While same-sex marriages are not legal in Japan, the management of Disneyland in Tokyo now say gay couples are welcome to have their ceremonies in their park, under the ever-watchful eye of Mickey Mouse.

The conformation happened as a result of LGBT equality blogger Koyuki Higashi enquiring about sharing a special day at the resort with her female partner.

At first, she was shocked when a staff member told her that a wedding ceremony would be fine as long as they were dressed “like a man and a woman” – since they were worried about the reactions of other visitors to the park if they appeared to be two women marrying.

Word spread through Higashi’s blog, forcing the red-faced Disney staffers to clarify.

“One of our staff members was mistaken when explaining about outfits for a same-sex wedding,” a spokesperson responded,” reports AFP.

Higashi was then happy to head to the resort, where she and her partner met the mouse.

“Mickey first looked surprised to hear that we are a ‘couple of girls’,” she wrote. “But we said we were there to thank him because same-sex weddings can be held at the Disney Resort, and he celebrated with us.”

Nice one Mickey! Homosexuality is often a taboo topic in Japanese culture, but it’s good to see times are changing.

Meanwhile in the USA, Walt Disney World in Florida also welcomes same-sex couples for ‘Fairy Tale Wedding’ ceremonies, even though they aren’t currently legal. The resort also annually holds a *Gay Day, where LGBT attendees are invited to wear red and fill the park with pride, with parties to follow. Recent years have seen a growing number of same-sex couples choose that specific day to bring their children to the park.

As the picture below shows, Disney’s Gay Day has become one of the largest pride events in America.