What it was like attending Disneyland's 1st official Pride event
Quick summary
Growing up, I was a ride-or-die Disney kid. From the little Pocahontas doll my dad got me that I carried with me everywhere to nonstop "The Princess and the Frog" songs and movie marathons, Disney played a huge role in my upbringing.
In my teenage years, when I finally came to terms with my sexuality, I leaned on my childhood comfort Disney movies and shows to help me navigate the whole new world I was entering (see what I did there?). From wanting to travel to Neverland with Peter Pan to hoping and dreaming of finding my happily ever after, Disney has served as a makeshift model of what I want my life to be: full of magic, adventure and, most importantly, finding the love within myself and being unconditionally me.
When I heard Disneyland Resort was hosting its first fully Disney-sponsored legit Pride event, I knew I had to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just the thought of celebrating Pride at the Happiest Place on Earth made my heart leap for joy and excitement.
I packed my favorite Mickey Mouse hat and my festive Disney-friendly Pride 'fits and headed westward to Anaheim, California, on a journey to see what Disney's version of a Pride celebration looks – and, more importantly, feels — like.
In case you've wondered the same, this one is for you.
Disneyland Pride basics
Disneyland's official Pride Nite celebrations took place this year on two nights: Tuesday, June 13, and Thursday, June 15.
Given my busy schedule, I opted to make the most of it and decided to spend the weekend in Anaheim, so I went with the latter, even though the truly first night would have been fun. I figured there's no better way to celebrate Pride than with the ones you love. And in that spirit, I recruited my best friend, Sabrina, to come with me to the event.
Immediately as we entered the gates, we were greeted by all the colors of the rainbow. Rainbow-colored decorations, Mickey Mouse ears and colored lighting filled the air. It felt as if someone had dropped a Disneyland-size Skittles bag all over the park, and it came to life.
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The event was a separately-ticketed event, meaning you had to purchase an additional ticket to attend beyond any daytime tickets or annual passes to the park you had. The event cost $139 for a nonrefundable ticket, and for a highly anticipated event like this one, you better "werk," because this event was quite the sellout.
Since I only paid for the Pride Nite event, I was allowed into the park three hours before the event started at 9 p.m. When Sabrina and I arrived at the park around 6:30 p.m., we received a lanyard and a wristband indicating that we were there for the special event. Make sure to keep track of the wristband. Disney cast members were strict about this and frequently verified guests had the required wristband.
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Pride was in the air
On a hunt for Pride-themed Mickey ears, I stumbled upon gems like Pride-themed Disney thermoses, mugs, hats, shirts and so much more. However, everyone else must have grabbed the rainbow ears, making them tough to find.
Finally, just when I was about to give up hope, I spotted a few pairs of Captain America-themed Pride ears. While I'm definitely more of a Scarlet Witch fan (any "WandaVision" fans in the audience?), in the spirit of Pride, I forked over $35 and proudly wore my Captain America Mickey ears.
Pro tip: Order those must-have Pride essentials from ShopDisney online in advance.
With some time to make the most of before the event started, we headed off to the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge part of the park to take advantage of the smaller crowds (since that often occurs with ticketed events). After a short 25-minute wait and ride on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, we stepped outside and into the evening as the sun had set and Galaxy's Edge had become rainbow-hued, which was thrilling to see.
Thirsty and curious to see what Pride-themed options were available, Sabrina and I decided to try the iconic Oga's Cantina for much-needed refreshment.
One of the many things I love and sometimes don't love about Pride is that we're all on pretty much the same wavelength. It was as if the entire park decided that at that very moment, they, too, were also craving a refreshing Outer Rim or a spicy Jedi Mind Trick.
It took some time to get off the waitlist, and just as we were about to book it to get a prime spot for the parade, it was our turn. Inside Oga's, the vibe was the polar opposite of what you might expect at a Disney park bar. It was more reminiscent of something you might expect from a trendy bar in the hills of West Hollywood. Or if you're a ride-or-die New Yorker like me, you may think of that one cosmopolitan bar in the West Village with hoards of people drinking, laughing, toasting and overall just having a good time.
It's easy to forget that while Disney is in many ways focused on families and little ones, even we big kids can have some fun once in a while.
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Unfortunately, Oga's didn't feature any Pride-themed beverages, so I settled on an Outer Rim. Without much time left, Sabrina and I downed our drinks, chatted with a few fellow Pride attendees (following a celebratory toast), and moseyed on over to Main Street, U.S.A for the main event.
As we made our way over to Sleeping Beauty Castle, we looked up to see the legendary nighttime fireworks, where the rainbow began to illuminate the sky. It stopped me in my tracks, and I had to pause and take it all in.
Seeing Disneyland's iconic fireworks with my best friend while at the first official Pride celebration on the streets that Walt built was an emotional experience, to say the least. I'd be lying if I said that my eyes didn't get a little watery, just taking it all in. If there's one thing about Disney, it's that they know how to pull your heartstrings in just the right way to get you to feel something — and it worked.
The Disneyland Pride Parade
After a quick moment of emotions, we made our way to Main Street, U.S.A., where, during the brief intermission between the fireworks and parade, people began to claim spots. Luckily for us, we snagged a view right in the front, enabling us to see the Pride Parade in all its glory.
Main Street, U.S.A., was enveloped in rainbow colors — streetlights illuminated and changed colors, and the buildings shone in rainbow-colored lights. Main Street, U.S.A., turned into Gay Street, U.S.A., in the best way possible.
Sounds of notable queer Icons like Paula Abdul, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga blasted throughout the area. People danced, sang and embraced each other. It restored a lot of hope in humanity. I realized I had lost a little, given everything going on in the world.
Just before 10 p.m., the music stopped, and everyone turned their attention to the front of the park. Mickey and friends in their rainbow finest slowly made their way toward us. As I stood there in excitement, the energy around me was something I don't think I'd ever felt before.
It was vibrant, loud, queer and full of love and support for one another. Brightly colored balloons and silly string were being tossed around the animated crowd.
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As the dancers made their way toward us, with Mickey Mouse and friends only a few feet behind them, I danced like nobody was watching. Move over, Hamburger Mary's, the hottest dance club that evening in Southern California was at Main Street, U.S.A., and luckily for us, we were there, part of it all.
When Mickey and friends appeared, the crowd cheered and roared. There he was, the one and only Mickey Mouse, dapper in his white-and-rainbow outfit, celebrating Pride with the likes of Minnie, Daisy and Donald Duck and my personal favorite, Goofy.
As Mickey waved and hyped the crowd, I yelled for him and Goofy to acknowledge me, and I was met with an air kiss from Daisy, which, hey, I will gladly take. Who am I to decline an air smooch from the Daisy Duck? After Mickey and his friends made their way past Sleeping Beauty Castle, the party continued into the night.
While the party was heating up, we had rides to prioritize before the lines got too long. So we did what any person at Disney would do and briskly headed to the most popular rides before they filled up — Indiana Jones Adventure, I'm talking about you.
After a jolting ride, we spent more time exploring and soaking it all in.
We walked through Adventureland, and the iconic Swiss Family Robinson tree was decked out in, you guessed it, rainbow-colored lighting. Exiting Adventureland toward Frontierland, the party was in full swing, with a live DJ playing those iconic bops I mentioned earlier.
People laughed and danced together, and we wanted to join in the fun. Seeing couples dance together freely was a beautiful sight. It wasn't until pretty recently, in 1985, that Disney finally lifted a decadeslong ban on same-sex partners being allowed to openly dance together in Disneyland.
While that may sound like a lifetime ago by today's standards, in reality, it isn't. Plenty of guests in the park this night were around when this was not a reality.
After a few head bops and hip swings to "Party in The U.S.A." I got a chance to come face-to-face with my favorite, Goofy. The line for photos moved quickly, and he squeezed me in before having to dash off — probably to keep an eye on Max.
Even as an adult, there's something about getting a hug from your favorite Disney character. It feels like home. It was especially warming for me to get a hug from Goofy in his Pride gear. Yes, it's "just a character," but it felt like he saw me and indirectly expressed how proud of me he was for being true to myself, to my community and being here, celebrating Pride. The magic of Disney was alive and well at that moment.
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The party went on well into the night, up until 1 a.m. However, by midnight, like Cinderella, I was ready to call it quits, given my East Coast jet lag and incredibly high daily step count.
As we headed to the front of the park to say farewell to an iconic night, I turned around to take it all in one last time.
The sounds of laughter, the sights of prideful love and happiness — seeing people celebrating just being themselves was a sight I'll remember for a very long time.
Final thoughts
Celebrating Pride for the first time at Disneyland was a once-in-a-lifetime memory.
Since this was the first year it was held, I had no idea what to expect. This was Disney, after all, so I, of course, didn't anticipate the same crowd or debauchery you might expect at a Pride event in West Hollywood or in Hell's Kitchen. The best part about the event was that it was intentionally created to be a family-friendly celebration, meaning that anyone of any age could participate and be a part of the celebration of love, happiness, magic and, most importantly, pride.
The highlight of it all for me was seeing everyone — from grown adults fulfilling their inner child's wishes to little kids being welcomed and embraced by the characters and fellow guests.
I think a lot about the little boy with the Pocahontas doll who loved "The Princess and the Frog."
If only he, too, had the opportunity to celebrate Pride at Disney with a vibrant and loving community surrounding him. I take comfort in knowing that he's still within me — and knowing he would be and is filled with joy beyond words, even now.
For that night, together, under the Disney sights, sounds and rainbow lights, we all became children again – welcomed, included and proud children. If that isn't the magic of Disney at work, well, I don't know what is.
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