Mark Your Calendar: The List of Unofficial Disney Events

The Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World celebrate different events throughout the year: Valentines Day, Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s, and much more. These official Disney events only celebrate a particular calendar holiday. What about celebrating something more unique? That is when unofficial Disney events come into play. Throughout the year, there are special unofficial events take place at Disney parks. These events were created by fans, for fans, to show off their Disney side in a different way. Here is a list of the most well known unofficial Disney events and their affect on crowd levels.

Dapper Day

This is a day to go to Disneyland and look your best. Lots of people come to the parks dressed up in stylish fashions from the past to the present. Started in 2011, Dapper Day is quickly becoming one of the most popular unofficial Disneyland days. There are not only events at Disneyland Resort and Disney World but Disneyland Paris as well. I have never been but a lot of my friends have gone and they always tell me that they have a great time.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels: 

• Friday, September 12 – Disneyland (5/10) and Disney California Adventure (2/10)
• Saturday, September 27 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios (4/10)
• Sunday, March 1, 2015 – Disneyland (8/10) and Disney California Adventure (6/10)
• Saturday, March 14, 2015 – Magic Kingdom (7/10)

Gay Days 

This is the biggest unofficial Disney event of the year, and is one of the largest Gay Pride events in the world. People from all over the world come to joyful event. Disney World’s Gay Days happens in the frist week in June with many schedules events taking place during the week. Disneyland Resort’s Gay Days takes place during the first weekend in October. Disneyland’s Gay Days is not as big as Disney World’s but there is still a large turnout. Disney World’s Gay Days have already taken place, and a schedule for next year’s events has not been released, but below are what the crowds were like at each park while Gay Days events were taking place.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels: 

• Saturday, October 4 – Disneyland (4/10)
• Sunday, October 5 – Disney California Adventure (7/10)
• Thursday, June 3 – Sunday, June 9 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom (6/10), Disney’s Hollywood Studios (7/10), Magic Kingdom (6/10), and Epcot (7/10)

Bats Day

If you like dark and creepy creatures of the night, you might like this event. Bats Day is the second biggest unofficial Disney day only held at Disneyland and takes place during 3-days (Friday through Sunday). Started in 1999, people with interest in goth culture come together to meet and enjoy what Disneyland has to offer. People from all over the country come to this gothic event, and there is a huge group photo that is taken at 1:30 PM in front of Sleepy Beauty’s Castle. Bats Day happened this past May, and below is what the crowd levels were like for Disneyland and California Adventure.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels:

• Sunday, May 18 – Disneyland (6/10) and California Adventure (5/10)

Star Wars Day

Because Disneyland does not have an official Star Wars day, like Disney World does, fans took it upon themselves to make their own. This event has been going on for 10 years and it is a great time to go to Disneyland to meet-up with other Star Wars fans. This is only a one day event and takes place on a Sunday.  The most recent Star Wars Day was in June but check their website for next year’s date.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels:

• Sunday, June 22 – Disneyland (7/10)

Harry Potter Day

Universal Orlando Resort is not the only place where Harry Potter fans can come together and enjoy themselves. Come to Disneyland for Harry Potter Day and you just might spot You Know Who. But don’t worry, muggles, there will be plenty of wizards and witches around to keep you safe. So put on your dress robes, grab your wand, and apparate over to Disneyland on November 2nd.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels:

• Sunday, November 2 – Disneyland (5/10)

Raver Day

Gather up all your neon color clothes and beaded bracelets, this is the most color you will ever see at Disneyland. Ravers come together to celebrate their love for dance music on this single Sunday of the year. At dark, many of the ravers take themselves to Disney California Adventure to the Mad T Party to dance the night away and show of their moves. Raver Day was in June, but check their website often for next year’s date.

Dates, Parks, and Crowd Levels: 

• Saturday, June 14 – Disneyland (8/10) and California Adventure (4/10)

Even though all these events are unofficial, they are some of the best days to go to a Disney theme park. Whenever a group of fans come together to celebrate something, it is always an exciting time. These events bring a different magic and feeling to the parks, and I do hope that more of these unofficial events are created. If you are looking to avoid these days, because you are worried about the parks being too crowded, the biggest 3 to watch out for are Dapper Day, Gay Gays, and Bats Day.

Have you ever been to an unofficial Disney event? What was it like? Did I miss any unofficial days? Please comment below and let me know.