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2. Take a pin trading challenge

Pin trading sign

Pin trading might be the most ridiculously addicting Walt Disney World activity that many superfans have never tried. It’s very easy to write off as a money-grab by Disney, but there are ways to not only jump into this treasure hunter’s pastime for cheap but also to breathe some fresh life into it.

If you have never tried Walt Disney World pin trading, first, you need some pins. Most guests purchase packs of “trader” pins from Walt Disney World gift shops, but these packs can be annoyingly expensive. If you want to get into the hobby while saving some money, buy some Disney pins online before your trip. Any Disney themed pins will do. Try to do some research to buy your packs from respected dealers who avoid giving out lesser quality fake pins from other countries (called “scrappers” by collectors). These are still tradable (Disney doesn’t really care), but collectors find the issue rightfully frustrating since they prefer to collect and trade for genuine Disney pins.

Pin Station at Animal Kingdom

Once you have your pins and something to secure them to (you can use a lanyard, your bag, a jacket, or even a binder), look for any Disney cast members in the park wearing a pin lanyard. If it’s teal, only kids can trade with them, but everyone else is fair game. You can walk right up to that cast member and trade for any pin on their lanyard or board, and you are welcome to do this up to three times. Some of the pins cannot be bought in stores (marked with a small hidden Mickey) , so there is a genuine sense of “the hunt” once you get into the swing of it.

Pin trading in and of itself is extremely fun. There’s an almost comical sense of accomplishment when you find a unique pin you’ve seen nowhere else or stumble across that one cast member with a giant bulletin board motherlode of pins. However, if you want to breathe a little bit of fresh life into this pastime, take on a pin trading challenge. Maybe make a rule that everyone in your party has to trade pins with any cast members they see wearing a certain color of shirt, or that every hour you have to find a cast member to trade with. Maybe have a challenge to see who can get the most pins of a certain character by the end of the trip or try to fill out a pin-trading wishlist that you arrange ahead of time. The rules are entirely up to you, and you can make it as easy or difficult as you like. This could be a great trick for families with kids!

3. Take high scores seriously

Test Track exterior

Image: Disney

Most guests pay surprisingly little attention to scores won on challenge rides like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Toy Story Midway Mania, or Test Track. Yeah, we might holler or high-five upon getting a high score, but most of us are pretty quick to forget our scores from previous games.

Feeling a bit competitive? On your next trip, set up a challenge in your party to take those high scores seriously. You can even make it a bet for whoever comes out on top (winner buys everyone Dole Whip floats or the like). On rides that offer high scores, record your scores at the end of the ride. You can just snap a picture of them, but it is just as easy to write them down in a journal or note-taking app. If you want to even out the math, you can always add a few 0’s as multipliers for rides like Test Track that don’t have scores that enter the thousands. 

If scores aren’t really your thing, you can also take on this hack a different way. Next time you’re on Test Track, try to make the most ridiculous car possible, so ridiculous that kids in the area should point and chuckle. Compare with your friends and see who came up with the zaniest vehicle possible.

 
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