Raulandpinboy
<font color=blue>Table-dancing auctioneer<br><font
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2001
- Messages
- 1,705
Okay newbies a lesson in history.
When was the last time you stood in line at 1:00 oclock in the morning to get a mystery pin or go to an event?
My last one was the Contemporary event on May 14 2001. The day I earned my LE wings. The whole thing was for one pin (ONE) for the Swan pin LE1000.
WDW got there at 11:00pm with 100 other traders we waited in line in our cars until they emptied the parks and let us drive in. Most of us drove around all day because nobody had a clue where or when to go. I mean there was no information at all. Then a guy I never met before in my life grabbed me at the Contemporary with some news. Why? Because I had a lanyard on, and that was the universal sign that I was a nut case right? no no no that I was a pin trader. He said there is a line of cars at the entrance to WDW thats were we go So off I went with 4 total strangers in my car to the WDW entrance I got there at 11:00pm, there were about 50 cars in line the line of cars was all the way out the back, people were walking around lost dazed confused because the only person at the gate was a security guard that looked scared to death.
At Midnight a manger type showed up and said the cars would be let in as soon as the park was emptied in the order they were now lined up. I figured I had it made. when my car with the 4 people I swear I had never met before and did not even know their names was about #10 in line another guard showed up and split the line into 4, by opening up 3 more booths I went from #10 to #40 and the honking and people yelling was a riot, and it almost became a riot.
I got in, and we parked in the cast parking lot, after we tried to sideswipe each other getting into the parking lot since Disney had turned all the lights off. Then I watched people run (I said RUN!) from their cars to the ticket and transportation ticket booth #5 It had to be #5 or it did not count. Because the rumor was it was booth #5 that you had to stand in line at. Alas when we got there were no numbers on the booths so we just counted up 5 and stood there, then another manger type showed up and had all these people moving from booth to booth like lemmings its was hilarious, but most of all I was one of them.
We finally settled down and I got to look around. People had sleeping bags, lawn furniture, pup tents for the kids drinks coolers and food, and then from midnight until 7:00am you traded tried to sleep and made darn sure the guy with the pin vest did not cut in line as he tried all night to get ahead by pretending to trade. We got to watch the professionals the old ones that knew all the ropes because they had pin trading since way back in 2000. These guys had pin vests; bags full of pins, one nut case had a suitcase on wheels!!! I remember laughing and saying OMG I hope I dont turn into that.
This is the honest to goodness truth as I remember it, I remember seeing the DIZPINS VAN arrive and park, all the people went oooohh and aaaaah I asked a few traders who are they, and I got stares like are you nuts thats DIZPINS where have you been in a cave. I just said oh DIZPINS yea sorry I was confused I didnt have a clue.
The bathrooms were closed so you had to walk to the Polynesian to use their bathroom; you made friends real fast because you wanted somebody to watch your spot, then you watched their spot while they went.
Around 2:00am a group of managers and security guards showed up and wanted to know what the heck was going on and who were we, they then wanted us to leave and come back at 7:00am nobody moved, in frustration they left.
At 3:00am the work crews were pressure washing the building so you got a nice shower.
Donna and family showed up at about 4:00am but there was no way I was letting them in line with me, not after the lady in back of me told the guy in front of me if he let one more person get in line she was going to insert her pinbag somewhere, and I was not going to find out where. They got in the back of the line and get this they did not get a wristband, neither did the 100 or so people behind them.
At 7:00am they lined you up gave you a wristband and you had until 1:00pm to go buy the pin inside the magic kingdom. But before they got it together Picture this, there are over 500 people lined up in front of what we thought was booth #1 because that were the manager from the night before put us. Then the same thing that happened at the gate happened here, they broke the lines and put people in front of booth #2, #3, #4 and #5 People were going nuts I heard things like I waited in line all night and now Im in back of the line If I miss out on this pin Disney will pay women and men were screaming at the managers it was a hoot. As it worked out the gave out wristbands first to booth #1 then #2 and so on so it was fair.
Things I remember the most about that night
The guy that kept going to the front of the line and counting people then asking if they were buying 1 or 2 pins because he wanted to make sure there was enough for him because he was like #450 in line.
The guy walking from person to person asking people if they were only going to buy only one pin, could they buy another one for him and he would buy it from them later.
Another guy trying to pre-trade for the pin.
Watching people run from their cars to the ticket booth with kids in tow, blankets flying in the air lawn chairs flying, men yelling at the wives go get in line, Ill bring the stuff
The family that had the 5 kids in the pup tent, while they played cards all night.
Closing my eyes and there were about 25 people in line in front of me Waking up 2 hours later and there were now over 150.
People screaming at each other because they were letting family and friends get in line with them.
In the morning Disney showing up with coffee and doughnuts we all said aw how nice. Then they put up the $5.00 sign and we all said WHAT THE HEY!!!
How people started rumors, and walked up and down the line repeating them like Did you hear they said that hotel guest have first chance at buying the pins or I just heard that you had to be in line inside the magic kingdom in order to get the pin I was told and I swear this is true that a bunch of pin traders walked from ticket and transportation to the magic kingdom and were now standing in line in front of the Magic Kingdom entrance and they were told, that was the only way to get the voucher for the pin. Its okay because I was later told that that group was arrested for trespassing. None of it was true.
For you see there was no Disney pin team there with us. It was just a bunch of pin traders waiting for morning to break. Man we made it through that we all deserved a pin.
Memories of the stupid things we did. Ill tell you what it was blast I would do again in heart beat.
When was the last time you stood in line at 1:00 oclock in the morning to get a mystery pin or go to an event?
My last one was the Contemporary event on May 14 2001. The day I earned my LE wings. The whole thing was for one pin (ONE) for the Swan pin LE1000.
WDW got there at 11:00pm with 100 other traders we waited in line in our cars until they emptied the parks and let us drive in. Most of us drove around all day because nobody had a clue where or when to go. I mean there was no information at all. Then a guy I never met before in my life grabbed me at the Contemporary with some news. Why? Because I had a lanyard on, and that was the universal sign that I was a nut case right? no no no that I was a pin trader. He said there is a line of cars at the entrance to WDW thats were we go So off I went with 4 total strangers in my car to the WDW entrance I got there at 11:00pm, there were about 50 cars in line the line of cars was all the way out the back, people were walking around lost dazed confused because the only person at the gate was a security guard that looked scared to death.
At Midnight a manger type showed up and said the cars would be let in as soon as the park was emptied in the order they were now lined up. I figured I had it made. when my car with the 4 people I swear I had never met before and did not even know their names was about #10 in line another guard showed up and split the line into 4, by opening up 3 more booths I went from #10 to #40 and the honking and people yelling was a riot, and it almost became a riot.
I got in, and we parked in the cast parking lot, after we tried to sideswipe each other getting into the parking lot since Disney had turned all the lights off. Then I watched people run (I said RUN!) from their cars to the ticket and transportation ticket booth #5 It had to be #5 or it did not count. Because the rumor was it was booth #5 that you had to stand in line at. Alas when we got there were no numbers on the booths so we just counted up 5 and stood there, then another manger type showed up and had all these people moving from booth to booth like lemmings its was hilarious, but most of all I was one of them.
We finally settled down and I got to look around. People had sleeping bags, lawn furniture, pup tents for the kids drinks coolers and food, and then from midnight until 7:00am you traded tried to sleep and made darn sure the guy with the pin vest did not cut in line as he tried all night to get ahead by pretending to trade. We got to watch the professionals the old ones that knew all the ropes because they had pin trading since way back in 2000. These guys had pin vests; bags full of pins, one nut case had a suitcase on wheels!!! I remember laughing and saying OMG I hope I dont turn into that.
This is the honest to goodness truth as I remember it, I remember seeing the DIZPINS VAN arrive and park, all the people went oooohh and aaaaah I asked a few traders who are they, and I got stares like are you nuts thats DIZPINS where have you been in a cave. I just said oh DIZPINS yea sorry I was confused I didnt have a clue.
The bathrooms were closed so you had to walk to the Polynesian to use their bathroom; you made friends real fast because you wanted somebody to watch your spot, then you watched their spot while they went.
Around 2:00am a group of managers and security guards showed up and wanted to know what the heck was going on and who were we, they then wanted us to leave and come back at 7:00am nobody moved, in frustration they left.
At 3:00am the work crews were pressure washing the building so you got a nice shower.
Donna and family showed up at about 4:00am but there was no way I was letting them in line with me, not after the lady in back of me told the guy in front of me if he let one more person get in line she was going to insert her pinbag somewhere, and I was not going to find out where. They got in the back of the line and get this they did not get a wristband, neither did the 100 or so people behind them.
At 7:00am they lined you up gave you a wristband and you had until 1:00pm to go buy the pin inside the magic kingdom. But before they got it together Picture this, there are over 500 people lined up in front of what we thought was booth #1 because that were the manager from the night before put us. Then the same thing that happened at the gate happened here, they broke the lines and put people in front of booth #2, #3, #4 and #5 People were going nuts I heard things like I waited in line all night and now Im in back of the line If I miss out on this pin Disney will pay women and men were screaming at the managers it was a hoot. As it worked out the gave out wristbands first to booth #1 then #2 and so on so it was fair.
Things I remember the most about that night
The guy that kept going to the front of the line and counting people then asking if they were buying 1 or 2 pins because he wanted to make sure there was enough for him because he was like #450 in line.
The guy walking from person to person asking people if they were only going to buy only one pin, could they buy another one for him and he would buy it from them later.
Another guy trying to pre-trade for the pin.
Watching people run from their cars to the ticket booth with kids in tow, blankets flying in the air lawn chairs flying, men yelling at the wives go get in line, Ill bring the stuff
The family that had the 5 kids in the pup tent, while they played cards all night.
Closing my eyes and there were about 25 people in line in front of me Waking up 2 hours later and there were now over 150.
People screaming at each other because they were letting family and friends get in line with them.
In the morning Disney showing up with coffee and doughnuts we all said aw how nice. Then they put up the $5.00 sign and we all said WHAT THE HEY!!!
How people started rumors, and walked up and down the line repeating them like Did you hear they said that hotel guest have first chance at buying the pins or I just heard that you had to be in line inside the magic kingdom in order to get the pin I was told and I swear this is true that a bunch of pin traders walked from ticket and transportation to the magic kingdom and were now standing in line in front of the Magic Kingdom entrance and they were told, that was the only way to get the voucher for the pin. Its okay because I was later told that that group was arrested for trespassing. None of it was true.
For you see there was no Disney pin team there with us. It was just a bunch of pin traders waiting for morning to break. Man we made it through that we all deserved a pin.
Memories of the stupid things we did. Ill tell you what it was blast I would do again in heart beat.
