This summer, visitors to Disneyland Resorts in Anaheim, California, will have a new event to look forward to in June: Pride Nite! According to Disney, the official name for the event will be Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite, and it will be held on two separate nights — June 13 and 15 — to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Disneyland first teased the news on Instagram over the weekend
The post, which has since gone viral, says the two-night event will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies with a dance party, photo ops, and so much more.
According to 10 News San Diego, it'll kick off with a three-hour pre-party mix-in from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT, followed by a private party that runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. PT.
Scoring tickets may not be easy, though
Disneyland says that space will be limited, meaning that tickets could also be hard to come by. But if you or anyone you know is interested in coming, and happen to be Magic Key holders, you'll be able to buy them on presale starting Tuesday, April 18, at 9:00 a.m. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Thursday, April 20, at 9:00 a.m. All will be available online at Disneyland.com.
While there, guests can expect to see several iconic characters all wearing specially designed outfits made just for the event.
We're talking Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Clarabelle, Donald, Daisy, and even Goofy!
There's only one real requirement: Guests better bring their dancing shoes
There will be nonstop fun at the Ohana Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace, Pride Nite Dance Club along the Rivers of America, and even country line dancing at the Golden Horseshoe.
According to News 10, fans have actually been holding their own unofficial "Gay Days" at Disneyland and Walt Disney World since the 1990s. In fact, when Disneyland Park used to close early, businesses could rent it out for private events.
It was during that time that a private group began renting out the park to hold a "Gay Night." But despite being popular, it was canceled in 1998 — sparking the launch of "Gay Days Anaheim," which was similar to another event going on at Walt Disney World.
That said, both events are unofficial and are not represented by the company.
Now Pride Nite is taking over and fans are psyched
The first-ever Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite is coming to @Disneyland during Pride Month in June! This separately ticketed event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community & allies will have themed entertainment, Disney characters, specialty menu items & more: https://t.co/Y6vOJ3QXms pic.twitter.com/j97sB1kHod
— Disney (@Disney) April 17, 2023
"Beautiful," one user said in response to the news on Twitter.
"Thank you Magic Kingdom for providing a safe and happy place," added someone else.
Even non-Disney fans were applauding the decision.
"I've never been a big fan of Disney, especially Disney World," wrote one commenter. "Too commercial, too geared toward profit, just too much."
"But I gotta say, I'm loving it right now!" they went on.
On the Instagram announcement, people were also happy to hear about Pride Nite.
"The happiest place on earth; applies to everyone, not just straight people," one person wrote.
And while there was a fair amount of pushback on the decision, many users came out to denounce the hateful comments.
"I applaud Disney for this," added someone else. "Looks like so much fun. And for those who don’t like it — don’t buy tickets to attend the party. Really so simple."
