Josiah’s first word was “ball.” He hasn’t stopped talking since. His outgoing personality made me think that Disney pin trading would be a fantastic hobby for him.
Trading Disney pins is a fun activity where you can purchase and collect pins, and then trade with fellow collectors and cast members around the parks. (P.S. This post from DisneyDose.com is a great guide for pin trading beginners)
You generally wear your Disney lanyard around your neck, until you find someone else with a pin lanyard and commence negotiations.Â
It really keeps Josiah engaged and focused at the parks when he is looking for cast members to “wheel and deal” with.
Josiah’s first lanyard and pin came from the Character Warehouse at The Premium Outlets, at a much cheaper cost than the sets in the parks.
Check out this post on fun things to do your Disney Park rest day to find out more about the Disney Character Warehouse.
Still, it was an investment, so I was really bummed when we noticed his first pin, a Miles of Tomorrowland pin had somehow detached from the lanyard and is now floating somewhere around Disney World.
(FYI: If you happen to find one between the Ticket and Transportation Center and the Ferry Dock, it’s probably his).Â
At first, I thought it was a fluke.
Perhaps I had not secured the back enough. I figured with it around his neck, he had rubbed against the back and loosened it.
I brushed it off as an accident and moved on.Â
Later on in the day, however, another one fell off. Fortunately, I noticed it and we didn’t actually lose the pin. I inspected the backings on every pin on his lanyard.
I noticed that the rubber Mickey backings, the standard on the Disney pins, don’t really provide a secure hold… even if they are super cute.Â
After doing some online research, I was told to consider the locking backs. I knew they would provide a secure hold. But, I also knew I wouldn’t want to have to deal with a tool when Josiah was in the middle of a pin trade. Â
I found the solution!
I went to Michael’s and found some inexpensive earring backs in the ‘make your own jewelry’ section. They can also be found pretty darn cheap on Amazon. These are the “bullet clutch” type, which are easy to put on and remove, but also provide a snug, secure hold.
I simply pack them in our Disney bag ( with other essential supplies you can read about in this post), and then when Josiah makes a trade, we tell the other individual to just hang on to their Mickey back.
The earring back is an incredibly frugal and hassle-free way to secure your Disney pins.
Since we started using these little gadgets, Josiah hasn’t lost a single pin. This makes for a much happier pin trading experience for all!
Are you a pin trader? How do you secure your pins at the park? Do you wear a Disney lanyard or something else? I would love to hear your ideas in the comment section!
Krista
What a great idea! Love clever (and frugal) tips. Thanks for sharing!
Minnie
Such a great tip. I almost lost one that was pinned to my bag and now keep them in my purse. I’ll have to give this a try so I can have them pinned on again. Thanks so much!
Courtney
I love this! The last time we were at the parks I didn’t decorate my backpack with any pins because I was terrified they would fall off. Thank you so much for this easy, affordable fix!
flipflopweekend
You’re welcome! The rubber Mickey backs are just too unstable. We have never had a problem with the earring backs! Happy Pin Trading!
Amanda
So I actually debated doing this, but I was worried they wouldn’t be long enough and the pointy part would stick through. Does it not?
flipflopweekend
Hi! The ends do come out a little bit, but it isn’t significant. You wouldn’t want to fall directly on the back of them, but they are not uncomfortable while wearing and haven’t stabbed us 🙂 I hope that helps!
Darlene Dorsch
Thank you so much for this tip. With 9 in our party, it gets pretty expensive to buy the lock backs. Some lanyards we do keep pins on with the locks but they’re not for trading. Only wearing. We’ll definitely be trying these. May do a trial run around home before our next trip. Again, thanks for sharing. It’s so upsetting when someone finds the pin they’ve been looking for, only to lose it.
flipflopweekend
Absolutely. The locking backs can be a bit of a hassle to unlock to trade, too. For $2 this is definitely worth a try. We have never had a problem or a lost pin with them!