Disney World pin trading locations and how to save money before you visit
By Brian Miller
There is no better park to trade Disney pins at than at EPCOT as part of your Disney World vacation.
If you are going to trade Disney pins you have to go to EPCOT. There are more locations than at any other park, so much so that I swear I must be missing locations at every other park. It just seems so unfair!
EPCOT is my favorite Disney World park and my days will typically start or end here, especially end if there is a festival going on. From the best ride in all of the Disney World parks, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, to SOARIN, an aquarium with sharks and dolphins, and a World Showcase to whisk you around, well, the world, not to mention live concerts...EPCOT has everything. And lots of trading pins.
Entering the park you will find your first pin board located in the gift shop to the right of Spaceship Earth (the EPCOT ball). The board will be on a counter to the left of the entry door and is always there.
Before getting into World Showcase, you will find pin boards in the gift shops of Mission to Mars and Test Track and there will be a new pin trading station from the rumors I have heard from cast members that will be located in the central hub where the current construction is going on.
You will not find one in the main gift shop, Creations. At least not yet. But for now, you will find those three really easy.
Once you enter the World Showcase, the circle of countries that are set on the lake, you will find one in each of the countries. You should note that China and Japan do not always have pin boards but the other countries do.
Entering World Showcase from the "Port of Entry" you will have to choose if you are going to go right or left but don't worry, it loops back around. Here is where you should be able to find the pin boards but if not, ask a cast member where the Kidscot is located. That is a special station in every country designed for young children and the boards are always near the Kidscot.
For this we are going to circle World Showcase from the right starting with Canada.
- Canada - go up the stairs and enter the first door on the left. The pinboard is immediately to the right in the gift shop.
- U.K. - walk to the back of the to the last gift shop located across from the concert stage. The board is on a table.
- France - Head all the way to the back near the bakery and past the ice cream shop (not towards the Remi ride) the pinboard is on a table in the back right of that small gift shop.
- Morocco - Enter the pavilion and after you pass the fountain before you go under the arch, enter the small opening to the left where a table will be set up.
- Japan - If they have a board it will be located directly to the back in the archway where the big Shogun sculptures are at on a table.
- American Pavilion - Head to the right of the main pavilion building and you will see the Disney Art building, immediately outside of that to the right is the table with the pinboard.
- Italy - Enter the pavilion and head to the right. The board will be in an alcove after the first gift shop before you get to the Poseiden fountain.
- Germany - This pin board is a decent size and is located in the first gift shop to the immediate right. If you miss it, enter through the gift shop that says "Clocks" on the wall outside and then go right once inside. It will dead-end into the board.
- China - If they have a board it will be located in the direct back where a gift shop is or it will be along the wall inside the left side gift shop. The last three times I have been there, they have not had a board.
- Norway - Enter the pavilion and make your way to the far left along the gift shop. The last door will have the pinboard to your left or straight in front of you on a table. They tend to change the location.
- Mexico - Finding his board is easy unless they move it again. In the past, it has been in the glass gift shop on the left side. You need to climb the Mayan Temple steps and go inside the building. Follow the ramp down to the gift area. The glass shop is on the left but before you check there, look down as you head down the ramp. The last four times I have been there, the pinboard has been located on a table in the half moon curve at the base of the ramps along the ramp wall.