Many people who have sailed the high seas with Disney Cruise Line have also been to the parks and seen people trading pins. You may have run into cast members wearing lanyards or seen signs about "Official Disney Pin Trading." If you've ever stayed at a Disney resort, you may have noticed the pin book sitting on the counter, a pin board behind the counter, or crossbody pouches and lanyards on cast members at the counters. You might be an experienced pin trader, a novice pin-trader, or a rookie pin trader and wondered what all the hype is about. No matter you experience level with Disney pin-trading, you can have so much fun looking at new pins with cast members and guest alike. Pin-trading is a social event that, in my opinion, brings strangers together and is a great conversation starter.*Tip- We buy cast member pins in bulk on Amazon or Ebay (last bundle was $60 for $100 pins) to trade while we vacation.
Read on the find out all about pin-trading on Disney Cruise Line.
1. What if you are wanting to take your pins aboard a Disney ship in hopes of finishing off a collection? Well, you are in luck! Guest Services is limited to the amount of pins they have, but go into most of the shops and they have large pin trading books available for you to browse through. Unlike the Disney parks, where you are limited to trading only 2 pins per cast member, there is no limit on a Disney ship (at least from our experience).
2. Bring your pins into the shops to get some magical attention from the merchandise team. We showed interest in pin trading, looked through the books, but when we saw pins we wanted, we didn't have our pins with us. They were upstairs in our cabin. We said, "Hold that pin, we'll be right back!" (Note: there is no guarantee if you leave the pin will be there when you return). The merchandise crew member saw our excitement and when we returned with our amazing pin books, he knew we were serious! I think my daughter and I traded about 5 pins each just in one shop. It was fun on sea days to hop around to the different shops. The crew members remembered us and looked out for specific pins we needed. We love Alex, Owayne, and Amit on the Disney Dream!
3. You can trade pins with guests on the ship as well. But, I did notice that most of the pins on guests lanyards were the real fancy, limited edition or limited release pins that the guest was proud of and had no intentions of trading. Just keep that in mind before grabbing for someone's pins. Remember your etiquette! Always ask before picking up someone's pins! It is a guests' right to show-off those amazing pins and not want to trade! Others see this as teasing, but I'm all for it!
4. Check back often to try to find a special pin you are looking for. Since there is no limit on how many pins you can trade (again to my knowledge and based on my experience), the better chance you have of finding it if you return often. Plus, you might just find other merchandise you want since it is plentiful on the ships!
5. You can purchase pins on the ship and at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Some of the ones on Castaway Cay are exclusive to the island so don't miss the opportunity to buy the one pin (or dozen) that you want. Once you leave the island it will be hard to find them.
6. Each sailing I have been on there was an Officer Pin Trading Night. These are not only fun because you get to interact with the officers, but you have a really great chance to get that perfect pin. What's even better, interact with the merchandise team and show you are serious about pin trading and you could be selected as an honorary officer for Officer Pin Trading Night. My daughter has been selected on each of our last 3 cruises.
You will never have to pay to trade pins with anyone, so if anyone asks for money, walk away. Make sure the pins are authentic with the Disney Pin Trading logo on the back, a straight pin back with ridges to keep it from spinning, and clear, crisp colors and words. If Flounder is supposed to be yellow and he looks green on the pin, it's probably not authentic. If you are determined on wearing those beloved favorite pins on your lanyard, hat, jacket, or whatnot, be sure you have a locking back on them. They sell them in the shops for about $10/pack. You will need to keep up with the Allen wrench that comes with the backs.
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| My Pins 1 of 2 |
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| My Pins 2 of 2 |
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| My Daughter's Pins |
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| Locking Backs: Highly recommended if you plan on wearing your pins |
More than anything, have fun! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your pin-trading friends!
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