Celebrate One Magical Weekend!
One Magical Weekend promises thrilling DJ performances, exclusive parties, and vibrant community celebrations. Attracting thousands from around the globe, this is your ultimate destination for joy, dance, and unity. Join us for a spectacular experience where magic meets music and every moment is pure excitement! Here are the main events for One Magical Weekend and Bear Jamboree – get your tickets at onemagicalweekend.com.
Thursday, May 30
#TBT Welcome Party
Featuring Ms. Darcel Stevens and her amazing Divas along with DJ TWISTED DEE
Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista 9 pm - 1 am
Friday, May 31
FRIDAY THERAPY
POOL PARTY
DJ CHARLIE B and DJ
MARTI FRIESON
Official Host HotelSheraton Orlando Lake
Buena Vista
12 – 8 pm
BEAR JAMBOREE
Bulge Pool Party
Featuring DJ Chris Adams and DJ Castle
Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista
12 – 8 pm
RIPTIDE at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark
Featuring music by International DJ/ Producer PAULO
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark
8 pm – 2 am
BEAR LAGOON AT RIPTIDE
With DJ D-Stu
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark 8 pm – 2 am
CADABRA AFTER HOURS - NEON FANTASY
Featuring DJ DEANNE
Keep the party going as our signature
CADABRA parties return for 3-nights of sultry afters!
Late Night Friday 2 am – 8 am
Saturday, June 1
SATURDAY THERAPY POOL PARTY
DJ MOHAMMAD and DJ DANNY VERDE
Official Host Hotel - Sheraton Orlando Lake
Buena Vista 12 – 8 pm
BEAR JAMBOREE DERBY POOL PARTY
Featuring DJ Marti Frieson and DJ Charlie B
Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista
12 – 8 pm
RED Vol. 7: BUCCANEER at the Disney Springs House of Blues
Featuring music by DJ ANA FLOR
Disney Springs House of Blues
8 pm – 1 am
BEAR JAMBOREE SCOUT Night Pool Party
Featuring DJ Twisted Dee
Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista
10 pm – 2 am
CADABRA AFTER HOURS - LOCKER ROOM
Featuring DJ NICK STRACENER
Keep the party going as our signature CADABRA parties return for 3-nights of sultry afters!
Late Night Saturday
Sheraton Lake Buena Vista 2 am – 8 am
Sunday, June 2
SUNDAY THERAPY POOL PARTY
DJ JERAC and DJ J WARREN
Official Host Hotel - Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Saturday, June 2, 2024
12 – 8 pm
BEAR JAMBOREE Merit Badge Pool Party
Featuring DJ Danny Gallegos and DJ Mohammed
Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista
12 – 8 pm
PRIDE BALL CLOSING PARTY
Featuring music by DJ KIDD MADONNY
Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Official Host Hotel
Sunday, June 2, 2024 9 pm – 1 am
BEAR JAMBOREE STAR GAYZING Night Pool Party
Featuring DJ Castle Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista 10 pm – 2 am
CADABRA AFTER HOURS - DADDY
Featuring DJ ALEX LO
Keep the party going as our signature CADABRA parties return for 3-nights of sultry afters!
Late Night Saturday June 1, 2024
Sheraton Lake Buena Vista 2 am – 8 am
Secure your weekend passes or individual tickets at onemagicalweekend.com.
Get Ready to Sparkle!
The Can’t-Miss Event of One Magical Weekend 2024 in Orlando!
Edited by Mikkel HyldebrandtGet ready to sprinkle some glitter and let your rainbow flags fly high because One Magical Weekend 2024 is here to whisk you away on a journey of pure LGBTQIA+ awesomeness!
Picture this: Orlando, the enchanting backdrop of Walt Disney World® Resorts, and you, surrounded by a sea of vibrant celebration and non-stop entertainment. That’s right – it’s time to dive headfirst into the magic!
We’re talking top international DJ talents, round-the-clock parties, and a vibe so electric, you’ll feel the pulse of the community with every beat. And let’s not forget our crown jewel – Riptide at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark. It’s not just a party; it’s a promise of an unforgettable night filled with music, excitement, and the energy of thousands of fabulous attendees!
But hold onto your tiaras, because One Magical Weekend is so much more than just a party – it’s a playground for LGBTQIA+
travelers from all corners of the globe. With a jam-packed schedule of activities, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a dance floor diva or a social butterfly looking to make new friends.
So, grab your calendars, circle the first weekend of June 2024, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Whether you’re there to dance under the stars at Riptide, mingle with a diverse and welcoming community, or simply soak in the atmosphere of one of the most exhilarating LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world, One Magical Weekend is an event you won’t want to miss!
So pack your sassiest outfits, your brightest smiles, and get ready to paint the town rainbow – because Orlando is calling, and it’s time to answer with a resounding YES! Let’s make memories, spread love, and celebrate pride like never before!
Learn more, get your hotel, and get your party passes at onemagicalweekend.com.
Plant Medicine Helped Me Accept My Identity
Brad Wells built multiple successful companies over his career attempting to prove his self-worth and sacrificing much in the pursuit of achievement. Somewhat unexpectedly, he had the opportunity to experience Ayahuasca igniting a fundamental shift in his view of his life, business, and most profoundly–within himself.
Thanks to plant medicine, Brad was able to accept his identity as a gay man, and his life has changed dramatically since. He sold his successful company, concluded his 25-year marriage, and established Reunion, a not-for-profit plant medicine center in Costa Rica offering retreats designed to facilitate life transformation, including the Cultivating Pride & Authenticity program – a one-of-a-kind program Reunion created for the LGBTQ+ community.
How did Ayahuasca help you own your identity as a gay man?
Being gay was a secret I had buried really deep. I’m 58 now, but at the time I was 53. I was married to my wife for 25 years and had lived as a straight man for most of my life. I remember knowing as a kid that I was gay but simply chose not to be - it was so engrained in me that being gay was shameful and wrong. I decided I didn’t want to continue hiding, the medicine didn’t ‘out’ me, it helped me to be free.
Let’s talk a little bit about where Reunion is located. It looks incredible. Reunion sits on a beautiful, almost 40-acre oceanfront property right on Sugar Beach in Guanacaste, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. We are right in the middle of a tropical forest full of many different species of animals; it’s truly a spectacular part of the world.
Tell me a bit more about Reunion’s Cultivating Pride & Authenticity retreat. The Cultivating Pride & Authenticity retreat is very near to my heart, for obvious reasons. We had our first retreat for gay men, led by gay men in October 2023, and it was incredible. There were 30 of us sitting with Ayahuasca and it was the most inclusive, safe, and heard that I’ve ever felt in my life. A lot of the feedback from the guys was that it was truly a profound week of healing, selfrealization, and transformation. One of the participants told me: “I’ve been looking for 55 years and now I’ve finally found it”. This year we’re happy to be offering two more experiences in July and October 2024.
Why is it so important for the LGBTQ+ community to have access to these types of experiences?
From deeply entrenched stigmas to the mental health crisis and high levels of
Clinical HIV care in a supportive, confidential, and gender affirming environment. Available at three Centers located in Duluth, Decatur, and Marietta.
Now offering Injectable HIV treatment.
addiction–the community needs to be supported more than ever. We want to come together to build a network of connection and utilize the power of plant medicine using ayahuasca or psilocybin to help heal our wounds and assist individuals into becoming all that they can. With the proper set and setting, plant medicine ceremonies help to transform our self and allow for increased community and connection.
What does the Cultivating Pride & Authenticity retreat week look like?
At Reunion, we offer ‘all-inclusive wellness’. We’re situated on an amazing ocean front property that was purpose-built for personal exploration and self-development. In addition to four Ayahuasca ceremonies throughout the week, there are workshops on topics such as releasing shame, discovering selflove, and how to sustain personal change. We provide healthy farm-to-table meals –plus incorporate embodiment modalities like yoga, breathwork, and meditation into the program. There is personal time and time to connect with each other in community on the secluded beach, the saltwater pool, enjoying a massage, or using the fitness center.
Looking at the week, integration is also a big component. What does integration mean?
Integration is imperative with any plant medicine experience. We need to take the incredible insights from the week and incorporate them into our lives. That’s integration – it’s the sustained facilitation of change. Community and support are a big part of the integration process. Reunion provides all guests with a well-developed and guided post-retreat integration. The program blends self-reflection activities and resource materials and culminates in a group call with your cohort. We also host monthly Community Calls for all past guests.
What would you say to someone who’s interested in an experience like this?
Do your research. Make sure that wherever you go, they are transparent, experienced, have thorough processes in place to support you, and keep their group sizes small. Ask questions and ensure they ask some questions about you too! Lastly, be open and willing to surrender to the experience – it’s natural to have some trepidation –guests report this to be one of the most transformative, profound, and life-enhancing weeks of their life. Plus, our Cultivating Pride program is designed by the community for the community, and it’s one-of-a-kind.
Sounds like people are in good hands at Reunion.
They really are in safe hands with us. At Reunion, safety is our number one priority. Not just physical safety, like location and security, but also the medical, psychological, and emotional safety of our guests. We have a licensed medical clinic on site. Our team of trained medicine servers, facilitators, and psychologists have years of experience and an unwavering commitment to providing the most profound experience. We keep our retreats around 25-30 participants and ensure we serve with the highest quality medicine. Guests complete a thorough intake to ensure there no pre-existing complications, plus there is an on-site medical check.
If people are interested in learning more, how can they do that?
Reach out and chat with us! You can book a Discovery Call with me directly through email brad.wells@reunionexperience. org or visit Reunion’s website www. ReunionExperience.org for more information.
ABOUT REUNION
Reunion is a leading not-for-profit plant medicine center, combining Indigenous wisdom teachers from diverse lineages blending the best of ancient modalities and modern science. Located in Costa Rica, Reunion is an eco-luxe, medically licensed campus with a beach-front location providing a safe setting for personal growth, healing, and transformation. Rooted in reciprocity, 100% of proceeds support impact initiatives, including Indigenous medicine stewards, the replenishment of sacred plants for future generations, and scholarship programs to expand access. To learn more, visit our website www.ReunionExperience.org
QUEER
Janelle Monáe joins cast of new Pharrell Williamsproduced musical
The film doesn’t have a title yet but it already has plenty of heat. It’s a musical from musician-producer Pharrell Williams, written by Martin Hynes (“Toy Story 4”) and Steven Levenson (Tony Award-winner for “Dear Evan Hansen”), to be directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), and starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Elvis”), Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”), Halle Bailey (“The Color Purple”), Brian Tyree Henry (Oscar-nominated for “Causeway”), hip-hop legend Missy Elliott and the recently-added Janelle Monae (“Glass Onion”). It’s a coming-of-age musical inspired by Williams’ childhood, set in Virginia Beach in 1977. And that’s all the information we have right now because it’s still in development. But come on, that’s enough to know we want it to take our ticket money right now. More on this one as it develops.
Are you ready for Aubrey Plaza’s ‘Old Ass’?
When you were an 18-year-old babyqueer, did you celebrate turning voting age by tripping on mushrooms and then meeting your future self and resisting their advice? No? That’s because you weren’t the main character in “My Old Ass,” an upcoming coming-ofage fantasy from writer-director Megan Park (the bithemed film “The Fallout”). The indie feature stars Canadian singer Maisy Stella (“Nashville”) as the teenager on the make for a summer of fun and girlcrushes, and “White Lotus” star Aubrey Plaza as her 39-year-old future self (reminder: teenagers think anyone over 23 is old). Plaza’s character arrives with a warning about an as-yet-unknown young man named “Chad.” And then Chad shows up, making everything difficult. “My Old Ass,” meanwhile, makes the queer film festival circuit brighter this summer before hitting theaters, so when it comes around take a queer elder to the movies in gratitude.
Summer horror gets ‘Cuckoo’ with Hunter Schafer
Trans actress and model Hunter Schafer, one of the breakout stars of HBO’s intense teen drama “Euphoria,” is set to shock your summer with the horror film “Cuckoo.” The dark, chaotic thriller from German filmmaker Tilman Singer (2018’s “Luz”) premiered at the Berlin Film Festival to largely positive reviews and found itself picked up for U.S. distribution by cooler-than-cool Neon. It stars Schafer alongside “Downton Abbey” alum Dan Stevens (“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”) and Jessica Henwick (“Glass Onion”) in a freaky pregnancy-themed story set in an Alpine resort. We’re told there’s a touch of lesbian romance and more than a touch of absolute madness, thanks to Stevens as the psychotic villain delivering an unhinged performance. It’ll land in theaters mid-August, which not only makes it a trending horror theme of 2024 (see also: “Immaculate,” “The First Omen”) but also possibly the perfect way to wrap up goth-bikini season (we do not know if goth bikinis exist, but we think they should).
Julio Torres’ ‘Fantasmas’ is celebrating Surrealist Pride We’ve gone over this before but it bears repeating: watch the TV series “Los Espookys” and this year ’s indie film “Problemista” from our favorite gay weirdo Julio Torres, because when you’re finished with those delicious cultural products you’ll be ready for his new HBO/Max comedy miniseries “Fantasmas” to liven up your Pride month. The sixepisode series stars its creator as a fictionalized version of himself on a New York City dreamquest for a lost earring. Along the way he’ll encounter questions related to the nature of existence and reality, as well as unusual characters who may help or hinder his journey. The supporting cast has been impeccably selected, with people like Steve Buscemi, Ziwe, Kim Petras, and “Uncut Gems” star Julia Fox showing up to be strange with Torres. It drops sometime in June (no specific date given just yet), the right month to be unusually queer.
Romeo San Vicente is an uncut gem.BARS & CLUBS MIDTOWN
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE
BULLDOGS 893 Peachtree St NE
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR friendsonponce-atl.com 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
MY SISTER’S ROOM mysistersroom.com 66 12th St NE
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THE T modeltatlanta.com 465 Boulevard SE
CHESHIRE
HERETIC hereticatlanta.com 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road
BJ ROOSTERS bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
WESTSIDE
MARQUETTE
868 Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW
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ATLANTA EAGLE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE
FELIX’S 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
THE HIDEAWAY 1544 Piedmont Ave NE
MIXX mixxatlanta.com 1492 Piedmont Ave NE
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WOOFS woofsatlanta.com 494 Plasters Ave NE
EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD
MARY’S marysatlanta.com 1287 Glenwood Ave SE
SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH sisterlouisaschurch. com 466 Edgewood Ave SE DINING MIDTOWN
CASA ALMENARA 991 Piedmont Ave NE casa-almenara.com
HENRY’S henrysatl.com
132 10th St NE
LA HACIENDA lahaciendamidtown. com 900 Monroe Dr NE
TUK TUK THAI FOOD LOFT TUKTUKATL.COM 1745 Peachtree Rd NW
DEKALB
LIPS ATLANTA atldragshow.com 3011 Buford Hwy NE
RETAIL
MIDTOWN
BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
CHESHIRE
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BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1000 Piedmont Ave NE, Ste A
GCB & PLEASURES brushstrokesatlanta. com 1510-D Piedmont Ave. NE FITNESS MIDTOWN
URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbody tness. com
500 Amsterdam Ave N
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GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com
2201 Faulkner Rd NE
SPAS/BATHS
ADULT
FLEX SPA exspas.com 76 4th St NW
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Jesus saves. I spend.
I usually eat a temporary snack while trying to decide on a formal more permanent snack.
Not me saying “this diva” about my dad…
Just remember: Heaven has a wall, a gate, and a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders.
Make sure your deodorant has aluminum in it. Please! Itʼs too hot.
Honestly, I would like to be less aware of my mental health. Can we have a campaign for that?
I'm currently stuck between idk, idc, and idgaf.