Maybe it has something to do with the daily parades of handsome princes and glittering queens. Perhaps it's because Disney brought Peter Pan to life. Whatever the reason, Disney theme parks have a definite gay following, despite their strait-laced, family-values image.

"Why do gay people love Disney so much? People have actually written essays on this topic," say Jeffrey Epstein and Eddie Shapiro in the opening to Queens in the Kingdom: The Ultimate Gay and Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks (first edition Alyson, 2003; second edition Avalon 2007). Fantasy tops this gay duo's list of theories. "The Disney parks are all about transporting us to other worlds," they explain, and thus hold the same allure as Hollywood escapism, theatre, and dance clubs. Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Fantasyland–with the right attitude, a holiday exploring the parks is plain campy fun. "We wrote this guide because, as gay people, we look for something else in a vacation. Something a little less common, a little less obvious. Something fabulous!"

On the book's Web site ( www.queensinthekingdom.com ), Epstein and Shapiro characterize themselves as an "irreverent, occasionally bitchy, frequently drunk (Jeffrey), shockingly easy (Eddie) duo who would never, under any circumstances, ever be commissioned to write an official Disney guidebook". Apparently, it is possible to adore Disneyland if you don't adore rug rats. The two-page section entitled "The Disney Resorts With Kids" opens "Ewwwww. Just kidding”¦this book is not ultimately designed as a guide for families–more of a guide for 'family'."

The book centres on the California and Florida theme parks, reviewing the hotels and restaurants, rating the rides, and exposing the homosexual subtext. (A mural in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride boasts "a cozy pair of female pirates”¦who clearly have no need for any Long John Silvers in their lives".) The 2007 second edition includes new chapters on the Disney Cruise line and the parks in Tokyo and Paris.

Despite their Disney enthusiasm, it's nice to know that the authors haven't lost all perspective. In his Web site overview of Tokyo Disneyland, Epstein admits: "Unless you are completely bonkers, you're unlikely to travel to the other side of the globe just to go to Disneyland."

That said, there's nothing off the wall about a weekend jaunt down to Anaheim. What better time to go than for the unofficial Gay Days at Disneyland? The privately produced 10th annual event is set for October 5 to 7 this year. Thirty thousand people took part in the 2006 weekend. Not gay-exclusive, it takes place during regular park hours, so participants wear red T-shirts to identify one another. In addition to a romp on the rides, the schedule includes parties, social events, dinners, and scavenger hunts.

According to the Gay Days Web site ( www.gaydaysanaheim.com/ ), although Disney is not an official sponsor, they have been "wonderfully supportive" of the event and "very accommodating" by blocking off hotel rooms and working the event into Disneyland's schedule. "Disney doesn't endorse any group that comes into their park during regular park operating hours," the Gay Days Web site explains. "In order to make it truly official, we'd need to rent out the entire park, and they don't do that during regular operating hours." No matter–there's some definite entertainment value in mixing it up with the Miller family from Idaho.