For many LGBTQ fans, Disney's magic never fades

Reality has no bearing at a Disney theme park -- which is part of the parks' appeal to many LGBTQ fans. The parks provide a candy-coated alternate world where no one questions whether they belong.

(CNN) — Disney World's Magic Kingdom bills itself as "the most magical place on Earth," which is only true if you buy in completely. There, the pretzels are shaped like Mickey Mouse, the air on "Main Street USA" circulates the scent of fresh-baked cookies and Cinderella herself might blow you a kiss from a parade float. Reality has no bearing at a Disney theme park -- which is part of the parks' appeal to many LGBTQ fans. A trip to a Disney park promises an escape from life as you knew it, permission to experience unfettered, childlike wonder and pose for photos with both Mary Poppins and Sadness, the perpetual downer from "Inside Out." Many queer and trans Disney fans are aware of the spell they're under, which typically fizzles out somewhere in the parks' prodigious parking lots or on the drive back. But they buy in anyway, because at the parks, they feel at home.