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Disney Pin Trading Glossary

Disney Pin Trading Acronyms & Glossary

A practical A-Z guide to Disney pin trading terms, acronyms and collector shorthand, including ISO, LE, AP, LFY, grails, scrappers, pin origins, price clues and trading rules.

New to Disney pin trading? This glossary explains the words and abbreviations collectors use in Facebook groups, pin boards, resale listings and Disney parks trading.

Pingo Bingo is a Disney pin trading game you can play in person or from your sofa. Learn the lingo, then turn your next pin hunt into a game.

See the Pingo Bingo games Read the Pin Trading Guide

What does ISO mean in Disney pin trading?

ISO means "In Search Of". Disney pin collectors use ISO when they are looking for a specific pin, character, set or theme.

Jump to ISO in the glossary

A-Z Glossary Index

A

AC

Pin type
Artist Choice pin. Usually a Limited Edition design where a specific Disney artist is credited as having chosen or created the artwork, often for events or Disney Cruise Line.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ depending on character and edition size

AP

Pin type
Artist Proof. Test pins produced before the main run so the factory and artist can check colours and finish. Usually stamped AP on the back and made in small quantities of around 25-50.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ because of very small numbers

ATLD

Pin origin
Artland. High quality, officially licensed Disney pins sold via authorised dealers, often with fine art style artwork and quite low edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some pieces hitting $$$$$

Trading rules: treated as third party for park rules. Not officially accepted for Cast Member trading in any Disney park. Guest-to-guest trades are fine

B

BL

Pin origin
BoxLunch. Retail chain that sells Disney licensed pins, many of which are produced by Loungefly and similar manufacturers.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ some limited runs

Trading rules: They may be accepted by Cast Members if they have the © Disney stamp on the back. Non-US parks - not accepted for Cast Member trading

Booster set

Pin type
Carded set of several Open Edition pins sold together, often marketed as a starter or booster set for trading.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$ for individual pins once opened

Boxed set

Pin type
Multi-pin set sold in a presentation box or tin, often Limited Edition for anniversaries or events. Some boxed sets contain individual grail pins.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ for complete sets, depending on age and hype

C

Cast Exclusive

Pin type
Pins that are only sold or given to Cast Members, not the general public. They often celebrate internal milestones, roles or training.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ higher for popular characters or old sets

Cast Refresh

Pin type
CR pins are special, often limited-release pin only available from Disneyland Paris, initially available at "Pin Trading Time" events with the purchase of a snack or drink, or from Cast Member lanyards and the trading boards. They feature characters with a minature hidden Cast Member name tag design, similar to a Hidden Mickey. It can sometimes be mistaken for a diamond ring, as it's so small.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ higher if a set becomes sought after or was short-lived. DLP only

Chaser

Pin type
Variant of a pin in a mystery pack, sometimes with a different finish (for example silver outline, glitter or lack of colour). More recently, Chasers are another version of the same set but in limited numbers. Chasers are intentionally harder to find than the regular version.
For example, in a mystery pack set of 7 pins, there might also be a Chaser. There may be 10,000 of the commonly found 5 pins but only 3,000 Chasers (numbers are for example only).
Also see Super Chaser.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ in popular sets

D

DA

Pin origin
Disney Auctions pins. Originally sold via the Disney Auctions website, many are highly detailed Limited Editions and still very desirable.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ especially for famous grails

Dangle

Pin style
Pin with a second piece that dangles below the main body on a small chain or link. Cute, but easy to snag on bags and clothing.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless also LE or WDI

DSF

Pin origin
Disney Soda Fountain pins, the earlier brand for what is now Disney Studio Store Hollywood. Known for limited and themed releases.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$

DSSH

Pin origin
Disney Studio Store Hollywood pins. Many of the hobby's biggest grails are DSSH releases tied to film premieres or special events.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$

DVC

Pin origin
Disney Vacation Club. Member-exclusive pins released through DVC kiosks, resorts or special events. Themes often match the DVC home resorts or milestone anniversaries.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ Older event pins or low-run resort issues can hit $$$$$

F

Fantasy pin

Pin type
Fan-made pin inspired by Disney art, not officially licensed. Officially you should only trade them guest-to-guest, not with Cast Members.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$$$ depending on artist, run size and hype

FIG

Pin origin
FiGPiN. Large hard-enamel character pins sold on stands, including an officially licensed Disney line.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some older or hyped releases

Trading rules: US parks - they can meet the technical rules if they are metal with a standard pin post and a Disney copyright stamp, but size and style mean Cast Members may decline. Treat them as guest-to-guest traders, not something to rely on for CM boards. Non-US parks - do not expect them to be accepted for Cast Member trading

Free-D

Pin style
Pin that includes a three-dimensional rubbery element fixed to the metal base. Adds texture and depth, sometimes called a Free-D element.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless also LE or scarce

FS

Trading shorthand
For Sale. Used in listings to show that pins are available to buy, not necessarily for trade.

FT

Trading shorthand
For Trade. Used when someone is offering pins to trade rather than sell.

G

GPP

Pin origin
GoPinPro. Best known for pin trading accessories and cases (including the PinFolio folders and bags), but they also produce some branded pins and logo pieces.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$

Trading rules: pins are treated as third party. Not officially accepted by Cast Members in any parks. Guest-to-guest trades only

Grail

Collector slang
A personal dream pin or very high-end pin that a collector most wants to own. Grails are usually rare, expensive or both, and often sit at the top of someone's ISO list for years.

GWP

Pin type
Gift With Purchase. Pins only available when you spend a certain amount or buy specific merchandise.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ depending on how strict the original offer was

H

Hidden Disney/Mickey

Pin type
Previously known as Hidden Mickey pins and Cast Lanyard pins. Since introducing sets that included other IP e.g. Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar, they changed from Hidden Disney to Hidden Mickey pins.
These are sets of pins primarily released to Cast Member lanyards and boards, recognised by the tiny Mickey head icon, and then released in bags of 5 pins a few months later in the US Disney shops. WDW will generally have the same sets as the Hidden Disney pins found in Disneyland Resort, but with different - but related - pins, so if WDW has a Donald Duck pin in a set, DLR will have the Daisy Duck pin. Each set will typically have a Chaser and Super Chaser pin.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$$$ higher for old or popular sets and more for Chasers/Super Chasers

HTF

Trading shorthand
Hard To Find. Community label for pins that rarely appear for sale or trade, regardless of whether they are officially Limited Edition.

I

IP

Common Acronym
Intellectual Property refers to any branded character, movie, story, or franchise owned by Disney - such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, or classic Disney animated characters - that is used to create themed rides, attractions, retail merchandise, or experiences.

ISO

Trading shorthand
In Search Of. Used when someone is actively hunting for a specific pin or list of pins.

J

Jumbo / Mini Jumbo

Pin style
Mini Jumbos are larger than standard pin with Jumbos larger still, often multi-layered and highly detailed, usually released for special occasions or anniversaries.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ more for famous jumbos

L

LE

Pin type
Limited Edition. A pin produced in a fixed, published quantity, for example LE 500. The back stamp usually includes the total edition size and sometimes an individual number. French note: Disneyland Paris pins often say Edition Limitée for both Limited Edition and Limited Release - the numbered edition size on the pin tells you which.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$$$ low demand LEs can be cheap, hyped or tiny-run LEs can be grails

Lenticular

Pin style
Pin with a lenticular panel that changes image as you tilt it, often used for transformations or before-and-after scenes.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ unless combined with LE or WDI

LFY

Pin origin
Loungefly. Fashion and accessories brand that also produces a huge range of Disney licensed pins, including mini backpack matching pins and blind boxes.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ chased or vaulted sets can push $$$$

Trading rules: US parks - can be traded if they have the © Disney stamp on the back. Non-US parks - not accepted for Cast Member trading

Light-up

Pin style
Pin with small embedded lights that flash or glow when activated. Less common now, as batteries age and corrode.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ more for rare themed sets

LR

Pin type
Limited Release. Pins tied to a specific event, festival or time window rather than a fixed edition size. May be restocked while the event runs, then retired. French note: Some French-language pins may use Edition Limitée - check whether the pin has a numbered edition size or was sold as a time-limited release.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ with some popular LR sets creeping into $$$$

M

MOG

Pin origin
Mickey's of Glendale, the Walt Disney Imagineering employee store. It sells WDI-branded pins in small runs, occasionally to D23 or event guests.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$

Mystery

Pin type
Mystery pins are sold in blind boxes or pouches, where you do not know which design you are getting. Sets usually mix commons with harder chasers.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$$ chasers

N

NFS

Trading shorthand
Not For Sale. Used for pins the owner will trade but not sell, or occasionally for pins that are purely for display.

NFT

Trading shorthand
Not For Trade. Pins that are part of a keeper collection, even if shown in photos or on boards.

O

OE

Pin type
Open Edition. Standard pins that stay on sale for a while without a fixed edition size. They can be restocked and are classic trading fuel.

Typical price/rarity: $ to $$ unless retired and oddly popular

P

PALM

Pin origin
Pink à la Mode. Online retailer producing limited edition Disney licensed pins, often with very bold colours and small edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ some series nudging $$$$$

Trading rules: treated as third party. Not officially accepted for Cast Member trading in any parks. Guest-to-guest trades only, and some collectors are particular about trading PALM for park pins

PP

Pin type
Pre-production or Prototype pin. Very early factory samples used to test moulds or finishes before the main run. They are usually only between 5-10 of these pins released and can be identified by a PP stamp on the back of the pin.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$$ because quantities are tiny

S

Scrapper

Pin type
Pin made outside authorised runs, often using stolen moulds or rejected factory stock. Quality varies from almost perfect to obviously wrong. Officially should not be traded with Cast Members.

Typical price/rarity: $ they are cheap and common, but not desirable

Slider

Pin style
Pin with a moving element that slides along a track, such as a character sliding across a scene.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$ more if LE or WDI

Spinner

Pin style
Pin with a central part that spins, showing different images or text as it turns.

Typical price/rarity: $$ to $$$

Super Chaser

Pin Type
Variant of a pin in a mystery pack, sometimes with a different finish (for example silver outline, glitter or lack of colour). More recently, Super Chasers are just another version of the same set but in extremely limited numbers. There will never be a Super Chaser without there also being a Chaser but Super Chasers are more likely to be found in the Hidden Disney annual releases.
In a Hidden Disney set of 7 pins, there may be 10,000 of the commonly found 5 pins but only 3,000 Chasers and only 1,000 Super Chasers (numbers are for example only).
Also see Chaser.

Typical price/rarity: $$$ to $$$$ in popular sets

V

VHTF

Trading shorthand
Very Hard To Find. Community label for pins that almost never appear for sale or trade.

W

Wave [A/B]

Pin type
These refer to the two separate annual releases of the collectible Hidden Disney pins, with Wave A coming out between January and April, and Wave B appearing around August to October.
They are first released on cast lanyards and pin boards, then released about 3 months later for sale in shiny silver bags with different castle colours. For example in 2025, Wave A bags featured blue castles whereas Wave B used pink castles. WDW 2023 packs were yellow and the WDW 2026 packs were green.
Since 2020, there is usually only one "wave" per year, but 2025 had two. See Hidden Disney Pins: A History for more information.

WDI

Pin origin
Walt Disney Imagineering pins, usually sold through Mickey's of Glendale and select events. Often feature more unusual art and very low edition sizes.

Typical price/rarity: $$$$ to $$$$$ especially for popular characters

Pin Trading Guide

Tips, etiquette and beginner advice for Disney pin trading.

What is Disney pin trading?

A beginner-friendly guide to how Disney pin trading works.

How to spot a fake Disney pin

Learn the signs of scrappers, fakes and poor-quality pins.

Ready to play Disney pin trading bingo?

Use your new pin trading knowledge in Pingo Bingo, a game for Disney parks, cruises and at-home pin spotting.

See the games View plans and pricing