Grad Nite 2018- changes!

[gottalovepluto]

I've been in & out intermittently so if this has already been covered sorry!
From another thread here...

The Grad Night tickets changed this year. There is a DCA party ticket for $79, option 2 is a full day at DCA (plus the party) for $99, or a hopper (plus the party) for $139. This might change what the kids do (or at least I am hoping it does )

This could- COULD- change strategies for dealing with Grad Nites. My quick google search tells me that's approx $50 price hike for park Hoppers for Grads? Noticeable for sure if you're the kid/parent paying the bill. Although the impact on the average non-grad park goer at this point is unknown. So, if anyone is in the parks for Grad Nites this year some crowds reports would be nice to find out what, if anything, has changed!

 

[tzeitel]

I'll be there from the 5th to the 14th so I have 3 grad nites (actually 2 since on one we will be off property). On the site it says all kids in the group have to have the same ticket and check in at the gate together. Do the kids come straight from school or on their own? I am just wondering about kids with APs. This is from the site -

All students/chaperones from the registered school must purchase the same Grad Nite ticket package type. Only one reservation will be allowed from each school. No exceptions.

I read so many people complain about Grad Nites last year (much more than from previous years) wondering if it was because they got PH instead of just the DCA party ticket. And now Disney is trying to figure out a way to keep everyone happy - the kids still have the option of PH, but not a done deal that they will all have the hopper option.

 

[figment_jii]

I haven't done a grad nite before, but one of my friends has a kid who is a senior this year. Their school said that the kids are required to all travel together on the bus down to DL (they're coming from Northern CA). It sounded like they would be leaving the day of the event, probably very early in the morning.

 

[rowan1813]

I am the Grad Nite coordinator for my high school in the Central Valley (CA) and when I received the email from DLR about the Grad Nite changes, my jaw dropped. We have been going to DLR for Grad Nite since before I was a student at this high school over 10 years ago and I have been the coordinator for 3 years now. I talked with my admin and we made the decision that even despite the price hike, we would still go with the park hopper option because for many of our students, they have never been to DL and that is the draw. I have to imagine for many of the non-LA area schools, that is also the thought process. I will also say this - another high school in my district tried to get the park hopper option for their day (same as ours) and they were not able to - it sold out so quickly. I was in the waiting queue for several minutes trying to get our day and the park hopper option. It was incredibly nervewracking and I was stressing out quite a bit (ask my AP students what was going on; they were even worrying too and they are sophomores. They cheered when I told them I had gotten everything).

Long story short, the demand is still there despite the changes. There will still be a lot of grads there but honestly, there are a ton of school groups there anyways; that is just the time of the year. These changes won't make a huge ton of difference.

I do believe, this is DLR's 1st step towards getting rid of Grad Nite. Something is just sticking in my mind that things could totally change or even be gone in 2019 or 2020 with the arrival of SW land.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I'll be there from the 5th to the 14th so I have 3 grad nites (actually 2 since on one we will be off property). On the site it says all kids in the group have to have the same ticket and check in at the gate together. Do the kids come straight from school or on their own? I am just wondering about kids with APs. This is from the site -

All students/chaperones from the registered school must purchase the same Grad Nite ticket package type. Only one reservation will be allowed from each school. No exceptions.

I read so many people complain about Grad Nites last year (much more than from previous years) wondering if it was because they got PH instead of just the DCA party ticket. And now Disney is trying to figure out a way to keep everyone happy - the kids still have the option of PH, but not a done deal that they will all have the hopper option.

Disney isn't keeping anyone happy, they're monetizing grad nites more this year and should make a very nice profit this year. As for when kids arrive and APs.... some schools can go after school if they're in the local area, some have to make a day trip out of it if they're from NorCal or AZ, some stay overnight and make a SoCal trip out of it. Kids were required to travel together down to DLR and back in the buses when I went due to insurance reasons with my school and I suspect most schools will be the same (except in the cases of extremely small schools that will have to use private vehicles). APs are taken out of the equation because all of the kids have to purchase the same ticket. If the school chooses the day at DCA or PH options everyone will have to pay for it AP holders or not.

 

[rowan1813]

I'll be there from the 5th to the 14th so I have 3 grad nites (actually 2 since on one we will be off property). On the site it says all kids in the group have to have the same ticket and check in at the gate together. Do the kids come straight from school or on their own? I am just wondering about kids with APs. This is from the site -

All students/chaperones from the registered school must purchase the same Grad Nite ticket package type. Only one reservation will be allowed from each school. No exceptions.

Yes, all of the students must arrive together at the parks. We are required to tell Disney when and how we are arriving (bus, van, or walking from a hotel across the street). It is very much a coordinated effort on Disney's part to be prepared for buses arriving and dropping off students. For the last few years, we have been instructed to have our buses drive along the back of DCA (actually one of the areas where rD would have us race) and there is a whole entrance set up complete with metal detectors, drug dogs and security teams as well as CMs scanning tickets. We enter the regular parks in the area near Bug's Land and Cars Land. We will be leaving our school around 6:30-7am to arrive at DLR around 12:30 or so depending on traffic.

ETA: yes, even kids with an AP must purchase a Grad Nite ticket. They are special tickets that also allow them to get into DCA for the grad-specific party at 10pm. You cannot enter through the Grad Nite area without a Grad Nite ticket.

 

[gottalovepluto]

..
I do believe, this is DLR's 1st step towards getting rid of Grad Nite. Something is just sticking in my mind that things could totally change or even be gone in 2019 or 2020 with the arrival of SW land.

Maybe, certainly laying the groundwork for it with this price hike, easing everyone into just purchasing a park ticket. Actually, a one day hopper would be cheaper! Fwiw (this was after I graduate- I had the old school Disneyland grad nite- but I had siblings still in school) with the move to DCA our school evaluated the whole party aspect (which was already on the rocks as it was a private religious school) and changed to just doing a PH day at DLR and forgoing the party entirely. Kids were perfectly happy. Just saying if they do get rid of it entirely I think your kids can still have a great experience down there!

 

[rowan1813]

Maybe, certainly laying the groundwork for it with this price hike, easing everyone into just purchasing a park ticket. Actually, a one day hopper would be cheaper! Fwiw (this was after I graduate- I had the old school Disneyland grad nite- but I had siblings still in school) with the move to DCA our school evaluated the whole party aspect (which was already on the rocks as it was a private religious school) and changed to just doing a PH day at DLR and forgoing the party entirely. Kids were perfectly happy. Just saying if they do get rid of it entirely I think your kids can still have a great experience down there!

Oh yeah, I'm sure that they would and I am sure if Disney does end it, many schools will also just do a PH and have a good time. I have been looking at UH's new Grad Nite Bash and am hoping to attend this year to see if it is an option for my kids in case Disney gets rid of Grad Nite. I absolutely refuse to do Six Flags.

 

[Geemo]

Reply

I've been in & out intermittently so if this has already been covered sorry!
From another thread here...
This could- COULD- change strategies for dealing with Grad Nites. My quick google search tells me that's approx $50 price hike for park Hoppers for Grads? Noticeable for sure if you're the kid/parent paying the bill. Although the impact on the average non-grad park goer at this point is unknown. So, if anyone is in the parks for Grad Nites this year some crowds reports would be nice to find out what, if anything, has changed!

This topic had discussion back in August when Grad Night dates were announced by Disney.
Here are a few links to the info from then.
https://www.disneyyouth.com/program...e-disneyland/#categories-disneyland-grad-nite
https://www.disboards.com/threads/2018-planning.3628271/#post-58128138

 

[kirstie101]

Very interesting! I think we're going to go in August this year instead of June but I'm looking forward to hearing trip reports about the grade nite dates now!