WHAT'S HAPPINING?

What's HapPINing?

Welcome to "What's HapPINing - in Disney Pins?" - the frequently updated official Disney Pin Trading weblog. Please return often as we will post sneak previews of upcoming projects, share exciting news and communicate important Disney Pin-formation on this page. Happy Trading!

Disneyland® Resort Pins Walt Disney World® Resort Pins
October 2009 - November 2009 -
December 2009
October 2009 - November 2009 -
December 2009

Click Here to download the official Disney Pin Trading Guidelines for Guests

Click Here to Purchase Select pins and accessories from Disney Parks

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November 20, 2009
Hope all of our friends on the west coast have a great time tonight at Pin Trading night! Guests of all ages are invited to make friends, trade pins and share Disney magic at Disney Trading Nights from 7pm to 10pm tonight at Disney's Paradise Pier® Hotel, Pacific Ballroom. Happy trading!

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November 19, 2009
Surprise! Today we released a surprise pin featuring Flik with the attraction sign for Flik's Flyers at Disney's California Adventure® Park.

Flik Surprsie Pin

The pin can be found at P.T. Flea Market inside Disney's California Adventure® Park.

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November 18, 2009
Today is a special day for the one and only Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. DisneyPins.com wishes them a happy birthday! In honor of the special day, we have two sneak previews - one of which features Mickey Mouse.

10th Anniversary Mystery Series

This image above shows three different pins from the upcoming 10th Anniversary Mystery Series that will be released in February 2010. This limited release boxed set will contain two randomly selected pins - featuring the top full color pin or the middle golden quest pin. There are 10 designs featuring different Disney characters with the number 10 (so 10 in full color and 10 done in gold). We selected Mickey Mouse to showcase today in honor of his special day.

The bottom pin in blue will be the Cast Chaser which will only be available for trade from select Disney Cast Members at Domestic US Disney locations. The Cast Chasers won't debut until the mystery set is released next year (so please don't start looking for them yet).

The size of these pins impressed us the most. They are 1.75" round (so about the size of the DeeBees mystery pins). Yet they look much larger due to the artwork that fills the entire circle (we should have paid attention in geometry class). We collectively yelled "Wow!" when we first saw the pre-production samples.

Walt Disney Quote Series

The other preview is a four-pin open edition set being released in California and Florida. It features the four quotes from the "man who started it all" - Walt Disney. What a fun collection! We really like the squiggly-lined, mid-century modern inspired background on the artwork. Originally, this background was a plan beige color. Julie Young, developer for this set, felt that something was missing and spoke with the artist. Ta-dah! Squiggly lines made all the difference.

Yet we like the pins even better! Gosh, we've come a long way since those Walt Disney scroll quote pins from years ago (anyone remember them?). The quotes in this set include the following:

  • "Today we are the shapers of the world tomorrow."
  • "Happiness is a state of mind."
  • "Why do we have to grow up?" (DisneyPins.com: We keep asking ourselves this one everyday!)
  • "I get red, white and blue at times."

    Look for this set coming in 2010.

    Finally, we have a date for Disney Trading Night in Florida for December. Mark your calendar for Friday, December 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This free activity will be held in the Ballroom of the Americas at Disney's Contemporary Resort. We have two releases during the evening - Nights of Pin Trading and DeeBees - Wonder Series. We hope to see you there!

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    November 17, 2009
    Sending some sunny thoughts your way with a new wallpaper starring the Orange Bird!

    OrangeBird
    Orange Bird 1680x1050
    Orange Bird 1280x1024
    Orange Bird 1024x768
    Orange Bird 800x600

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    November 16, 2009

    Gingerbread House

    For all of our gingerbread fans, the release date for the gingerbread house pin for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be November 20. Chef Erich Herbitschek will also appear that day for an artist signing between 1:00pm - 2:00pm at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

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    November 14, 2009

    Festival of the Masters

    If you are looking for something to do in Florida this weekend, don't miss the 34th annual Festival of the Masters. Above is an image of the commemorative pin created for this annual event.

    Piece of Disney History

    Meanwhile for those Guests in California, Sunday will see the release of the much anticipated Piece of Disney History - The Haunted Mansion. The pin contains remnants from carpet once found in the load area. It will be released at Little Green Men Store Command in Disneyland® Park. As a friendly reminder and to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience, please see the Wristband Distribution guidelines below:

    Wristbands will be distributed entitling bearers to the opportunity to purchase TWO (2) "Piece of Disney History Collection - Haunted Mansion®" limited edition pins.

    Wristbands for pins will be distributed West Esplanade Information Kiosk beginning at 7:00 AM while supplies last. In addition, holding a place in line for others in your party will not be allowed. Guests who wish to obtain a wristband to purchase a pin must be present when the line forms or they will be escorted to the back of the line.

    We kindly ask that Guests do not line up for wristband distribution until two hours before Disneyland® Park opening.

    Wristbands will be valid for the purchase of the pins at the designated merchandise location until 1:00 P.M. on the day of distribution. Wristbands are limited. At 1:00 P.M. any remaining pins will be available for purchase at the designated merchandise location by persons who have not previously purchased the pin(s) on the day of release. Lost, stolen or damaged wristbands will not be replaced. Wristbands have no cash value. Restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice.

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    November 13, 2009
    For those Vinylmation™ collectors out there, the official website for Vinylmation™ opened today! The website has everything a Vinylmation™ could want: A blog, frequently asked questions, downloads for the computer, images of current and former Vinylmation™ collections, previews of upcoming Vinylmation™ collections and more!

    Pin collectors may recognize the Vinylmation™ figures from the many pin collections released featuring the same artwork. With the Vinylmation™ website, pin traders can get a look at upcoming figures which may be turned into pins in the future.

    Another fun feature of the website is Where is the Vinylmation™, a daily online game that challenges your knowledge of Disney Parks. Each day the image will change with the Vinylmation™ figure in a new location? To find out the answer simply highlight the page to reveal the hidden text. Happy hunting!

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    November 12, 2009
    How many Mickeys are in this open edition pin? We count twelve, how many do you see?

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    November 11, 2009
    Sharp eyed visitors to the website may have noticed some hidden links popping up with images related to Disney Summer Pin Festival 2010 at Disneyland® Resort. Look for more of these links in the future to give more hints and glimpses at the amazing product premiering next summer!

    Here's a link to get you started, good luck finding the rest!:

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    November 10, 2009
    Today is November 10 which means it is time for another 10th Anniversary of Disney Pin Trading moment. Last month, we had a sneak preview of Disney Pin Celebration 2010 on October 10. Today it is time to flash forward to Disney Summer Pin Festival 2010 at Disneyland® Resort. The theme of next summer's festival is Dateline: Disneyland 1955. Pin traders of all ages will return to the grand opening of the Happiest Place on Earth in 1955 with a collection of nostalgic Disney pins and items. We announced this event at Disney Pin Celebration 2009 this past June. On July 17, 2009, we gave our first sneak preview of a super cool item being created for this event.

    Since that time, work has quickly progressed to the point where artwork is finished and even a pin sample or two have arrived at our headquarters. We caught up with Jeanne Lewis, product developer for this event, who shared some additional sneak previews. We also caught a glimpse of Alex Maher working on the aforementioned Reporter Mickey sculpt (with many thanks to Chris Chapman for the pictures). Let's take a look.

    Reporter Mickey Sculpt
    An early version of the Reporter Mickey sculpt.

    Alex reviewing the sculpt
    Disney Design Group Artist Alex Maher reviews the sculpt.

    Close Up of Sculpt
    A Closer look at the Reporter Mickey Sculpt. There will be 500 of these in full color and 55 will be done in black and white.

    Frontierland
    One of several pins featuring the dedication plaques for the various themed lands at Disneyland® Park. This one features Humphrey the Bear. Jeanne mentioned that several of the pins will feature characters from around the time when Disneyland opened. This pin has a hinged feature that opens to reveal Walt Disney's dedication for Frontierland®.

    Passholder Exclusive Items
    Jeanne showed us a new Passholder Exclusive item for the festival - a pin and lanyard medal combination.

    Framed Set
    Jeanne was particularly excited to show this artwork for a tiered collection framed set. She explained the set was made to resemble an opening day newspaper from Disneyland® Park. The pins were designed to resemble various advertisements for the must see attractions. We are big fans of this art style and think it will be popular - it just has a great mid-century feel.

    We asked Jeanne about her favorite item from the festival for next year.

    "I love the time capsule," exclaimed Jeanne. "It is such a unique item. But I'm not ready to show it just yet as we are putting the finishing touches on it."

    We also can't wait to see it as it sounds intriguing (we wonder what is in the time capsule??). Stay tuned as we get more details and images from this upcoming event.

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    November 9, 2009
    The majority of pins that will be released at Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort in December can now be viewed in our upcoming pin section. Or, you can click on the links below:
    December 2009 - Walt Disney World® Resort
    December 2009 - Disneyland® Resort

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    November 7, 2009
    DisneyPins.com would like to give a special birthday shout to our Vinylmation™ friends. Today, November 7, marks the first anniversary of Vinylmation™. It was on this date in 2008 (hey, that rhymes), that the Create-Your-Own blank Vinylmation™ were first introduced to the world at the Festival of the Masters.

    Granted, the first collection of Vinylmation™ Pins made its debut in Summer 2008 with the release of the first mystery set. So, we have a close bond with the Vinylmation™. Lots of exciting things coming very soon to that world (and to pins).

    Meanwhile, happy birthday!

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    November 6, 2009
    We just two pre-production samples that fall into the realm of super cool and awesome. They will be new open edition pins coming next year. The idea came from the creative mind of Julie Young, our product developer for open edition pins. Check these out - they are safety pin pins.

    Safety Pins

    From the front, they look just like safety pins. But turn them over...

    Safety Pins Back

    And they are just like other Disney pins, complete with a pin post and pin back.

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    November 5, 2009
    Walt Disney World® Resort history buffs have two great collections to discover in December!

    Orange Bird

    The first collection features the Orange Bird from the Adventureland® Area. These five pins are retro inspired and look like they are straight out of the 1970s (which we love!). The collection will be released on December 31, each pin has an edition size of 1000 and will retail for $7.95.
    For a look at the whole collection click here.

    Minnie on Skyway

    The second collection features attractions at Magic Kingdom® Park circa 1971, including this pin with Minnie Mouse riding the Skyway. This collection will be released on December 3, and each pin has an edition size of 1000 and will retail for $7.95.
    For a look at the whole collection click here.

    While sometimes we wish we could get into a time machine and transport back to the 70s, at least we have the amazing talents of our Disney Design Group artists to pay tribute to years past.

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    November 4, 2009
    The Hidden Mickey checklist has been updated for the Disneyland® Resort. Click to download the updated checklist. The November collection features the princess on tea cups. These pins were previously released in Hidden Mickey Mystery Pouches in July.

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    November 3, 2009
    There has been small change to the release date of the Epcot® pin mentioned yesterday, the pin will now be released on December 3. The signing with Chef Lothar Neumaier will still take place on December 11th at the American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot® from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.

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    November 2, 2009
    What could be better than the smell of a freshly baked gingerbread? We always love visiting the Walt Disney World® Resorts throughout the holiday season to get a close up look at the amazing creations from the minds of the Disney chefs.

    This year, there will be five pins depicting the gingerbread houses found at the Walt Disney World® Resorts and Theme Parks. In addition, the chef or pastry chef who created the original design which inspired the pin artwork will be available for an artist signing on the days of the release. The release days and artist signing times are:

  • November 19th - Chef Brian Piasecki - Disney's Contemporary Resort 2pm - 4pm
  • November 19th - Master Pastry Chef Stefan Reimer - Disney's Beach Club Resort - 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
  • November 23rd - Pastry Chef Keith Hiner and Pastry Chef Yoly Lazo - Disney's Boardwalk Resort - 3:00pm-4:00pm
  • December 11th - Chef Lothar Neumaier- American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot® - 1:00pm-3:00pm

    The final release date for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa will be available soon. Keep checking the blog for more details! For a look at all of the pins click here.

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    See the Archive:
    October 2009 - September 2009 - August 2009 - July 2009 - June 2009 - May 2009 - April 2009 - March 2009 - February 2009 - January 2009 - December 2008 - November 2008 - October 2008 - September 2008 - August 2008 - July 2008 - June 2008 - May 2008 - April 2008 - March 2008 - February 2008 - January 2008 - December 2007 - November 2007 - October 2007 - September 2007 - August 2007