I've been collecting Disney pins since 2011, when I started a (currently unbroken!) streak of visiting a Disney park every single year. I'm going back to Disney World with my mom in April and pin trading/shopping is at the top of the list of things I'm excited about! Normally I stalk all of the Disney news sites for pin updates and new releases (yes, I am THAT kind of pin collector, lol!) but I haven't even peeked since I booked my trip last fall. I want to be surprised and see what new pins await when I actually get to the resort.
Anyway, all that being said, I thought it would be fun to pick my top five favorite pins from my collection. This was SO MUCH HARDER than I thought it would be. I left out a lot that I really, really love... so I might need to do a Part II to this post ;)
First up (haha) is my UP house pin! This was a Christmas present from my mom a few years ago. The floating house with the balloons is, in my opinion, one of the most visually stunning and beautiful images that Disney has given us. I think this was a limited release pin which is actually sad because the image is so iconic and well-loved that it should really be more accessible.
I got this pin at the Disney soda fountain shop in Hollywood. I was so excited when I found it! 101 Dalmatians pins aren't easy to come by (well, at least non-Cruella pins are hard to come by. I can't for the life of me understand why most of the pins for this movie feature the puppy-killing villian?!) and Anita ones are SUPER hard to come by!
I got this pin in a Beauty and the Beast mystery box about five years ago while I was in Disney World. Most Belle merchandise features her in the yellow ballgown, but I've always preferred the casual independent bookworm iteration of her character, and I get super excited whenever I find something that shows her in her village attire. I was lucky enough to actually get two of these in the mystery boxes, so one has a permanent spot on the lanyard that I wear to the parks, and one lives comfortably at home in my collection.
Eating at Disney parks is up there with pin collecting as one of my favorite parts of visiting the parks. And eating pineapple dole whip is the best part of eating at the parks (and churros. and nutella waffles from Sleepy Hollow. oohh and hot pretzels!) I have stood in such long lines to get one little scoop of dole whip and it has ALWAYS been worth it. I love it when Disney immortalizes park food in pin form, and this just had to be in my top five.
Last but not least is this 50th anniversary Small World pin! This was a limited release cast member pin so I had to buy it on ebay. My favorite part of It's a Small World is the Mary Blair design, so pins that incorporate that are must haves for me. And my Grandmom actually saw the ride at the New York World's fair in 1964! This was a little more money than I'd normally pay for a Disney pin, but I couldn't pass it up. It's my most cherished pin in my collection.
