What days are Gay Days at Disney World? Everything to know about the red shirt tradition.
Joseph Clark will never forget his first Gay Days.
"Just getting off the (monorail) and seeing the sea of red shirts, to this day it gives me goosebumps," he recalled of the annual Pride event at Walt Disney World and other Orlando-area venues, which is neither sponsored by nor exclusive to Disney.
Back in , Clark was a regular attendee who made his own red shirt with friends. Now CEO of , he explained the idea is to "wear red, be seen," not so much as a demonstration but a celebration of identity.
"It was just a whole group of people together, and there was no judgment going on," he said. "There was no 'Oh my God, they're gay.' Like yep, most of us were, or we had friends and allies with us that weren't, who were just welcoming to the people. It was life-changing for me."
Here's what to perceive about the annual Gay gathering in Florida.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.'We have to be on guard a lot': Why safety comes first for so many LGBTQ travelers'I just want to look more of us': The importance of seeing people like you while traveling
How did Gay Days g
WDW June Gay Days general Discussion Thread
So just wanted to reassure everyone, in my personal experience, that WDW is indeed a safe environment year circular, including Gay Days.
Gay Days are traditionally built around the first Saturday in June. This year it is June 7, and following the normal schedule the designated parks are:
Thursday June 5, Animal Kingdom Friday June 6, Disney Studios Saturday Jine 7, Magic Kingdom Sunday June 8, EPCOT
The parks are open to the general public, it is not a private ticket event, unlike at Disneyland.
While there are some confidential events, and one promoter is actually scheduling a week earlier than usual this year, including a private ticket party at Typhoon Lagoon scheduled for May
Ill be traveling with a friend, whose wife hates traveling, so he goes with me often. Also in my party will be his 16 yo grandson. Well be at WDW June 4 to While we are doing the parks, the only one were doing on the designated night is Magic Kingdom, its just the way our schedule worked out. I was also able to book the DVC Moonlight Magic event at Typhoon Lagoon for June 9. Ive never been to Typhoon Lagoon, as Im generally not a rain park perso
Disney’s Pride Parties & Queer Days: Everything You Require To Know | PHOTOS
Updated June | Quick hop to each section: | Orlando ▸ | Anaheim ▸ | Paris ▸
Let’s clear things up: what is Gay Days, exactly?
To begin, let’s clear up a common misconception. Many online articles and blogs don’t correctly explain what Gay Days actually refers to. Even fewer encompass the full array of all there is to do during a Lgbtq+ Days / Disney Identity event.
Let’s learn some swift history!
Since at least , LGBTQIA+ folks have been meeting up — via their own community-organized events — at Disney parks. They simply called it Gay Days.
The name stuck.
In the late 90’s, an event organizer incorporated the name Gay Days Inc. and trademarked their URL. Today, they’re just one of many professional companies that hosts events, parties and meetups during various weekends in Orlando and Anaheim. Some are free and open to the public, others are ticketed and held in personal venues.
These events often overlap, so they compete a bit for visitors and attendees.
So if you accomplish a internet search for ‘Gay Days,’ do record that you might only see results from one organizer — not its competitors. Hopefully,
ORLANDO | Orlando’s Big Party Weekend May June 2 filled with pool parties, circuits and celebrations is all tied to the first Saturday in June known as Gay Daytime at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom first took place on June 1, , in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom just before the 3 p.m. parade. The idea was for the LGBTQ+ community to amass, all wearing red shirts, to be visible and to be seen during a time when doing so could be risky. This year, 33 years later, Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom fell on June 1 as well, the first afternoon of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and thousands from the LGBTQ+ community gathered, noted and turned Disney red to honor that unique commitment.