Epcot Pin Central Tables

[Blacksmoke]

It was really sad to see the tables gone tonight when I walked by and I hope they return.

Simbanino introduced me to trading at Epcot this winter and we have been going about every two weeks. It really has been so much fun! You get to meet all kinds of people and hang out with great new friends . They laugh at me because I give away pins and I set up a lanyard just for the kids because I don't want to tell them no when they want to trade (even when they are trading those darn scrappers). LOL We need future pin traders!!!!

Anyway there are some great fair traders I have met trading at Epcot and some maybe not so.....but I do hope they bring the tables back for the fair ones!

 

[Roxane]

Personally, I hope the tables stay gone. I was glad when they got rid of the ones at DTD, but then the same sharks just moved over to Epcot. I say let them set up on PTNs only, then people have honest traders to trade with and won't be as likly to be taken advantage of.

 

[destiny117]

I do remember the people at DTD asking people to buy them pins and then returning them for cash. This went on for years, and Disney did not really stop it. There was one guy who returned something like $1,000 worth of pins, and Disney did not like it, because we heard about it from cast members. But yet, the tables at DTD and Epcot were still left there for years.

So I think Disney is trying to get rid of all of the pin trading spots, and I believe the tables will never be returned at Epcot. They are basically saying that if anyone wants to trade, they have to do it on PTN night, which is something everyone cannot attend. Same sharks will be there, so we never get rid of them. However, a lot of people that come from all over the world will now will not have a chance to trade with others at Epcot. This was the last place people could trade daily.

The lack of pins being released at DS online, and the taking away of all the tables to trade on our own, is a sad indication to me that pin trading is on the way out. I hope I am wrong, but I have seen so many pin trading nights and afternoons disappear from hotels. And now tables from everywhere are being taken away for the so called refurbishing that ends up with the return of invisible tables, so it scares me.

 

[charlesu]

Yeah, this is too bad. And yes, based on some feedback I've heard under the table (so to speak) from some cast members, the table are gone for good.

The long and short of that is that I will probably save a ton of money and not trade nearly as much as before. And, I probably won't go to WDW nearly as much. I used to try and go 4 or more times per year. I am thinking that going forward I'll come twice and try and coincide with a PTN but only for fun and to say hello. I used to buy a ton of stuff for trading fodder. LEs, mystery sets, passholder pins, etc. No more. Does not make sense without the ability to trade a couple of times per trip, several trips per year. Now i buy just what I want and if I don't get it, I don't get it. No more trying to trade for it a couple of months later.

 

[tinkerbelle1956]

I was really looking forward to meeting some pin traders in a couple of months @ Epcot . Just by coincidence I will be there for the May PTN, but after that who knows . I've been buying pins from DSF DLPR and Disney UK to use as traders when I could have been buying my wants . This truly makes me sick .

 

[dawny]

i am crushed. It seems to me however that they are punishing the whole class for one bad kid thing. Why couldn't they just ban the sharks that were doing that, by simply making a policy that asking people to buy pins and then selling them back was not allowed. It is private property and disney can make up wahtever rules they want, and it is very easy for the 2-3 CM working those 2 registers to see if the 2-3 traders that day are returning large amounts of pins. anyway, i am so so bummed. I guess i feel funny asking to see pintradding bags from differrent stands. I hate even asking to see CM lanyards. I will have to be more aggressive. Most of all id hate to see trading go to the way side but as stated above, less and less pins being released, less CMn trading, no tables, ---perhaps they can have PTN twice per month, it costs them nothing, the rooms are just sitting there and they own the hotels anyway.

 

[Jacqui8374]

They wont be back I am sure. I havnt traded there for a long time seeing who is there usually I think what people have to do is make arrangments privately i.e. here to meet up say at sunshine terrace after all as long as you by a drink no one is going to stop you I have done this before

Jacqui

 

[broncobilly83]

Any word on the tables yet? With all the drama of late, I totally forgot to see if they were returning

 

[swim2sea]

Perhaps Disney is taking the idea that scrappers really are a problem and are trying to come up with a way to deal with it without admitting publicly that there is a problem. Maybe the new pins are slim because Disney is redesigning the way pins are made to try and reduce the scrappers. I'm hoping that Disney is doing something to help the problem. I think the tables at Epcot will be back because they are doing so much work on the pin station. Disney doesn't like public displays of problems and maybe all their efforts are behind the scenes. I've revamped my outlook on pin trading and trying to focus on the brighter side of things.

 

[natelove]

There is a posting on ODOT which says the tables will be back after Easter!

 

[Dizneyusa]

We received word today from our partners at Epcot that the trading tables at Pin Central are still undergoing refurbishment. They plan to have them returned at some point after the Easter holiday. We apologize for any challenges.

Meanwhile over at Magic Kingdom, pins have returned to Uptown Jewelers on Main Street, U.S.A. There is a selection of open edition pins and accessories found within this location. Pins first found their way into Uptown Jewelers in the middle of last decade (wow - sounds so long ago). After a few years, they were moved to a cart across from the Tip Board on Main Street, U.S.A.

Frontierland Trading Post in Frontierland is still home to a selection of limited ediion pins, open edition pins and accessories.
Here are a few recent photos from the "new" location.

 

[Bellecat22]

Thank goodness they moved them back to Uptown! The pins were getting so damaged across from the tip board. Every time it rained they closed, and kids would get burned by the hot pins in the summer.

 

[Phoenix]

I posted this on another thread regarding the Epcot pin tables and am reposting it here as this discussion thread seems to be more active.

Just so that some of the WDW traders know, this did happen last year at DLR. The barrels outside Westward Ho in Frontierland disappeared for a couple of weeks to be refurbished. Sure enough they did return after a couple weeks. Also the tables outside of Little Green Men in Tomorrowland disappeared for a while during the Star Tours relaunch as they used the area for overflow stroller parking, but those tables have since returned as well. If it goes the same out there I would think that the tables will return. I certainly hope so, because I would want to bring pins with me if got a chance to make it out there.

 

[broncobilly83]

Any word on the tables yet? I have been so busy now that hours have been posted for our WDW trip in Nov, I totally forgot to see if they were returning

 

[lucan444]

At epcot last week, still no tables and CM there did the refurb/we dont know song and dance.


Verdict is still out, since we are in dead season now, till summer,
my guess <and its strictly my guess>is if they dont come back within the next few weeks, they may not be back!!