FYI...since some people were asking. If anyone else has anything to add....please do so.
Official Disney Pin Release Locations:
There are many "official" locations that a pin might come from, and if you are purchasing an Official Disney Pin it should come from one of these locations. If the pin is coming from another location or country where there is NOT a Disney Resort then the pin may be counterfeit or a "scrapper". Always ask a seller if the pin was purchased from one of these official locations before you purchase the pin. Check and see where the seller lives, if they are not from a resort area ask questions about how they obtained the pins they are selling.
Disney Resorts, Studios and their Initials:
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Disneyland Resort Anaheim (DLR)
* Disney's California Adventure (DCA)
* Walt Disney World (WDW)
* MGM Studios, Epcot, Wild Animal Kingdom
* Downtown Disney (DTD)
* Disneyland Resort Paris (DLRP)
* Disneyland Hong Kong (DLHK)
* Disney Tokyo Sea
*
Disney Cruise Lines
* Walt Disney Studios, Burbank
* Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI)
Disney Retail Locations
*
Disney Store
* Disney Gallery
* Japan Disney Store (JDS)
* Disney Auctions P.I.N.S. (Ebay Store)
* Disney Direct/Disney Catalogue
* World of Disney (WOD)
* Disneyana (this is a store inside Disneyland Resort Anaheim)
* WDCC
You can purchase official Disney pins from retailers, grocery stores and schools as a part of special promotions when they have Disney book collections and products for sale. You will also find Disney licensed pins for promotional use in many cereals and with other children's items. These pins can be traded at the resorts and on the internet sites as long as they have an official Disney backstamp.