Orlando gay days
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Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and pals will be decked out in their prideful, colorful best.
Each year’s parties have also included the chance to chat up characters who aren’t seen often, like the Queen of Hearts — shouting “off with her head!” (as a face character)! The Muses from Hercules have been seen here, beat for the gods, naturally.
Starting at 8 PM, Cast Members direct those who don’t have the wristbands toward the exits.
Do note: if you also have a normal Disneyland theme park ticket for the day, you can get your wristband at a designated distribution center inside the park (typically in Tomorrowland, beside The Star Trader shop).
She is everything, especially at special photo-ops in front of the Main Street U.S.A.
I help guests plan trip to Paris literally every working day. The parade route is her own personal runway. Celebrating their 35th anniversary, get ready for the biggest Gay Days Orlando party yet!
What makes it special?
With a lineup featuring top DJs, celebrity appearances, and spectacular performances, the event promises non-stop fun and excitement.
As always, our help is free.
Get price quotes and availability for a Walt Disney World vacation ▸
Disneyland Paris Pride cavalcade during Paris pride weekend
Again this year, Disneyland Paris is hosting a pre-parade Pride character cavalcade during normal theme park hours on June 29, 2025.
Most of these organizers will continue sell tickets at the door for each of their nightly ticketed events — they don’t typically sell out.
Get tickets and view event schedules:
Like any major Pride week, this isn’t all that’s going on. The community and the world came together and supported Orlando… I think that’s really unified this community and made us stronger.”
Gay Days Orlando 2026
Gay Days Orlando 2026 will run from the 4th to the 7th of June.
through 2 p.m.
Friday
- Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios - 10:30 a.m. As I said, a very well-oiled machine!
- Many different vibes. Want to know more?
EXPLORE DISNEYLAND PARIS | Learn all about Disney’s most charming park and plan a trip ▸
Should I stay in a Disney resort hotel during Gay Days?
If you’re a real Disney fan or you want to get the most out of the Disney experience, nothing beats staying in one of Disney’s own themed resort hotels.
Which of the best hotels are within comfortable walking distance? Their ticketed event spaces host everything from a vendor expo to drag queen comedy shows. (Each year — to my surprise — search engine queries for “how do I avoid Gay Days?” are one of the top questions that send people to this article.) On occasion, conservative influencers post misinformation about Disney and their support of the queer community.
There are many, many out and proud LGBTQIA+ employees (known as Cast Members) at Disney, and you’ll see visible same-sex couples every day within the Disney theme parks in Florida, California, and beyond.
Whether you’re checking in to the Animal Kingdom Lodge as two princes who’d like a King, two lovesick ladies-in-waiting-for-a-table-for-two at Cinderella’s Royal Table, or a group of swashbuckling bisexuals ready to shiver yer timbers with the Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney nourishes a very queer-friendly atmosphere, every day of the year.
How do I avoid Gay Days at Walt Disney World?
Some folks prefer not to interact with or affirm the LGBTQIA+ community.
Or, while tickets remain, in-person at Disneyland Resort’s ticket counters.
This event began in 2023, and each year, tickets were sold out about two months before the event took place. Explore dynamic live performances by Black LGBTQIA+ artists, hear from inspiring speakers and storytellers, shop Black-owned businesses and LGBTQIA+ vendors, and enjoy food trucks, a dance floor and more.
Discover: Juneteenth Events
The Official Pride Bar Crawl (June 21, 2025)
Prepare to finish Pride Month on a strong note with the Official Pride Bar Crawl, which starts at Underground Public House and continues with stops at multiple downtown Orlando bars.
Here are a few thoughts and fact-based articles that might be useful.
To begin, it’s important to know that happy, out and proud LGBTQIA+ people are visible in Disney theme parks every day of the year. Studies show that more and more Americans in younger generations are coming out; a very large 2025 Gallup survey found that nearly 1 in 4 young American adults identify as LGBTQ+.
In the 1980’s, Walt Disney Animation Studios hired the out gay writer Howard Ashman, one of the pioneering figures who was most responsible for the era now-known as the Disney Renaissance. His work on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast revolutionized and enlightened the studio for years to come.
You’re free to exit and re-enter the park if you need to, but keep in mind that the price of Disney parking is not included.
How do they know who has a ticket and who doesn’t?
At the entry gates, there’s an Event Check-In where Disney Cast Members will invite you to scan in the bar code that you’ll receive via e-mail when you buy your ticket.
through 2 p.m.
Beyond the incredible parties and performances, Gay Days also puts on activities like bingo, "Are You Smarter Than a Drag Queen?" contests, and meet-and-greets with favorite adult film stars.
While reports differ on the number of participants during the inaugural event, they do state organizers encouraged those to wear red shirts to identify each other.
It has since ballooned into an annual, multiday event, which includes major sponsors and upwards of 180,000 people flocking to the Orlando area from across the world.
What is the significance of the red shirt during Gay Days?
Arguably the most prominent part of Gay Days, participants wear red shirts to specific parks to celebrate their identity or support others.
Back at the original gathering, attendants wore red shirts to make their presence more visible to other members of the community.
Now, the red shirt in itself has become a movement, with LGBTQ nonprofit Kindred Pride Foundation using it as a symbol for its mission to spread diversity and kindness.
What can you do during Gay Days outside of the parks?
Many Gay Days attendees visit theme parks, but the event's host hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at Seaworld, offers other activities, including popular pool parties, drag bingo, expos, and more.
There are also various events for the LGBTQ+ community around downtown Orlando during the next two weekends.
Does Universal Orlando have Gay Days?
Yes!