In its 23-year history, Girls in Wonderland has grown to be one of the biggest LGBTQ2S+ festivals in Florida, and one of the biggest parties focused on queer women in the United States.
More than 10,000 attendees take over a 700-room resort in the Orlando area (this year TownePlace Suites Orlando/SpringHill Suites Orlando, 13279 Hartzog Rd., Winter Garden, Florida). And they’re ready to party—this year’s featured DJs and artists include Snow Tha Product, Chloe Star, Gabby B, Rose Garcia, Citizen Jane and DJ Tatiana. But they also come to be inspired by LGBTQ2S+ artists, celebrities, athletes, influencers and changemakers; this year’s special guests include Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig, Fortune Feimster and Chaunté Wayans.
Alison Burgos, one of the three founders of festival promoter Pandora Events, chatted with Pink Ticket Travel. She talked about all the queer ladies, jaw-dropping DJs, epic partying and creative community building they have in store for this year’s event, which runs May 30 to June 3.
How did Girls in Wonderland first come to fruition?
The three of us were becoming really well known for producing events in Miami, and when we went on vacation together at Gay Day at Disney, people recognized us and asked if we were throwing a party there. That was really this epiphany moment where we looked at each other and thought, “wow, we should throw a party here.”
At that time, there were a bunch of men’s parties in the area, but there wasn’t anything for women. We proposed the idea of producing a national women’s weekend as a part of Gay Disney, and Orlando welcomed us with open arms. Back then it was probably 80 percent men who were attending Gay Disney, and only about 20 percent women. Now it’s much more equal, and I love that we’ve had a hand in that.
We now have thousands of women that stay on property, with over 14,000 coming in and out the door of the 10 or so events we do over the weekend. We really try to create something for everyone.
What makes Orlando the perfect location for Girls in Wonderland?
Florida is a really great place to be. Yes, our governor has been using us as a political punching bag this past year, but Orlando is very LGBTQ2S+ friendly. We’ve been working continuously with the Orlando Tourism Board, the mayor’s office, Come Out With Pride and the sheriff’s office to make sure that our community and our attendees have a great time, are safe and are celebrated.
We’re right up against the Disney property, and Disney World really rolls out the red carpet for Gay Disney. You can go on some roller coasters in the morning, and be partying with 3,000 women poolside in the afternoon. There’s not too many experiences like that in the world. [The official name for the Disney event is One Magical Weekend, which in 2024 runs May 30 to June 3, the same dates as Girls in Wonderland.]
What’s your demographic like?
It’s a big mix. It’s typically a younger crowd, around twenties to thirties. There are certain events, like our comedy event, where we see more people in their forties and fifties.
We have fun events for our singles, and of course couples also show up. We always have an engagement proposal at some point in the weekend. Somebody has a really good time, feels the energy, has a couple of cocktails and gets down on one knee, which is always fun. We have a lot of people that come for their anniversary too, which I think is hysterical, but they do. I’m sure we also have a breakup or two.
We’re a really safe space for the entire LGBTQIA+ community, which has evolved a lot over the past 23 years. There are always some challenges in trying to create a safe space for everyone, but we’re committed to that. Behind our brand and the festival, there’s a bigger conversation around equality.
Mental health is another big conversation we’re having this year. We’re also doing quite a bit behind the scenes around getting people out to vote. As much as we are a party festival and a really fun time, we also stand for community. We stand for being your authentic self, being seen and being celebrated. So however you label yourself—she, he, they—you’re welcome to be a part of the festival, and to be seen.
What makes Girls in Wonderland unique and different from other WLW events out there?
I think there’s a couple of things. Number one, I really think that we’ve created this fun, safe space where you can come as you are. It doesn’t feel super cliquey. I also think that we’ve overcome some cost barriers. I love Women’s Week in Provincetown, but staying in Provincetown is expensive. We really try to keep our price points reasonable.
Our room rates are under $200 a night, and you can share that cost with friends or partners. We have our party-girl pass that gets you into all of the events for under $150, and our VIP passes, which include drinks and VIP rooms, are under $300. So we’re really committed to being cost effective.
Girls in Wonderland is a very personal experience. Our staff are our friends, and we have a lot of entertainers that come year after year because we treat them like family. Sometimes Pride festivals are so big that you don’t get to just sit and relax. I think that the size and vibe of our event makes that possible.
People come out year after year. It feels like a reunion. Everybody has a good time, and it doesn’t feel pretentious. The atmosphere we create feels like home. It’s comfortable. You can dress down, you can dress up. You can dress in a costume for all we care. Everyone says hi to each other, and everyone says good morning. You don’t have to end up with a girlfriend at the end of the event. You can end up with a few friends.
We also have a whole virgin program for people that are virgins to the event.
How would you describe the vibe?
We did this prom last year, and a couple thousand people were there that Saturday night. When these women walked on stage to be crowned royalty, the audience went nuts. I just sat back and appreciated that moment, because I knew that those women were going to remember it for the rest of their lives.
But honestly, there’s a point where we’re at the festival and there’s a room full of people at the pool party, or at the dance party, or at a comedy show, and everybody’s having fun. It’s that moment where the DJ pops on the right song, the dancers throw their hands in the air, and the whole audience jumps up and down, or a comedian nails a joke and everybody in the room starts laughing out loud.
What kind of performers and special guests have you had in the past, and who will be attending the event this year?
Last year we had Kate [Moennig] and Leisha [Hailey]—Shane and Alice from The L Word—who are legendary, iconic characters and a representation of our community.
We’re always dedicated to having a really great lineup of incredible LGBTQ2S+ DJs from across the country. We’ve got Sammii Blendz here from New York and Les Ortiz from Los Angeles who headlines The Dinah in Palm Springs. We have DJ Tatiana from Denver, who travels and plays around the world. We have the nationally recognized Citizen Jane. Then we have our Florida DJs like Zeno and Pat Pat.
We also have some really awesome recording artists, and we always like to include a little Latin flair, because we’re Miami Latin girls. We have Gabby B coming in from Miami. We’re also thrilled to have Snow Tha Product, who is amazing and selling out venues across the country.
We also do live music and local acoustic music. Citizen Jane, who actually started as a musical performer, singer and recording artist before she started DJing, has a new song out—she’ll be hosting our Happy Hour event.
We always bring in a headline comedian. We’ll have drag queen bingo and female impersonators. Les Vixens, which is an amazing dance and burlesque troupe, is going to shake it and keep the energy going. We have the Playboys, which are an androgynous striptease group from Fort Lauderdale.
So we have a really fun mix of acts. Our host this year will be Rose Garcia from The Real L Word, and there’ll be a couple more exciting announcements as we get a little bit closer.
How has the recent spark in anti-LGBTQ2S+ laws in Florida affected your event?
The three of us who own the company are all advocates, and we want to use our platform for good. So with the election coming up this year, I think we’ll have a lot of nonprofits involved.
The reality is, we’re from Florida. This is our home. And 23 years ago, when we didn’t have equal rights or human rights ordinances, or even gay adoption rights, we didn’t move. I came out 26 years ago, and I immediately started fighting. Pandora Events and Girls in Wonderland have been fighting on the front lines of LGBTQ2S+ equality.
We are on the National Advisory Board for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which co-chaired the Supreme Court’s case that won marriage equality in the United States. We have fundraised for 23 years for that organization, and I love that my money and my voice got to be a part of the case that won marriage equality for all of us.
I adopted my son only two years after it became legal for LGBTQ2S+ people to adopt in Florida, so my rights are important. We’re not going to run away from Florida because we have some politicians that want to bully and politicize our rights and our community. We’re going to stand up and fight against it, and work to inspire fair-minded people to take office.
That’s why we make sure that the experience we create in Orlando is safe. Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Saint Pete are incredibly LGBTQ2S+-friendly communities. You will feel safe in those communities.
Queer-owned spots in Orlando
Have some free time in between Girls in Wonderland events? Check out these LGBTQ2S+-owned businesses.
Out of the Closet Thrift Store (1349 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, Florida). This national chain of thrift stores, founded in 1990, turns over 96 cents of every dollar made to AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s HIV prevention and treatment services.
The Hammered Lamb (1235 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, Florida). This versatile resto-bar is an easygoing hangout with a great selection of drinks and a menu full of comfort food, including all-day brunch.
Hungry Pants (3421 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, Florida). This bright, cheerful restaurant has an excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan options. There are some meat options if you’re really jonesing.
