If parents take their kids to Disney World on the wrong day, they can get more than they bargained for.
gaydays.com
Since its inception in 1991, Gay Days has survived both criticism and indifference and has emerged as not just a survivor, but a winner. It's been attacked by the American Family Association, it's been besieged by undercover photographers attempting to covertly capture images of sexual misconduct in America?s favorite family playground, it's endured the dire prophecies of Pat Robertson, and it has suffered the indignity of signs at Disney entrances "warning" others of the presence of large numbers of gay and lesbian visitors. And for many years, it was pretty much ignored by the press and Orlando's hotel/motel industry.
Today, most of the controversy and apathy have disappeared. The protesters and the warning signs at the Magic Kingdom entrance have been replaced by smiling cast members welcoming Gay Days visitors with unscheduled entertainment at the Castle Forecourt, expanded park operating hours, and a fireworks display usually reserved for the peak summer season and holidays. Hotels and motels all over Orlando are signing the "Gay Days Friendly Pledge" and requests for interviews center around economic impact and entertainment value rather than conflict and comets from hell.
When 1 Gay Day became Gay Days
One sign of the event's refusal to die has been its relentless expansion. What began as a single-day visit to the Magic Kingdom has expanded to a weeklong vacation celebration attracting more than 135,000 Gay Days revelers to more than 40 citywide events. Attendees from across the nation and around the globe will infuse an estimated $100 million-plus dollars into the local economy. Year after year, old events continue and new events and new life is added to this annual event. Local business and club owners add to the excitement with special nights and expanded entertainment options aimed at Gay Days attendees. But the growth of the phenomenonal event was gangly and chaotic, with no central hub of activity, no Gay Days visitor?s center, and most regretably, no central agency to help visitors acquire tickets for the myriad of events. Gay Days was gaining popularity, but it was getting more and more difficult to plan for.
Web-Based Company Nets Gay Days Unity & Acceptance
When GayDayS.com launched in April of 1998, not only did Orlando's Gay Days gain an impressive state of- the-art marketing tool, it acquired the first ever year-round staff of professionals dedicated to establishing Gay Days as a fully recognized and respected addition to the Central Florida tourism and cultural calendar. In 1999, GayDayS.com/Gay Days, Inc., was added (albeit with some hesitation by the OCCVB) to the membership roster of the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau where it remains an active and respected member of this influential association. The company is a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), the Metropolitan Business Association and is a registered seller of travel in the state of Florida.
Gay Days Wins - - Detractors Retreat
In the end, persistence, tolerance, and economics won out. The espionage efforts have proven expensive and ineffectual. The Southern Baptist boycott has been pretty much a failure, and Pat Robertson's dire warnings of hell and brimstone have failed to set the city on fire. Now, hotels are rushing to become a Gay Days Co-Host Hotel property, national businesses like Bud Light & Virgin Megastore are sponsors, national media attend and highlight the major economic benefits, and the Mayor of Orlando and the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners have offered Gay Days visitors a hearty welcome and have even attended Gay Days events. This Year, it only gets better!
Many people have contributed to the incredible success and unprecedented growth of this wonderful vacation opportunity. Without every one of them, this phenomenon we call Gay Days just wouldn't be the same.
But the real success of Gay Days is attributable to you, the Gay Days attendee. Whether you attend every party listed in the Official GayDayS magazine, or just lounge around the Host Hotel pools enjoying the atmosphere, count yourself among those who contribute to the success and growth of an event that's all about being you. Put on a red t-shirt, head out into the Florida sunshine and have a gay old time!
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