Passing on a Disney tradition

I started working down at Disney when I was 22 years old. I worked as an intern in Magic Kingdom in Liberty Square. I used to do a lot of pin trading with guests. The pin trading was getting more popular at the time. It felt like every few minutes I was showing a guest my lanyard that was around my neck. On the lanyard there where pins that they could trade with one of theirs pins for. I asked the guests about their pins, why they collected them and which ones where more popular. After about three months working down tat Disney, I bought my first pin. It was Slinky the dog from Toy Story. I just loved the way it was made to bend like a slinky. Then my collection grew from there and by the time I had left Disney I had fifty or more pins. I started to read up on Disney pins, which ones where more popular, limited edition ones, mystery pins and so on. I now have way over 200 pins to my collection and each one is very unique. I have a special one from a friend who bought me an Ariel on that was from the Cruise Ship, Artist Choice, which when I looked it up was worth over $100.00 now. I get so excited about trading pins when going down to Disney that I wanted to pass my love of Disney pins on to my stepson.
We went down as a family a two years ago. He was almost eight. I bought him a lanyard with some starting pins. He then bought a few he liked when we would see a pin rack at the parks. I then told him that he could pin trade with cast members. First he was nervous. He didn't want to approach anyone at first. I went up to a cast member myself at Downtown Disney and asked if she would pin trade with my stepson. She talked with him for a few minutes as he looked at her pins. He landed up switching one of his starter pins with her. His eyes lit up and he got excited. He had a new pin!!! So then he went up to the next cast member he found and then the next and then the next...he was a pin trading machine! He loved it! We then got him a pin book to hold all his pins in to show them. He has already brought them to school twice f or show n' tell. He can't wait to go back down in a year or so to do some pin trading! And the new Disney tradition has begun....

 Here is the picture of my stepson trading a pin with the first cast member we meet. She had a green lanyard which was just for kids to trade pins from. He loved pin trading that this moment! The person in green on the other side...was a happy me while watching him trade!

sharing the magic

I work at a elementary school with many students of all ages. One day I had a little girl, about seven, who was having a tough day. She seemed to be getting into a lot of trouble with her teacher and any other adult she came in contact with. She ended up in my care after school while waiting for her mom. She was crying and complaining. I talked with her for a bit to calm her down. She then asked me about my lanyard I was wearing around my neck. the lanyard had Tinkerbell on it. I told her I had got it at Disney World. Her face lit up. She told me how she had always wanted to go but her mom could not afford it and she didn't see her dad so he couldn't take her. My heart felt for her. Sometimes I wish I could take all the children that I worked with to Disney. Every child should have their moment with their favorite character and see Mickey Mouse.
After we talked about Disney for awhile, her mom came to pick her up. The little girl left happy and talking about Disney with her mom, who seemed to busy on the phone to hear anything her daughter was saying. The next day I brought her in a little gift. She was excited to open it. I told her it was from Walt Disney World. She ripped opened the gift to find Tinkerbell items! She was thrilled! She loved Tinkerbell. She thanked me with a hug and told me that she hoped to someday meet Tinkerbell. I hope she gets to meet Tinkerbell someday too!