Disney Targets Pin Traders With New Park Rules

Over the years, there are some things that just become a part of the Disney experience — things like enjoying a DOLE Whip, wearing Mickey ears, and watching the fireworks. For some guests, one of the things they look forward to during their Disney days is pin trading. Disney has always offered pins for guests to buy, but in 1999, they officially launched pin trading.

Related: A Beginners Guide to Pin Trading at Disney World

If you’ve never pin-traded, here’s how it works. Guests can purchase Disney pins at the theme parks — they even offer a wide variety of themed starter packs. Then, when they see a Disney cast member wearing a lanyard or standing with a pin trading board, they can take one of their pins and trade it with the cast member for a different pin.

For some people, pin trading has almost become a way of life. There are people who collect thousands of pins from the parks, the internet, and more. They will take their massive binders full of different pins and just spend the day trading pins with guests who approach them. They almost make a business out of trading Disney pins.

Over at Disneyland Resort, pin traders have become somewhat of a point of contention.

Related: Top 3 Cost-Saving Tips For Pin Trading at Disney

There are several benches that line the entrance to Frontierland. Guests pass these benches as they head toward popular attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Sailing Ship Columbia. Almost daily, pin traders will get to the park when it opens, make their way to the benches, take out binder after binder of pins, and sit on the benches all day as they trade.

While some guests do not have an issue with that, since they like to trade, many guests get frustrated, since there is limited seating in the area.

Now, it looks like Disney is hearing the complaints and has decided to take action.

Disneyland Resort recently updated its website and has added rules that will specifically affect those who set up their pin trading area on the benches. On the Pin Trading FAQ section of the site, there are rules that now read:

• No Use of Benches
  Benches or any other structures for the display of pins will not be permitted. Benches are for seating purposes only.
  
• Limit the Items You Bring
  Only one trading bag, 14″L x 12″W x 6″H (36cm x 31cm x 16cm) or smaller, is permitted. Guests should only utilize a single trading bag for pin trading activities. No additional decorations or collateral (e.g., lights, signage, displays, etc.) will be permitted.

That means that the benches that used to be taken up by the pin traders will now be just for guests to sit and take a break from the chaos of the day. Pin traders will also no longer be allowed to take up space with multiple huge binders full of pins.

Disney does not want to completely discourage people who love to trade pins with other guests. So, Disney has set up tables in the same area of Frontierland that have been designated for pin trading only. However, the Disneyland website also says that those tables will only be open until 3 p.m. daily, but that is subject to change.

If you are planning on heading to Disneyland to trade pins, it is very important that you follow these new rules. Disney does reserve the right to remove any guest who does not follow the new rules. Should you break the rules, cast members may simply ask you to put some of your pins away, or they may ask you to leave the area.

Are you glad Disney has changed these pin trading rules? Let us know in the comments!