Disney Star Wars Pin

Disney Star Wars Pin

Pin trading at Disney Parks is a pastime enjoyed by park guests of all ages and Disney park employees. In 1999 during the Millennium Celebration at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, trading became a trend and quickly spread to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and other parks. Trading is an interactive way to exchange pins with other guests or cast members to start collections or to find "pin pals."

Yes, ever since Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise through Lucasfilms, Star Wars has been a part of Disney pin trading. With personalities and locations from the entire saga, Star Wars pins offer fans of all ages chances to buy and trade items with personalities from the original trilogy, like Darth Vader, and from the latest films, like Rey and Poe Dameron. The WDW Resort continues plans to open Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, a land for all things Star Wars, within its Hollywood Studios park near Orlando in 2019.

You must have a pin to trade one, so start by buying them from Disney. Acceptable items represent Disney personalities, events, icons, and locations. They must be in good shape, and are made of cloisonne, semi-cloisonne, or hard-enamel metal. Many traders wear their pins on lanyards as cast members do in the parks. Others wear them on jackets or book bags.

To start trading, find a cast member wearing a lanyard with trading pins. If you have one they do not appear to have, you might ask if they would like to trade a pin on their lanyard for the one you are offering. You can also offer to trade with another guest. Pin etiquette rules are available on the park websites to use as a guide for this fun, memorable pastime.

Since there is an amazing variety, even within one brand like Star Wars, most people elect to collect the pins that commemorate their favorite events, locations or characters. Many participate in the hunt for hard-to-find personalities or completing a collection that includes all of the personalities from a particular movie or trilogy. No matter which pins you decide to collect, it is an activity with an opportunity to meet cast members and other guests who share your interests.

The most common types you will encounter, including Star Wars, are:

• Characters: Select your favorite characters, and you can trade to get as many different pins of those personalities as possible.
• Hidden Mickeys: These have small Mickey Mouse heads within the design and are not available for sale. They can only be acquired by trading with a cast member.
• Retro: These feature personalities, films and locations from the past.
• Series: These are groups of four to eight that are similarly themed but different.