Report: Disneyland's First Pin Workshop
Page 1 of 3

Disneyland Resort
Pin Trading Workshop Held at Disneyland
May 27, 2001

10:00 am to 10:45 am
11:00 am to 11:45 am
1:00 pm to 1:45 pm

Martha Blanding - Manager, Special Events Merchandise for the Disneyland Resort
Becky Carter - Manager of Pin Trading at the Disneyland Resort
Bruce Snyder - Manager of Special Events at the Disneyland Resort

(l-r) Becky Carter, Bruce Snyder and Martha Blanding

The first of a series of pin trading workshops were held at the Disneyland Resort to discuss the many changes taking place in the merchandise promotion, new guidelines for pins that were tradable, new events coming in the future and the introduction of limited edition mystery pins to the DLR. The three workshops, each covered the same information, were held on the site of the now closed Big Thunder Barbecue. As the crowd grew for the first event, more chairs needed to be added to the venue. More than 300 collectors and traders took advantage of the information and the availability of the three managers attending for a bit of Q&A.

Becky Carter - Manager for Pin Trading for the Disneyland Resort
Becky began with a short introduction of the history of pin trading at the resort, noting that’ "We started pin trading based on the Millennium Celebration in Walt Disney World. We started it here last February… we started it as a test in food locations like outdoor vending and also store locations. We then went ahead and expanded the program, because of its success, to all lines of business across the resort at the time… adding attractions, foods, more store locations, hotel locations… we added those on June first of last year, so we’re coming up on our one year anniversary." She joked, "Hummmm, I wonder if there will be anything special for that?"

Becky explains what makes a pin "tradeable"

She continued, "So, as we were approaching our one year anniversary we decided to step back and take a look… What have we done in pin trading? Take a look at how much it’s grown. Because if you remember when pin trading first started…we were wandering around… it was really hard to even find a guest with a lanyard at the time and now they are abundant, they are everywhere and coming out of the woodwork. So, we decided, since pin trading has really grown, what can we do to make this program bigger, better and then also take it a few steps further on your feedback. What can we do better?"

New Pin Trading Guidelines
Becky then explained the new guidelines - they’ve been in effect at the DLR since the second of May. "The number one thing we knew that we could do better is to make pin trading trading again… We received a lot, and a lot is an understatement, a LOT of feedback that guests were not trading with cast members anymore… I’d do 10 trades a day, no problem at all, before. And then our lanyards started to look a little different, not so pretty, and I did a trade maybe once every two weeks. It was very discouraging for our cast members as well as for our guests… it really came down to making the pins of a higher quality on our cast member lanyards. So we basically changed our pin trading guidelines."

The following comes from the newly printed guidelines - which will be translated into Japanese, French and Spanish aside from English:

• The general rule on what constitutes a tradable pin is that it is a cloisonné, semi-cloisonné or hard enamel (all or in part) Disney pin, or an acceptable operating participant pin (House of Blues, Rainforest Café, ESPN Zone), that represents a specific Disney event, place or location, character or icon.
• Only operating participant pins that show a Disney, Disneyland ® Resort, or Walt Disney World Resort affiliation will be accepted for trading.
• Disney Service pins, Spirit of Disneyland ® Resort pins and Disney language pins will not be accepted for trading.
• Counterfeit pins and lower quality pins (e.g.. plastic pins, rubber pins, other non-metal pins, epoxy-coated pins, etc.) will not be accepted for trading.
• If there is any doubt as to whether a pin is tradable pursuant to these rules, the trading Cast Member shall make the final determination.
• Pins should be in good, undamaged, tradable condition.
• Trade one pin at a time, hand to hand.
• For safety, trade pins with the backs attached.
• Please refrain from touching another person’s pins or lanyard. If you need a closer look, ask the person wearing the lanyard if they can bring it into clearer view for you.
• Certain pin sets must be traded as sets. If a single pin from the set does not complete the intended picture or statement alone, such as carded pin sets, all pins in the set must be traded as one pin. (sets will soon be numbered 1 of 2 or 2 of 2, to let guests know that they are part of a set)
• "Name pins" may not be traded with Cast Members. This includes Disney name pins.
• When trading with Cast Members, Guests should offer a pin that is not already displayed on the Cast Member’s lanyard.
• Monies or gifts may not be exchanged or used in trade for a pin.
• Guests may only trade one pin of the same style with a Cast Member.
• Above all… Have fun!! Pin Trading can be a great way to interact with and meet Cast Members and their Guests.