This weekend was supposed to be a big one for avid Disney Pin Traders...the 20th anniversary event at EPCOT was scheduled to run from August 20-23rd. What happened?
The answer is...we don't know.
Officially (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/events-tours/shopping-events/) the status is:
The 2020 Pin Trading Event, which was originally scheduled to be held in-person at World Showplace at Epcot on August 22-23, 2020, will instead be conducted as a virtual online event on a date and time to be announced in the near future.
That isn't much to go on. So, what can we take away from this? The event is likely cancelled.
If there is anything we have learned (Disney management included) over this pandemic is that the IT infrastructure the company is using is woefully inadequate to handle the volume of guest traffic it receives for any special releases online. Invariably, any event that is planned will have limited release or limited edition pins, people will be upset when they can't get them and they appear at greatly inflated prices on eBay even before they release. It's a no-win situation.
So, what can we do to celebrate? There are a few things that I think the Walt Disney Company can do to thank guests for their support:
Post a YouTube Video / Disney Parks Blog Video Post
That's free for everyone and makes it possible for all of us to participate. The video could have pin designers speak about their work. Show how the pins we buy go from concept to shelf and show some of the history of the pin trading at the parks.
Fix the Minnie: The Main Attraction and Thursday Release Issues
To be honest, you need to be an insider to get these pins. It's not luck of the draw. There is a clear issue when people are getting the pins and others are shut out with predictable regularity. Flood the market with Minnie: The Main Attraction and other popular release pins so that we all get them and we don't have to pay crazy eBay prices to those who clearly have connections to acquire them.
Create Special Thank You Pins and Let Cast Members Give Them Out in Store and in Park
Honestly, cast members know who comes to the store monthly and buys the pins on release day. They know guests.
Give special pins to cast members and let them give them out to those who supported their stores and the parks BEFORE the pandemic and continue to do so AFTER the pandemic when they re-opened. This is a great goodwill gesture and will go a long way to helping to bring Disney back into people's lives.
So, those are a few ideas. I'm hoping I'm wrong about the 20th Anniversary event so we'll see if the virtual one happens. In the meantime, happy pin trading!
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