Stateside, however, Disney can’t shake this unspoken, closeted attitude. While Disneyland Paris is the most out and proud and vocal, you won’t see any Pride merch or philanthropic efforts mentioned at Shanghai Disneyland. The event paused amid the pandemic, but is still listed on the park’s website and labeled explicitly “Pride.” It’s a reminder that what we see as American consumers is different than what park guests in other countries see. In 2019, Disneyland Paris debuted a full-on queer production with Mickey and Minnie in rainbow outfits and LGBTQ+ celebrities such as Boy George riding on rainbow-clad floats.
The bizarre irony is that, across the pond, you can actually attend a Disney Pride parade. But more than 25 years later, Disney World still turns a blind eye to a sea of Gay Days guests in red shirts taking group photos in front of Cinderella Castle. The tone softened and the signs eventually went away. In the early years of Gay Days, signs were posted at the entrance to Magic Kingdom alerting guests that a large number of homosexuals were inside the park.
Its neutral stance has come a long way though. With all the rainbow stuff to buy and limited-edition rainbow treats to eat, you almost forget the elephant in the parks: Disney doesn’t officially recognize Gay Days. The new merch rollout arrived ahead of June, a month that (when there’s not a global pandemic) sees thousands of LGBTQ+ Disney fans at Walt Disney World for Disney Gay Days. The merch is cute (and I will get my hands on those rainbow Ewoks!) but what I really want to see in the parks is more services and more sensitivities for queer guests.Ĭontinue Reading Article After Our Video Recommended Fodor’s Video For the first time in park history, there’s a piece of merchandise-the iconic Mickey silhouette pin-with the transgender Pride flag, bisexual Pride flag, lesbian Pride flag, and the Philadelphia eight-stripe Pride flag which features a black and brown stripe for intersectionality with people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. The Rainbow Disney Collection is an explosion of fun, queer merch and it’s not just rainbows. This year, Disney Parks debuted a massive collection of Pride merchandise that, for the first time in company history, features rainbow designs and logos from all four major brands under the mouse umbrella: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. As a queer Disney fan, it often feels like Mickey takes one step forward and two steps back. Small signs with small fonts detailed the philanthropic annual donation of $100,000 to GLSEN, but as soon as June 30 became July 1, the signs were taken down and the same merchandise was dispersed and shuffled around gift shops as general rainbow gear. In years past, June meant quietly rolling out a handful of rainbow t-shirts and keychains with a wink-wink vibe. Walt Disney World walks a fine line to please all guests while not aggravating its core, often conservative fan base. proclaims, “I prefer to say gay,” a variation of a rallying cry against the law.Rainbow merch for June is great, but here’s how Mickey could make the parks more magical and welcoming for LGBTQ+ guests every day of the year. Its official sponsor, the KindRED Pride Foundation, is encouraging attendees to wear red to Disney June 4 “to remind Disney how powerful visibility is.”Īn official red shirt sold by Gay Days, Inc. This year’s Red Shirt Day also takes the form of a protest. Thousands will wear the color in a display of unity and recognition of LGBTQ+ history Saturday, which marks the official Red Shirt Day at the Magic Kingdom. The Human Rights Campaign vowed to refuse Disney’s money until it saw the company make real progress toward its promises to advocate for LGBTQ+ communities.Īt Gay Days, organizers encourage attendees to wear red shirts at the theme parks in keeping with a tradition set during the first event in 1991. Though he said he was disappointed in Disney’s initial “non-verbal condemnation” of the bill, Manley said he was satisfied by its response afterward, including a pledge to donate $5 million to LGBTQ+ organizations. “It’s my way of saying, ‘It might not have been the best response, but it was enough,” said Logan, 54. Jeff Logan of Tampa said Disney employees vocally opposing the legislation caused Disney to do “enough to get angry.” His visit to the park Wednesday proved that the company has regained his trust, he said. DeSantis slammed Disney for its actions, initiating a fight that led to the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and some conservatives boycotting the company.