When is gay days?

[nelson84]

Just looking to avoid this time of year. Is it for a week or a month? When does it start and finnish?

 

[Alesia]

This should cover it: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-gay-days.htm

 

[Oswin]

It starts in early June and finishes by the second week of June. It's one of the "slower" times of the summer, so if you were avoiding it because of crowd concerns, it's not an issue.

 

[Planogirl]

It starts in early June and finishes by the second week of June. It's one of the "slower" times of the summer, so if you were avoiding it because of crowd concerns, it's not an issue.

Is it slower? I'd heard from friends that have gone that the park of the day could get quite busy.

But then is there really a slower time any more?

 

[hiroMYhero]

The following info is from the Gay and Lesbian at Disney DISboards forum:

"2016 will mark the 26th year for Gay Days! As always, the days fall just before and around the first weekend in June. This year, most official events fall between Tuesday, 5/31 and Sunday, 6/5."

There's a lot of pertinent info included in that helpful forum.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Ok. So you're trying to avoid gay days and parking fees. Anything else you need to steer clear of?

 

[jsutherin1]

Some of us think that they are all gay days at Disney and it is fantastic! Feel free to join the fun any time

 

[Skywise]

Traditionally the first weekend in June - 2-5 this year I believe.

It was pretty packed last year at the MK for the specified day. The only other time I've been in the specified park for the day was DHS a couple of years back and it was packed then too but that was the same weekend Mark Hamill showed up for Star Wars Weekends so that's not a good example!

 

[wdwiala]

I do believe that the celebration tries to have festivities at certain parks on certain days. The DIS has last years schedule here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-gay-days.htm. It mentions that the chosen park can have upwards of 50,000 people on these days.

 

[Oswin]

Is it slower? I'd heard from friends that have gone that the park of the day could get quite busy.

But then is there really a slower time any more?

There are "slower", that's why I used quotation marks. Slower than the jam packed times but not what most people think of as slow. The fact that a lot of schools aren't out until June 5/6 helps with the first half of the week for gay day crowds. The parks of the day can be busy, but not overwhelmingly more than when other groups go to the parks. I think people think it's more so because of a lot of red shirts all around. A lot of people tend to avoid the chosen park of the day for whatever reason so crowds can be hit or miss. The MK day is probably the most crowded.

 

[Skywise]

A lot of people tend to avoid the chosen park of the day for whatever reason so crowds can be hit or miss. The MK day is probably the most crowded.

Yeah, it's not NYE type crowds - but it's crowded enough that whole streets were blocked and groups tended to ride rides en masse which spiked wait times.

 

[mom2rtk]

It starts in early June and finishes by the second week of June. It's one of the "slower" times of the summer, so if you were avoiding it because of crowd concerns, it's not an issue.

There are enough schools out by then that the parks are very busy. We were in the MK last year on 6/6 and it was every bit of the level 9 crowd day it was predicted to be.

 

[MainMom]

We will be there over some of those days. We're just avoiding the park of the day.

 

[mom2rtk]

We will be there over some of those days. We're just avoiding the park of the day.

That's all you really have to do. And that's only so you can avoid the additional crowds.

 

[MainMom]

That's all you really have to do. And that's only so you can avoid the additional crowds.

Exactly.

 

[redsbe]

• Thu, June 2 - Animal Kingdom
• Fri, June 3 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Sat, June 4 - Magic Kingdom
• Sun, June 5 - Epcot

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Is it slower? I'd heard from friends that have gone that the park of the day could get quite busy.

But then is there really a slower time any more?

It's been many many years since I have been at WDW on gay days, but when we were at Disneyland during gay days, we just made sure to be at the park that wasn't the park of the day and the crowds were A LOT smaller. We tried going to DCA when it was the park of the day and then headed to Disneyland and definitely saw a difference. It used to be the same at WDW, but again, it's been quite some time since I was there during that time of year.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

• 
  
  
  • Thu, June 2 - Animal Kingdom
  • Fri, June 3 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
  • Sat, June 4 - Magic Kingdom
  • Sun, June 5 - Epcot

This is great because none of these are the parks that easywdw recommends on those days, anyway. If crowds are what you want to avoid, looks like Josh would recommend:

• 
  
  • Thu, June 2 - Magic Kingdom
  • Fri, June 3 - Epcot
  • Sat, June 4 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
  • Sun, June 5 - Animal Kingdom

 

[redsbe]

Based on Josh and our schedule we are going:
Tues evening MK, ME to resort around 2pm, going to try and close park at midnight!
Weds MK will be there for RD!
Thurs DHS more relaxing day, key FP+ in morning, may take mid rest break, back for evening
Fri AK again perhaps not RD as having key FP+ in morning
Sat Epcot aiming for RD
Sun am MK checkout, hit few key rides and FP+, final shopping before ME to airport in afternoon

 

[Catvondita]

Are you trying to avoid because of busy crowd concerns?