I'll admit, I am not much of a pin trader. That said, I do love collecting Disney pins whenever I'm in the parks. Those that do trade can tell you how much of a Disney sub-culture it has become and how much fun they have trading with other guests and CMs as well. For novices or others who just like to find fun pins, you should know that some stores have better pin selections than others. If you're in the market, here are the best stores in the Disneyland Resort to find a plethora of pins!
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Disneyland Park
- DISNEYLAND EMPORIUM | Main Street, USA - You can find almost anything you want at the Emporium, which is why it's the largest store in the park. You'll find a decent selection of pins in the front half of the store nearest to City Hall.
- WESTWARD HO TRADING COMPANY | Frontierland - It's a small store, but literally the entire stock is made up of pins, pin backs, lanyards and other items related to pin collecting/trading! It's Mecca for pin traders! It's also one of the few places you'll be able to find Marvel-themed collections.
- LITTLE GREEN MEN STORE COMMAND | Tomorrowland - This is similar to Westward Ho, but half the store is set aside for plushes and toys while the other half specializes in pins. They almost have a wider selection than many other shops, particularly of character designs.
- GAG FACTORY | Mickey's Toontown - The Gag Factory is one of my favourite stores in Disneyland and they also have a decent selection of pins handy, especially for characters and attractions.
Disney California Adventure
- ELIAS & CO. | Buena Vista Street - Easily the most comprehensive store in DCA, Elias & Co. features an impressive selection of pins near the park entrance.
- JULIUS KATZ & SONS | Buena Vista Street - Obviously it's pretty rare to have two great pin stores in the same part of the park, but just across the street from Elias & Co. is a very small store with a lot of pins, lanyards and more.
- SIDESHOW SHIRTS | Paradise Pier - Only about a quarter of this shop is dedicated to pins, but lately you'll find a lot of Pixar pins (I can't imagine why) along with all the other classics. You'll find them near the registers at the centre of the floor.
- LAOD BHANG'S | Paradise Pier - This won't show up on any store listing or even on the app because it's just a cart located between the bridges to Paradise Pier and Pacific Wharf, but it's nothing but pins! This is one place where you'll find otherwise difficult to locate designs and pins ranging from attractions to characters and Star Wars.
Downtown Disney
- WORLD OF DISNEY - This is the largest store in the entire resort and has a whole section (really a corner) devoted to pins. The down-side is that it can get really cramped back there and you won't necessarily find designs you couldn't find in less crowded shops in the parks. But if you're on your way back to your hotel then this is a great place to grab some last-minute souvenirs before you turn in for the night.
- DISNEY'S PIN TRADERS - Back near the Monorail station you'll find a set of kiosks filled with nothing but pins. You're also likely to find some expert traders willing to help you get started or simply trade with you.