All a matter of taste. I dislike mob type crowds and overly loud music and circuit parties are my idea of hell (right up there with Disneyworld at Spring Break). I don't care if I ever go back to Palm Springs.
I did enjoy Sitges (shoulder season) when it wasn't so crowded. Many big European cities can provide you with a gay holiday. Madrid, Amsterdam and Rome are on my list. I'm anxious to get back to Berlin.