The Power of Shared Experience

Everyone has a different experience with Disney. I (Liz) didn’t grow up going on vacations to Disney. I tagged along to visit Magic Kingdom once when I was eight (my family lived in Tampa) and then once in high school, I worked a part-time job so I could go to Disney World with the marching band. Nicole, on the other hand, went a handful of times with her family until she was in high school. While there’s little LGBTQ representation at Disney, we’ve found Disney to be one of our happy places as a growing family.

Some people get to go once in their lifetime while others can visit the parks every week (looking at you, annual passholders).

Regardless of how one gets to experience Disney, everyone who does is part of a shared experience. This shared experience is unique from other types of trips or vacations because Disney parks offer this sense of a “perfect” world. We all know it’s not; it only takes one hour+ wait in line on hot summer day to know it’s not quite perfect. But there’s this sense of psychological safety (i.e. you always know what that Mickey ice cream bar will taste like), and most of us really enjoy an escape from reality every once in a while.

Disney parks offer one of the few types of experiences where we can engage with hands-on (and sometimes highly immersive) storytelling. We’re not just visiting another state or country; we’re wandering around fictional worlds and lands that we’ve only seen in films. We’re engaging with villains and princesses we might have grown up watching.

All of this is intentional.

Current State of LGBTQ Representation at Disney

In recent years, Disney has worked to elevate representation offered in its storytelling. It’s steadily shifted from “unofficial” visibility to “official” celebration of folks from all kinds of identities and backgrounds, including the LGBTQ+ community.

My wife and I loved to visit the parks just the two of us because we both relished shared experiences with each other. We bonded over our favorite Disney movies. One of our first dates was to see the movie, Brave! Now as a little family of three, we love bringing Skippy to the parks to give them that same sense of shared experience. It’s slow going, but “Doc McStuffins” featuring a two-mom family means the world for the expanding representation that Disney is working toward.

Disney’s “A World of Belonging” is a company-wide initiative that emphasizes representation and diversity. The goal is to really nurture a sense of belonging not only for its employees, but also for the countless people who go to the parks and experience Disney content. This is a super recent initiative starting in 2022, and it’s been a long time coming to get to this point. One can only hope the initiative will spill over to encompass Disney properties in the U.S. as well.

A Legacy of Presence: The History of Disney LGBTQ+ Visibility

In 1991, the very first Gay Days started! Through some grassroots efforts (in this pre-social media era), 3,000+ LGTBQ+ popped on some red shirts and went to Disney World (and other regional theme parks). While few non-participants noticed in the 1990s, Gay Days has grown to one of the biggest LGBTQ+ pride events in the world with more than 150,000 people participating today.

As years went on, Gay Days and other types of Pride events evolved from being “tolerated” to officially sanctioned by Disney. While Gay Days are not officially endorsed by Disney, the company does support other events such as Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite. A lot of these efforts are thanks to some “Behind the Scenes Magic” re: cast members advocating for change internally. It’s a little disheartening to not see a little more transparent information about the internal LGBTQ+-focused groups for Disney World, but Disney Pride UK&I seems to be fighting the good fight.

The Evolution of Pride Month at the Parks

“Don’t Say Gay” Bill

That being said, Disney has a not-so-nice history with the LGBTQ+ community. In 2022, the state of Florida (where Disney World is located, for those who are taking notes), passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, or the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation/gender identity-related conversations for grades K-3 and limited these conversations for older children. I can only imagine the devastation this causes LGBTQ+ families. The thought of Skippy essentially not being allowed to talk about having two moms when they start school? Nope. That’s not OK.

Disney, one of the largest employers in the state and unfortunately one of the key donors to some of the politicians who voted in favor of the act, was slow to declare its position regarding this bill. Then CEO, Bob Chapek stated that they stood behind their Disney LGBTQ+ employees, but that the company would not be taking a stance on the bill.

Outrage ensured. Many employee planned and carried out walkouts in protest. Others declared the company’s statements, “have indicated that leadership still does not truly understand the impact this legislation is having not only on Cast Members in the state of Florida, but on all members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the company and beyond.” In response, Disney reversed its position and declared that it was against the bill. This shift marked a very distinct transition from Disney’s acceptance of the LGBTQ+ to more public-facing allyship.

First Official Pride Event

45 years (yikes, that’s a long time) after the first Gay Days, the first Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite happened. This marked the first officially sanctioned pride event on Disney property. While we haven’t had the opportunity to experience it, we know to expect rainbows around every corner, a special Pride Cavalcade, and apparently Clarabell’s in charge!

Meanwhile, during Pride Month in Disney World, you can find pride-related murals and photo-spots. It sure would be great to see an official pride event there though.

Navigating the Parks: How to Find LGBTQ Celebration & Support

During Pride Month (June!) you can find several different opportunities to celebrate LGBTQ+ identities. Over the years, pride merchandise has evolved from your classic Mickey Mouse with a rainbow to a full blown pride collection each year.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love a classic Mickey representing. As scandalous as it might sound, my wife and I collect pins featuring Minnie and Daisy being “gal pals.” Feel free to read between the lines for our head cannon.

That being said, the opportunity to dress from head (ears!) to toe in the pride collection each year is so fun! You can usually find all, or at least elements, of the complete pride collection in Emporium in Magic Kingdom, Creations in EPCOT, Keystone Clothes in Hollywood Studios, and the World of Disney in Disney Springs.

As previously mentioned, there are also a lot of fun spots to take photos to celebrate! While some of the change/rotate from year to year, you can find Pride Walls (aka rainbow explosions) in several locations in both Disney World and Disneyland. If you’re a fan of the Disney PhotoPass, they also have special limited time Magic Shots each year. The ones from 2024 were super cute!

During pride month, you can also taste the rainbow! Both Disney World and Disneyland have limited time offerings of tasty treats and bites. The options for 2025 looked great! If you have the chance to go to Disneyland’s After Dark Pride Nite, the event also has its own colorful menu!

Beyond the Rainbow: Allyship & the “Fifth Key”

In 2020, Disney added “inclusion” as the fifth key to its core principles. The five keys that (should) guide all efforts and decisions made by cast members are safety, courtesy, show, efficiency, and inclusion. The latest addition was made in an effort to create a warmer, more welcoming culture for all people. These keys anchor Cast Member training. Cast Members are literally trained to help uphold the inclusion standard, and LGBTQ identities are included. All Disney parks are designed to be safe spaces, and it’s reassuring to know that Cast Members are similarly trained to help make everyone feel welcome.

We as guests can also support a welcoming environment. Here are some ways we can do that:

• Show respect: We use the pronouns we see displayed on Cast Members’ nametags.
• Support inclusive storytelling: We show up to see LGBTQ Disney movies (in theaters or streaming) that depict people from all kinds of different backgrounds and wakes of life. We can similarly purchase merchandise in the parks that do this.
• Practice empathy: We never know what someone is going through. If someone cuts you off when you’re walking by Big Top Circus, give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re likely navigating a toddler meltdown and could use a little grace.
• Follow the rules: This one’s easy! When we follow the standard park rules, we do our part to keep everyone safe.

LGBTQ Representation at Disney: The Future of the Fairytale

We’re really glad that there’s an episode of “Doc McStuffins” referencing a two-mom family that Skippy can check out when they’re ready. This kind of representation really matters. Kids need just as many mirror experiences (those that mirror their own lives) as they do window experiences (those that give them a glimpse of experiences outside of theirs). We love that Disney has made progress in LGBTQ+ representation.

It’s sad though that the FIRST official Pride event happened just one year before Skippy was born. Change is slow; we know that. The minimal representation won’t stop us from showing them ALL the Disney movies and taking them to the parks. But we’d LOVE for the parks to get better about making them feel seen in the world.

We can all do our parts to help drive this change. That’s where can make our own magic happen. Our actions (supporting diverse voices, speaking out when we can, etc.) can help nudge that change along. Remember, you don’t need to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to show up. Just be human