Pin trading being phased out now as well?

[norjack]

I hope this is just some nagging rumor that wont go away. Since there have been an increasing amount of budget related cuts over the past few years, it is easy to see how rumors can get started. However...I keep hearing rumors from both cm's, veteran pin traders, and other random anonymous internet gossip about Disney phasing out pin trading with cm's at the parks. It started with downplaying / decreasing official pin trading events, and eventually phasing out trading areas for park guests visiting WDW and DL. Now I am getting the impression that pin trading will be a thing of the past in the parks as early as this fall, or as late as next summer. (The reasons, as I understand them, is 1)because of so many cheap scrapper/fake pins filling trading boards/cm lanyards, and 2)because of a cost cutting measure to free up the cm's from pin interactions, freeing them for other duties.)

Is there anyone in the know that can shed any light on these persistent rumors? While I understand there have been a lot of strange looking/cheap pins on our last WDW vacation, it still seems that Disney makes a lot off of pins. In addition, they seem to get a lot of goodwill and great, short interactions with guests. My daughters absolutely loved pin trading, as well as my wife and I...And we only started when my sister and her family got us started. Pin trading has led to a lot of great conversations with others in the parks, especially cm's. If they were to take pin trading with cm's away as well now, it would take away yet another huge part of what makes our Disney vacations unique and special. Some of our favorite memories together involve pin trading.

Any insight would be much appreciated. Here's to hoping this rumor is totally wrong!

 

[revdisney33]

I have not heard this..... I hope this is not true and truly only a rumor. I understand the scrappers and fakes, but we trade to collect what we like.....me and DD12. We have many pin boards going at home. I don't care if mine are fake I put on my board but careful not to trade questionable ones. We will buy 1-2 per visit each that mean something to us.

 

[rteetz]

The trading aspect might be phased out but I can't see them stopping selling pins. They have pins everywhere and they are a big seller.

 

[ChrisFL]

Pin trading with CM's is ok, but I've seen many occasions when the CM is trying to do other important things and are being stopped because someone wants to pin-trade with them, because they don't have the patience or courtesy to wait.

 

[JenLT]

I hope they don't stop pin trading. Perhaps they should limit it to CMs who aren't engaged in other important activities. I think that part of the fun of buying the pins is pin trading. I'm not sure my kids would have been as interested in the pins if it wasn't for the excitement of trading them.

 

[closetmickey]

I can't see them stopping CM pin trading as I see it decreasing pin sales overall. Time will tell.

 

[whiporee]

if it is happening, I think it's an example of guests pushing the boundaries, and WDW having to respond. Guests bringing in fake pins, being pushy with CMs and people getting frustrated when they can't find the pins they want, and having that turn into negative feelings. Easier to get rid of the practice than having to deal with complaints/disappointments.

 

[Rhie]

I don't see how Disneyworld can actually STOP pin trading all together. They may phase out official functions and say that cms don't have to participate. But, unless they want to constantly check every guest for pins in their pockets all the time, they can't really make it stop. And doing that will open them up to hundred million lawsuits. It is a wildly popular past-time. People will simply organize their own meet ups and swaps by text and online, and trade on the sly on the parks anyway.

 

[Phdmama06]

Hm, interesting, I feel like I have heard this rumor before, though I don't remember where. I like to collect the pins, and have traded pins exactly once...we had gotten a Minnie pin in some mystery pack and really wanted the Donald that we saw a CM wearing, so we traded it. I feel like if people wanted to keep pin trading, Disney couldn't really do much to stop it, even if they stopped having official events. (Unless they actually phased out selling pins, which is a whole different story.)

 

[Enna]

Pin trading is still on the activity schedule at AKL as of this week, and is scheduled for every day.

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

if the adults are getting to pushy (and you just know there are more than a few of them out there) they will wind up limiting trading with CMs to the 17 and under club, or something like that.

 

[Travis B]

I can't see them stopping CM pin trading as I see it decreasing pin sales overall. Time will tell.

I agree. Trading encourages buying, at least for me. I don't think any of the reasons listed is a valid reason to stop the program. Ugh - I would be sort of devastated if they stopped pin trading. It's one of my favorite things about visiting Disney Parks.

 

[norjack]

It would be a big deal for us if they took it away. I could see them cutting down to 1 pin trade per person, and if they adjusted their manufacturing center/methods they could cut down on a lot of scrappers. I've heard they have switched a few factories, but time will tell I guess.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

I mostly buy pins anyway, but I've only traded (with strangers, not my family) 3 times in my life. I'm also scared of getting fakes (thanks to that one personal shopper girl who I can't stand I've been paranoid ever since). As long as they still sell them I'll be a happy camper

 

[Princess Minnie of Disney]

I can't see them getting rid of pin trading, I mean it's an easy way to make money. Without the trading aspect a lot of people wouldn't buy them since some parents get them as a great way for their kids to interact with CMs. Also pins are a huge part of sales since it's easy to buy a lot of those pricy pins at once . I could see them maybe having less locations or CM positions that get to trade if they want to cut back.

 

[JimmyV]

Perhaps they should limit it to CMs who aren't engaged in other important activities.

To the extent that this rumor is true, the quoted statement is exactly what Disney sees as the "problem". First CMs to get the axe? Background entertainment and atmospherics. Second CMs to get the axe? Those who perform "marginal" functions, like greeters at hotel entrances. Next CMs to get the axe? CMs who don't have enough on their plates such that they "aren't engaged in other important activities". I could easily see HQ saying: "Those employees who don't really do anything and just chat with guests all day? Get rid of 'em". That's a pretty easy cut to make. Again, assuming that there is any truth to any of this.

 

[JenLT]

To the extent that this rumor is true, the quoted statement is exactly what Disney sees as the "problem". First CMs to get the axe? Background entertainment and atmospherics. Second CMs to get the axe? Those who perform "marginal" functions, like greeters at hotel entrances. Next CMs to get the axe? CMs who don't have enough on their plates such that they "aren't engaged in other important activities". I could easily see HQ saying: "Those employees who don't really do anything and just chat with guests all day? Get rid of 'em". That's a pretty easy cut to make. Again, assuming that there is any truth to any of this.

However, when Disney encouraged interactions such as this - friendly CMs who chatted with guests and traded pins - it provided a level of service and was part of what makes Disney World a special trip, not just an amusement park. These types of services are an added value that Disney seems to want to eliminate yet they want to raise prices.

 

[rg35]

I only buy pins that I want to collect. I have never been that interested in trading at all.

 

[JimmyV]

However, when Disney encouraged interactions such as this - friendly CMs who chatted with guests and traded pins - it provided a level of service and was part of what makes Disney World a special trip, not just an amusement park. These types of services are an added value that Disney seems to want to eliminate yet they want to raise prices.

Oh, I believe you. But unfortunately, Disney's current management doesn't value this type of intangible service as much as it used to, if at all. It may seem like a small thing, but can there be any other explanation for the elimination of the Fife and Drop Corp? Somebody decided that they offered no addition to the bottom line, so they got marched out of Epcot. It is thinking like this that makes it easy to see how pin trading CMs could get the boot.

 

[AJA]

I hope they don't do away with all CM pin trading. My family really enjoys trading. I would be fine with limiting the CM's and areas or times that trading takes place but not doing away with it all together. As other posters have said it adds up to Disney greatly decreasing the "value" of a Disney World vacation (the extra's make "Disney" worth it IMO). There are other theme parks a lot closer to home for the vast majority of us -and most of those have better thrill rides.

If Disney stops setting its self apart with it's quality and extras why would tourists travel farther and pay more to have the same generic theme park experience they can have closer to home?