Sure, many people have heard of unofficial Disney events like Dapper Day, the annual gathering of thousands of Disney fans wearing their most stylish retro outfits, and Gay Days, which was organized by fans in 1991 and continues to grow. But what about Tiki Day, Bats Day or Villain’s Day? These also may not be “official” Disney events, but they draw lots of like-minded fans to the parks!
Here’s a list of 8 unofficial days that you might not have heard of before but are worth experiencing at least once.
1. Glow Disneyland
Some bright Disneyland fans have come up with a sort of flash mob for the original Anaheim park and Disney California Adventure — they invite anyone and everyone to add glowsticks to their clothing, wear LED hats and shoelaces, or even don battery-powered Christmas lights — anything to make the parks light up even more at night. The organizers advise people not to dress up like they belong on a float on Disneyland’s new Paint the Night parade, because they could violate the park’s rules on attire, but most anything else goes, and attendees can either buy their glow-in-the-dark headbands and other gear at stores before they come to the parks or they can buy it from park vendors. Organizers ask attendees to turn off lighted attire, if possible, before going on any dark rides and they insist that the event is not a rave — it’s just a way to make the parks glow even more than they usually do. More information is available here.
2. Tiki Day
If you’re a fan of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and all other things tiki, you’ll want to make sure you’re free this October. That’s when many fellow fans will don their Hawaiian shirts and colorful leis and celebrate Tiki Day at Disneyland. You can mingle with all kinds of other tiki-holics, pose for a group photo and hit rides like the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean together before watching the birds sing words and the flowers croon. Then, you can go to a meet-and-greet at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar and have a Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum (or two!). More information on this event is still being released on its Facebook page, and its organizers promise even more fun additions to Tiki Day this year!
3. Bats Day
If your tastes run a little darker, this next event may be for you. Bats Day was started in 1999 as a one-day affair and it’s become a three-day weekend event that brings together people who have an interest in genres such as goth, steampunk, rockabilly, Halloween, deathrock, industrial and psychobilly. The first two days of the event take place at its official hotel and include a private dinner and shopping at more than 60 “spooky” vendors, and the third day is spent for Disneyland for meetings and photo opportunities. The next event will take place May 5-7, 2017. Its organizers want to bring the event to Walt Disney World as well, but a date for a Florida event hasn’t yet been scheduled. More information on the California event is available here.
4. Villain’s Day
Villains at Disney parks don’t usually get much respect, so it’s nice to see that they can be honored like kings and queens for at least one day! This event was created by a Facebook group called Circle of Villains and the second gathering, called Villain’s Day 2: Stalk Around the Park, drew more than 1,000 people to Disneyland last February. Guests are asked to “Disneybound” their favorite villains (as traditional costumes aren’t allowed for adults, attendees can dress in clothing reminiscent of the characters, like a white shirt with black polka dots, black pants and red shoes to portray Cruella de Vil) and meet for group photos, a “stalking” of Fantasyland, a “takeover” of It’s a Small World and a dinner. You can learn more here.
5. Haunted Mansion Fashion
During this event Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion fills with fashionable boys and ghouls. And there’s tons of style in the ride to be inspired by — from proper suits on the men featured in the stretching portraits to the eerie damask wallpaper that’s a perfect design for a dress or a tie. More information about this event will be released on its Facebook page.
6. Steam Day
Grab your cogs, gears and aviator goggles — Steam Day celebrates “steampunk,” that science fiction genre that embraces steam-powered machinery over Tomorrowland tech. Steampunk has been featured in Disney movies like “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” and interestingly, steampunk themes and an airship ride were almost added to Disneyland in the 1970s, but the idea never made it off the ground. The event has continued to expand since it began in 2012, and this year, fans are set to gather in November. This group prefers to ride on the Disneyland Railroad and the King Arthur Carrousel, and they also participate in a Steamhunt (steampunk scavenger hunt) that starts at King Arthur’s Sword. More information, including the specific date of this year’s event can be found on Steam Day’s Facebook page or website.
7. Galliday
Hundreds and hundreds of Whovians have been descending on Disneyland for periodic events to celebrate their love of sci-fi institution Doctor Who. “Galliday” is a play on The Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey, .and previous events have played on the history of the show with names like “The Oncoming Storm,” “The Next Regeneration” and “Jelly Baby Jamboree” (which refers to the Fourth Doctor’s favorite snack). Whovians dress up like their favorite characters or in fan T-shirts, search for items to photograph in scavenger hunts and can even participate in Whovian Speed Dating at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar! For more information about this event, click here.
8. Pinup Parade in the Park
This event is similar to Dapper Days, where participants dress up in vintage-inspired outfits, but this one is more focused on the glamorous bombshell pinup look of the 1940s to 1960s. (Think Minnie Mouse, with her cute dresses, matching bows and shoes.) Pinup Girl Clothing, a boutique with a huge online following, hosts the events, which draw hundreds of well-dressed women to Disneyland for goodie bags, trivia and group photos. The parades are typically held twice a year (one was in October 2015 and the last was in April 2016), but a date for the next one hasn’t been announced yet. You can watch Pinup Girl Clothing’s Facebook page for event updates and fashion inspiration.
Most of these events are free with park admission. (Some events outside the parks require separate tickets.) And not only do you get to see Disneyland and Walt Disney World in a whole new light, you get to do it with tons of people who have the same unique interests that you do! The group rides, dinners and meet-ups are also perfect for solo Disney travelers, because you don’t actually have to explore the parks by yourself and you’re likely to meet a lot of interesting people. Have you ever participated in one of these unofficial days? Which one would you most like to attend? Sound off in the comments below!
