question about gay days

[dcibrando]

I have a friend of mine who is taking his wife and 5 year old daughter to Disney for the first time in early June. One of the days they are scheduled to go to Epcot, it is also been said this is the park for gay days that day. Now... not knowing anything about this or what the crowd/atmosphere is like... should he be concerned about what his 5yr old daughter may see and try to go to another park...or is it not that big of a deal and everyone just pretty much blends together in the normal crowds?

[tammycooley]

I believe Sunday June 3rd is the day for EPCOT..is that the day your friend is going?

[blackride]

It's really not that big of a deal at all. We happened to be there one year when it was going on and I really didn't even know until I saw a t-shirt saying so.....

[sbkline]

Originally Posted by dcibrando

I have a friend of mine who is taking his wife and 5 year old daughter to Disney for the first time in early June. One of the days they are scheduled to go to Epcot, it is also been said this is the park for gay days that day. Now... not knowing anything about this or what the crowd/atmosphere is like... should he be concerned about what his 5yr old daughter may see and try to go to another park...or is it not that big of a deal and everyone just pretty much blends together in the normal crowds?

I understand the concern, as I wouldn't be thrilled with my children being exposed to that kind of thing either.

However, I have been told that the only really noticeable thing that the gays do on gay day is that they all dress in red. So, you and your family may notice a bunch of same ______ couples wearing red shirts, but from what I have read, that's about it...except for some hand holding perhaps. I'd just soon not go when that event is taking place, but I guess if all we had to see was a bunch of people wearing red, then it wouldn't be so bad.

[The Mom]

At age 5 their daughter will be completely oblivious to a bunch of gay people having a great time, just as she probably wouldn't notice any other adults having fun.

The only unusual thing my daughter (at around that age) noticed was a man wearing a princess hat. I told her he was being silly, she giggled, and that was that.

Just a warning; if this thread turns nasty (and they always seem to do so) it will be locked. As Flower's mother would say, "If you can't say something nice..." Or at least polite, and not hurtful/insulting to others, then don't say anything at all.

[tigsmom]

There are gay couples and families in WDW everyday and nobody seems to care, but throw in the words "Gay Days" and everybody goes crazy. I have seen straight couples acting more inappropriately than any gay couple we have encountered.

They will probably encounter groups of people dressed in the same color/style shirts, but we've seen that before too, as its an easy way to keep track of your party. Maybe they will be holding hands or have their arms wrapped around each other's waist (my DH & I do that ). They really have nothing to worry about and if they do see something that they deem inappropriate then I am sure they will be skilled enough to divert their child's attention away, as there is so much to see and do in WDW, more easily than if they were in their local mall.

Tell them to relax and have a great time.

[Angelo-Titan]

I can say that a couple of years ago we were at Disney during Gay days, and everything was ok, just real, real crowded. Some of the shirts that we saw were a bit distasteful. But I guess this is only a concern for families with older children (high school age kids).

[Master Yoda]

Many people are under the misconception that Gay Days transform WDW into hedonism at the Magic Kingdom and nothing could be further from the truth. It has been my experience that most gay couples behave themselves much better in public that hetero ones. About the worst you will see is a couple of guys or girls holding hands. There will always be those that want to make you stare but those couples are few and far between. I have been during Gay days with my family every year for the past 4 years and only run into 1 such couple. If anything I might avoid the designated park simply because it will be more crowded.

[hakunamatata]

Actually, we found the parks to be worse when Pop Warner is there.

[Master Yoda]

Originally Posted by hakunamatata

Actually, we found the parks to be worse when Pop Warner is there.

Don't forget the infamous cheer leading competitions.

[timoteo]

It will be crowded at MK on saturday especially by parade time. The other parks on saturday, sunday, and friday will be fine. Also, make no mistake, saturday at MK can be really fun. If you go early and leave early you will be fine. There are a lot of really big fans of Disney there, I mean big fans, these are people who love the magic, songs, rides, and the theater that is Disney. You might find you have a lot in common with these folks and feel a bit jealous that they seem to be having a really great time. There will be a buzz in the air, but it is certainly a good buzz and I doubt you would encounter any inappropriate behavior that you would not encounter say with any happy, fun loving folks, hopped up on rides, sugar, and fat. I think the day is better than say a grad night event which has a teenage edge that can be a little scary.

[Lokheed]

If you are worried that your friend's daughter will see the kind of outlandish and sometimes obscene behavior that you might see at a San Francisco gay pride event, you needn't be. While there are certainly events that inspire that kind of thing in participants, Gay Days at WDW is not one of them. As others in the thread have said, pretty much what your friends will encounter is lots and lots of people wearing the same color shirt. As a matter of fact, my experience has been that what you are seeing is not a bunch of couples but rather entire extended families visiting the parks together. The event is about family and friends enjoying the parks together, and that's about it. No worries.

[Shaman]

So my questions is...how does the OP know the details behind Gay Days? It's not Disney sponsored...would they advertise that on their site? I'm thinking you have to really go out of your way to KNOW what will be happening during Gay Days...the schedule, etc...

dcibrando, tell your friend to go to the parks, relax and enjoy their time with those accompanying him. Tell him to forget everything else, especially the chipped paint and the worn carpet in some places . Disney takes care of the rule breakers 365 days a year, if and when something out of the ordinary occurs.

Honestly....some Disney Characters at a Meet and Greet will cause more trauma to a 5 year old....than a bunch of people have fun at a Disney park.

[SallyShine]

Originally Posted by Master Yoda

Many people are under the misconception that Gay Days transform WDW into hedonism at the Magic Kingdom and nothing could be further from the truth. It has been my experience that most gay couples behave themselves much better in public that hetero ones.

[Master Yoda]

Originally Posted by SallyShine

and you issue with my statement is......