The Scoop on Grad Nights at DLR in May and June

[HydroGuy]

I read in that dates can still be added. Does anyone know we they will stop updating the dates for Gradnight or is the list final for 2015?

You are right they can add dates. Dates tend to be added as they get closer to May when previous dates sell out and demand is there. From your other thread it sounds like you may ave some flexibility to changes park days and if so I would be prepared to do that just in case.

 

[NavyDad01]

That makes me concerned. Do you think its possible the whole week can be filled with grad nights?

 

[HydroGuy]

That makes me concerned. Do you think its possible the whole week can be filled with grad nights?

I do not remember that ever happening. They seem to add a few here and there. My memory is not great in this area and maybe other have better memories and/or experience.

 

[2boysmom1998]

I will be there June 2 - June 6th 2015. There are 3 Grad Nights when I'm there. I'm not happy about it and I am a little concerned. I will just have to make the best of it!

 

[2boysmom1998]

Is it true that the Grads have to be at DCA by 10:00pm or they aren't allowed in? That would be great because then we would have DL from 10:00pm - 12:00pm teen free!

 

[LaurenDis]

We are there on a grad night. There is a 8:30 showing of WOC after the park closes at 8. Since the grads have their own WOC show later in the evening, is it safe to assume the 8:30 showing would be a good time to attend and most of the grads will be off riding rides?

 

[ebenmax]

I will be there June 2 - June 6th 2015. There are 3 Grad Nights when I'm there. I'm not happy about it and I am a little concerned. I will just have to make the best of it!

We have the same situation and are planning to go on June 1 and 4th since there are no grad nights, but I'm concerned the parks will be overly crowded from people trying to avoid the grads just like we are!! Is this likely??

 

[2boysmom1998]

We have the same situation and are planning to go on June 1 and 4th since there are no grad nights, but I'm concerned the parks will be overly crowded from people trying to avoid the grads just like we are!! Is this likely??

June 4th is a entire another issue. It's the last day that none of the season pass holders are blocked. Those pass holders are going to show up in droves to get the last bit of Disney Magic before they are cut off for the summer. I have a feeling the evening of the June 4th is going to be crazy! I wish that I could have planned my trip for another time but, the beginning of June was the only time I could go. So I will be in the parks June 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th are Grad Nights and of course the 4th is the last day the pass holders aren't blocked (that is why Disney did not plan for a Grad Night that evening I think). There is not hope for, I will just have to make the best of it. I will get there early and do the best I can.

 

[mrsmusic]

Hmmmm, I am just researching for our 2016 dates - and following along. I don't have to start booking until July so I'm hoping those of you experiencing June 2015 grad nights will report back.

 

[purple figment]

June 4th is a entire another issue. It's the last day that none of the season pass holders are blocked. Those pass holders are going to show up in droves to get the last bit of Disney Magic before they are cut off for the summer. I have a feeling the evening of the June 4th is going to be crazy! I wish that I could have planned my trip for another time but, the beginning of June was the only time I could go. So I will be in the parks June 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th are Grad Nights and of course the 4th is the last day the pass holders aren't blocked (that is why Disney did not plan for a Grad Night that evening I think). There is not hope for, I will just have to make the best of it. I will get there early and do the best I can.

It's the last day only for those who have the SoCal Select AP which is the AP limited to weekdays throughout the year. My guess is it's the least popular AP to begin with since families with school age kids or adults who work weekdays would not choose this AP. The other 3 AP levels will still have additional days in June to visit the parks, including some Sundays. There may be some increase in attendance because of the Select APs, but it probably won't make a big difference overall. There might be more attendees who choose that day because they wanted to avoid a grad night.

When we were there last May on a grad night, the grads didn't start showing up in DL until the afternoon. By evening Tomorrowland and the big thrill rides were crowded, so I would do those rides earlier in the day. Likewise, DCA wasn't too crowded earlier in the day since the grads will be able to do the big rides during their party hours.

 

[aaturner]

We have a grad night on our trip which is the week after. The grad night is June 10th, based on information from these boards we have planned to spend the day in DCA and move to Disneyland after we see WOC, we have a WOC dining package. Planning on riding rides earlier in the day then seeing the Pixar Parade, having dinner and seeing WOC. Hoping this will help us avoid most of the crowds from the grad night. Does this sound like an ok game plan? I know it will be busy, but it was the only week we had available for vacation this summer.

 

[Butterfly123]

We have a grad night on our trip which is the week after. The grad night is June 10th, based on information from these boards we have planned to spend the day in DCA and move to Disneyland after we see WOC, we have a WOC dining package. Planning on riding rides earlier in the day then seeing the Pixar Parade, having dinner and seeing WOC. Hoping this will help us avoid most of the crowds from the grad night. Does this sound like an ok game plan? I know it will be busy, but it was the only week we had available for vacation this summer.

If you can, see the Aladdin show when you are ready to take a rest in a nice cool theater. It's a fantastic show.

 

[aaturner]

If you can, see the Aladdin show when you are ready to take a rest in a nice cool theater. It's a fantastic show.

I am really hoping to see it, even if I have to see it by myself, my 14 year old DS is not that into shows. Last summer he was bored during the Beauty and the Beast show at HS, and it has always been one of my favorites. So my son may get some bonding time if they don't want to see the Aladdin show.

 

[sgrap]

Hmmmm, I am just researching for our 2016 dates - and following along. I don't have to start booking until July so I'm hoping those of you experiencing June 2015 grad nights will report back.

That is exactly what I was just popping on to research! Are you a VGC DVD owner?

 

[sgrap]

Just like mrsmusic, I am considering an early June 2016 visit and would book in July. I have a milestone birthday and thought about how fun it would be to take some extended family for several days to celebrate. We've never been in June, but have been in a couple of times in May. I think we have avoided grad nights, though. Is there any predicting the grad nights (like certain days of the week generally)? Of course, I could always celebrate a little earlier or later too . . .but actually being there could be kind of amazing. We generally aren't summer Disneyland people because we don't like heat and we don't like crowds.

 

[ten6mom]

June 4th is a entire another issue. It's the last day that none of the season pass holders are blocked. Those pass holders are going to show up in droves to get the last bit of Disney Magic before they are cut off for the summer. I have a feeling the evening of the June 4th is going to be crazy! I wish that I could have planned my trip for another time but, the beginning of June was the only time I could go. So I will be in the parks June 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th are Grad Nights and of course the 4th is the last day the pass holders aren't blocked (that is why Disney did not plan for a Grad Night that evening I think). There is not hope for, I will just have to make the best of it. I will get there early and do the best I can.

Yup, we will be hitting rope drop each of our three days as well. There is only one evening I plan to be in the parks at all, and that is because my younger son wants to see a parade and I, too, am curious about Paint the Night. But the other evenings we are there, we will likely be eating dinner off property and chiling in the room for the rest of the evening.

 

[mrsmusic]

That is exactly what I was just popping on to research! Are you a VGC DVD owner?

No, I'm doing a points rental for a few days at VGC after using my other timeshare close by for a few days before - then we'll go to the beach

 

[sgrap]

No, I'm doing a points rental for a few days at VGC after using my other timeshare close by for a few days before - then we'll go to the beach

That sounds like a great plan, too!

 

[gottalovepluto]

...We generally aren't summer Disneyland people because we don't like heat and we don't like crowds.

Whoa. Don't like heat AND don't like crowds? June will be better than Jul-Aug but you could still be quite unhappy. Grad nites have crowd impacts but more important (just my opinion) is that the beginning of June will have all of the lower tier pass holders squeezing in their last visits before being blocked out for the rest of summer & every week after Memorial brings more families into the parks as more schools get out for summer. There were reports of light crowds mid-end of June but your likelihood of hotter weather increases. Might want to consider going May again as it doesn't all calm down crowd wise until the kids are back in school and the weather doesn't cool back down until Fall.

 

[sgrap]

Whoa. Don't like heat AND don't like crowds? June will be better than Jul-Aug but you could still be quite unhappy. Grad nites have crowd impacts but more important (just my opinion) is that the beginning of June will have all of the lower tier pass holders squeezing in their last visits before being blocked out for the rest of summer & every week after Memorial brings more families into the parks as more schools get out for summer. There were reports of light crowds mid-end of June but your likelihood of hotter weather increases. Might want to consider going May again as it doesn't all calm down crowd wise until the kids are back in school and the weather doesn't cool back down until Fall.

That is why we have always done March, May, October (still hot for my preference, but MHP was fun) and November trips. does early June tend to already be hot already ? I realize it can vary widely