Here's Why Disney World Guests Say Pin Trading Is "An Absolute Joke"

Pin trading has been a Disney park staple for over 20 years, but some guests have noticed a big change to their favorite pastime.

First introduced at Walt Disney World in 1999, pin trading was initially launched as a way to celebrate the new millennium. The hobby soon took hold of regular parkgoers, with some willing to wait hours in line to purchase the newest, rarest Disney pins.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Considering that pin trading seems like a fairly innocuous hobby, it has a divisive reputation within the Disney community. Guests have long complained about overzealous pin collectors disrupting the Disney park experience for the non-pin-obsessed. In fact, Tokyo Disneyland actually banned pin trading several years ago for this very reason (and now sells significantly fewer pins than other Disney parks across the globe as a result), while Walt Disney World Resort recently banned trading beneath Spaceship Earth to prevent congestion.

Others have lamented the downturn in pin trading since the pandemic, complaining about fewer pin boards available in the parks and cast members who treat trading more like an “interruption” than a magical moment. While we’d argue that this has improved somewhat in recent years due to the hobby’s popularity on TikTok, other problems have emerged, such as the increase in fake pins.

Some fans have also complained about another issue with Disney’s pin trading system: quality. A guest took to Reddit to share how “disheartened” they felt on a trip to the parks when they found that there was “almost no variety” from store to store.

Just went to WDW for the first time in a few years and I was really disheartened to find the same pins in every single store with almost no variety. I feel like when I [went] years ago there were hundreds of designs and now there’s maybe a couple dozen. Don’t get me wrong, I found some I liked and bought, but I was honestly disappointed. Idk it might just be me.

Judging by the comments, they’re not the only one who feels this way. “Merch in general went down the tubes during the pandemic,” said another user. “[It] has by and large become way more generic and cheap. The stores have all the same stuff.”

A third user agreed, explaining that what made pin trading so exciting for them was different stores retailing different options. Now, however, they feel like “they all have the same sort of generic things.”

While some users shared their tips for finding a diverse range of pins (one suggested looking in Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the other parks, a tip we also endorse), the general consensus is that Disney has largely turned its back on its pin offerings – reflecting a wider issue with the merchandise currently offered at Walt Disney World. “It’s been a problem for a while now,” wrote one user, “but Pin Trading [is] an absolute joke.”

Considering all the other changes going on at Disney World in recent years, it seems like a big ask for Disney to overhaul its pin lineup. However, for those who still actively trade during their Disney vacations, fingers crossed that this is another piece of guest feedback Disney takes into consideration in the future.

What are your thoughts on the current state of pin trading?