One thing that brings back memories from World Disney World would be looking at the collection of pins I have around home, and my dad's house of pins we brought from various trips at Walt Disney World. Pins from the original Millennium Celebration, and of the old Disney Institute Resort (or maybe those are just the t-shirts we amazingly still have from there) we would used to stay in, that is now Saratoga Springs Resort.
I have continued that collection while I did both my Disney College Programs in 2010, and in 2012. I would buy some pins here and there on my days off. I used to keep up with the pins, because on both programs I would be one of the many cast members who traded pins with guests. It was fun meeting different guests through out my program because of pins. I would learn about what their favorite rides where, what their favorite park was, where they are from, and etc. These guest would learn things about me too. Is that the main point of pin trading, is to bring people together? OF COURSE!
I am unsure if this is true or not, but I remember someone telling me that Disney started doing this because they do pin trading also at the Olympic games. So they borrowed the idea, and used it during the Millennium Celebration at Walt Disney World, and surprisingly Walt Disney World was the first place to do it (again, I am unsure about this). It didn't start until 1999. I remember it being a new thing when on one of my couple of trips with my family around that time. I still have my first pin and lanyard, I believe it is the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration logo pin.
A starter pin that I believe that every guest received when
they checked in 1999-2000. Again, not to sure about
that one. Feel free to correct me...
I am personally not surprised that it turned into what it has, okay I was taken aback when in 2010 during one of my first training shifts where I got my pin trading lanyard. Now, I am personally not surprised that it turned into a big thing. Because I learned quickly in 2010 that pin trading is a big thing. There is a little pin trading station outside in the middle of Epcot behind Spaceship Earth, where people can look at a book full of Disney pins, and also buy pins too. Well in 2010, you could, now I am not sure. They had that also in 2012, but that was six years ago, I am not sure what it is now. But I personally, hope that it is still there.
But one thing I absolutely loved about pin trading still being a thing was that cast members could trade pins. As a cast member you could check out a lanyard and some pins they had all set for you. You had to (as of 2010, and 2012) had to have a certain number of pins on your lanyard, like 12 or 16. I don't remember. I know that certain locations that people work were really big on pin trading, so every cast member had to have one. But, it was always a choice to the cast member if they want to trade pins or not.
I remember during the 2010 program, not much of my coworkers had pins. But by the end of the program, the majority of them had pins. It was something everyone enjoyed doing with guests, it also was fun conversations during breaks about pins we had, and also on the bus rides to and from housing.
Compared to when it started in 1999 (only a few pins available) to now in 2018 their are a hundreds and hundreds of pins to choose from. Pins showcasing Disney's history of old things like the orange bird (that used to be big when Magic Kingdom opened in the 70's), old Disney rides, and other old Disney favorites. Also there are pins showcasing new things to Disney I remember getting a Star Wars pin (the Rebel Alliance logo, which I constantly got -- in both programs), I had some flag pins from the different countries around the World Showcase in Epcot, and lot of pins from the newer Disney movies that where coming out.
I always enjoyed asking people what their favorite pins where. The nice thing about pin trading is that I got to deal with people who where "professionals" at it, to the kids who where just starting out on their first pin trading experience. I am not sure who had the most magical moment, the kid who did their first pin trade, or I. It was special for me to be apart of one of their many memories from that vacation they had at Walt Disney World, more importantly their first pin trading experience.
Also trading pins with guests made me learn about things, and the pins. Like that Star War's Rebel Alliance pin I constantly been getting in both programs. I was not sure where it was from. It was just a logo pin. I was not sure if it was actually a Disney one at first, but it did have that little Mickey black stopper on the back. So I asked around to guests and my fellow cast members alike what it was. I eventually learned that it was from Star Wars, and I learned that Star Wars was apart of Disney in 2012 (in a non-pin trading event). Also sometimes not knowing what things where, made it a little difficult to trade. Because I had that Rebel Alliance pin for quite a while, and it seemed like every Star Wars fan I encountered had it. Because they did not want to trade it.
I remember one time where I was working, and someone was just looking for a Figment pin, any pin with Figment the purple dragon on it. Sadly at the time, I did not have an Figment pin, but I knew one of my friends who was working Impressions de France in the France Pavilion had one. I am not sure if he was working that day or not. But I told them to make their way over there and hopefully he was around with the Figment pin they where looking for. I remember my manager was impressed with my guest interaction.
I highly recommend if you are headed over to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, or another Disney property you should pin trade, or get into the pins. There is a lot of cast members, and other guests who are willing to make memories with you and talk about pins with you. It is something that brings us all together, and build friendships off of.
Also, if you are looking forward to working in either the Disney College Program, Disney Professional Internship, the Disney Cultural Exchange Program, or the Disney Cultural Representative Program you should consider doing pin trading. It is something gets you more interactions with the guests. You also get to learn things from people who are all over the world. It also adds to more memories on your program. It helps if your having a bad day, or feeling really homesick, doing a pin trade can help cheer you up. You will have a kid who did their first ever pin trade with you. You will be apart of their many Walt Disney World memories when they look back also. In the future they may also would share that memories with their kids, and their kids may want to get involved in pin trading.
I have continued that collection while I did both my Disney College Programs in 2010, and in 2012. I would buy some pins here and there on my days off. I used to keep up with the pins, because on both programs I would be one of the many cast members who traded pins with guests. It was fun meeting different guests through out my program because of pins. I would learn about what their favorite rides where, what their favorite park was, where they are from, and etc. These guest would learn things about me too. Is that the main point of pin trading, is to bring people together? OF COURSE!
I am unsure if this is true or not, but I remember someone telling me that Disney started doing this because they do pin trading also at the Olympic games. So they borrowed the idea, and used it during the Millennium Celebration at Walt Disney World, and surprisingly Walt Disney World was the first place to do it (again, I am unsure about this). It didn't start until 1999. I remember it being a new thing when on one of my couple of trips with my family around that time. I still have my first pin and lanyard, I believe it is the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration logo pin.
they checked in 1999-2000. Again, not to sure about
that one. Feel free to correct me...
I am personally not surprised that it turned into what it has, okay I was taken aback when in 2010 during one of my first training shifts where I got my pin trading lanyard. Now, I am personally not surprised that it turned into a big thing. Because I learned quickly in 2010 that pin trading is a big thing. There is a little pin trading station outside in the middle of Epcot behind Spaceship Earth, where people can look at a book full of Disney pins, and also buy pins too. Well in 2010, you could, now I am not sure. They had that also in 2012, but that was six years ago, I am not sure what it is now. But I personally, hope that it is still there.
But one thing I absolutely loved about pin trading still being a thing was that cast members could trade pins. As a cast member you could check out a lanyard and some pins they had all set for you. You had to (as of 2010, and 2012) had to have a certain number of pins on your lanyard, like 12 or 16. I don't remember. I know that certain locations that people work were really big on pin trading, so every cast member had to have one. But, it was always a choice to the cast member if they want to trade pins or not.
Compared to when it started in 1999 (only a few pins available) to now in 2018 their are a hundreds and hundreds of pins to choose from. Pins showcasing Disney's history of old things like the orange bird (that used to be big when Magic Kingdom opened in the 70's), old Disney rides, and other old Disney favorites. Also there are pins showcasing new things to Disney I remember getting a Star Wars pin (the Rebel Alliance logo, which I constantly got -- in both programs), I had some flag pins from the different countries around the World Showcase in Epcot, and lot of pins from the newer Disney movies that where coming out.
I always enjoyed asking people what their favorite pins where. The nice thing about pin trading is that I got to deal with people who where "professionals" at it, to the kids who where just starting out on their first pin trading experience. I am not sure who had the most magical moment, the kid who did their first pin trade, or I. It was special for me to be apart of one of their many memories from that vacation they had at Walt Disney World, more importantly their first pin trading experience.
Also trading pins with guests made me learn about things, and the pins. Like that Star War's Rebel Alliance pin I constantly been getting in both programs. I was not sure where it was from. It was just a logo pin. I was not sure if it was actually a Disney one at first, but it did have that little Mickey black stopper on the back. So I asked around to guests and my fellow cast members alike what it was. I eventually learned that it was from Star Wars, and I learned that Star Wars was apart of Disney in 2012 (in a non-pin trading event). Also sometimes not knowing what things where, made it a little difficult to trade. Because I had that Rebel Alliance pin for quite a while, and it seemed like every Star Wars fan I encountered had it. Because they did not want to trade it.
To your left: the Star Wars starter pack, is what I call it.
On your right: Figment, the purple dragon that is a "figment
of your imagination" at Epcot, who stars in the Journey into Imagination
with Figment ride.
I remember one time where I was working, and someone was just looking for a Figment pin, any pin with Figment the purple dragon on it. Sadly at the time, I did not have an Figment pin, but I knew one of my friends who was working Impressions de France in the France Pavilion had one. I am not sure if he was working that day or not. But I told them to make their way over there and hopefully he was around with the Figment pin they where looking for. I remember my manager was impressed with my guest interaction.
I highly recommend if you are headed over to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, or another Disney property you should pin trade, or get into the pins. There is a lot of cast members, and other guests who are willing to make memories with you and talk about pins with you. It is something that brings us all together, and build friendships off of.
Also, if you are looking forward to working in either the Disney College Program, Disney Professional Internship, the Disney Cultural Exchange Program, or the Disney Cultural Representative Program you should consider doing pin trading. It is something gets you more interactions with the guests. You also get to learn things from people who are all over the world. It also adds to more memories on your program. It helps if your having a bad day, or feeling really homesick, doing a pin trade can help cheer you up. You will have a kid who did their first ever pin trade with you. You will be apart of their many Walt Disney World memories when they look back also. In the future they may also would share that memories with their kids, and their kids may want to get involved in pin trading.
No comments:
Post a Comment