camera store) next to Tony’s Town Square have pin boards (last count there was 3 about A3 size!) – from @earthbound
d. Frontierland: the Pin Trading store has a Pin Trading hat - ask to see it at the check-out!! – from @earthbound
e. Confectionary: on Main Street has a pin book. – from @breagirl
4. Epcot:a. At MouseGears, they time you on the boards the same way. And they are more strict there--you couldn’t watch your friends/family members pick out their pins. They would actually blindfold you and take it off to begin your time. I think they only give 30 seconds and there are a TON more pins. I was stressed out! But it was GREAT fun! – from @kriskay
b. They have tables in front of the pin trading pavilion, in the middle of the canopy as you walk in to the park, right behind the sign that shows you wait times for popular rides. I don't know if they have specific times for pin trading here, but I have seen collectors with huge pin books set up at a table trading with guests. It operates something like the pin trading nights at the Contemporary, so you won’t get 2 pins of your choice like trading with a cast member, but you can trade for whatever you and the other person agree upon. – from @Stitch Addict
c. African Outpost of Epcot World Showcase There’s a pin trading board...gotta ask! – from @jjgasman
5. Resorts:a. Saratoga Springs: Tuesdays from 12:30 - 1:15pm @ second Lobby between Artists Palette and the Main Check in Area (where the DVC and DCL people are). However, if you ask down in the bike rental area at Saratoga Springs, you can see the board at any time, it is a very large board and worth going to see. Also, in the Artists Palette there is a board behind the left register in which you can ask to see it anytime from noon to 8pm.
b. Grand Floridian: – gift shop as you enter the resort from the monorail on the 2nd floor at 6pm
c. Contemporary:
i. At the Contemporary there are two gift shops next to each other. One is against the wall and the other is out in the middle which is the middle of the other gift shop and the arcade. This middle gift shop is where the pin board is available. On request they are willing to bring it out from 9-10am and 7-8pm.
ii. Once a month there is a pin trading night. You can find out those dates on www.odpt.com.
iii. is always a great place to go because they tend to have the rarer pins longer than the parks or Downtown Disney. They also have folks with good lanyards. This is one of the best secrets to finding recently sold out pins..Contemporary tends to have pins when everyone else has sold out.
d. Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside:- Each of these hotel’s gift shop has a pin board that you can ask to see and in both hotel lobbies at 5pm they bring out a different board in which you can trade two pins per person from.
e. Beach Club: Here at 6:30pm in the gift shop there is an event called “Fishing For Pins” in which you can trade two pins in this fun game.
f. Old Key West: At the register nearest to Olivia’s Café in the gift shop, you can ask to see the pin board and you can usually find some great pins there.
g. Yacht Club Resort : This resort has a board which they bring out at 5pm in their gift shop. This was one of our favorite spots to come for their event.
h. Boardwalk: At a pin cart that opens at 4pm there is a pin book that you can trade 2 pins with and it is located just as you come off the boat dock. They also have a board in their upper gift shop which you can ask to see and while I was down there had a lot of great pins on it.
i. Wilderness Lodge: Had a pin cart in the lobby that also had a book to trade in. It was available during pin cart hours...
j. Pop Century: Gift Shop has a trading board upon request.
k. Animal Kingdom Lodge: King Pin is a new trader who comes out at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Monday through Friday at 3pm. He is a really great guy and it is a ton of fun to visit him. He has a bag full of pins that you can trade from or you can chance taking a pin from his mystery pouch. You can trade 2 pins with him at a time and always is a great photo opportunity!
l. Swan and Dolphin Resorts: If you go to Hollywood Studios, catch the boat over. Both resorts have gift shops with good lanyards on the staff and both have a trading board.
m. Polynesian: Has a pin board in the gift shop that is brought out at 5pm. - from @breagirl
6. Disney Hollywood Studios:a. Under the hat, the pin store cast members run a “pin game”. They have a pin book and you only get 1 min. to look through it and pick out 2 pins for trade. I got a great pin there. AND the cast members were so excited that I asked about it, and therefore got so many onlookers curious... they gave me a tinkerbell “1 for you, 1 to pass on” pin! I was really excited. – from kriskay
b. Guest Relations: has a trade book. – from Earthbound
7. Animal Kingdom:a. Pizzafari: If you’re lucky you may come across a Pin Trading board outside. – from @earthbound
b. Flame Tree Barbeque a CM came out with a pin board while we were ordering our lunch. Ask about it. – from @opaleyes
8. For Disney CMs: a. Cast Connection: There are two pin bags behind the counter. One for kids and one for adults. You may trade 2 pins. Also, there is a once a month Pin Trading Night with a board. I am not sure on the date. I have found decent pins in the bag, and it would be refreshed during my visit. – from @hopemax
b. Disney University Company D: They have lanyards you can request to see. I don't know if the other Company D locations have lanyards, as I haven't visited them in a long time. Not much luck here. – from @hopemax
These are the locations @AshleyV has personally confirmed over the last couple weeks in WDW:
All-Star Movies Resort (current as of 12/17/18)
- Donald's Double Feature gift shop: Mickey-shaped pin board behind the desk for package pick-up, available upon request
- Guest services @ front desk: Large rectangular pin board, available upon request
Animal Kingdom (current as of 12/16/18)
- Expedition Everest gift shop: Everest-shaped pin board behind the counter/in the window, available upon request
- DinoLand pin cart adjacent to seating location for Rivers of Light: Dino-shaped pin board that the CM was holding, I assume usually you'd have to ask for it
- Disney tour cart right next to Harambe Fruit Market & Kilimanjaro Safaris: Small black pin board, usually laid out on the counter
EPCOT (current as of 12/11/18)
- KidCot pin boards in Norway, Germany, Italy, France, etc.: Pin board usually laid out on counter
- Village Traders: Pin board usually laid out on counter
Disney's Hollywood Studios (current as of 12/13/18)
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster gift shop: Pin drum over by photo pickup, usually laid out on the counter
- Pin cart outside Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: Smaller pin drum, available upon request
I also had some luck trading with CMs at World of Disney in Disney Springs and Beverly Sunset Boutique at Disney's Hollywood Studios, though just about every single merch shop had CMs wearing pin lanyards.
I know there are many, many other locations spread out in WDW and DLR besides the few I mentioned. If anyone can verify the locations mentioned throughout this thread so we can get a current list going, that'd be great!
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