What a difference a year makes.
For the past decade or so, Gay Days has been the biggest multi-day LGBT gathering in the nation; a dazzling and diverse array of unique events with broad appeal. But last year, the dramatic last-minute implosion of party promoter Johnny Chisholm cast a dark cloud over the weekend and the future. Due to alleged non-payment of bills, his big nighttime theme-park events were forced out of spectacular local theme parks to less exotic locations, where they tanked.
Many wondered what the impact would be on the 20th anniversary of Gay Days. Turns out they needn’t have. Established promoters powered through with their most successful year ever, and others stepped in to fill the nighttime party void with fresh and exciting new events. In time, GD 2010 will likely be remembered as a pivotal year.
“This is a rebuilding year,” said Girls in Wonderland’s Alison Burgos. “And from that perspective, things are going really well.”
As always, there was some drama leading up to the big weekend. GayDayS.com flexed some muscle in order to protect their trademark, and Watermark ticked off the Parliament House with an awkwardly placed billboard for its Stratosphere Party.
But if 2010 proved nothing else, it was that GayDayS.com is a brand worth protecting. For tens of thousands, the GayDayS.com hotels and surrounding events are Gay Days Weekend. Relocated to the massive 1,000-room Doubletree Resort Orlando, and with additional rooms booked at seven spillover hotels, GayDayS.com offered a menu of packed expos, films, seminars, shows and pool parties appealing to attendees from all 50 states and around the world. Many arrived as early as Tuesday. The package is so appealing that many locals now relocate for the weekend.
“By Sunday I was tired of seeing hot men in small bathing suits,” deadpanned comedian Jeff Jones, who opened for Joan Rivers at Hard Rock Live on Friday night and performed with Alec Mapa at the Doubletree on Sunday.
Parking was challenging at peak times, and there were some complaints about venue confusion at the huge complex. But many others enthused about feeling embraced by the Doubletree staff.
According to GayDayS.com co-owner Chris Alexander-Manley, 2010 was the best year to date. He described “excellent crowds” for comedy shows featuring Mapa, Michele Balan and Vicki Shaw, and pool parties so packed that they spilled over onto hotel grounds.
“We had 17,000 people go through our Expo,” Alexander-Manley said. “Most of the vendors already want to sign up for next year, so we’ll expand it to make it even bigger. I just wish we could make the pool area larger.”
Making their way through the Expo, a lesbian couple from South Florida lamented that more Gay Days events are not designed for boys and girls. But there was certainly no lack of women in Orlando. Once again, the Girls in Wonderland franchise proved a popular draw throughout the weekend.
By Friday afternoon, the pool at the sold-out Marriott Courtyard Lake Buena Vista Village was cranking with an excited—and decidedly sexual—energy. A strategically placed riser invited singles and couples to take the spotlight, encouraged by hoots and hollers. It was even more crowded on Saturday.
“This is our first Gay Days and we took a chance and booked a room here,” said one breathless couple from Jacksonville. “It’s unbelievable… I just hope we survive.”
Burgos offered her girls a full lineup of events, including the pool parties and a comedy show with Suzanne Westenhoeffer. But the highlights were two parties at impressive Downtown Disney venues: Climax at Bongo’s on Friday night, and the Wild Wild South party at House of Blues on Saturday. Both lived up to their billing as among the best women’s parties anywhere.
At Bongo’s, go-go girls and a tightly packed house created a sexy atmosphere both inside for dance music, and outside for Latin-Salsa. At House of Blues, an estimated 2,000 crowded the dance floor and marveled at a dazzling Cirque-type show. Burgos also produced Grind, a Thursday night kickoff dance event at House of Blues that drew several hundred.
Back in Orlando proper, the Parliament House once again drew huge crowds throughout the weekend with foam, porn stars, enhanced lighting effects and an impressive lineup of talent. Reminiscent of the old Pleasure Island Days, there were pyrotechnics at midnight on Thursday night. On Friday, Deborah Gibson stayed until 3 a.m. to sign autographs for fans. And on Sunday, Frenchie Davis performed before American Idol’s Blake Lewis, who had to be pulled off the stage after 1 a.m. due to a thunderstorm.
“We wanted to create a party that older and younger crowds could enjoy,” said owner Don Granatstein. “The light show was a real highlight. It was the best Gay Days ever, and definitely the most fun.”
This year much of the focus was on a new menu of ambitious nighttime parties, many created by respected producer Mark Baker, who returned to Orlando’s big gay weekend after a five-year absence. Locals and circuit types both wondered whether they could replace the bad vibe left by Chisholm last year.
With the backdrop of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon—and thousands of buff guys in bathing suits—Let’s Go Play shook things up on Friday night by bringing live acts to the water park party. Debby Holiday and Francilla both performed for several thousand attendees.
“The party has a reputation and a devoted following,” said organizer Terry DeCarlo. “It was a big success. People loved it.”
Across town, the bears convened at Wet ‘n Wild for the 5th Tidal Wave Party, this year drawing an estimated 1,000 furry men. There were some complaints about slow lines getting in, but organizers were overjoyed with a party that keeps growing each year.
The following night the magic moved to the huge Music Plaza at Universal Studios Orlando for Watermark’s inaugural Stratosphere Party. With screams from the spine-tingling Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster as backdrop, superstar DJ Tony Moran was the focal point for a jaw-dropping light and sound display created by Baker. The thousands in attendance cheered as Moran sang, with pyrotechnics erupting all around him. The spectacular location, shriek-inducing rides, and state-of-the-art sound and light show garnered glowing praise.
“This was the party by which all future parties will be measured for years to come,” said What’s Happening Magazine’s Peter and Frank Aguas-Garcia.
Sunday night featured more spectacle at Baker’s Fasscination party at Hard Rock Live. Costumed performers like Circuit Mom and Kitty Meow interacted with laser, smoke and other lighting effects, all for a crowded dance floor for that cheered each wave of sensation. Baker’s late-night parties at Arabian Nights were also well-attended, and his first-ever host hotel sold out.
While the nighttime parties did not reach attendance levels of peak years in the past, when as many as 7,000 would pack into a single venue, reviews were glowing and promoters are already gearing up for next year.
“We really got past the whole ‘been there, done that’ perception that was starting to creep into the picture,” said Baker, who is touting his lineup of events as ‘Wonderland Weekend’. “Every year we need to step back and think about fresh new parties and new audiences. We need to be creative and innovate. We established that this year and I think it was a huge success.”
Ironically, perhaps the only down side to the 20th anniversary of Gay Days was decreased attendance at the place where the event originated—the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. There were plenty of same-sex couples and bears lined up at the Country Bear Jamboree, but the sea of red shirts in front of Cinderella’s Castle before the 3 p.m. parade never materialized.
At 20, perhaps Orlando’s world-class LGBT event has eclipsed its namesake.
