I just wanted to share something I noticed during my January WDW trip. My kids enjoy doing the presses pennies and when we were there in September it was the usual 51 cents for most. However, when we went last month, most all of the penny press machines only took dollars (and credit cards) and they provided the penny. So besides the obvious annoyance over the price increase, there is no longer any need to lug around a bag of pennies and quarters.
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Yep. Been there, spent the dollar and spent the 51 cents. The crank is the most fun part - my kids enjoy doing it.
From a biz and convenience perspective, I understand the change. Although, it is kind of annoying.
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What’s new! WDW is price increasing everything. And yes it is very annoying.
But thanks for the heads up. We usually get a few pressed coins when we go.
I just heard this comedy sketch the other night, for all you pressed penny fans:
“Are you trying to tell me that smashed-penny technology is so cost-prohibitive that you have to charge me four bits to do it?” He’d be incensed to know it’s now eight bits. 
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They actually have an option for like $5 where you get all 6 or 8 of the pennies offered in that particular machine (we did this 2x a few weeks ago - the one near PotC and another in a store on Main Street). You have to use a credit card for that but you can’t use a credit card for the $1 for 1 penny option. Also - when I used the credit card for my daughter, there was no crank for her to turn - it was all automated. Think it definitely took some of the fun out, but she loved the collections anyway.
New pressed-penny fans might want to know that they will look nicer if you use pre-1982 pennies, which are all copper. More recent ones have zinc, and it will show through.
You have to look a bit to find these, but they’re still out there. They shine up nicely if soaked in vinegar.
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Also, a quick way to tell the difference if the date is hard to read, drop the pennies one at a time on a desk or a counter-top. The new ones almost sound plastic when they hit the surface, whereas the older ones have a nice ring to them when you drop them.
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Excellent advice- I think they’re heavier. What nerds we are! 
So I have quarters and pennies packed for our trip in 9 days! I won’t be able to use them?!?
There might still be a couple that will take 2 quarters and a penny lingering somewhere, but I did not see any. After I noticed this change to machines that just take a dollar bill, I was actively trying to find 51 cent machines and could not find any…and I was looking in some of the same places where we had used the 51 cent machines in September. Some of the dollar bill machines are still the crank machines but I feel like a lot more are just button press machines now as well.
Agreed on this - turning the crank to run the machine is the most fun for the kids (and adults).
Looks like I will need to double my coin budget for the next trip.
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We just got back home yesterday. We did find some of the old machines so you’re not completely out of luck.
The 51c machines are still around. We saw a number of them as my niece was on the hunt for pennies last week. The $ machines are definitely more prevelant. She liked the ones she could crank. Many are just hit a button.
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