We recently went to Walt Disney World and thought it might be useful to note all the locations that we found limited edition (LE) pins. Unlike Disneyland Paris where you add yourself to a reservation system for limited edition pins you have to be queued up in person, it’s a first come, first served basis.
Disney Parks Pin Trading logo
Magic Kingdom
Curtain Call Collectibles
This shop is just to the right as you enter the park beside Town Square Theatre, tucked down the side. This shop had a great selection of LEs and was the only location we seen LEs on racks. There is a cabinet beside the door which has the LE pins available on display. Every time we went to this shop it was fairly quiet. It is listed on the parks map as a Memory Maker sales centre and the name is not listed on the map.
Frontier Trading Post
This shop is located in Frontierland. It is mostly dedicated to selling pins and pin accessories. There are two different counters that you can buy LEs from and this is the location that you can pick up all the Play Disney Parks pins. There is often trading happening close by outside so keep your eyes peeled!
Behind the counter in Frontier Trading Post
Hollywood Studios
The Darkroom
This is the first shop on the right after the stroller pick up location. This shop had a lot of the Galaxy’s Edge and Star Wars pins. This shop merges into Celebrity 5 & 10, which is a general merchandise location.
Limited edition cabinet in Hollywood Studios
Pins and Souvenirs
This is a cart between Sunshine Day Bar and Sunset Ranch Market. Some of the staff we encountered here were particularly helpful. Like The Darkroom there was plenty of Star Wars and Galaxy’s Edge pins.
Epcot
Pin Traders
This location has moved recently due to the huge amount of renovation works happening around the Epcot area. It is currently just to the right of Spaceship Earth as you enter the park and shares a location with a Memory Maker sales centre.
Behind the counter in Pin Traders in Epcot
Apparently there is another cart on World Showcase that sells LEs that we didn’t locate whilst we were there. On a visit in March 2019 we were able to buy a St Patrick’s Day LE pin from a pin cart around Showcase Plaza, it was during a festival so there might be a slightly different setup (i.e. this might’ve been a transient cart).
Animal Kingdom
Riverside Depot
This was the only location for LEs in Animal Kingdom. Whilst most LEs are displayed behind counters these were displayed in a case in the middle of the shop on an aisle end.
Disney Springs
Pin Traders
This is a huge pin shop located in the Marketplace. LEs are displayed in a case opposite the counter and are helpfully numbered so you just have to ask for a number like you were ordering takeaway! There are a huge amount of rack pins here too, an absolute paradise for pin fans!
Contemporary Resort
Fantasia Gift Shop
This is like a hidden gem! It opens at 7:30 am and if it’s a release day they’ll already have the pins available much earlier than the parks open. It is also quiet with maybe only one or two groups waiting at opening time to get their hands on pins.
Sleeping Beauty framed pins in Fantasia Gift Shop
Special Releases
So when we were at WDW, Space Mountain and Carousel of Progress were celebrating their 45th anniversaries. When we went to Curtain Call Collectibles we were told to go to the Space Mountain gift shop. This is something to keep in mind if you want a pin that celebrates a certain ride or resort, you may need to go to their gift shop. Another example we found was the Hat Box Ghost Tiki Mug pin in Boutiki in the Polynesian Resort.
Party Releases
There are two parties that happen in the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. There is merchandise including pins that are exclusive to attendees. This merch can be found in a special cordoned off section in the Emporium on Main Street. To purchase anything you have to have a wristband that proves you have admission to the party.
Resort Christmas/Holiday Pins
Every hotel in Walt Disney World will generally tend to have at least one limited edition pin released around the Holiday/Christmas period. You will only be able to find these pins in the gift shop in the hotel featured on the pin. These pins will feature different Disney characters in a festive way so whether you collect pins for a certain resort or a certain character you will need to travel to that specific hotel to pick it up.
What have we missed?
Is there anywhere else in Walt Disney World to purchase limited edition pins that we haven’t mentioned here? Please comment below and let us know. We are always on the lookout for locations where we can get our hands on more pins!
Pin trading guide in Frontier Trading Post
Glad you found it useful! It was a nightmare trying to find this information online before we went, so I kept a list on my phone when we discovered somewhere new. We mightn't have all the locations so if you find any when you next visit let us know!