Hiya, Ann Marie! Welcome to planDisney. I am so excited to answer your question about pin collecting and
pin trading, because I am a pin person myself! I recently went on a trip to Disneyland with 17 new best friends, and any time a pin was mentioned or spotted, they all looked at me to see how excited I was! I definitely solidified my reputation as "the pins guy."
I am always on the hunt for the latest Hidden Disney pins, new and exciting Limited Edition pins, and fun and interesting Open Edition pins that feature my favorite characters. My main collections are The Nightmare Before Christmas, villains, and Mickey Mouse! I am also currently trying to finish my Ducks of Disney set. Wanna trade?
Let's talk pin trading events: I attended the Celebrating 25 Years of Disney Pins event back in September, and it was my first ever pin event! I registered in June, and the process involved a virtual queue. Once I registered I got to fill out a Random Selection Process (RSP) form to determine which pins from the event catalog I wanted to purchase. There were so many fantastic options, and I got amazing event-only, limited edition exclusives including a framed series of pins that spell out P.I.N. T.R.A.D.E.R. with each letter themed to a Disney character (the "T" is Tinker Bell!) . The event was held at
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in the convention center, so there was plenty of room for all the attendees to trade and chat. For details on the 2026 event, keep an eye on the
Merchandise, Shopping & Product Events website. This is where the event will be posted and where you will go to register. The 2026 theme is A-2-Z, and we got pins last year featuring Alice and Zazu that will complete an alphabet set being released this year.
One of the best features of the event was trading at the pin boards. Guests wait in line to trade at a series of boards that feature many rare and unique pins, including Artist Proof (AP) and Pre-production (PP) pins, which are highly coveted by collectors due to their limited edition size. You hand two pins to the Cast Member at the board, study the available pins for 60 seconds, and choose two you want to add to your collection. Make sure to flip the pins over and see if the back is stamped with an AP or PP!
The events also offer pin games, pin artist meet and greets, and an on-site RSP for rare and limited edition frame sets, pin bags, and other collections. You can also stop by the many tables set up for trading with other attendees! It was a truly fantastic event, and I'm so glad I went.
If you can't make it to the parks to get your pins, you can purchase new releases on the
Disney Store website each Tuesday at 11am ET for Pin-Tastic Tuesday. Many of these pins are limited edition or limited release, and often feature a virtual queue. The good news is that queue is randomized when the event begins, so there's no need to wait on the pin's page too long before 11am ET.
One final tip: as you begin your pin trading journey, I recommend purchasing a starter set of pins you don't like! That way you won't feel badly about trading them away on pin boards, with Cast Members, or to other guests.
When I became a planDisney panelist I dreamed that I'd get to answer questions about pins, and I'm so glad you found your way to me so I could share my passion for the hobby with you! Please
let me know if you have additional curiosities about pins or Walt Disney World, as we're here to help! Happy trading!
Stay magical,
Scott