Grad nights

[allgrownup]

This question is coming waaaaaaay in advance of our trip (like 2 years!) but I am enjoying the "I get to go again" feeling.

The next trip will be myself and my adult daughter. We are planning it between our birthdays, late May, early June.

What would we encounter with regard to Grad Night? I know the parks would be full of rambunctious teenagers, but other than that what? Is the park closed to the public? Does it close early several nights in a row? Our idea right now is a 4 day park hopper, so we would have some flexibility.

Anyone ever been to the parks on grad night able to report back?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT to add: I just used my amazing search skillz....Thank you, HydroGuy!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

The park closes at 8 or 9 pm on Grad Nights. If it's 8 pm, then most likely its off season hours anyways so it wouldn't be closing any later with or without Grad Nights. The grads come in after the park closes, at most you may notice rowdy buses driving by or pre-Grad night parties in DTD. They are not allowed to run amuck wherever they wish. We went on a Grad Night last year and the only way we new it was a Grad Night was a slightly early closure (we were there mid-June) and a couple of buses driving near Paradise Pier Hotel with kids shouting out the windows.

 

[HydroGuy]

This question is coming waaaaaaay in advance of our trip (like 2 years!) but I am enjoying the "I get to go again" feeling.

The next trip will be myself and my adult daughter. We are planning it between our birthdays, late May, early June.

What would we encounter with regard to Grad Night? I know the parks would be full of rambunctious teenagers, but other than that what? Is the park closed to the public? Does it close early several nights in a row? Our idea right now is a 4 day park hopper, so we would have some flexibility.

Anyone ever been to the parks on grad night able to report back?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT to add: I just used my amazing search skillz....Thank you, HydroGuy!

I guess you found this thread then:

"The Scoop on Grad Nights at DLR in May and June" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2298400

The rambunction teenagers that fill the park or after midnight. So no impact on regular visitors.

 

[ronandannette]

Last night was a grad night with DL closing at 8:00. There was a GIGANTIC hoard of kids arriving on foot when we went across Harbor towards DTD for dinner around 8:30. There were several large, loud groups of grads at the Rainforest Cafe until close to 10:00. When we headed back toward our hotel there seemed to be thousands of kids held in a "waiting area" outside the gates. Not sure why they hadn't been admitted ...

 

[skiingfast]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is when Grad Nights start in the evening.

I don't know if this is the first year for this but there is an early option. While the main Grad Night in DL starts at 11:30, plenty of time for day guests to leave and loud kids to arrive. There is also a pre party called Blast-Off in DCA that starts at 9pm or 9:30pm. So there is some overlap. However these blast off parties are extra money and have a more limited availability than the later part in DL.

 

[HydroGuy]

Last night was a grad night with DL closing at 8:00. There was a GIGANTIC hoard of kids arriving on foot when we went across Harbor towards DTD for dinner around 8:30. There were several large, loud groups of grads at the Rainforest Cafe until close to 10:00. When we headed back toward our hotel there seemed to be thousands of kids held in a "waiting area" outside the gates. Not sure why they hadn't been admitted ...

I have always understood that the grad night attendees must arrive by bus and be escorted directly into the parks. That does not of course prevent any other person or teen from showing up at Harbor Blvd or DTD and going to RFC or anywhere else. Whether those kids were part of the actual grad night I do not know for sure but history suggests they were not.

 

[ronandannette]

Well, we didn't stop any of them to ask, but they clearly were being accompanied by "chaperones" that were hearding them in front, behind and at the sides . They were also dressed quite distinctively, and were obviously a purposeful group of some kind...

 

[HydroGuy]

Well, we didn't stop any of them to ask, but they clearly were being accompanied by "chaperones" that were hearding them in front, behind and at the sides . They were also dressed quite distinctively, and were obviously a purposeful group of some kind...

Sounds like they were grads but Disney has been so careful about keeping them controlled I do not know what they were doing out there.

I do not think this is typical and I would hate for someone to read this thread and think it is and get scared away...

 

[ronandannette]

Sounds like they were grads but Disney has been so careful about keeping them controlled I do not know what they were doing out there.

I do not think this is typical and I would hate for someone to read this thread and think it is and get scared away...

Besides the fact that DTD was hectic and there were metal "chutes" set up all the way back to Harbor along the entrace plaza to contain the lines, there was nothing I saw that would impact the regular park guests at all You're on your way out and they're on their way in. Nothing really to be scared of - more a curiosity than anything.

P.S. The evening I'm referring to was Thursday, June 19 in case anybody else who's reading was also there and has any insight.