Wednesday...

...I'm going back to Disneyland with my boyfriend and my friend Diana! I haven't been able to spend time with her for the past few weeks because we were both so busy, but we all have Wednesday off, so it's off to Disneyland we go! 
Last time I was there was also on a Wednesday, and it wasn't very busy. A lot of characters were out, and lots of cast members were wearing their lanyards, so I'm hoping it's going to be that way again this Wednesday. 
They've been doing a lot of refurbishment since it's the off season so we won't be able to ride Splash Mountain or visit Critter Country since that'll be close as well. I wonder what else will be block off on Wednesday?
Also, I saw the new 2011 Hidden Mickey pins. Honestly, I don't know if I really like them =( Nothing really popped out at me besides the T-Shirt pins

Picture found on the Disney Pin Trading page

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know if I'll start collecting the T-Shirt pins though, since there's a few sets I'm trying to finish. We'll see! I'll post pictures of any new pins I get on Wednesday.

~Dee

My Collection Part II

I never made it to Disneyland on Sunday... so to make up for it, we went today! I thought it would be a very slow day at the park, being it in the middle of the week and all, and that not many cast members would have their lanyards on. Boy was I wrong! Most of the cast members had lanyards and we found some great pins. Besides pins galore, many characters were also out today. 

With Cinderella and her fairy Godmother

Below are pictures of the pins I traded today, as well as more from my collection =)

Aurora in her blue dress, Mulan, Tiana, and Maleficent

Tinker Bell ice sculpture hidden mickey, a Tinker Bell pin from Disney Cruise Line, Hula Minnie and an Ursula hidden mickey pin

Cutie Abu!

Daisy Duck as Madame Leota.

Clarabelle as Ariel and a Jasmine gem hidden mickey pin

From my collection. This one glows in the dark!

Collection: Hidden Mickey princess teacups and Nightmare Before Christmas candy corn hidden mickey pins. I'm still missing Zero.

Also, Disneyland is refurbishing/renovating a lot since this is the off season. They blocked off part of Main Street, USA. No horse-drawn carriages or vehcles until further notice.

I had such a great time today, I only wish I could have stayed the whole day, and not have to leave early (for work and etc.)
Next time I go back, it'll be for the Lunar New Year celebration they're doing during the Family Fun Weekends. 

~Dee

Off To See Mickey!

Since I have the whole day off tomorrow, my boyfriend and I decided to hit up Disneyland! Hooray for a day at the park(s), rides, and of course, pin trading galore! One of the best things about an annual passholder is going to Disney on a whim, and the free parking isn't bad either ;-)
I think tomorrow we're going to try the Davy Crockett's Canoes since we've never done it before. Hope we don't get wet on the canoe, ha ha!
I am so excited about tomorrow, I feel like a little kid =) And I can't wait to share all the pins I'll get tomorrow. I'm hoping to find:

Pinpics.com #26368

These are probably so hard to find, but they're so pretty.

~Dee

My Collection

Here are some pictures of my small but growing pin collection:

Pin Pics # 75895

My Stitches =)

The Hidden Mickey Little Mermaid Pins

Black Cauldron

A cute Ariel cast lanyard pin

My Pin Trading Experience So Far

I've always been a big Disney fan. When I lived in Florida, I had a pass and drove up to Orlando whenever I had a long weekend. But I never did any pin trading there... in fact, I didn't even know it existed. I saw pins in the stores at the park, and always seeing lots of people buying pins, and wearing their lanyards full of pins but I never knew that so many people were involved in pin trading.

Now that I'm living in LA, I'm much closer to Disneyland- an hour drive at the most versus  a 4 hours drive up to Orlando. My boyfriend and I decided to get a pass and we go whenever we have a day off from work. We finally decided to start pin trading on my birthday back in 2009 and we've enjoyed it ever since!

I don't really consider myself a "hard-core" trader, and I'm still learning about the ways of trading. The way we started out was by trading with the cast members. We love talking the cast members and what better way to start a conversation with them =) I know there's also the traders who have their huge collections in books and lay them out on the tables for you to take a look, and if you see something you like, trade. For some reason, I still feel a little uncomfortable going up to them. I guess to me, they come off a little intimidating. They have such a big collection, and have specific pins they're looking for, and I feel like if I don't have what they're looking for they wouldn't want to trade. I'm not saying that all of them are that way, it's just one of my experiences-the first time I went up to one of the guys, he looked at my lanyard and rolled his eyes... and this was my first day trading so I had whatever pins I bought that day at the park.

This is the first day I started trading. I had nothing on my lanyard, ha ha!

Now I buy pins off the internet so I don't go broke, but someone told me to be aware of "fake/counterfeit" pins! How can you tell between a fake pin and a real pin? Is it by checking the back stamp?

I don't really go after specific pins. Just whatever catches my eye. Currently I've been trading for a lot of Stitch (who doesnt?), Princesses, Tinkerbell, and Silvermist. I'll post some pictures below of my pin collection (so far). If you're a pin trader, what types of pins do you collect, and where/what is the best way of trading? Comment below and let me know =)

I can see myself continuing with pin trading for a while, since I'm having so much fun with it. It also gives my friends and I an extra thing to do at the park. And I'll update this blog as I venture forward with my pin trading experience! 

Here are some of the pins I have

This one is from Disneyland Paris!

This one is from Disneyland Hong Kong

My Star Wars set is almost complete. There's a Donald Duck Darth Maul out there waiting for me ;-)

These are the only pictures I have of my pins, I'll take a picture of them and upload it another day.

~Dee