Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will once again be filled with a sea of red Gay Days T-shirts this year as the unofficial annual event celebrating LGBT pride returns to the Anaheim theme parks after a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020.

The unofficial Gay Days Anaheim mix-in event returns to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on Sept. 17-19 with theme park meet-ups, trivia games, scavenger hunts, mega group photos and parties.

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The 412-day coronavirus closure of Disneyland and DCA forced the cancellation of Gay Days 2020 on the first weekend in October.

Plans to move Gays Days from October to September have been in the works since 2018 — with an eye toward steering clear of the increasingly crowded Halloween season. Gay Days 2021 was always intended to be the first year on the new weekend in September after more than two decades of taking place in October,

A Mini Gay Days in early March 2020 was the last big pre-lockdown event at Disneyland. Gay Days 2021 will be the first major post-lockdown event at the parks.

 

The first Gay Days Anaheim attracted approximately 2,500 people in 1998. Today, the independently organized annual event brings more than 30,000 Gay Days attendees to Anaheim’s Disney parks during the three-day event.

Gay Days Orlando attracts more than 100,000 attendees each June to Walt Disney World in Florida.

The annual Gay Days Anaheim mix-in event brings a sea of red T-shirts every year to Disneyland and DCA. The official Gay Days Anaheim T-shirt in 2019 featured a Star Wars theme with a stormtrooper on the front and the slogan “May the Fierce Be With You.”

The schedule has not been set yet for Gay Days 2021 — but past years serve as a guide for what to expect.

Friday is arrival day. Saturday is all about Disneyland. Sunday is reserved for Disney California Adventure.

The Disneyland event typically features a scavenger hunt, attraction takeovers on the Mark Twain Riverboat and at the Enchanted Tiki Room with a massive group photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Lunch normally takes place at four Disneyland restaurants: Plaza Inn, Alien Pizza Planet, Rancho del Zocalo and Hungry Bear.

The DCA event usually involves more ride takeovers (Grizzly River Run, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Silly Symphony Swings) plus a group photo on Pixar Pier. Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff is a popular selfie spot throughout the day.