So what can you tell me about grad nights and crowds during the day?

[Bete]

Are the park daytime hours extremely busy or do the grads just go for the night time hours to the park mostly which will be California Adventure?

We don't have a choice and we will be there on June 7. So, do the grads busy up the park in the daytime or is it manageable?

 

[sjmac42]

Been twice on grad nights, you definitely notice them but I found the parks manageable on both occasions. Definitely not as crowded as periods like Easter, Christmas, Memorial Day weekend etc (when I‘ve also been to the parks).

 

[Didi8367]

We’re considering a trip in June that will include a grad night too.

My question is: Does Grad Night push up attendance at Disneyland also (with people going there to *avoid* DCA)? Or does it really only affect DCA crowds?

 

[sjmac42]

Both parks have higher crowds but my experience has been that it’s manageable.

 

[Critter3]

What about closing of areas in DCA for the Grads? I've never been but I have read that they also close part of the park for the Grads. It looks like the Grad celebrations go from 9pm-2am. So if they do close off a portion, what portion do they typically do and would it be closed at 9pm or potentially earlier?

Also, is there a window of time where maybe the # of Grads decreases and that would be a good time to target the main rides? I'm thinking if usually the Grads head out at like 5-6 for a planned supper offsite then come back at like 7-8?

 

[sjmac42]

Grads can get a party ticket (after 9pm), DCA plus party ticket or parkhopper plus party ticket. DCA closes entirely for the party.
Grads in Disneyland seemed to stay until at least late afternoon, mid evening. I really didn’t notice a mass clear out until maybe an hour or 2 before the party. We were hopping all day and night both times.
As I‘ve said, it’s busy but manageable. Some people hate going on Grad nights, it wouldn’t bother me to do it again.

 

[Critter3]

So DCA will close at 9 that night. Good to know and we will have to plan our day for that. We would likely be in DLR on the May 20th and DCA on the 21st, no Hoppers. We have an 8 and 5 year old so there would be no issue with needing to stay up later.

 

[brianphill77]

The times we have gone during grad nights, we have seen no lull in crowds in the evening. Grads who had park hopper packages seemed to stay in DL most of the afternoon/evening until 9pm when they hopped over for the grad party. Crowds in general were busy but manageable. Being teens, sometimes you'll encounter large groups that are a bit rowdy / loud / profane, seems to get a bit worse as the evening wears on.

 

[Critter3]

How do the grad nights affect the cues for specific rides? I’m guessing they would be going on more of the thrill rides and the main rides like Indiana Jones? And they wouldn’t be going to places like fantasyland and some of the other smaller kid rides. I have a five-year-old and an eight-year-old, and they aren’t necessarily into thrill rides. So it may not affect us. But I assume there is potential for two different scenarios. One being that the grads all go to the thrill rides and popular rides, which leaves the rides in fantasyland and the younger rides standby cues short. And the other is that because the grads are at those other rides that more people would then go to places like fantasyland to avoid those crowds, which in turn makes those standby cues long. I am not sure if either of those are typical, or if it’s a combination of both or different?

 

[smartlabelprint]

How do the grad nights affect the cues for specific rides? I’m guessing they would be going on more of the thrill rides and the main rides like Indiana Jones? And they wouldn’t be going to places like fantasyland and some of the other smaller kid rides. I have a five-year-old and an eight-year-old, and they aren’t necessarily into thrill rides. So it may not affect us. But I assume there is potential for two different scenarios. One being that the grads all go to the thrill rides and popular rides, which leaves the rides in fantasyland and the younger rides standby cues short. And the other is that because the grads are at those other rides that more people would then go to places like fantasyland to avoid those crowds, which in turn makes those standby cues long. I am not sure if either of those are typical, or if it’s a combination of both or different?

IME all rides are equally busy. We used to go to the park pre-parenting and we loved fantasyland. It’s not just for people with kids.

 

[sjmac42]

IME all rides are equally busy. We used to go to the park pre-parenting and we loved fantasyland. It’s not just for people with kids.

I agree, they are just busy but manageable days and that’s all there is to it.
If Grad Days are your only choice, go. They’re fine. As above you occasionally get some rowdy groups and some people jumping the queue to “join their friends” but it’s not a big deal. We had a great time on both occasions and it wouldn’t put us off to go on a grad night again in the future. They also give the parks a bit of extra “buzz”. We rode everything we wanted to.

 

[Critter3]

Yeah we essentially have to go during those nights as that is how it lines up with our plans. Just trying to ensure I plan for it