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Hong Kong Disneyland Pin Trading

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Hong Kong Disneyland Pin Trading

hopemax

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hopemax
So as I've posted in a couple threads, my husband and I are going to Hong Kong in May. To finish our trip we are staying four nights at the Disney Explorers Lodge. We will have a transfer day (where we plan to visit the other Disney hotels and get our bearings), a day exploring Lantau Island (but breakfast and likely dinner at Disney), and 2 days at Hong Kong Disneyland.

I've only sort of paid attention to how Pin Trading and pin buying works at HKDL. So I'm hoping @Gelatoni can help explain and if anyone else has any tips.

I assume they have cast members wearing lanyards, since I've seen pictures of them on the HKDL website. But are there many CMs like at WDW, or a few CMs and somewhat hard to find around the resort?

Are there pin boards you may ask to see (at WDW, each of the resorts have boards or books, and some of the shops in the parks)?

Are they filled with bad pins like at the US parks? What type of authentic pins are you most likely to find?

I asked over in the 2018 thread too, but how do the Game pins work? How much do they cost? How many times can you play a game before the CM looks at you funny, and you should move on?

Which stores have the best pin selection? If there are LE pins where will you find them? Is it like Paris, where the best pin store is only open on weekends?

At WDW, sometimes the best pin luck is at the hotels, is that the same here?

Thanks for any and all information!
 
I didn't pin trade last time I was at HKDL but when we were in Tokyo Disneyland just after HK, the game pins were actually the prize if you "lost" the game. The cost was around $5 USD a play. After you play, you have to go to the back of the line and play again. Again, from Tokyo experience, there was always about 15+ people in line at any given time. And, if you "win" the game, you get a giant stuffed animal instead of a pin.
 

That sounds pretty fun!? I hope to go to these resorts one day! Sounds like lots of fun things there! And they have really awesome pins!


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FoolishMortal71 said:
If you aren't already familiar with this blog, TDR Explorer has some great tips on the parks. The primary focus is Tokyo but I linked the HK resources.

Ultimate Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide 2018
Click to expand...

Yes, I am very familiar with that site. I also am familiar with the Disney Tourist Blog - Disney Vacation Planning Guide which has planning sections for the various Asian resorts, and I am familiar with Tom from the WDW Magic forums.

In addition to the HK trip, I'm also trying to plan a trip to Tokyo the first week of December. It's dependent on earning enough credit card points to get the airfare fast enough that I still can book a hotel...but I'm trying!
 

If you get pins by loosing the game I think I am qualified to participate
 
echan50 said:
If you get pins by loosing the game I think I am qualified to participate
Click to expand...

I think losing might be harder than it looks. When I asked a friend to pick up a game pin for me on her trip to Tokyo (and then she played some games for herself), she accidentally won twice! And then had to figure out how to pack the plushies in her suitcase with everything else she bought.
 

LOL! My husband did the same damn thing! And it was so funny, because the cast members running the games get excited and clap, so she was SO CONFUSED when he looked hung dog and we had to go back through the line again to finish out the set. And same issue with getting the plush home...those things are BIG. I'm just sad they didn't have Chip at the time...I think we ended up with Mickey in Arabian gear...
 
I was chatting with a pin trader from HK on Instagram yesterday. She mentioned that the cast member lanyards do tend to wind up with a lot of scrappers just like here in the US. However, if you know what the current cast member pins are, you can usually find originals. Disney Pins Blog usually has updates on what is new.
 
I'll try to address the questions in order:
1. A lot of CMs have lanyards or pin pouches and there's no age restriction (I believe some US parks have CMs that only trade with children). You'll start seeing lanyards before even stepping foot into the park.
2. The main time I see pin boards are when attractions undergo maintenance and the CM has this cart with a pin board in lieu of the attraction. You probably won't see any because you'll be there during the Spring event and most maintenance happens between events.
3. Unfortunately most pins on CM lanyards are bad. Here's my very rough estimate of the likelihood that the pin is real based on origin: Japan (99%), Hong Kong (95%), Shanghai (80%), Paris (60%), US (5%).
4. Most games will be 50 HKD a play. I don't play these games so I don't remember if you get the pin for losing or if you automatically get one for playing. The valuable game pins are those from LE pin release weekends.
5. Most pins are in Center Street Boutique on Main Street where they sell the gold statues. The Emporium and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel would probably be second best and other stores may have some "themed" pins that aren't in the other stores. LE pins start in the Emporium or Boutique and then make they way into other stores at the park. These stores are all open every day.
6. During weekdays, CMs in the stores at hotels may have slightly better pins but my most interesting stuff came from custodial staff and managers.

Other tips for your trip:
1. Free stickers! Most CMs will have Disney themed stickers that they give out. Sticker collecting is a very popular (and less expensive) hobby than pin collecting for frequent visitors here. They've been out of "1st Visit" buttons since December but you can still check at City Hall on Main Street.
2. You'll have access to all the activities there as a hotel guest but some are for children only. I have the best luck running into characters at the HKDL hotel in the early afternoon and sometimes see Goofy in Explorers Lodge with hotel themed clothes. If you don't plan to keep your Explorers Lodge Field Guide or go stamp collecting (an Explorer's Lodge activity), I'd love to have one since I doubt I'd ever personally stay at that hotel.
3. Both daytime parades have a "show stop" where the parade stops for several minutes and kids are invited to join the parade. If you want to see the parade stop, you should find a spot along the shops on Main Street rather than further up near Tomorrowland or Fantasyland.
4. Magical World 4D Museum has closed permanently if you see older Disney blogs recommending that.

Hope this is helpful!
 
I have an update on the game pins.

Currently, Karibuni Marketplace in Adventureland has buy 5 get 1 free which is 250 HKD for 6 games. That actually works out well because there's 6 different games and one pin for each game given out for losing (Hong Kong Disneyland Food Game Pins - Disney Pins Blog). This set has 18 pins total though so I assume they will be swapped out at some point. You get a character postcard for each game you play whether you win or lose. Some traders today managed to get quite a few pins and postcards by setting up a pin trading area at the entrance to the marketplace.
 
This month's LE pin release is this Saturday (May 12). Stitch is pretty popular here so people who arrive later than 8AM are at risk of not being able to get the Stitch LE300.

@hopemax : Most frequent pin traders will be in the park from the 12th to 14th for the pin trading game that happens on LE release weekends. I plan to be in the park all 3 days but will probably leave in the afternoon. Most people don't bring pin bags on these days but you may be able to work out some trades the first day you are in the park and complete them on your second day.

@FoolishMortal71 : Starting May 19th, annual passholders who visit the park can obtain a random annual passholder exclusive pin for free. It is possible that some traders who want to obtain these pins will bring OEs to trade outside Animation Academy on the 19th and 20th but no guarantees.

If you like stage shows, the bad news is that Mickey and the Wondrous Book is under routine maintenance until May 25 and the Moana show also doesn't premiere till then. But at least you will be around for weekends where there are interesting activities pin-wise.
 
Hello

Thank you for your info. I saw about the info about this Saturday’s release. Do you think the Mystic Manor pin LE500 pin will sell out on Saturday? That is the one I am most interested in. I didn’t bring any pins to trade with other guests, just a few basic pins to trade with CMs. Mostly WDW “gift with purchase pins.” I might have a couple traders after opening mystery boxes but I’m guessing people have completed their sets. How does the special Pin Trading game work?

Yesterday was our first day here and we had a fun day wandering through the streets in Central and Causeway Bay. I am a Studio Ghibli fan so I bought quite a few things from the store in Times Square. Today when we wake up for real (I have a little jet lag so that’s why I’m awake responding to this post) we are going to take the ferry to Kowloon. I want to go to the craft markets in Sham Shui Po, the kitchen shops on Shanghai Street and wander around Mongkok a little. I think we also might try to get to either the Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lin Gardens or Victoria Peek. Which one will depend on weather.

We move to Disneyland on Sunday. We have reserved the Disney Dim Sum for lunch at Crystal Lotus on Sunday, breakfast at Enchanted Garden before we go to the park on Monday. And I bought the food voucher and park tickets through Klook, so I hope we are all set I am very excited.
 
The LE500s usually don't sell out immediately but they may not be out on the racks. If you show a picture of the pin to a CM in the Emporium, they can probably help you.

From 10:45 till noon from Saturday to Monday, there will be a game at the Center Street Boutique. You give 2 pins to play and can win up to 2 hidden Mickey pins that are only available that weekend. If you lose, you'll get 2 random pins that the CM pulls from a basket. The game this month should be Tsum Tsum toppling and I'm guessing that one of the 2 pins available will be Stella Lou. The line usually isn't too bad on Mondays so you could give it a try if you have time.

Hope you have fun!
 
Stitch and the Mother's Day LEs sold out. Apparently 60 people slept overnight and even those who took the first subway train at 6:15 AM couldn't get Stitch.
There's still stock of the Mystic Manor and Donald's birthday LEs though and I don't think they'll sell out this weekend.
 
My friend took a Taxi at 3am and was the 100 person in line

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Oh, my ! That is ridiculous! Today is our transfer day, so Disneyland here we come!

Yesterday, was our first clear day, so we finally made it up Victoria Peak. But since it was Saturday we didn’t mess around, waiting for the tram, and just took the #15 bus both ways. It was a nice ride, allowing us to see more of the island.
 
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