Where in Disneyland Can I Get a First Visit Button? Magic Key Holder Tips

Brush up on the intricacies of the FastPass system, study the park map and prepare to be forever changed by the deliciousness of Dole Whip. Those are just a few of the items that belong on the to-do list when you're preparing for your first visit to Disneyland.

One rite of passage for new Disneyland visitors is securing a free button to mark the occasion. Cast members (the Disney name for employees) hand out buttons to guests who are celebrating their birthdays, honeymoons and other special milestones – including their first visit.

Wearing the orange "1st Visit" button won't let you jump to the front of any lines, but this memento might get you a little special attention from cast members and your fellow park-goers.

Stop at City Hall on the way into the park to request a first visit button. Inside the main Disneyland gate, two tunnels under the train station lead onto Main Street.

‌Take the tunnel on the left.‌ City Hall is the first building on the left after the tunnel. Getting a button there is as simple as walking up to the counter and asking a cast member for the type you want.

The building tends to get crowded at the beginning of the day when many guests need help, so aim to get to the park before the main gates open to be one of the first visitors to City Hall.

While at City Hall, consider whether anyone in your party requires assistance with anything. It's the guest relations hub, and the cast members working there are equipped to answer questions on a wide range of topics. In addition to handing out buttons, City Hall cast members offer services like helping disabled guests get the accessibility accommodations they need and helping guests who don't speak English find maps and translation services.

Visiting California Adventure before Disneyland? Grab a first visit button at the Chamber of Commerce. It's the park's equivalent to City Hall, and the cast members working there offer the same services available at City Hall.

Find the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street, California Adventure's version of Main Street. After passing through the main gates, ‌head to the left and find the Chamber of Commerce just past Oswald's, a small shop that's designed to look like an old-fashioned gas station‌.

Visiting City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce is a surefire way to get those special buttons, but not necessarily the only way.

When we regularly visit Disneyland we see people getting their buttons from cast members working in park gift shops:

‌The Emporium:‌ Go towards the back location where there are pin trading boards. The cast member working the board can provide you pins.

On Buena Vista Street (like Elias & Company), which is more likely to have a stash of buttons than smaller kiosks.

‌Pro tip:‌ The front desk of the official park hotels can provide buttons. Outside of check-out and check-in times, the official park hotels – the Grand Californian, Paradise Pier or the Disneyland Hotel – are the most convenient places to ask for a first time at Disneyland pin.