GayDays Survival Guide

By Shanice Thompson on June 4, 2012

This weekend some friends and I headed out to Disney GayDays. It’s a gay holiday of sorts for the LGBTQ community where Disney opens its magical doors to our family. We even have a color scheme; everyone must wear red! This year’s GayDays was the first one I have ever been to. Heck, I didn’t even know about it until I came to college and I’ve lived in Florida for quite some time now. Even though I am gay, there were still some things I would’ve liked to know before going so here are some tips from my experience at GayDays that could help you if you ever want to go. This goes out to you too, my straight friends, because you may have already been to GayDays and not have even known it (no exclusive notification is made to patrons about the influx of gays).

1. Wear Comfy Shoes…It’s Still Disney.

  • Looking sexy trying to catch that hottie’s eye doesn’t cut when you’re trekking through the acres of Disney parks.

2. Wear Red.

  • The tradition of wearing red began in 1991 when 3,000 lgbtq individuals ventured to Disney. They wore red to give themselves more of a presence at the large park. Originally, it was seen as a way of reclaiming what was lost to homophobia (like the ideas of family and childhood); but in addition to that it has become a big celebration of pride for friends and families of the LGBTQ community.
  • As I mentioned before, red is the color GayDays participants should wear. Although, it’s not mandatory (if I knew that, I definitely would have opted out — I don’t think red is my color). Now whether or not you wear red is entirely up to you. I opted for a gray and red striped tank and blue bottoms. I looked like a swagged out Where’s Waldo.

3. Know What A Bear Is.

  • A “bear” is a term in the LGBTQ community used to describe husky and hairy gay men. Some have piercings and/or tattoos. Bears, at least in my opinion, are an all-around good time. From my experience they are very bold, outgoing, and flirtatious — depending on your comfort level these traits could be fabulous or worrisome. This year hundreds of bears were ironically gathered around the Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom. But they are everywhere.  My friend and I were surrounded by four bears and a drag queen in our cart on the Splash Mountain ride.

4. Be Open and Have Fun.

  • GayDays or not, it’s Disney. Have fun! Life is about being open to new experiences. Whether you’re chilling at the acclaimed GayDays pool parties or being dragged around by your girlfriend, like me, get yourself out there!

 

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