My Story
I’m a Disney-obsessed creative with a soft spot for the magic of pin trading and the joy of collecting. I love bringing playful moments to life with thoughtful motion, crisp readability, and inclusive design— so every scene feels welcoming and a little bit wondrous.
I turned a curious “What’s pin trading?” into a full-on Hidden Mickey quest.
I’m a proud Disney nut — the kind whose smile appears the second the train whistle echoes down Main Street. When the parks reopened after COVID, I grabbed annual passes and sprinted (politely) back to the magic every chance I got.
One dinner with friends later, I was introduced to the sparkle-bright world of pin trading. I had heard of it, but I didn’t know how deep the rabbit hole went. By the time the check arrived, I was all-in. At first, pin trading was a fun extra during my park days. Then I started really trading… and that’s when a hobby turned into a Hidden Mickey mission.
From “just for fun” to “mission complete”
As a longtime collector (sports cards, memorabilia — you name it), I went full throttle. The learning curve? Steep. Hidden Mickey sets, chasers, completers — it felt like a treasure map written in pixie dust. Finding clear photos and accurate checklists was tough, and I spent nights sleuthing through Facebook groups and boards just to piece it together.
That’s when the picture came into focus:
- Hidden Mickey pins: 2007–Current
- Cast Lanyard pins: 2002–2006 (Hidden Mickeys first appeared 2003–2006)
Those early Cast Lanyard pins? Magical… and notoriously tricky to find. Just when I thought I’d reached the end, a friend pointed me to 2002–2003 pieces I’d missed. Boom — 50+ more pins to hunt. Challenge accepted.
A Marine, a plan, and a lot of pins
I’m a United States Marine — I love a mission, and I love order. My binders, pages, and pins became a model of organization — logged, labeled, perfectly placed. That’s when it clicked:
Let me build a website to make this journey easier for everyone.
Real photos, clean checklists, and plain-English explanations — all in one friendly, searchable spot.
Sharing the magic forward
This is my ongoing adventure — something that keeps Disneyland in my everyday life. I’m constantly updating:
- New photos when better images come in
- Downloadable checklists you can save and print
- Ongoing updates to my personal collection (yes, pins still arrive daily!)
I’ve collected just about every Hidden Mickey and Cast Lanyard pin from 2002–current. And I’m still chasing the stragglers — from Walt Disney World to Disneyland, and every Mickey in between.
If you spot an error, a missing image, or a tip that could help other collectors — please reach out. This site is for the whole community that taught me so much along the way.
Sincerely,
Kenny Kuder
Forever in search of one more Mickey. ✨