As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Pin Trading at Disney: An Introduction by Jennifer Shorey Arnolds
While visiting the parks, you can see cast members and guests wearing lanyards loaded with Disney pins and you can browse the park stores looking at the unique but somewhat pricey little items. Perhaps you or your little one has expressed an interest in pin trading but you are hesitant to make such a large investment. How did this all begin? Disney's Official Pin Trading website explains that pin trading began as part of the Millennium Celebration in late 1999, although pins were available for purchase long before that and many Disney fans were already collecting. Pin trading has developed a life all its own in the realm of Disney and Disney enthusiasts since then.
Buying on eBay will mean you still need a lanyard to bear your pins. Instead of paying $7.95 for a lanyard at the park, an easy alternative is to visit your local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes. I was able to purchase a pink pirate lanyard for $1.95 to hold my pins. At that price you can buy two lanyards, which will enable you to use one to hold the pins you want to trade and a second to secure pins that you want to keep for your new collection. During my first trip to Disney participating in pin trading, I was able to trade with Disney Cast Members and compile a group of seven adorable Pirates of the Caribbean pins (pictured above). While on my trip, I discovered these very pins for sale as a box set in the Disney shops for $29.95. On other trips, I've traded with Cast Members for pins that sell in the parks stores for as much as $16.95 each. You just never know what pin you will find during your adventures!
Perhaps it’s not so much the price that's holding you back from jumping into pin trading. Are you or your little one a quiet person who just doesn’t all together feel comfortable with the idea of approaching a stranger, Disney Cast Member or not, to look at their lanyard? That was me. However, I have found that pins allow even the shyest person a way to strike up a conversation. For your first trade, maybe try trading with a Cast Member working in one of the Disney park shops. All you need to do is approach a Cast Member and simply ask to see their pins. It’s really that simple! Cast Members participating in pin trading are easy to spot, with their brightly colored lanyards. However, some wear a 5" x 5" hip lanyard (a black placard) that attaches to their belt, which can be a bit harder to spot. For my first few trades, I approached Cast Members that worked the cash register at park shops, when they didn’t have any customers. They were more than happy to show their lanyards. Some asked what characters I was looking for and I've even had a few call over other Cast Members that they know may have a pin that I might like.
Asking questions about the pins is a great conversation starter. Ask them about the Hidden Mickey pins. These are pins with a Hidden Mickey placed on the front of each pin and come in what seems to be endless designs (see picture for an example). Even if I don't see a pin on a Cast Member's lanyard that I really want for my own, many times I will trade with a Cast Member simply to keep the pin trading going. For this reason, I bring a second lanyard with me to the park. If I find a pin I want to keep, I simply put that pin on the second lanyard. This way I don’t become flustered during a pin trade and accidently trade a pin that I really wanted to keep. A bonus for the little ones, some Cast Members have specially-colored lanyards (green at Walt Disney World and teal at Disneyland) just for trading with children ages 3-12. Be aware that they only trade with children and will not trade with adults.
The whole process is easy but there are a few courtesy rules you will want to follow and keep in mind when trading with Cast Members. When participating in a trade, always trade one pin at a time and don't touch a Cast Member's pins. Instead of pointing to the pin, simply tell them which pin you'd like to trade for on their lanyard. For the trade, you will need to remove the pin from your lanyard that you wish to trade. Make sure when you take off your pin to replace the rubber back before you hand it to the Cast Member, and they will do the same. Disney does state that a guest can only trade a maximum of two pins with a particular Cast Member per day. Also, they request that when trading you only give the Cast Member a pin that is not already on their lanyard. For more about pin trading and trading etiquette, please log onto the Official Disney Pin Trading site. Each time you approach a Cast Member to see their pins and make a trade, it will become easier and easier, and soon you may be hooked!
Pin trading is a great way to add a new layer of interaction and fun to your Disney trip and also to make the Disney magic last when you're back home. At home, you can display your favorite pins in a shadow box or maybe hang up a lanyard with pins in a prominent place until your next Disney trip. Have fun and happy trading!
Thanks so much for your concise article. My girls (9 & 11) aren't really interested in character autographs anymore, but this is something I can see them wanting to do. I think we even have a few pins from trips before they were even born laying around here somewhere! Have plenty of time before December to pick up a lanyard (or four!) and maybe a few starter pins from the internet. It's nice to have the "pin trading etiquette" spelled out for us, now we won't feel so intimidated when we try it.
While buying pin lots on ebay may seem like a good idea, in reality it's not. What the author of this article might not realize is that many, many of the ebay pin lot sellers are selling counterfeit and bootleg Disney pins or "scrapper" pins which have failed Disney quality control and are meant to be scrapped. These are ordered directly from China from manufacturers who have either stolen or copied the pin dies from the "official" manufacturer. The pins violate Disney copyrights and are, in fact, illegal. Almost all of the Hidden Mickey and mystery pins have been counterfeited.
Those of us who are serious pin collectors are well aware of the problem with these pins and how it takes the fun out of a very enjoyable hobby.
__________________
Mom didn't WANT to go to Disney!
Last edited by mom23k9s; 02-03-2011 at 11:37 AM..
Reason: adding
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
You are absolutely right about how much fun this is and how great to give the kids something to do to try to get over the shyness and learn how to have a polite conversation with an adult they don't know. My kids were 5 and 10 the last time we went (2009) and loved it. I may have to take you up on your suggestion to get a second lanyard for everyone since it is hard to keep track of the "keepers". Thanks for the cost saving tips too, we spent more money on pins last time than all our other suveniers together! We are going again in Oct and my 11 year old is already talking about pin trading.
Pin collecting has become a fun family pastime of ours. What started as a modest amount of pins on my teenager's lanyard as now blossomed into 4 lanyards, each with it's own theme and large collectible pins that are framed and up on his bedroom wall. I haven't bought a second lanyard yet myself, but I need to! Even my toddler is into the pins, he being the first of the three of us to trade pins with Castmembers.
Santa surprised the kids with 10 pins each from his eBay "workshop" this past Christmas. All were official Disney pins (at a reasonable price) and pins that my boys won't mind trading. It has opened up a whole new door to our Disney vacations.
Btw...I luv the idea of purchasing lanyards from places like Home Depot. The thought never crossed my mind!
__________________
~Joby/Lil~Me stealing Capt. Jack Sparrow's treasure!
I too am a pin trader and an avid one at that. I have learned many things regarding pins in the few years I have been collecting and trading. One thing I have learned to avoid is buying bulk sets of pins on ebay as many of them state "official" Disney pins but the pin is actually a term in the pin community called scrappers. These scrapper pins are purchased from factories in other countries for pennies on the dollar. The pins are not pins that traders and collectors want. For some great information on scrappers check out pinpics or dizpins on the web.
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While buying pin lots on ebay may seem like a good idea, in reality it's not. What the author of this article might not realize is that many, many of the ebay pin lot sellers are selling counterfeit and bootleg Disney pins or "scrapper" pins which have failed Disney quality control and are meant to be scrapped. These are ordered directly from China from manufacturers who have either stolen or copied the pin dies from the "official" manufacturer. The pins violate Disney copyrights and are, in fact, illegal. Almost all of the Hidden Mickey and mystery pins have been counterfeited.
Those of us who are serious pin collectors are well aware of the problem with these pins and how it takes the fun out of a very enjoyable hobby.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elmb1972
I too am a pin trader and an avid one at that. I have learned many things regarding pins in the few years I have been collecting and trading. One thing I have learned to avoid is buying bulk sets of pins on ebay as many of them state "official" Disney pins but the pin is actually a term in the pin community called scrappers. These scrapper pins are purchased from factories in other countries for pennies on the dollar. The pins are not pins that traders and collectors want. For some great information on scrappers check out pinpics or dizpins on the web.
Happy trading!
elmb1972
So I was amazed at how much my kids got into pin trading during our last visit. Upon our return, I did the Ebay thing and got a lot of 20 pins. Some were very ugly. Some cheap-looking. I imagine it was a "scapper" lot as mentioned. But what about the individual pins for sale on Ebay? I won a few actuions for individual pins and they look much more legitimate (also more expensive, generally $3-5 each). How can I know if my pins are "real?"
The pins on ebay that are individual an priced higher are a better bet than buying a pin lot but still no guarantee. I have a personal friend that will not knowingly sell scrappers. He is 100% honest and is the only person I will buy from on ebay. His ebay id is chip_and_dale! He also has written several articles about scrappers/counterfeit pins on his ebay site. I suggest you check his site out. Happy trading and buying
The pins on ebay that are individual an priced higher are a better bet than buying a pin lot but still no guarantee. I have a personal friend that will not knowingly sell scrappers. He is 100% honest and is the only person I will buy from on ebay. His ebay id is chip_and_dale! He also has written several articles about scrappers/counterfeit pins on his ebay site. I suggest you check his site out. Happy trading and buying
Ok, I have only one thing to say to this..."Vinalmations".
It is becoming totally addictive. They need to trade these things more. I know they can be found in some places but you can trade pins everywhere. We (the addicted) need our fix just as much as pin traders.
It is all my wife’s fault. We noticed them October last year (2010 our yearly pilgrimage for 2 weeks) and just thought they were a bit silly. After a few days, she just thought she would get one as a souvenir. One of the blind boxes. Oh what a big mistake because she didn't get the one she wanted so had to get another...and now, the whole family is hooked on them. My wife, three sons, my ex wife (yes I said ex wife) my niece, ex sister-in-law and myself. Can any one give advice on our obsession?
Oh and now they just brought out a villains set. My wife is foaming at the mouth. ....
My husband has totally gotten into pin trading at Disney. He is the shy/reserved type and while I willingly and eagerly talk to strangers, pin trading is his way to enter into conversations with CM's and other guests.
I wear a lanyard, too, but each pin represents a memory or moment from previous trips--1 pin per trip. I'm about to run out of room, though.
I would add a hearty recommendation to spend some money onthe Locking Pin Backs, sold most places that sell pins. You definitely do not want your precious (and sometimes pricey) pins to be lost because they fell off your lanyard, now, do you?
I'm a VIP member of the Disney Movie Club. One of the VIP benefits is a free Disney pin per order. If there are no new pins, I order one I have to use for trading.
I'm a VIP member of the Disney Movie Club. One of the VIP benefits is a free Disney pin per order. If there are no new pins, I order one I have to use for trading.
How do you become a VIP member? I am a member, but am one movie away from fulfilling my contract. Is that when you become VIP? Please tell me more....Thanks!
How do you become a VIP member? I am a member, but am one movie away from fulfilling my contract. Is that when you become VIP? Please tell me more....Thanks!
You should become a VIP member when you fulfill your contract. Once you're VIP look under MORE MAGIC & you will find a VIP link. There is usually a VIP weekly deal & the link to the VIP pin store. You can pick the featured pin or one of the other pins. I love the Snow White & Beauty & the Beast pins. They have a collector's case to store the pins & they just came out with a lanyard.
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adding to the next trip's agenda...
, but this is something I can see them wanting to do. I think we even have a few pins from trips before they were even born laying around here somewhere! Have plenty of time before December to pick up a lanyard (or four!) and maybe a few starter pins from the internet. It's nice to have the "pin trading etiquette" spelled out for us, now we won't feel so intimidated when we try it.
Mom didn't WANT to go to Disney!
Santa surprised the kids with 10 pins each from his eBay "workshop" this past Christmas. All were official Disney pins (at a reasonable price) and pins that my boys won't mind trading. It has opened up a whole new door to our Disney vacations.
~
These scrapper pins are purchased from factories in other countries for pennies on the dollar. 
The pins are not pins that traders and collectors want. For some great information on scrappers check out pinpics or dizpins on the web.
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