For those making the annual pilgrimage to “Gay Day” Weekend at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida each June, the One Mighty Weekend party tickets for 2009 just went on sale this week. About the same time each year, Johnny Chisholm’s One Mighty Weekend offers tickets for 25% off only during the first week of sales.
For example, a Main Party Pass which includes the three big events: Beach Ball, One Mighty Party and the All Stars Party, costs only $168.75 compared to regular price of $225. Purchased individually, which many people will do, the three parties are $95 each!
Gay Day Orlando attracts 135,000 revelers to more than 40 citywide events, spending an estimated $100 million-plus dollars.
Each year the One Mighty Party group virtually sells out the recently remodeled 1000 room Buena Vista Palace which includes three days of intense pool parties with some of the nation’s top DJs Friday-Sunday from Noon to 6pm. Year after year the One Mighty Weekend events are voted the top in the nation and despite its reputation of catering to “buff circuit boys” many of the events such as Beach Ball do attract a generous mix of people from all ages and body types.
The competing group, GayDayS Orlando, sells out the Royal Plaza Hotel each year, which has also recently gone through a complete remodel. They offer six popular but smaller and less coveted pool parties of their own (Friday-Sunday Noon to 2am) and attract a sell out group of conventional gays, that are considered by some to be more “down to earth” and much less driven by the “buff circuit crowd”, if such a term even exists any more.
The two competing hotels for women also sell out each year.
Girls in Wonderland is as exciting as its title sounds and packed full of events all weekend.
The “GayDayS” group offers a popular alternative at the Regal Sun Resort called Girls at Gay Days with three pool parties of their own.
Another group, Gay Day Family, is the newest event to join the activities during Gay Day weekend and anxiously looks to attract gay families with children from around the world.
Personally, I love this weekend in Orlando so much I have gone every single year since the late 90’s for a total of TEN YEARS. I consider Beach Ball to be my favorite event in the world because it is so unique and attracts a sell out crowd each year of over 6000 people to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.
The climax of the theme park events occur on the first Saturday of June every year. Known as “Gay Day at Magic Kingdom”, tens of thousands of gays, lesbians, family and friends converge upon Magic Kingdom. Years ago the Gay Day crowds actually caused the giant theme park to reach capacity. The Saturday crowd has tamed down a bit since the peak attendance years from the past, way back when daily protests about “teh gays” outside Disney were common. Ironically, these protests actually attracted a larger gay crowd to the theme park.
But overall there seems to be something for every gay during Gay Day in Orlando, whether that be a giant circuit party, an early morning prance through the theme park, maybe a gay comedy show or live concert, or last year they even had a gay dog show. (I don’t think it’s the dogs that were gay).
Of course every gay’s favorite airline Alaska Airlines actually offers non-stop flights from Seattle to Orlando but seats are limited and fill up fast. Alaska Airlines was rated 100% by Human Rights Campaign Foundation and listed as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBT employees.
Visit OneMightyWeekend or GayDays for more information.
