Tell me about lanyards please...

[Mybananas]

I keep seeing people make references to lanyards. Do I really need one? And if so, do my kids also need one? And where do I get them? OH and what are they good for besides hanging around my neck?

 

[Leofoenget]

I keep seeing people make references to lanyards. Do I really need one? And if so, do my kids also need one? And where do I get them? OH and what are they good for besides hanging around my neck?

I keep my pins on a lanyard at HOME but I don't wear them at the park. They are heavy, rub my neck and it gets hot. I wear a fanny pack and I keep the ones I want to trade in the little pocket. When I get home/back to my hotel room I put the new ones on a lanyard. You can get any lanyard you want either an official Disney one or a cheapo from Walmart.

 

[Chickysmom]

Some lanyards hold ppls Fast Passes and tix, others use them for holding their pins, both traders and keepers....you do not have to have one at all, in fact, I have one and never use it at the Park. I just keep my pin traders in a bag in my purse. If your kids do want one, make sure to get the kids one as they are sized for kids AND have a break away tab in case they get stuck in something, your kids head will be freed.

 

[bumbershoot]

FWIW, all the lanyards sold at the parks are just velcroed together at the bottom, so they can come apart easily.

We started with lanyards b/c we booked a package that came with them. But those lanyards were thick and NOT cute, so within the first 2 days we'd bought a disney themed lanyard AND a special, softer plastic (beware the stiff plastic sleeves...they tend to tear and come off) lanyard pouch with a ziplok style zipper, to keep our passes and fastpasses and even money every so often.

Then hubby discovered pins (and so did I), and DS got into pins too, so we have pins. And now hubby and I each have TWO lanyards besides the travel company one...I have one with pins on it (I don't trade, I just collect b/c it's fun) and one without, based on what I want that day. Hubby's are solely based on lanyard style (one is pirates, the other is nightmare before christmas). DS now has a Buzz lanyard along with his travel company one.

They aren't that expensive at the parks, IMO...about $7? The pouches are about $5. I find that to be not all that expensive...sure I could get a cheapie elsewhere, but it either won't be disney themed or it won't have been THAT inexpensive to really make a difference to me.


But there are certainly MANY people who don't use them. People keep tickets and FPs in their wallets or purses, and plenty of people don't buy, trade, or collect pins at all.

 

[cats mom]

Many folks find it helpful to carry their key card and/or park passes in a lanyard so they are easily accessible for making purchases, using fast pass machines, or whatever.

The wide pin trading lanyards are readily available in the parks, but any kind of lanyard will do. When I do wear a lanyard I prefer the narrow cord style myself, and I'm not sure if they sell those in the parks? Even if they do, no doubt you can find them at an office supply or discount store for less $$ though.

I always carry a small bag of some sort for "stuff" in the parks and I just use that for everything. Makes it easier to have all the park passes together when you use a fastpass runner too.

Personally I can't live without a lanyard on a cruise, I've never used one in the parks though.

 

[Mr.Sticky]

You certainly don’t “need” one, but you may or may not like them. Basically they go around your neck and can hold your Tickets so you can use them to get in the park or for fastpass, etc.

They are designed to keep them safe, but there have been many reports of tickets falling out of lanyard holders, which is awful because generally speaking, Disney will NOT replace lost tickets. If you choose to use one, make sure your tickets are very well secured, and even then think about putting your tickets in a wallet/purse/bag if you go on any rides where you get bounced around a bunch. I personally keep all of my families tickets in my wallet, but I am a worry wart!

Other than ticket and fastpass holding, many people use the neck straps of lanyards to show off Disney pins for pin trading, or just to hold buttons, stickers, or other small items that you might want to display to show your Disney spirit or personality. When you get home you can hang it up to remind you of your visits.

Pin trading can be fun for kids and a good way to encourage social behavior and connecting with cast members and other fans. But it can also get out of hand, expensive, and some “unscrupulous” types have been known to take advantage of kids by trading low value or even “knock off” pins for valuable ones. I’d like to think most people would never do that, but there are jerks out there…
If you think you might want to try pin trading, check out a few pin trading threads and FAQ’s written by those with a lot of experience. It can be a lot of fun, but it’s worth taking the time to see what you are getting into first.

In short, they can be a good thing but you can certainly have a wonderful Disney vacation without one. Or you may find them so fun you wouldn’t think of a trip without it! But it’s all up to you.

 

[pixiewings71]

We use ours to carry our APs, FPs, pins. We purchased ours in the park, prices range from $5.95-9.95 depending on what you get. That isn't an exact number of course. It's really nice to have them, they do help. Ours all have the velcro quick release but we have never needed it, we've never had our lanyards catch on anything, we tend to tuck them away or take them off before riding anything they may catch on. Splash, Space, Screamin', ToT, Indy, we even take them off for Soarin', Big Thunder, Mulholland Madness. You definitely don't need one but you might want one.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i find the small bag for the kids better my son likes his I got my self the big bag at dl last year. they get heavy but the lanyards fall apart easy an weve lost a few pins from.
the small bag for the kids was i think 12 maybe an if your family is just starting id get it. have the ones that you will trade on one page an the ones you want to save on another. (not sure this helps but they had them in wod store in downtown disney)

 

[MickeyNikiNaka]

I really like Lanyards because I kept my fast passes in there because I have a talent of losing things!

Also, like others have said, pin trading is dangerously addictive! I honestly wouldn't have done it any other way (I was also the FP runner so it made things really easy to keep everything together)!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

After getting an AP and having to pull it out of my wallet for discounts and FPs, I started to get concerned about other items coming out of my wallet and not realizing it. So, I decided to buy a lanyard with the plastic pouch to hold my AP, FPs, and PhotoPass card. I have two lanyards, one is the standard pin trading one that I always wear and the second is a rare CM lanyard (cord string) with a Sleeping Beauty medal that a friend gave me. I've never actually used it in the parks, since I don't want to lose it.

I have a few pins on my lanyard to show off my interests, but they're locking back and duplicates, so if I lose them, I've only lost a duplicate. Having pins on a lanyard is a nice way to strike up a conversation with CMs and other guests about your interests. It has on occasion even resulted in a CM going into the back to see what pins they have relating to my interests.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i also have a fanny pack disney one an it keeps fast pass tickets an keycard in it

 

[rszdtrvl]

I *had* to buy one during our trip last year.

I have slight OCD, and I knew that if I didn't have my family's park tickets within eye sight that every 5 minutes I would be stopping and searching for them. And that would waste A LOT of time.

I grabbed a Tinkerbell one at the hotel gift shop.

This year, I will use it for my tickets, as well as pin trading. DH has a Seattle Seahawks lanyard that he got at a game, and DS has a Spongebob lanyard that he purchased at Universal Studios. They will use theirs for their pins.

 

[avalon451]

I don't pin trade, so I don't use one-- I don't really like stuff around my neck. I read somewhere that if you don't use lanyards, you might like to get a thin wallet just for use at the parks, which is what I do. I keep only my i.d., my park ticket, my hotel keycard, and one credit card in it, plus any FPs I pick up. Then I leave it in my front pocket where it's secure.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have slight OCD, and I knew that if I didn't have my family's park tickets within eye sight that every 5 minutes I would be stopping and searching for them.

Good point. I'm constantly making sure my lanyard pouch is still there. Anyone watching me throughout the day would probably laugh at how many times I casually put my hand up (or down, depending on where my hand had been, I suppose) to see if it's still there.

Watch out on Screamin', by the way! Hubby's a bigger guy and he could feel that the harness trapped his lanyard in a too tight way...just as they went upside down he felt it pull, something hit his face, and when he got off the ride his pouch was gone gone gone. Even though they search the tracks every night after closing, they never found it (his and DS's APs = gone and we get to pay $20 each to replace 'em...sigh).

I read somewhere that if you don't use lanyards, you might like to get a thin wallet just for use at the parks, which is what I do. I keep only my i.d., my park ticket, my hotel keycard, and one credit card in it, plus any FPs I pick up. Then I leave it in my front pocket where it's secure.

Also a good point. The days I don't feel like a lanyard I clear out one little pocket of my purse or bag and keep only AP and FPs in there.

 

[lntsmom]

We don't pin trade, so we don't do lanyards. Personally, I would not let my children do lanyards unless they had the kind that close with velcro. It is just too dangerous for kids to have something that could strangle them hanging around their necks.

That said, on our last trip to Disneyland I bought a lanyard to use at work. It was the velcro style.

I guess if we didn't use fanny packs I might take along a travel lanyard...the type with the compartment that zips closed...for myself.

 

[pycees312]

I love my lanyard!!!! wearing my lanyard means i don't have to take my purse into the park( unless it's my mickey purse).
ooh and collect Tink pins

 

[Casken]

I'd wear a lanyard if it makes things easier but it would have to be one that does not breakaway too easy. I read somewhere that characters have said that many many people lose their tickets that way. I would never allow my kids to have one as it could get caught in something to easily.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

I keep seeing people make references to lanyards.

Just to add to the discussion (having just got back from the DLR):

1. Lanyards with pin trading pins displayed are a good way to interact with other guests in the park, especially if they have pins on lanyards as well. Often, while standing in line, someone will ask to see our pins (we each tend to have "themes" to our collections), or we'll ask to see someone else's...helping to make the line wait seem not so long. Lanyards are good for interaction, as your pins are displayed for everyone to see and comment on. It seems that you see more people displaying their pins on their lanyards at DLR than at WDW.

2. I do not recommend carrying important cards (room keys, annual passes, credit cards, id cards) in the plastic holders that can be attached to the lanyards. At WDW, I lost our room keys/passes when the thin plastic loop holding the holder to the lanyard broke. IMHO, you want something much sturdier holding your documents to the lanyard (despite the convenience).

 

[pixiewings71]

We don't pin trade, so we don't do lanyards. Personally, I would not let my children do lanyards unless they had the kind that close with velcro. It is just too dangerous for kids to have something that could strangle them hanging around their necks.

That said, on our last trip to Disneyland I bought a lanyard to use at work. It was the velcro style.

I guess if we didn't use fanny packs I might take along a travel lanyard...the type with the compartment that zips closed...for myself.

Again, EVERY lanyard sold at DL, DCA or WoD have the velcro release. ")

 

[bumbershoot]

At WDW, I lost our room keys/passes when the thin plastic loop holding the holder to the lanyard broke.

The lanyards and pouches at DLR are connected with metal loops and closures.

I would highly recommend buying one of the pouches, they are a softer (and reinforced) plastic than the ones you get with the travel company lanyards. I can completely see how the plastic on the Costco Travel pouches could easily break...but my softer Tinkerbell plastic pouch hasn't had a problem (though hubby's pirate pouch did snap, but he has only himself to blame for that...he even KNEW it was in trouble on Screamin' but didn't hold onto it).

Again, EVERY lanyard sold at DL, DCA or WoD have the velcro release. ")

I'll third that! I might go take some pictures, even.