I am talking about penny press machines. I had forgotten about these machines, until our last Disney trip. Our daughter was two at the time we were there and she would get a little restless sometimes. So, my husband would take her to the closest penny press machine and let her pick a design. It was great! She loved it and now anytime we go somewhere, and she sees a penny press machine, that is the souvenir she asks for.
Tips When Pressing Pennies
The penny press machines cost 51 cents and the recommendation is that you try to use pennies from before 1982. The reason for this is that in 1982 they started making pennies with both copper and zinc and if you press these pennies the zinc will show through. We have a penny with some silver streaks on it and it's because it was made after 1982.
We got this coin in Epcot at the
Germany pavilion. See the silver
streaks?
Another suggestion is to have the face of the penny all the way to the right. This way the image will be pressed into the face side instead of the monument side, which can leave lines across the pressed image.
If you want to get your penny nice and shiny before pressing it there are many different methods. The most common suggestions you will see are using vinegar and salt, or ketchup. After you have scrubbed the pennies using the method of your choice you can make a baking soda paste (just baking soda and water) and use that to shine the pennies.
To carry all the pennies around some people use M&M mini containers. We just used a coin purse and that worked for us. The kids might like to use the mini containers though, plus you can decorate them.
M&M's Mini Container
(Image from Amazon)
Penny Press Machines Around the World
There are hundreds of penny press machines all over Walt Disney World property. They are all over the parks, resort hotels, and Downtown Disney. I believe the water parks, miniature golf locations, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex even have some. So chances are that no matter where you are on Disney property, a penny press machine is not that far away.
Once you find a penny press machine, you have 3-4 choices of what image you would like to be pressed on the coin. Usually the images are representative of where you are. For instance, the coin above was printed in Epcot at the Germany pavilion and so Mickey is dressed in German clothes and the coin says "Germany" and "Epcot" on it. Another coin we have has a picture of Hamm on it and it says "Toy Story Midway Mania!" and "Hollywood Studios", because this machine was right outside the Toy Story ride. We also have one with Chip 'n' Dale on it that was from The Land pavilion in Epcot. I believe it was by The Garden Grill Restaurant, because Chip 'n' Dale are part of that dining experience.
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Our Toy Story Mania Coin
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The Chip 'n' Dale Coin
from The Land Pavilion
It is a fun way to keep track of where you were on your vacation. Since most of the coins will have the location and a character relevant to the location, it's almost like a map of different things you saw and experienced on your trip.
How to Display Your Coins
There are pressed penny books available to buy from many locations on Disney property or you can go online to places like Amazon. Depending on where you get the book and how many pennies it holds, it shouldn't run you more than $10. We bought one for our daughter at the Bronx Zoo and it was around $6 or $7 and holds 40 pennies and has 4 slots for pressed Quarters as well.
A more creative idea I have seen (and love!) is someone who put all of the pressed pennies on a matte in the shape of a Mickey head and then framed it. I really like this idea, it is a very fun way to display all of the coins and it makes it easy to relive your vacation.
Another good idea I have seen is making a charm bracelet out of all the pennies. It doesn't look like it would be too hard. You just have to get a chain bracelet and poke holes in the top of each penny. Such a creative idea!
Pressed Pennies in Mickey Shape
(Image from Pinterest)
Pressed Penny Bracelet
(Image from Pinterest)
We have already started thinking about which pressed penny machines we would like to find for the next trip and we are definitely going to do something creative to display them next time. I'm hoping to get enough so we can make the Mickey image and frame it. I really love that idea!
So if you are looking for a fun, but inexpensive souvenir, I would seriously look at the penny press machines. My daughter loved picking out the image and helping my husband turn the crank. Plus, you can get creative and come up with a fun way to display them, so you are always reminded of your trip!
Thanks for reading!
Liz ⁰O⁰
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Belle Penny from Fantasyland
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