how do you carry

[luvmyfam444]

all that $ for the penny presses & not have it weigh a ton!?!? Of course I know $1 bills ---but do they have changers near the presses?

AND...you don't really get a penny back do you!?!? the one's I've done before (other places) look nothing like a penny...& besides I thought that was defacing gov't property..... am I right???

 

[pdarrah]

I don't know why it isn't considered defacing a coin - but it is actually YOUR penny that gets squished! My DH saves the shiny penny's right before a trip for he and DS to use in the penny machines. There usually is NOT a change machine near the penny presses (except possibly for ones that are near or in an arcade...)

Since we visit WDW twice per year, we limit DS to a certain number of pressed pennies per trip. Although we bring all the change with us on the trip, I only carry around enough for 2 or 3 pennies at a time and keep the rest at our room.

Most of the machines have been the type where you put in your coins and then press a button and it does all the work. However, there are a few manual ones where you turn a crank and actually do the squishing yourself. My DS5 really likes the manual ones!

pdarrah

 

[SandrainNC]

What I did was get two of those plastic tubes that M&Ms minis comes in. One I filled with my shiny pennies and one with quarters and I just carried them in my backpack. I got the idea from another DIS member.

Sandra

 

[lllovell]

Most of those machines here in GA have the reason why its not a crime to use those, but I will admit that I have never taken the time to stop and read it. Either way, they are exempt somehow.

 

[luvmyfam444]

thank fo the answers! I'm gonna go look at the penny I have @ home --but there is NOTHING at all that even makes it look like a penny...it's just a smooth piece of copper colored materail with the engraved part---where did Abe go??? YOu'd think you could see SOMETHING left...

AM I JUST DUMB OR WHAT!?!?!?

 

[ksoehrlein]

One or two of DD's pennies still have faint remnants of the original coin details. The obverse side sometimes maintains a few of the lines in the Lincoln Memorial.

Don't know about the legalities though. I think I saw once on a non-WDW machine verbiage to the effect that you are purchasing a "souvenier" for 51 cents and that the penny is no longer legal tender, but I don't recall the specifics.

 

[pezpam]

Most machines will have the legal verbiage somewhere, but in my several years of squishing, I've never stopped to read it. It's legal and I have better things to remember than the exact reasons in legalese.

Watch those 'shiny' pennies, though. Pre-1982 pennies were made entirely of copper - more recent ones have a zinc center, which is why you can sometimes see silvery streaks when you squish newer pennies. That silver color will turn to black over time, ruining the look of the squishie. Much better to shine up some older pennies if you like them shiny - a quick google will give you several easy methods. That way, you have solid copper coins and they'll stay nice. Personally, as long as they aren't a mess, I like the patina of the older coins.

And yes, it really is your penny that gets squished. There are some exceptions, mainly outside of the US in places with coins in different metals or different laws - I got one in Canada that was a copper blank to start. If it is a blank like that, the machine won't ask you to put in a penny since it isn't needed.

HTH! Google for more (and probably better) info

Oh, the original question..... I carry a small ziploc baggie with pennies and any quarters I have (most, but not all, gift shops will give you change if there isn't a machine around) and just put the squished pennies back into the same baggie. Since I use a backpack or put the ziploc in my pocket, I can carry quite a few without it seeming too heavy. When I use a shoulder bag or purse, the weight gets heavy quickly.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We loved the M&M container tip but we didn't have any in January so we used empty film containers. We started out using just the rolls the coins came in from the bank but that didn't work very well. Those pennies were truly one of DS's favorite things on our trip!

 

[pandamom]

I use containers similar to the m&m ones but shorter (my diabetes test strips come in them). I alternate 2 quarters and a penny thru out so it's quick and easy to get the correct coins for the machine. Now as to the not weighing a ton question -- if you figure that out please let me know!!! Couldn't figure out why the backpack was so heavy last time -- then realized it was the 3 containers of coins.