ABOVE: Tidal Wave pool party in 2018. (Photo by Jake Stevens)
ORLANDO | As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow in the U.S., Tidal Wave Party has officially become the first group to cancel its 2020 events for Orlando’s first weekend of June LGBTQ celebration.
“Tidal Wave is labor of love for us and we did not come to this decision easily,” the group wrote in a statement posted to its website March 28.
Tidal Wave has hosted the bear community’s annual celebration during the Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom weekend for the last 14 years and planned to hold this year’s event at the B Resort & Spa June 4-8. Tidal wave 14 will now take place June 3-7, 2021.
“We did consider rescheduling it for later in the year,” the group wrote. “But with all the uncertainty about the progression of the virus and when things will return to ‘normal’ we just aren’t comfortable rescheduling the event for later this year. We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to adjust their plans.”
Tidal Wave has been working with the B Resort and Expo Pass, the group’s ticket vendor, and presented two options to individuals who purchased tickets and hotel packages for this year’s event.
The first option is to move your 2020 Tidal Wave ticket and B Resort reservations to the 2021 dates. The second option is to cancel the room and tickets for a full refund. To avoid additional fees adjustments or cancellations must be done by March 31.
“We are pleased to announce that we were able to negotiate current contract room pricing with the B Resort,” Tidal Wave states. “If you maintain your 2020 Tidal Wave tickets & hotel room reservation as is, we will transfer both ticket and hotel room type for 2021, ensuring that current pricing structure is honored.”
After March 31, any cancellations will incur a 4.95% processing fee and result in a forfeiture of the room reservation, meaning if later you decide to attend in 2021 you will need to rebook the room and tickets.
Tidal Wave states that anyone who booked at the DoubleTree, the group’s overflow hotel, and do not cancel will get first choice of available rooms at the B Resort.
Less than a day after Tidal Wave made the announcement, scammers began trying to take advantage of those who had tickets and room reservations, the group said. Tidal Wave made several posts on its Facebook page, one with a text message and one with an event’s page both falsely stating the group was purchased and the 2020 events were still going on as planned.
“All of the accurate and factual information can be found on our website,” Tidal Wave wrote. “Please report this event and share to ensure no one is harmed by this person.”
The fake event page lists a website PigletWeek.ecwid.com with a Fort Lauderdale phone number (area code 954). The text message, which reads “We bought out their cancellation at the B. Tidal Wave Orlando is back on,” came from a Central Florida number (321 area code) and refers back to the 954 number.
The website address for the fake event takes you to the Beach Bear Weekend page. Beach Bear Weekend is an LGBTQ event which in the past has been promoted by Craig Jungwirth, a Florida man who was arrested in 2016 in connection to social media posts threatening a Pulse-style attack against the LGBTQ community in South Florida. The case was later dropped due to “weak” evidence against him.
For more information and a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit TidalWaveParty.com.
