Grad night - one-off bad experience or the norm?

[StormyCA]

I have such wonderful memories of my own 'Grad Nite', but this was back in the day when it was all night from just after park closing to dawn. I don't know how many schools went each night, but the Park wasn't all that crowded, at least not to my recollection.

Nothing but 'grads' and no 'mixing in' during regular hours. We actually had a dress code and my graduation year was the first year that girls were allow to wear 'pant suits' (no denim!) instead of dresses. Boys had to wear slacks and a collared shirt. IMHO Disney is doing Grad Nites 'on the cheap' with shorter hours and 'mixing in' to make it seem longer for the kids.

Frankly, these days I wouldn't go to DLR on a Grad Nite if you paid me. Both the public and the Grads get short-changed.

 

[cmph]

Is it possible to still go on the trip and then go to Disneyland instead of the DCA grad night?

They had the hopper ticket version, for the full day plus grad night; there are also ticket options that are purely DCA or just for the grad night portion. Not a lot of info here, b/c registration is closed, but you can see the ticket types at https://www.disneycampus.com/programs/field-trips/dlr/grad-nite-disneyland/.

For the hopper full day version, they had to exit DL and go to DCA by 9pm (line forming much earlier), and then were locked into DCA until 2am. DD and her friends specifically went to DL first b/c they knew they had to be out of there before 9. I have no idea how the CMs monitor any of this. Seems awfully hard to manage with them plus gen pop.

 

[joseph821]

They had the hopper ticket version, for the full day plus grad night; there are also ticket options that are purely DCA or just for the grad night portion. Not a lot of info here, b/c registration is closed, but you can see the ticket types at https://www.disneycampus.com/programs/field-trips/dlr/grad-nite-disneyland/.

For the hopper full day version, they had to exit DL and go to DCA by 9pm (line forming much earlier), and then were locked into DCA until 2am. DD and her friends specifically went to DL first b/c they knew they had to be out of there before 9. I have no idea how the CMs monitor any of this. Seems awfully hard to manage with them plus gen pop.

Next time I would just stay in Disneyland. There would be no way to check.

 

[Iceman93]

My daughter had a similar experience at her grad night last year. She waited in line for an hour just to get a bread bowl with soup (which is her favorite item at DCA, but she didn't know it was going to take an hour). Ride lines were similarly long. She felt bad for her friends who never go to Disneyland because they got to do so little in their multiple hours there despite having to pay so much for the tickets.

 

[anonymousegirl]

My Grad Nite was 42 years ago. We had a dress code, and lots of girls got really dolled up. I knew enough to at least wear flat shoes! It was multiple schools but it wasn't very crowded. We entered at 10pm and left at 3am. Very exciting for me as I think it was only my third or fourth visit, the others being one day visits when staying with my grandparents in Bellflower. Sorry it sucked for your daughter.

 

[LilyJC]

I don’t have any insight to add as far as Grad nights go, but my youngest and I were at DLR for part of the day on the 24th. It was one of the most insanely busy days we’ve seen in a long time. We stayed in DL, and truly it was bonkers. Teenagers were definitely everywhere, but it was also the second to last day of the SoCal ticket offer usage days. We hid in the DVC lounge a couple hours, watched the parade, went on Pirates and Jungle Cruise, mobile ordered from Bengal BBQ for dinner, and then we headed out through DtD (which was also insane). Lines for many rides were horrific (150 for Smugglers Run and Incredicoaster at one point on the app). And Splash unfortunately is going to be rough until it closes. We’re here again for a staycation, and the wait around 11pm was 65 minutes (and it was really cold!)!

My opinion on any type of after hours event at DCA that we’ve done would also be referring to them as a bust. There just aren’t enough rides and food options to absorb that many people in DCA. So sorry your daughter had a bummer experience, but it seems par for the course after seeing all those teens everywhere.

 

[starlite_]

I don’t have any insight to add as far as Grad nights go, but my youngest and I were at DLR for part of the day on the 24th. It was one of the most insanely busy days we’ve seen in a long time. We stayed in DL, and truly it was bonkers. Teenagers were definitely everywhere, but it was also the second to last day of the SoCal ticket offer usage days. We hid in the DVC lounge a couple hours, watched the parade, went on Pirates and Jungle Cruise, mobile ordered from Bengal BBQ for dinner, and then we headed out through DtD (which was also insane). Lines for many rides were horrific (150 for Smugglers Run and Incredicoaster at one point on the app). And Splash unfortunately is going to be rough until it closes. We’re here again for a staycation, and the wait around 11pm was 65 minutes (and it was really cold!)!

My opinion on any type of after hours event at DCA that we’ve done would also be referring to them as a bust. There just aren’t enough rides and food options to absorb that many people in DCA. So sorry your daughter had a bummer experience, but it seems par for the course after seeing all those teens everywhere.

You are right! Between Splash, SoCal ticket ending and two magic keys being blocked out for the summer starting June. It sounds like a disaster date for a Grad Nite.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Next time I would just stay in Disneyland. There would be no way to check.

But doesn’t grad night run well past DL closing? And the schools may have rules- chaperone check ins in person or via video call might be required.



I get the extra security. Disney didn’t institute that policy for the fun of spending more on security, grad nites are Trouble.

Awful about the overcrowding! That’s messed up, especially with what they charge. I don’t recall those tickets being cheap

 

[StarlitNight05]

I have such wonderful memories of my own 'Grad Nite', but this was back in the day when it was all night from just after park closing to dawn. I don't know how many schools went each night, but the Park wasn't all that crowded, at least not to my recollection.

Nothing but 'grads' and no 'mixing in' during regular hours. We actually had a dress code and my graduation year was the first year that girls were allow to wear 'pant suits' (no denim!) instead of dresses. Boys had to wear slacks and a collared shirt. IMHO Disney is doing Grad Nites 'on the cheap' with shorter hours and 'mixing in' to make it seem longer for the kids.

Frankly, these days I wouldn't go to DLR on a Grad Nite if you paid me. Both the public and the Grads get short-changed.

I have a photo somewhere of my parents at grad night (they were high school sweethearts ), and my Mom is also rocking a pants suit. My Dad is wearing a collared shirt and a comically short tie. I'll have to see if I can dig that up. It was definitely a very different time!

 

[SLThomas318]

So do they publish what nights are grad nights? We are looking at a June trip for next year and obviously want to avoid these nights! We are east coast and do FL regularly but this will prob be a one and done for Disneyland…

 

[DonMacGregor]

I have a photo somewhere of my parents at grad night (they were high school sweethearts ), and my Mom is also rocking a pants suit. My Dad is wearing a collared shirt and a comically short tie. I'll have to see if I can dig that up. It was definitely a very different time!

Yup, girls had to wear matching pant suits, skirts or dresses and shoes with defined heels, and boys had to wear at least dress pants and a shirt and tie. As stated above, Grad Nights ran from after park close to (actually) 5am. The parking lot would be a sea of busses. I was a CM from 1981 to 1993 and actually worked my own Grad Night in '82 (18, and low seniority). Did sneak over to see Sparks play at the Space Stage (the stage at the base of Space Mountain before they enclosed it and built the Magic Eye Theatre for Captain EO) though .

 

[Paul Stupin]

So do they publish what nights are grad nights? We are looking at a June trip for next year and obviously want to avoid these nights! We are east coast and do FL regularly but this will prob be a one and done for Disneyland…

Yes, you can look them up online. This year, there are 15 dates total.

 

[StormyCA]

So do they publish what nights are grad nights? We are looking at a June trip for next year and obviously want to avoid these nights! We are east coast and do FL regularly but this will prob be a one and done for Disneyland…

They do, but DLR doesn't post things as far in advance as WDW does. I think the dates are announced about 1 1/2 months in advance (end of March?). To compare, MNSSHP nights for this year were announced about 3 months in advance. Of course, our Oct trip to WDW has been booked since last June lol, but the 3 months would have given us plenty of time to 'arrange' our park days for MK for non-party days. DLR isn't as 'party friendly' as both parks are heavily impacted by Grad Nites. With WDW the 'non party people' have 3 other parks to spread out in.

For reference this years parties are May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30 & 31 and June 2, 4, 7, 9, 14 & 16. You may want to plot that out on a calendar to see what days they fall on this year and try to avoid those dates in 2024. But as you can see, there's not a lot of wiggle room. That's we did for MNSS, we used 2022's dates to set up tentative park ressies when we booked our package. As it turns out we didn't need to change any dates as we'd already avoided the days of the week parties had historically taken place. But for DLR, my advice is just don't go during the period Grad Nites are taking place or to try to book so you only 'intersect' with the first or last couple of party nights.

Good Luck!!

 

[StormyCA]

I have a photo somewhere of my parents at grad night (they were high school sweethearts ), and my Mom is also rocking a pants suit. My Dad is wearing a collared shirt and a comically short tie. I'll have to see if I can dig that up. It was definitely a very different time!

Oh yes! We were a very, very spiffy looking group of kids 'back in the day'. lol

I was such a hippie-jeans-peasant-blouses-flowy-dresses girl that I had to rush out and buy a pant suit since I'd never have been caught dead in one, too 'establishment'! I never bought another one!

 

[joseph821]

They do, but DLR doesn't post things as far in advance as WDW does. I think the dates are announced about 1 1/2 months in advance (end of March?). To compare, MHHSHP nights for this year were announced about 3 months in advance. Of course, our Oct trip to WDW has been booked since last June lol, but the 3 months would have given us plenty of time to 'arrange' our park days for MK for non-party days. DLR isn't as 'party friendly' as both parks are heavily impacted by Grad Nites. With WDW the 'non party people' have 3 other parks to spread out in.

For reference this years parties are May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30 & 31 and June 2, 4, 7, 9, 14 & 16. You may want to plot that out on a calendar to see what days they fall on this year and try to avoid those dates in 2024. But as you can see, there's not a lot of wiggle room. That's we did for MNSS, we used 2022's dates to set up tentative park ressies when we booked our package. As it turns out we didn't need to change any dates as we'd already avoided the days of the week parties had historically taken place. But for DLR, my advice is just don't go during the period Grad Nites are taking place or to try to book so you only 'intersect' with the first or last couple of party nights.

Good Luck!!

That is too may Grad Nites....they should be cut in 1/2! Wow I did not realize how many there were!

 

[Dug720]

Oh yes! We were a very, very spiffy looking group of kids 'back in the day'. lol

I was such a hippie-jeans-peasant-blouses-flowy-dresses girl that I had to rush out and buy a pant suit since I'd never have been caught dead in one, too 'establishment'! I never bought another one!

Wow. Much as I love Disney, I'd have had to pass on that if I'd lived close enough for them. No pant suits, I don't do skirts or dresses in theme parks, and "discernible heels" = a sprained or broken ankle for me.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Wow. Much as I love Disney, I'd have had to pass on that if I'd lived close enough for them. No pant suits, I don't do skirts or dresses in theme parks, and "discernible heels" = a sprained or broken ankle for me.

Well, this WAS 40 years ago, Plus, the heel thing just meant no flats or tennis shoes.

 

[cmph]

They do, but DLR doesn't post things as far in advance as WDW does. I think the dates are announced about 1 1/2 months in advance (end of March?). To compare, MHHSHP nights for this year were announced about 3 months in advance. Of course, our Oct trip to WDW has been booked since last June lol, but the 3 months would have given us plenty of time to 'arrange' our park days for MK for non-party days. DLR isn't as 'party friendly' as both parks are heavily impacted by Grad Nites. With WDW the 'non party people' have 3 other parks to spread out in.

For reference this years parties are May 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 30 & 31 and June 2, 4, 7, 9, 14 & 16. You may want to plot that out on a calendar to see what days they fall on this year and try to avoid those dates in 2024. But as you can see, there's not a lot of wiggle room. That's we did for MNSS, we used 2022's dates to set up tentative park ressies when we booked our package. As it turns out we didn't need to change any dates as we'd already avoided the days of the week parties had historically taken place. But for DLR, my advice is just don't go during the period Grad Nites are taking place or to try to book so you only 'intersect' with the first or last couple of party nights.

Good Luck!!

So do they publish what nights are grad nights? We are looking at a June trip for next year and obviously want to avoid these nights! We are east coast and do FL regularly but this will prob be a one and done for Disneyland…

Our school plus the others in the district (and possibly more?) were a total of 6 giant busloads of grads with chaperones, and they do this every year. I have no idea when the dates are posted, but we paid the deposit for this trip way back in the fall. We've had the schedule for the trip since we paid the deposit. The only things that weren't set in stone back in the fall were the hotels - they book those once they have headcounts and have to split across a couple places while keeping all the kids from one school in one place (chaperones are assigned per school). So DLR may not advertise the dates well in advance to the general public, but they certainly know the dates in order to coordinate with all these companies bussing big numbers of kids in. Or maybe they only post them on the https://www.disneycampus.com site, which is not exactly a place most people would think to go look. Maybe try that site in the fall?

 

[Dug720]

Well, this WAS 40 years ago, Plus, the heel thing just meant no flats or tennis shoes.

Flats and tennis shoes are all I wear. I can't do ANY heel.

 

[cmph]

But doesn’t grad night run well past DL closing? And the schools may have rules- chaperone check ins in person or via video call might be required.



I get the extra security. Disney didn’t institute that policy for the fun of spending more on security, grad nites are Trouble.

Awful about the overcrowding! That’s messed up, especially with what they charge. I don’t recall those tickets being cheap

That's a good point about chaperone check-ins, which are going to vary all over the place. They had until 2am in DCA, no way DL was still open then. Since it was part of a 3 day trip, our kids had in-person chaperones who do this annually.

Yeah, not cheap! The full-day plus grad night hoppers were $199pp, weekday rate. Grad nite party alone is $99-104 (depending on the night), for 9pm-2am.