pin trading at DL vs WDW?

[krismom]

my kids got hooked on pin trading at WDW on our last trip- I was reading some conflicting reports about it being different at DL. Apparently the CM's are pickier and the pins can't be from Disney store or the Made in China ones (I forget what they are called). Basically my kids started out with "official pins" and ended up trading for who knows what... should I leave the lanyards behind or brin gthem and risk some of them being rejected?
Thanks!

 

[pxlbarrel]

I was sorta doing pin trading when I was there but I didn't have any Disney store ones or the Chinese fakes. I think the Disney store ones are fine though since they're authentic Disney. I'm not sure how strict they are either because one CM had duplicate pins on her lanyard and she had no idea how that happened but didn't seem all that bothered by it either.

A regular at DL told me that if you're looking for cast lanyard pins to trade, the pin "sharks" get them early in the day so your chance of getting one decreases as the day goes on. He recommended that if you want a nice selection of pins to head into Toontown (the farthest "corner" of the park) for your first bit of trading since it may take time for the sharks to get there. LOL I dunno...seems to be a bit too competitive for a bit of fun if you ask me.

One thing that I found was that it was fun to trade with non CMs. We would be talking to the CM and somebody else would come along to trade with the CM and we'd end up trading with each other too. Although...I think we scared a couple from Japan when they came to the pin trading area with some Tokyo pins. LOL talk about excited pin traders!!

 

[eatmypixiedust]

I love collecting CM exclusive pins at DL. I've never had or heard of any problems with the CM's caring about which pin you give them. I've asked a couple CM's before and they always say: "We don't care. Whatever you want to give us is fine!"

I've seen CM's with disney store bought pins along with gift w/purchase pins or the pins you get when you buy the starter lanyard set. Either way, I don't think there should be any problems.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

A regular at DL told me that if you're looking for cast lanyard pins to trade, the pin "sharks" get them early in the day so your chance of getting one decreases as the day goes on.

Yay, we're Disney pin junkies! I know what you mean about the "pin sharks." Somehow I always find a cast pin when I'm not looking for any. LOL

 

[LeanaSpin]

I pin trade with my kiddo at DLR all the time. I've never had a pin turned down and we've used tons of Disney store, or cheapy pins, with no problems.

Jake chooses what he likes and they aren't always the "expensive" pins at all.

Definitely bring them, they'll have fun trading!

 

[mom2dzb]

I purchased some pins online at the disney shopping site and had a hard time getting rid of them at the park. They had the trademark on the back, and satisfied all the requirements at the official pin trading site, but still some CMs wouldn't trade.

 

[got2travel]

I've actually found the reverse. That it was harder to trade at WDW. I've never had a trade turned down at DL. I've traded Disney store pins and Pro Pins, smaller and lighter but still official Disney pins. However at WDW, I did have a CM refuse to trade with my son. I don't remember what kind of pin it was, but it was definitely officially Disney.

That experience turned my son into one of the pin sharks you all speak of. He dashes around the park trading only for limited edition and cast pins.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

I purchased some pins online at the disney shopping site and had a hard time getting rid of them at the park. They had the trademark on the back, and satisfied all the requirements at the official pin trading site, but still some CMs wouldn't trade.

They shouldn't have turned you down. From what I've heard, CM's are not allowed to turn down any pins you offer to them. I've seen several CM's accept pins that came with a purchase of Duracel batteries or with opening a Disney Visa and they've all taken them. Do you know what color lanyard they were wearing? Maybe that has something to do with why they wouldn't trade? The gold, dark red lanyards are for adults to trade. The green ones are for kids to trade.

 

[pxlbarrel]

They shouldn't have turned you down. From what I've heard, CM's are not allowed to turn down any pins you offer to them. I've seen several CM's accept pins that came with a purchase of Duracel batteries or with opening a Disney Visa and they've all taken them. Do you know what color lanyard they were wearing? Maybe that has something to do with why they wouldn't trade? The gold, dark red lanyards are for adults to trade. The green ones are for kids to trade.

I think kids can trade with any colour lanyard. Adults can't trade with green ones though...those are kids only.

They're not allowed to accept pins if they already have the pin on their lanyard and you're only allowed to trade 2 pins per CM.

 

[Tiffer]

Yay, we're Disney pin junkies! I know what you mean about the "pin sharks." Somehow I always find a cast pin when I'm not looking for any. LOL

How do you identify it as a cast pin?

DD10 has been pin trading for a few years now, but I don't know much about it. she just does it b/c she likes it.

 

[Tiffer]

I pin trade with my kiddo at DLR all the time. I've never had a pin turned down and we've used tons of Disney store, or cheapy pins, with no problems.

Jake chooses what he likes and they aren't always the "expensive" pins at all.

Definitely bring them, they'll have fun trading!

My DD neither..never turned down..

 

[got2travel]

How do you identify it as a cast pin?

DD10 has been pin trading for a few years now, but I don't know much about it. she just does it b/c she likes it.

The cast pins now have a small silver mickey head somewhere on the front of the pin. In the past, you would have to turn the pin over and try to read the print and it would say cast lanyard or cast series, something like that.

These are pins that only cast members can obtain originally. And the only way us guests can get them is by trading.

 

[mom2dzb]

I think kids can trade with any colour lanyard. Adults can't trade with green ones though...those are kids only.

They're not allowed to accept pins if they already have the pin on their lanyard and you're only allowed to trade 2 pins per CM.

Right. I followed all of their rules. Some CMs just didn't think that some of my (and my son's) pins were tradeable. I remember that two CMs refused. In one case there was a supervisor that I was referred to who said "of course you can trade it" in another case I was told to go to a specific person to ask, but I didn't. I wasn't upset about it, though. Eventually we found CMs to trade with.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

Right. I followed all of their rules. Some CMs just didn't think that some of my (and my son's) pins were tradeable. I remember that two CMs refused. In one case there was a supervisor that I was referred to who said "of course you can trade it" in another case I was told to go to a specific person to ask, but I didn't. I wasn't upset about it, though. Eventually we found CMs to trade with.

That's really odd. I would think that the rules of pin trading would be the same at all Disney theme parks. My cousin just returned from a Disney Cruise and she said that the CM's on board were teaching her 5 yr. old daughter how to trade/collect pins. They told my cousin that they can't say "no," they have to accept any pin you offer them for their pins. It's basically the same rules they have at DL. I've never traded at WDW though.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

How do you identify it as a cast pin?

DD10 has been pin trading for a few years now, but I don't know much about it. she just does it b/c she likes it.

Most cast pins have a small silver colored mickey head on the front of the pin. Some of the cast pins I have have a black colored mickey head. Some CM pins say "Cast Exclusive" on the back and you have to turn the pin over to see it (the older pins). I have some that are from Cast Parties and they don't have a mickey head on it. If I don't see a mickey head I ask the CM and they kindly check for me.

 

[pxlbarrel]

That's really odd. I would think that the rules of pin trading would be the same at all Disney theme parks. My cousin just returned from a Disney Cruise and she said that the CM's on board were teaching her 5 yr. old daughter how to trade/collect pins. They told my cousin that they can't say "no," they have to accept any pin you offer them for their pins. It's basically the same rules they have at DL. I've never traded at WDW though.

Well, they'll only trade authentic Disney pins. There are a lot of counterfeit, Sedesma (sp?), and so-called Chinese scrapper pins floating out there so the CMs do NOT want those ones. They can't take those or they'll be up to their eyeballs in crap pins. I think it can be pretty hard to tell a good counterfeit so maybe that's why the CM's were unsure about some pins.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

There are a lot of counterfeit, Sedesma (sp?), and so-called Chinese scrapper pins floating out there so the CMs do NOT want those ones.

I never heard of those. I didn't know there was such a thing as counterfeit disney pins.