Attention: Free Disney Souvenirs!
Well, nothing is free at Disney… but with this guide you’ll spend about $20 and have a rotating collection of Disney souvenirs for years to come!
Step one: Acquire a lanyard. Any sort of lanyard will do, but most people end up buying an official Disney pin-trading lanyard for about $12. You just need something that you can stick your pins onto that will travel around with you throughout your day.
Step two: Purchase initial pins. This part is the most complicated, but it is also where the most money can be saved. Inside Walt Disney World, pins are $7-13 EACH! That is pretty steep. However, you can buy random ‘grab bags’ of pins from online retailers. Personally, my favorite source is eBay because it is the most affordable. To be sure you’re not buying fake imitations: just look for a seller that is located in the US (you can filter this) and has a huge amount of positive reviews! I got a grab bag of 25 pins for $11 including shipping!
Step three: Go to Disney to trade! Almost all Disney “cast members” wear lanyards with pins. Those pins do not belong to them, so as long as you have a pin to give away, you can take any pin you like. Some pins can’t be bought in stores and can only be found on “cast member” lanyards! These pins are rare and valuable!
Step four: Create your own collection! As you continue trading, you will start to gain pins that I call “untradeables.” They are my favorite pins! So I use my random pins from the internet to keep my collection going until I love all my pins! Then I buy another set from the internet – rinse and repeat. Soon you’ll have multiple lanyards! And they are like trading cards: there are sets, themes, special editions, exclusives and rare pins.
Extra places to find pins: Pins aren’t only available from cast members, you can also find “pin boards” and “pin books” in various locations throughout Disney: Every park and “deluxe” hotel has one. Cast members and online guides are the best source for these hidden spots! Here is a link to help find these locations: http://www.chipandco.com/top-10-pin-trading-spots-walt-disney-world-175815/
Good luck trading! I’d love to see your collections – send them to Ricky@GreenLightGroupTours.com!