Frequently Asked Questions

This Frequently Asked Questions collection will be updated regularly prior to and during Gay Day 2005.

General

Is there a requirement to "register" for Gay Day?

No. The only requirement is that you bring yourself to Orlando and purchase the tickets to the events that you are interested in attending.

Is there a printed package of materials you can send me?

No. We publish all the information available online at www.gayday.com. It is updated on a regular basis (sometimes several times a day as we get closer to Gay Day). Any printed materials we would produce would become outdated rather quickly. We do publish an "Official Guide to Gay Day Orlando" that is distributed throughout Orlando during the Gay Day weekend and in advance throughout the southeastern United States and in many major cities around the country. You will find the printed program at many Orlando nightclubs, most of the hotels, and at many events.

Some tour operators may have created a printed package describing their own offerings and it might include additional information about Gay Day. But you're reading this online, so why not just look around the web site and print what you need? There's far more information here than anyone has ever printed in a package of materials!

When is Gay Day?

Except for the very first year, Gay Day Orlando is and always will be the weekend that includes the first Saturday in June. Originally the date chosen was the very last weekend of Disney's Florida Resident Salute period in the spring. This was done so those Gay Day visitors from the state of Florida would be able to get into the Disney theme parks at a discount. It didn't take long for the attendance to grow so much that this previously slow attendance period became Disney's busiest, credited mostly to Gay Day.

When was the first Gay Day?

In 1991. Gay Day 2005 is the 15th consecutive year the event has taken place in Orlando.

Why is Gay Day now at Islands of Adventure on Saturday and The Magic Kingdom on Sunday?

For our 15th Year Celebration, we've changed things around quite a lot. Islands of Adventure was added to the weekend because we wanted something new and exciting during Gay Day Weekend, and Islands of Adventure offers some of the world's best thrill rides and roller coasters. By holding it on Saturday, we give our newest event the largest possible audience. Universal Orlando Resort is truly rolling out the red carpet just for Gay Day and is actively involved in making this day a very special one, including providing special entertainment just for us.

We've moved the full schedule of activities that used to be held on Saturday to Sunday. Everything you've always known and loved about The Magic Kingdom is still happening, just on a new day. And because it's been a staple of Gay Day for so long, people know what to expect of it and be willing to accept the change. And because Saturday night is so filled with other events and Sunday night is comparatively much less intense, it affords everyone the chance to spend a longer time in the Magic Kingdom and to enjoy many activities which were previously skipped because of schedule conflicts.

Over the last 14 years, Gay Day has outgrown a single day, and we've come to recognize that if we expect people to take off for several days to travel to Orlando for Gay Day, we have to provide a larger selection of activities and events, over a lengthier period of time.

What's especially unique this year is the Organization behind Gay Day Orlando. For the first time ever we've brought almost every single group, organization, party promoter and area nightclub together to support these changes. It's almost unheard of that so many otherwise competitive groups have been able to set aside their differences and work together to coordinate with each other their plans for Gay Day Orlando 2005. We're sure this will be the best Gay Day celebration ever, and that the additions are a fitting tribute for our 15th year of the event.

Is this new Saturday/Sunday change permanent?

We're note approaching the addition of Islands of Adventure to the Gay Day schedule as a one-time thing. It will be part of Gay Day for many years to come. However we're currently deciding how the whole weekend should be arranged. One of the more popular options is to alternate every 2 years which park is scheduled on Saturday and which is scheduled on Sunday. We'll be making this decision before Gay Day Orlando 2005 begins and you're not likely to miss the announcement when we do!

Who started Gay Day and why?

Once upon a time, before the Internet was on everyone's lips (and in everyone's home), and before computers were as affordable as microwave ovens, there was a group of people in Orlando that regularly chatted amongst each other on a computer bulleting board system (BBS) called Compu-Who (a victim of the Internet's proliferation, now defunct). This group got into the habit of gathering together regularly in real life for fun events, such as trips to the park, casual bowling, and nights out in clubs. It was for fun. No political statements. No protests. Nothing but unadulterated Disney fun. Once it was decided that we should go to The Magic Kingdom together, we worked out a date that seemed to be convenient to everyone interested, and it was pretty far in advance for our usual planning habits. As is true with most every group, there's a core group of people that do the leg work in organizing something... not everyone has the time or energy to spend doing such things.

One member of that core group was Doug Swallow. At the time, Doug was an active board member of Gay and Lesbian Community Services of Central Florida, Inc. (GLCS) which had recently merged together with The Center (previously a separate group that had created a walk-in gay and lesbian community center in Orlando). GLCS had recently entered into a new lease for a free-standing building and had scheduled a number of activities there in celebration of the opening.

One of those activities was a presentation by Bob Morris, then of The Orlando Sentinel, who gave a presentation about working with the mainstream media, colored with some of Bob's classic sense of humor. Previously, Doug had created a lampoon newsletter aimed at the many problems Universal Studios had during their initial pre-opening period, and Bob had regularly mentioned tidbits from it in his three-times-a-week column in The Orlando Sentinel.

After the meeting was over, Doug spoke with Bob about the Compu-Who gathering at Disney and mentioned he had started putting up posters about it to bring in more people from around the gay community in Central Florida. Bob loved the idea of what he could do with that in his column, and featured it in the issue that came out the week before the scheduled date. The media circus that followed has been unstoppable over the years.

Always to be counted on to put their foot in their mouth, anti-gay factions picked up on it and started blaming Disney for it. Morning radio hosts used it for drive-time humor, though not usually in the best light. Radio talk show hosts, especially Jim Philips who hosted (and still does) a very popular talk show in the afternoons (now on WTKS RealRadio 104.1), picked up on the controversy and made it part of their daily shows.

In subsequent years, Doug spearheaded much of the advance publicity and promotion. Doing things such as ensuring the press knew of the event, creating and distributing flyers and posters around Central Florida, posting information online in places like CompuServe and the blossoming Internet Usenet newsgroups, and creating t-shirts to sell to finance these activities. To be sure, Doug always had a lot of help, sometimes from the strangest places, but there's usually one or two people behind any successful event who take it upon themselves to fill in wherever needed in whatever capacity, and that is what Doug did.

The rest, as they say, is history. Of course, with success, come the evil villains or the masked men. You'll often hear many differing versions of this history, since everyone has a different perspective on it, but you'll usually see how it fits in pretty well. However in recent years, as the event has become a potential money-maker for commercial interests, these stories have begun to get wilder than previously imaginable. If you want to read a little more about it, click here.

Is it Gay Day or Gay Days?

It's Gay Day. Actually it's now generally referred to as "Gay Day Orlando" but originally the full name of the event had been "Gay and Lesbian Day at Walt Disney World," but that's a mouthful to say (and write) every time, and Gay Day is a much simpler way to refer to it. Of course, that doesn't tell you where it is, as there've since been numerous other "Gay Day" like events at theme parks and attractions around the world. Don't confuse the name of the event (Gay Day) with the plural form of the word "day" just because you're referring to multiple days of activities.

We have a simple guide to use of our trademarks and copyrights on the Media & Press information pages. Please look it over to learn the right way and the wrong way to refer to the event.

Disney, the Company

Does Disney sponsor Gay Day?

No. Disney is an "innocent victim" of circumstance. They managed to create an excellent vacation resort that appeals to almost everybody in the world, and gay and lesbian folks are no different. Because they get so much attention from all factions over Gay Day, Disney actually goes out of their way not to do things that are perceived as catering towards Gay Day. This is unlike any other time of the year when Disney will actively market towards specific, targeted groups to increase their attendance at Disney properties. If Disney really didn't do anything different during Gay Day than they do any other time of the year, they would advertise to the Gay and Lesbian market and they would actively seek to book entertainment appealing to the gay and lesbian crowds. Gay Day is now the busiest time of year at Disney, and the highest revenue producing time of year as well for Disney's parks and attractions.

By the way, Disney does actively sponsor and promote "Night Of Joy," a private event at The Magic Kingdom that is marketed towards Christians and actively sold through church groups. Off the record (and sometimes on the record), a very large number of Disney cast members have related hundreds of horror stories about the rudeness and bad attitude of many guests at Night Of Joy. It's an amusing contrast to Gay Day, when even the most homophobic cast members often really enjoy the fun and friendly atmosphere all over Disney property during Gay Day weekend.

Does Disney support Gay and Lesbian charities?

Like any other large company, Disney donates a large amount of money (as well as their Cast Members -- employees in Disney-Speak -- donating a large number of volunteer hours) to charitable causes. Disney has formalized this process to require charitable groups apply for a share of the money they allocate for charitable donations. Some years, no AIDS related or gay and lesbian related groups have applied for money, and as a result, they have not received any. Other years, several groups have applied, and they received money. It's a pretty simple process, and the groups need only prepare the appropriate applications and meet certain criteria.

Universal Orlando Resort, the Company

Does Universal Orlando Resort sponsor Gay Day?

Not directly, however Universal Orlando Resort actively works with us to provide the best experience possible to Gay Day visitors. They've created a world-class resort and entertainment complex to rival any other. There is a corporate level commitment to ensure that Gay Day at Islands of Adventure becomes one fo your favorite Gay Day experiences.

Tickets

Do I need a special Gay Day pass to get into Disney?

No. We mix in with the general public for Gay Day so all you need is any ticket that Disney accepts for admission into the theme park of your choice. This can be a multi-day pass from years ago that still has unused days on it or can be a brand new ticket you purchase at the gate the day you plan to go. There is no special Gay Day admission ticket, nor is there any special Gay Day discounted ticket. There are, however, some private events that are held on Disney property after regular park hours, such as Beach Ball at Typhoon Lagoon. For these types of events, you will need to purchase the special ticket sold by the event promoter. Information on the required tickets for each event and for a variety of sources of those tickets is provided in the schedule of events under each event listing.

Do I need a special Gay Day pass to get into Islands of Adventure?

No. We mix in with the general public for Gay Day so all you need is any ticket at Universal accepts for admission into the theme park of your choice.

Where can I buy a pass that gets me into everything?

There is no such pass. With more than 60 events, including many that run simultaneously, there is no way you possibly can go to everything. The individual events are operated by a variety of promoters and many are mix-in's with the general public using a standard admission ticket for the theme park. Finally, with such a wide variety of events, individual tastes dictate the type of event each person wants to attend. Unlike many circuit party events around the world, Gay Day is not just a collection of nighttime dance parties. There are, however, several ticket resellers that have packaged together bundles of tickets that are most often purchased together. These bundles are priced with a small savings, though the primary reason they were created was to provide a convenient alternative to buying tickets from multiple sources. The schedule of events lists these ticket bundles amongst the individual ticket options under each event.

Is there a web site which lists where to find tickets to a Gay Day event?

Try the "ticket" section on this site which is also listed at http://www.gaydaytickets.com. Tickets ordered for some events can be held for WILL CALL at the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa. Some parties will sell out, so we suggest you buy your tickets in advance. Every event promoter has been invited to sell tickets in the Gay Day Box Office at the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa..

I heard in previous years Disney let everyone move between parks on Gay Day even if their ticket did not usually permit it. Is this true? Do I have to pay more money for a Park Hopper ticket if I want to move between parks on the same day?

Yes, it's true. Because of the anticipated increase in complaints from some more closed-minded guests who unknowingly found themselves amidst tens of thousands of gay men and women, Disney has in the past chosen to simply relax their park hopping rules. This freed up management from having to issue replacement tickets to those guests who were complaining; they could simply tell the guest they were free to move to another park. However (and this is a big HOWEVER), this is never a guarantee that Disney will continue this practice. In fact, as more people become aware of this, it is likely Disney will discontinue it so that they avoid having people take advantage of it without paying for the privilege. So if you are going to plan to move between parks on the same day, please purchase the correct ticket that allows such movement. This guarantees you the freedom to do so. Don't expect that you will be able to move around the parks with a ticket that does not permit it. In the end, you may find you can, but consider it an extra bonus, not a definite guaranteed privilege.

We'd really like to see Disney either end this practice entirely or to make it officially known in advance. It's unfair that people who didn't pay for a privilege receive it, especially as those people usually getting the benefit of it are those that are most antagonistic towards other guests. If you see this is taking place, and you paid extra for a ticket so you could have this privilege, you might consider visiting guest relations and asking for a refund of the difference, just to make your point.

If I buy a Disney Pass that includes Typhoon Lagoon, do I still have to buy a Beach Ball ticket if I want to go to Beach Ball?

Yes. Beach Ball is a private event that is held after the regular operating hours of Typhoon Lagoon. Only a Beach Ball ticket can admit you to Typhoon Lagoon for Beach Ball.

If I buy a Park Hopper PLUS Pass that includes Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, do I still have to buy a Pleasure Island ticket if I want to go to Pleasure Island on Thursday or Saturday night?

No. Any valid ticket or annual pass for Pleasure Island is good for admission to Pleasure Island any day during Gay Day (or any other time of year, for that matter).

I'm interested in purchasing passes for admission to all Disney Parks on Gay Day. Do you have them for sale?

There's a myriad of passes that all have different benefits, depending on things like how many days you want to be able to go into the Disney parks, and whether or not you want to be able to move between parks the same day. There's also the option on some to include a certain number of extra "PLUS" options so you can get into places like Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, River Country and Disney's Wide World of Sports.

If you're staying on Disney property, there are also "Length Of Stay" passes valid for the exact number of days of your stay, and priced accordingly... you'd need to talk to Disney reservations about those, since they're only sold in conjunction with a hotel stay on property.

On our schedule under each event is a listing of ticket options for that event. This includes the Disney parks. The list gets pretty long. (If you use Netscape, by default the list is not shown; instead there's a link to view them in a pop-up window.)

Many of the tickets are available for purchase online (we don't sell them directly ourselves, but we direct you to sites that do that we trust). There's a "BUY ONLINE" link next to those.

You might consider "overbuying" too. Unused days on Disney passes are good forever, so if you plan to come back in the next few years and won't lost the ticket, you might find some of the value you get with the longer passes is worth the expense up front.

For the Disney parks, however, buying in advance is only a convenience; there's little, if any, savings involved... some even have a surcharge for handling the order. You can do just as well going to Orlando and buying them when you arrive or at the gate. There's no such thing as a "sell-out" of Disney tickets.

The other events, such as Beach Ball, One Mighty Party, Magic Journeys, Colosseum Party, and Stars Party are a different story; they only have a certain number that can be sold, and some of those will definitely sell out before the Gay Day weekend. As with the Disney tickets, the availability of them in advance is shown under the respective events on the schedule.

Hotels

At this time, we have no frequently asked questions about hotels, but we probably will soon.

Transportation

Is there free transportation available at the end of Beach Ball to take me back to my hotel?

Maybe. Mark Baker, the producer of Beach Ball, is providing free bus transportation between the Team Disney parking area across from Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon. From the Team Disney area, you can walk across the street to Downtown Disney and get on any of the Disney Transportation buses that will take you to all the Disney resort hotels including those in the Lake Buena Vista area on Hotel Plaza Blvd. The Disney Transportation buses usually run for 90 minutes after Downtown Disney closes at 2 am. Because the Disney Transportation buses will still be running to Typhoon Lagoon at the beginning of Beach Ball, you can take those buses directly to Beach Ball, then use the free buses provided by Mark Baker Presents to get to Team Disney and then walk back to Downtown Disney and use the Disney buses to return to your Disney hotel.

Theme Parks

Will Islands of Adventure be closed on Saturday because too many people are there?

Possibly. This is the first year we've had Islands of Adventure on the Gay Day schedule for Saturday. Universal Orlando Resort will be operating at full capacity during Gay Day. Should Islands of Adventure fill up, we encourage everyone to visit Universal Studios, easily accessible from the same area you use to reach Islands of Adventure. As the day progresses, we would expect a number of people to visit both parks, which should allow most everyone the opportunity to visit Islands of Adventure sometimes during the day. We do suggest that you arrive as early as possible to ensure you get a chance to do everything you desire while you're at Universal Orlando Resort.

Will The Magic Kingdom be closed on Sunday because too many people are there?

Possibly. The last few years Disney has warned guests who stay on property that Saturday is a very busy day and that the park may close temporarily because it reaches capacity. Because this will be the first year the event moves to Sunday, we don't really know what to expect in attendance, but do continue to suggest that you arrive as early as you can to ensure you gain entrance. Disney performs the closing of a park in stages and depending on such things as whether you've already been in the park, whether you're staying in a Disney hotel, and the type of pass you have, even if the park has been temporarily closed, you may still be able to get in. Disney doesn't want to close the park, and only will do so as a last resort to protect the guest experience from degrading because of too many people in lines, or extremely crowded conditions inside the park. If the park is closed, it will be reopened as soon as enough people have left or the conditions resulting in the closing have changed.

Does Disney allow cross-dressing in the theme parks?

Disney management has gone to great lengths to ensure every guest has a good experience in the theme parks. The specific guidelines they present regarding this issue may be somewhat open to interpretation, but generally it follows this rule of thumb: Disney provides the entertainment, not the guests. If a guests attire crosses into the definition of a costume instead of regular daily wear, the guest will not be permitted into the parks without changing their attire. If you dress tastefully and not in an outrageous manner, you should not have a problem. Some people may get in anyway and sometime during the day may be confronted by a manager and asked to change their attire. If you encounter such a situation and believe you are following Disney's guidelines, just explain your situation to the Disney manager who approached you.

What am I allowed to wear in the Disney theme parks?

Disney's official policy states that you should not be wearing any clothing that contains offensive remarks and that your clothing suitably cover all private parts of your body. Translated, that means your shirt must cover your nipples. Be careful wearing a muscle tank top; that is perhaps the most-often cited dress code violation during Gay Day. Disney is rather relaxed about enforcing this except when it's blatantly a problem. If you find yourself confronted by a Disney Cast Member or manager about it, be reasonable and remember that you're in a family park and you may want to look sexy, but you'll have to do so more moderately. If you are asked to correct your attire, remember that Disney has often given out free shirts to people who wore red not knowing the special meaning it takes on during Gay Day, and confronted Disney's Guest Relations about their embarrassment about it. It would not be an unreasonable request of Disney to provide you with a similarly free shirt if your attire isn't a gross violation but on that borderline between OK and not OK. You may not be successful, but it's worth asking.

I heard the parade in the Magic Kingdom is a popular Gay Day event. Do we march in it?

No, absolutely not! We watch (and in recent years with Disney's newest Magical Moments parade, some of us get to participate form time to time). Remember, Disney provides the entertainment, not the guests. The parade gathering in front of Cinderella's Castle started in 1992 quite by accident. We wanted a central place and time for everyone to meet each other and have an easier way to guess at the number of people coming out for Gay Day. Without any thought to the parade, we chose 3 pm in front of Cinderella's Castle. Lo and behold, a parade! So in subsequent years, we promoted it as a gathering for the 3 pm parade. Over time, the attendance has grown so much there's no way everyone could be in front of Cinderella's Castle at the same time, so now we line the parade routes from beginning to end to watch and have fun. Over the years, Disney has provided extra entertainment during the pre-parade time along the parade route to keep everyone in that Disney spirit, so if you have to chant while you wait, find a favorite Disney tune and see how many people you can get to join in!

Nightclubs

What am I allowed to wear in the Downtown Disney nightclubs?

The dress code is the same as in the theme parks (see above), however because the nightclubs attract a more adult crowd, they've learned to relax their rules a lot during Gay Day, especially inside the more popular clubs like Mannequins Dance Palace and 8TRAX that end up almost exclusively gay during Gay Day. You're not supposed to take off your shirt while in the clubs, but when the crowd is almost entirely gay and lesbian, Disney has learned to look the other way about it, since there's no one to complain, and frankly there's far too many people crowded together for Disney to manage to even get to everyone doing it to ask them to put their shirt back on. It would be prudent to be a good neighbor, however, and put your shirt back on when going outside of the club onto the Pleasure Island streets.

What time do the clubs close?

Generally clubs close at 2 am. In certain areas, such as Lake Buena Vista, where Downtown Disney Pleasure Island is located, clubs could close at 3 am but by a gentleman's agreement with Orange County and the City of Orlando, they voluntarily close at 2 am to maintain consistency throughout the area. Because of numerous problems experienced by a handful of clubs in downtown Orlando, very few clubs remain open after hours anymore, and those that do tend only to do so for an extra hour. During the after-hours time, they do not serve alcoholic beverages, though some will let you continue drinking those you have purchased prior to 2 am. There is generally no restriction on after-hours events themselves, unless they take place at a location with a club liquor license. For that reason, the popularity of such events as Magic Journeys, the Gay Day after-hours parties presented by Mark Baker Productions, has skyrocketed in recent years.

Protests

Do you know of any planned protests this year?

No. If you hear of any plans, please share them with us by mailing details to info@gayday.com.

Is there anything we should do to show support for Disney?

The best thing you can do is to have a good time during the Gay Day weekend. And when you do, stop in at guest relations in the theme park sometime during the day and thank them for it. The folks at guest relations are the ones on the front lines dealing with the homophobic park guests who can't stand the idea of being in the parks with a bunch of "faggots" who don't have the decency to hide it. They do this all day long, and if you've ever listened to people complain all day long you know how much this can drag down your day. These folks appreciate a little happiness and deserve to be flooded with good comments and appreciative words. In The Magic Kingdom, guest relations is located in City Hall, to the left of the main entrance as you enter the park.

Is there anything we should do to show support for Universal?

The best thing you can do is to have a good time during the Gay Day weekend. We're excited that Universal Orlando Resort will be working directly with us this year to make the Gay Day 15 Year Celebration extra special. If you enjoy your visit or a cast member did something to make your visit extra special, please let the officials at Islands of Adventure know!

What do I do if someone tries to start a fight or makes insulting comments to me?

It's rare that anyone actively tries to interfere with another guests enjoyment of the parks, but sometimes in the heat of the moment, it happens. If you find yourself in the middle of this sort of situation, find a cast member or security host and inform them. They will deal with the problem immediately. Don't get dragged into a war of words with another guest, and by all means, don't let someone ruin your day. Ignore their comments, tell someone in authority about the incident, and get on with your day.