My Year Long Hiatus

Hey everyone,

It has been a long time since I have posted a blog here! It has been a somewhat stressful year, went through some job changes and completely ran myself ragged between work and volunteering, so much that my health was compromised. I took a step back from many things in life, unfortunately this was one of them. I have since made things more stable and am progressing back into the things I am passionate about, and Disney is one thing I am very passionate about.

Together my wife and I have teamed up and started a blog together! We have started Exploring The Kingdom and our blog can be found at explorethekingdom.blogspot.ca! We have started an Instagram account posting pictures from our three previous Walt Disney World trips! (instagram.com/exploringthekingdom). Please check them out and share our love of Disney!

2015 was a pretty up and down year, I really missed Disney World as we did not get there this year. I really missed the pin trading. But throughout the year both myself and Alice have worked really hard and we are happy to be returning to Disney World in January 2016! I have dusted off the pin collection and ordered some more for trading. I look forward to escaping the cold Canadian winter again and head to sunny Florida!

So please join us as we are driving this year to Disney and will be videoing our travels and time at Disney World.

Stay tuned for more!
Happy Trading
-The Pin Boys

Pin Trading Fun

Upon arriving for my first Walt Disney World visit, I quickly found out that Pin Trading and myself were destined to get along. I quickly took to trading, and burst into my first collection of pins. My wife had a good laugh, cause I was so taken in by the excitement of being at Walt Disney World that every pin cart, every lanyard I passed, I had to stop an look. I even went passed the same cart several times, and each time I thought it was a new cart.

For those who really enjoy Pin Trading can truly understand the excitement and just the overall pleasure of engaging Cast Members on a whole different level. You can quickly welcome one another, and talk about your Pin collections and Pins you are looking for. It is one of the greatest things to do at Walt Disney World.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Disney Soda Fountain July 2013 UPDATE!

Here is an updated pin release, plus pin trading event info for the Disney Soda Fountain.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Disney Soda Fountain is my Whitecastle

In 2012 I took my first trip to Walt Disney World, I loved it. I had a blast, I got into pin trading. I was so hyped from the excitement that I had to stop at every pin cart, and check the cast lanyards for pins. Living in Canada has it's downfalls in the world of Pin Trading. I have been very lucky to get to Disney World the past 2 years and I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to Pin Trade the past couple of years.

But like a knight on a quest, there is one place I seek. A place where limited edition pins are obtainable, a place where every pin trader should want to go, the Disney Soda Fountain. I learned of the Disney Soda Fountain not to long ago, and as I have seen the pictures of the Pins you can get there, I knew this was my Whitecastle. I dream of going to such a place where it is about the pins, and I guess while I am there I will get and ice cream...

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Pin Feature June.23,2013

Today I am featuring my pin of Jack Jack from the Incredibles. It is an open edition pin from when the movie was released. Unfortunately there are a lot of fakes of this pin coming from China of this pin, so it is hard to authenticate this pin. But I still enjoy this pin as it comes from a great Disney/Pixar movie.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Disney World With Non-Pin Traders

When traveling to Disney World or even Disneyland, often you will be with a family or a big group of people, and sometimes even just a couple. When you go with larger groups or even as small as couples, you run into the chance that not everybody will enjoy Pin Trading as much as you. A very good example is my wife and I, I could Pin Trade the whole time and be happy, whereas she is not as avid a Pin Trader as me, but she still enjoys to see the spoils from my trades.

The key is compromise, yes just like a great marriage, you have to be mindful of what everybody wants to do and plan accordingly. For instance, on our last trip to Disney World, we had someone with us who needed a wheelchair, she didn't want to try and maneuver through the park, so three of the members of our group took the train around Magic Kingdom with her, but myself and the other pin boy wanted to go through the park. We compromised that the two of us would go through the park and trade, while the other three rode the train, and we all met up at Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland.

At the end of the day, you want to make sure you have the best vacation possible, you don't want to put your wants in the way of what your family or group wants. Make sure to compromise and Pin Trade when you can.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Walt Disney World Pin Trading Locations

Disneyland Pin Trading Locations

Newer Pin Releases

Here are some newer Pin Releases from Disney.

Window to The Magic June Pin: Cinderella (Disneyland)

The Original Glee Club Boxed Pin Set (Disneyland)

Chip N' Dale Special Pineapple Treat (Disneyland)

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Pin Feature June.20,2013

Today's pin is Mickey and Minnie from the Brave Little Tailor. We managed to get this one in a mystery package bought at Walt Disney World. My wife and I were very happy to get that one and did not want to trade it.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Pin Feature June.12,2013

Today's feature is the Dead Men Tell no Tales Pirate Skull pin. It is a part of the Disneyland Cast Lanyard Series 4, Collection 8. I got it on my last Disney World trip, cause I was on a real pirate pin hunt last trip.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Daily Pin Feature May.27,2013

Today's feature pin is, the hidden Mickey orange pin trading logo. It is from a 4 pin series, it is pin 4 of 4. It was released in 2007 at Walt Disney World.

Daily Pin Feature May.26,2013

Today's pin feature is a cast lanyard series Mickey D Ticket for Tomorrowland. It is yellow and the D on the ticket is red. It came out in 2005 and the only way to get this pin is by trading with a Cast Member.

Daily Disney Pin Feature May.25,2013

Today's feature pin is the "Have A Disney Day" pin. Originally released for Disneyland Paris in 2009. It features Mickey's face in the middle, and the colors are red, white and yellow. A separate release was done for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This is my wife's favorite pin.

Daily Pin Feature May.24th

Sorry I missed the pin special yesterday, but today's special is a pin I just received today. Today's feature pin is Carl from Up! This pin came from set #72426. This was a part of the set of 3 pins received when pre-ordering  the DVD or Blue Ray of Up! They were released as a set in 2009, they were each later released as individual pins in 2010.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

Daily Pin Feature May.22, 2013

Today’s feature Disney Pin is from the Hidden Mickey Pin Series III, the Fun Icon Survey Marker Pin. It was released in 2008 and was a cast lanyard pin. This pin was designed by a cast member named Tito who works at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. I tend to have a very wide ranging pin collection, I saw this pin, and I had to have it.

Happy Trading

-The Pin Boys

UPCOMING! Pin Trading Event 13

The countdown has begun for a pin trading event happening September 13-15 2013.


13 - Reflections of Evil

Spells have been cast; portals have been opened… only those triumphant and brave enough to defeat the Villains will be allowed to enter. Beware of the 13!  Believe in the Lucky 7!

Which side will you choose?

Registration for this event will open on May 13, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Disney Pin Trading, I’m Hooked!

         In January 2012, I took my first trip to Walt Disney World® in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. I had no idea what was about to take over as the ultimate hobby in my life. Before going there in 2012 for my long awaited honey moon, my wife had told me stories about Disney World and the excitement of Pin Trading. I had done a little research on Pin Trading before I went on the vacation, and I had collected about 10 pins before embarking on a life changing journey.

Upon arriving at the hotel in Florida, I went into pin frenzy when I saw the grand selection at the Walt Disney World® resort. Overnight my small collection of 10 pins exploded into a collection of 100 pins. It was lanyard after lanyard, trading with the Disney World Cast Members, I was hooked! Nothing would slow me down, and after spending roughly $1000 on Disney Pins, there was no stopping me at building my ultimate collection.

But the trip had to come to an end, I had successfully traded my pins. It was a long 2012, and the hunger for the thrill of Pin Trading grew and grew. I turned to Ebay and purchased a bigger collection to prepare for my next trip there. Sure enough,  we booked another trip to the magical Disney World for January 2013. This time I was ready and amassed 200 pins for trading this time, only this time my wife’s parents were coming along(and her dad being as big of a pin nut as myself), thus The Pin Boys was created. We made our way through the world trading with everyone we could find, only to be hungry for more.

Now I wait, I await my return to Disney World to trade more pins, I made this blog so other people interested in Pin Trading can read of my experiences and my pin collection. I now sit with a collection of 439 pins and growing. I intend to share my experiences and love of Disney Pin Trading with people.  Feel free to share your experiences with me as well.

Happy Trading

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                -The Pin Boys