Credit: DisneyPin trading is one of Disneyland Resort’s most iconic traditions, first introduced in 1999. Guests can trade with a Disney cast member via a lanyard or pin board or meet other guests to trade with.
While most guests trade Disney pins for fun, some visit Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park to profit. For years, dozens of guests set up large displays on benches outside Westward Ho Trading Company in Frontierland. As seating became more of a hot commodity at Disneyland Resort, complaints about the pin trading takeover increased. One guest called it a “flea market.” Others accused pin traders of trying to manipulate children into unfair trades.
Everything changed this month when Disneyland Resort announced new rules for pin traders. Guests wearing lanyards can pin trade as they always have, but those with pin-trading bags/binders must adhere to the new guidelines.
“Guest Pin Trading, outside of the use of a lanyard, will only be permitted in Disneyland Park near Westward Ho Trading Company, as directed by a Cast Member or a sign with the exact location, from park opening to 3:00 PM daily (subject to change),” Disneyland Resort wrote.
Guests are only permitted one standard-size pin bag. No boards, signage, lights, or other displays are allowed.
This week, Reddit user u/LoquatVast shared a photo of one of the pin trading tables outside Westward Ho Trading Company:
Pin Trading Tables! (And goodbye bench-parking)
Pin Trading Tables! (And goodbye bench-parking)
byu/LoquatVast inDisneyland
“It’s situated right next to the Pin Kiosk by Westward Ho Trading Company,” the guest explained. “There’s three of them and the traders seems to be mildly active there.”
Most guests were pleased with the change.
“I feel like the grifter types that took up the benches soured people on some of the pin trading but there’s a lot of people out there just trading for the community of it too – now they actually have a place to go,” u/stellalunawitchbaby wrote.
“FINALLY!” u/surfcitysurfergirl said. “I just went in September and it was so annoying how many benches were taken in Adventureland and Frontierland.”
“I’m glad that it’s just a low table and not something they can comfortably camp out at,” u/IllustriousComplex6 echoed. “It’s not something that people should be taking over all day so if they’re going to do that then they deserve to be uncomfortable.”
But pin traders reportedly weren’t as enthused.
“My daughter works for guest relations and she said that there’s been a lot of people coming in b***hing about the changes,” u/No_Reserve2182 commented.
“The higher tables they put out for trading are too high for kids to see,” said Jabberwocky on Disney Pin Forum, a pin trading community website. “This will discourage kids from trading and parents from buying… Cutting back pin trading opportunities cuts back pin sales – and those are already down considering how many LE and LR pins are not selling out. I’m not the only one who didn’t buy pins as a result of this decision.”