How Gay Day pushed Disney out of the closet
On that first Saturday of June , the question turned few heads among the passing swarms also garbed in red — the official uniform of the unofficial Gay Day at Walt Disney World. They simply called it Gay Days. Some are free and open to the public, others are ticketed and held in private venues.
LGBTQ Community Defies Travel Warnings to Celebrate Gay Days
"Gay Days" has been an unofficial LGBTQIA+ meet-up at Walt Disney World since the s. But Disney wasn't always so supportive of the event. In , brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney founded The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, a production house creating animated shorts of soon-to-be iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse. 
Gay Days at Walt Disney World
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 include the full array of all there is to do during a Gay Days / Disney Pride event. Let’s learn some quick history! Since at least , LGBTQIA+ folks have been meeting up — via their own community-organized events — at Disney parks. The event drew over 3, gays and lesbians, who decided to wear red shirts to easily identify each other. Since that first fledgling outing, the event has grown exponentially, and today is one of the biggest gatherings of Gay and Lesbian and Transgender groups in the world, bringing in over million dollars into the local economy.
Disney's 2025 Pride Parties & Gay Days
Gay Days at Walt Disney World People attending Gay Day dressed in red, in front of the Cinderella Castle Disney World Gay Days is a loosely organized event where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, their families, friends and supporters go to Walt Disney World on a week-long event each year. Walt Disney might have been horrified. On that first Saturday of June , the question turned few heads among the passing swarms also garbed in red — the official uniform of the unofficial Gay Day at Walt Disney World.
Disney's LGBTQ Issues History Is Complex, Becoming More
Gay Days at Walt Disney World is comprised of several events that take place throughout the Disney World Resort. The theme parks – Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios – are all included in the celebrations. In , a group of queer friends decided to organize an unofficial " gay and lesbian day " at Walt Disney World, a day for a small gathering of the local LGBTQ community to come and visit the theme park together. They picked a Saturday in June because it was one of the slowest days of the year, one current GaysDays official said. The History of Walt Disney World's "Gay Days"
In , a group of queer friends decided to organize an unofficial "gay and lesbian day" at Walt Disney World, a day for a small gathering of the local LGBTQ community to come and visit the theme. . Disney Once Officially Warned Guests About “Homosexuals
Disney’s Limited Support for Pride Events While Gay Days is a significant event within the LGBTQ community, it is important to note that Disney World does not officially sanction the event. Disney World maintains a different stance, unlike Disneyland, which hosts an official Pride Night. . How Disney GayDays quietly became a massive Pride event
Everything you need to know about Disney World GayDays Orlando including dates, how to avoid crowds, and more. .