One of the pleasures of a Walt Disney World vacation (or a Disneyland vacation for that matter) is the opportunity to bring home a special souvenir. The theme parks offer many choices, from Disney t-shirts to the iconic Mickey Mouse ears.
While those are classic Walt Disney World souvenirs, guests might consider collecting Disney trading pins, pressed pennies, and autographs. They offer interactive fun for families who want to also collect lasting memories of their Disney vacation.
Small Disney collectibles offer many advantages for guests who like to bring home more than one souvenir or like to create collections. One, the items are small, meaning they’re portable and lightweight. Two, the items offer a focus, an advantage in the overwhelming world of Disney souvenirs. Three, the items are inexpensive.
Disney Trading Pins
Disney trading pins are popular guest souvenirs, especially for the experience of trading them. Pin trading, which started with the theme parks’ 1999 Millennium celebration, encourages guests to interact with each other and cast members.
Disney pin trading begins with purchasing an inexpensive starter set that displays pins on a lanyard. Guests trade these pins with others. Cast members are more than happy to trade with guests, as are most guests who wear the pins. Alternately, guests may simply buy pins from several park locations.
Disney’s official website has some rules to make trading pins pleasant for everyone. Briefly, Disney trading-pin etiquette includes:
- Only trade metal pins, with a “© Disney” mark, in good condition. Personalized name pins, Disney service awards for cast members, clasp-style pins, and non-metal pins aren’t allowed as trades.
- Trading pins associated with Disney, Disneyland Resort, or Walt Disney World Resort are allowed, as are pins from other divisions of The Walt Disney Company.
- One pin trade at a time, with a two-pin maximum per cast member per day. Offer trades for pins that aren’t already present on a person’s lanyard.
- Don’t touch other people’s lanyards; instead ask them for a closer look.
Disney Pressed Penny Collections
Pressed pennies, also called elongated coins, are affordable fun finds. The concept is simple: insert one penny and two quarters into a machine, and the machine squeezes the penny between two rollers. Flattened coins are imprinted with designs featuring Disney characters, attractions, and special events.
There are more than 1,100 different designs, and penny press machines are available at Disney theme parks and resorts around the world. Disney also offers a few pressed dime machines (one dime and three quarters) and pressed quarter machines (one quarter for pressing plus four quarters fee).
Because there are so many different designs, beginning collectors can easily find ones that appeal to them. More experienced collectors can enjoy the thrill of the hunt for rare designs or to complete a themed collection.
For families, pressed pennies provide an easy way for kids to make their own souvenirs and to go on a mini-Disney scavenger hunt. Disney also sells pressed-penny books, an easy and inexpensive way to display them. Books currently cost between $10 – 15.
Collecting Disney pressed pennies is simple, requiring just a couple of tips to making elongated coins with clear designs:
- Pre-1982 coins avoid ending up with pressed coins with silver streaks from the coin’s zinc. Newer pennies, however, create a shinier coin. Many collectors compromise by thoroughly cleaning pre-1982 pennies before pressing.
- Press the penny’s head for the clearest impression. On most machines, place the head side to the right.
- With quarter coin presses, the quarter on the far left is usually the quarter that gets pressed.
For Disney guests who take their pressed penny collecting seriously, the inexpensive Disney collectible has a number of fan websites dedicated to helping collectors find these souvenirs. Two such sites are the detailed Press Coins and Park Pennies.
Collecting Disney Autographs
Of course, Disney autographs are some guests' favorite souvenirs, not to mention some of the least expensive in the theme parks. All that’s necessary is a pen and some paper – and a willingness to meet Disney characters, ready with a hug and a smile.
For souvenir keepsakes, though, Disney parks also sells autograph books and many guests create their own Disney autograph books or scrapbooks or use other objects, such as guidebooks or t-shirts.
These popular Disney collectibles focus on the fun of finding a Disney theme park souvenir as much, if not more than, owning Disney merchandise. Whether guests choose Disney trading pins, pressed pennies or autographs, these collectible encourage active souvenir hunting – making the search for the souvenir an essential part of the Disney vacation.
Related Articles:
- Customizable Disney Collectibles as Theme Park Souvenirs
- Where to Meet Characters at Walt Disney World
- Tips for Character Meet & Greets in Disney World
Debra Peterson - A freelance writer and scholar, Debra Peterson specializes in Disney Studies, with particular interests in Walt Disney World and ...
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