If you are expecting to celebrate gay day this Saturday at Walt Disney World, you will have to postpone your trip. 2019 is going to be a little bit different this year in Orlando. Disney Gay Days is a popular event each year when members of the LGBTQ community come together at one of the Disney parks. Disneyland and Disney World have all but officially endorsed the day of celebration at their parks.
The perennial event has been continuously happening in growing numbers since 1991. Traditionally Gay Day is celebrated at Walt Disney World on the first Saturday of June. If you look forward to celebrating your love at Disney with a sea of red shirts, you will need to reschedule your trip for August.
Disneyland also hosts a Gay Day, though unofficially. The event is considered a convention for which discounted tickets are offered. Disney Gay Days in Anaheim are coordinated differently than in Orlando, and the dates are also different. Below is all of the 2019 information for Disney Gay Days so far.
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Everything To Know About Disney Gay Days
Disney Gay Days at Disneyland
Disney Gay Days traditionally take place on the first Saturday of October. October is a very pleasant time of year to visit the Disneyland Resort as it lies in the sweet spot between the hot and cooler months. Since Gay Days has grown in popularity the event is now a week long with parties and festivities carrying on throughout the week. October 4-12 are the official dates for this event.
While Disneyland does not openly endorse Gay Days, they have embraced the tradition with LGBTQ Merchandise. In addition Disney’s Aulani and Adventures By Disney are official sponsors of the event. Disneyland’s diversity resource group PRIDE is also a sponsor. The hotel hosting the event is the Howard Johnson on Harbor Blvd. Across the Street from Disneyland and just off of Interstate 5.
Disney Gay Days at Walt Disney World
The Official Gay Day
The Unofficial Official Gay Day at Walt Disney World is the one that started it all. Although it usually is observed as a Magic Kingdom Visit on the First Saturday of June, things have changed for 2019. The coordinators of this years Orlando Gay Days have moved the event to Mid August. Orlando Gay Days may have originated at Walt Disney World without a ton of leadership or sponsors. Now the annual event has exploded and includes many Orlando parks other than just the Magic Kingdom, or even just Disney.
Gay Days Schedule
Although the Gay Days Orlando calendar starts in mid August, the first Disney Gay Day does not take place until the 15th of the month. The event is highly organized with a full list of parks and parties in the Orlando area. Here is the calendar for which Disney parks Gay Days is Officially visiting during the week:
Thursday, August 15 Animal Kingdom
Friday, August 16 Hollywood Studios
Saturday, August 17 Magic Kingdom
Sunday, August 18 Epcot
(Of course, they’ll change for each year)
Wyndham Orlando
Another tradition is breaking this year. For reasons unknown the DoubleTree Hotel will no longer be the official host hotel for Gay Days Orlando. Instead Wyndham is the new official hotel for the Disney Gay Days event. Wyndham is located between International Drive and Universal Blvd, just one block east of Interstate 4 at exit 74A.
Disney Sponsored Gay Days
The fact that Disney has never outright endorsed Gay Days, or made them official has been a source of controversy, just as their support has. Disney has attempted to remain publicly neutral. Although only time will tell if Walt Disney World and Disneyland make the day an official celebration, this very thing is already happening across the pond. Disneyland Paris is making history by becoming the first Disney Resort to make Disney Gay Days an official event.
Magical Pride Celebration
The event is called Magical Pride Celebration and it is going to include an exclusive parade of diverse characters. The nighttime event will take place after hours at Walt Disney Studios park. Among the features of the celebration are a Lip Sync Along and Live performances by Boy George, Years & Years, Corine, and Sindy Katz. Plus, the park will have several attractions to ride for a rare after dark experience.
Official Disney LGBTQ Merchandise
In addition to the festivities of the first official Disney Gay Day, you can buy exclusive celebration merchandise. Limited edition Magical Pride souvenirs will be on sale in the parks. In addition, Disney has expanded on their pride merchandise. You have seen the pride pins and last year’s Pride mouse ears with Mickey’s hands forming a heart. Now, there is an entire line of Pride merchandise. The Pride Collection includes new Pride pins, fanny packs, hats, sunglasses and shirts. The design features rainbow colors represented in splotches of paint with a white outline of Mickey Mouse’s head in the center. Some of the merchandise says love with the ‘o’ shaped like a rainbow Mickey head.
