Originally Posted by
jamesteroh
Is it worth going to or not really? I see the Doubletree is the host hotel at Sea World this year and they don't have many rooms left. Airfare isn't bad to MCO but not sure I want to be in Florida in June due to the heat. Debating between gay days (never been to MCO) or a long weekend trip to LAX in May.
Also wondering if I flew in that friday afternoon and left monday afternoon if that was enough time to have fun or if I should plan on staying a couple more days (there is no way I can leave before friday afternoon since it's the first of the month and I am an accountant but I could stay a couple more days).
I have been there.
First things first. There are TWO groups organizing events on the same weekend:
http://www.gaydays.com/Orlando/Featured/
(Host Hotel is the Double Tree)
http://markbakerevents.com/
(Host Hotel is the Buena Vista Palace)
I do not think that any of them has the rights to call themselves the "official" gaydays organizer.
I think at one point there were three organizers.
I stayed at the Buena Vista Palace and attended the events organized by MarkBaker. These events strongly lean towards the younger mostly all male circuit crowd. Not that everybody there is a stereotype "circuit boy".
The Buena Vista Palace sold out and it was lots of fun. Constant eye candy by the pool and the after-hours parties are now held in the hotel ballroom which can turn out to be very interesting.
The parties by MarkBaker were pretty good if you like that kind of stuff (Mob of shirtless boys, diva anthems, strobe lights, loud music and dancing). I think this year MarkBaker has one of his night parties at the Universal Studios Theme Park.
One party not to miss (and the least circuit-ish of them all) is the one held at Typhoon Lagoon on Friday night (Starts at 8PM).
You should expect RAIN/SHOWERS. June is rainy season and it is not rare to have a black cloud come by for a few minutes but then it goes away and it is shiny again (typical Orlando?).
I have not attended any of the parties organized by gaydays.com but from what I have heard the crowd is more diverse and mature and is less crazy than at MarkBaker's
Regarding the theme parks during the day, among thousands of tourists, it is hard to tell that it is a gay weekend with the exception of Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday where everybody wears a red t-shirt. Magic Kingdom day was just like any other at Disney but with many folks with red shirts around you. The Red-shirt crowd at Magic Kingdom is also VERY diverse and there are boys and girls.
If I went again I wouldn't miss the Typhoon Lagoon party on Friday night (lots of hot boys in speedos all over the park on the rides, etc and there is also a packed dance floor).
Lots more to say about gaydays orlando but I will just leave it there.
Cheers