The Scoop on Grad Nights at DLR in May and June

[Mabel67]

Thanks Starshine! We will definitely be doing that.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Wednesday and Thursday evenings should have lower overall crowds, because there will be fewer regular guests in the parks on those days. You could plan on catching F! on Friday and WOC on Thursday if you find the crowds problematic on Wednesday night.

This is very encouraging...thank you . I think we are going to do this too.

 

[undertheseas]

Ugh we have two grad nights during our stay! I'm anxious to hear what the May DISers have to say about the crowds.

 

[kt-scarlett]

Grad Night is taking place two of our three days/nights for our first ever visit to Disneyland this June. I see that the parks do not close early and GN takes place at DCA this year. Would you recommend we visit DCA on the only non-Grad Night? We're seasoned WDW vets and I have to admit planning this visit to DL is overwhelming me. Argh!!!

Thanks for any help and insight you can offer.

Mary

 

[kt-scarlett]

One more question: The Disneyland Grad Night website does not list our dates in June (5/6/7) for Grad Night. Does that mean it's sold out and therefore will be hyper busy at the parks as compared to the other GN dates available? Thanks again!

 

[HydroGuy]

Grad Night is taking place two of our three days/nights for our first ever visit to Disneyland this June. I see that the parks do not close early and GN takes place at DCA this year. Would you recommend we visit DCA on the only non-Grad Night? We're seasoned WDW vets and I have to admit planning this visit to DL is overwhelming me. Argh!!!

Thanks for any help and insight you can offer.

Mary

If you can work your schedule to be at DCA on the non-grad night that makes sense to me.

Also, if you must be there during a grad night then last year reports were that it got noticeably more crowded at night as the grads arrives. Therefore, it makes sense to plan to do shows (like WOC) when you are in competition with grads and focus on rides mroe during the day before grads arrive.

Good luck!

 

[HydroGuy]

One more question: The Disneyland Grad Night website does not list our dates in June (5/6/7) for Grad Night. Does that mean it's sold out and therefore will be hyper busy at the parks as compared to the other GN dates available? Thanks again!

I do believe you are correct those grad nights are sold out as the websites drop the dates as they become sold out. As it gets closer more nights will sell out. Whether one grad night might be more crowded than another, I would not worry about it. I do not think you will be able predict this ahead of time. And I doubt it will be significantly different anyways for one night vs. another.

 

[kt-scarlett]

If you can work your schedule to be at DCA on the non-grad night that makes sense to me.

Also, if you must be there during a grad night then last year reports were that it got noticeably more crowded at night as the grads arrives. Therefore, it makes sense to plan to do shows (like WOC) when you are in competition with grads and focus on rides mroe during the day before grads arrive.

Good luck!

Thank you, HydroGuy for both the information and the hand-holding on sold-out Grad Nite mayhem. I appreciate all you have done for Disneyland Resort guests visiting during Grad Nites.

 

[BlueFairy]

I am confused. The first post lists 5/29-31/2013 as a grad nights. And an oft-used crowd calendar only lists 5/29. However, I would swear that at one point I saw 6/1 listed somewhere as well. Are the dates fluid? Have 5/30 and 5/31 been dropped from the schedule? For now I think we will assume that the first post is correct, but I'm curious if someone can shed light on where the discrepancy comes from. Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

I am confused. The first post lists 5/29-31/2013 as a grad nights. And an oft-used crowd calendar only lists 5/29. However, I would swear that at one point I saw 6/1 listed somewhere as well. Are the dates fluid? Have 5/30 and 5/31 been dropped from the schedule? For now I think we will assume that the first post is correct, but I'm curious if someone can shed light on where the discrepancy comes from. Thanks!

I am not 100% sure about this but I think in some cases some websites are either outdated (new dates have been added) or only list dates that are not yet sold out.

 

[BlueFairy]

Thanks! I guess we'll see.

 

[LisaCat]

Hydroguy- I just had to give a shout out to a fellow Grad Nighter! You have me beat though. I was 1987. Our busload of Grads drove down from Northern CA, did Disney and then drove back. It was quite a trip and an absolute blast!

My Grad Nite was 1981. We were on a bus for 7 hours. The girls and boys took turns changing into our nice clothes (girls had to wear dresses!) on the bus in the DL parking lot. We partied all night (Kool and the Gang was the headliner entertainment!) and then got back on the bus in the morning for the 7 hour drive home. GOOD TIMES!

 

[ConnieB]

1981 here also.....and we had to wear either dresses or a "nice pant suit"....so I wore a pant suit and vest.

Drove all day, party all night and slept on the drive back to San Francisco.

THOSE were fun times. Gone on 2 recent grad nights, which included the day tickets.....which was definitely a nice perk, but the public was there all day so it wasn't until night that it felt like "Grad Night" and having Grad Night end at 3am just seemed wrong.

 

[MommyJKM]

1981 here also.....and we had to wear either dresses or a "nice pant suit"....so I wore a pant suit and vest.

Drove all day, party all night and slept on the drive back to San Francisco.

THOSE were fun times. Gone on 2 recent grad nights, which included the day tickets.....which was definitely a nice perk, but the public was there all day so it wasn't until night that it felt like "Grad Night" and having Grad Night end at 3am just seemed wrong.

OMG Good Memories! I was class of 1994. I think Color Me Badd was the headliner. We took a bus from San Leandro, CA - drove 8 hours, changed in the bus (girl's first, then boys) and couldn't wear skirts or tank tops. Then we were set loose and all behaved.

Got back on the bus at 7am to go to Universal Studios for 8 hours and drove back. Whew! But we were always respectful and thankful for the experience!

 

[BattyMcDoon]

I heard on a youtube video today that the Grad Nites are only going to be in DCA this year. Can anyone confirm that?

 

[HydroGuy]

I heard on a youtube video today that the Grad Nites are only going to be in DCA this year. Can anyone confirm that?

Yes, did you read the first post that discusses this?

 

[sandysue]

I think the implication is that grads won't have park hoppers and will be confined to DCA. Which we know to be false.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think the implication is that grads won't have park hoppers and will be confined to DCA. Which we know to be false.

I guess it depends on how you read the question. The grad night after hours will be at DCA only. But you are of course correct that during normal park hours the grads can be at both DL and DCA.

 

[BattyMcDoon]

I guess it depends on how you read the question. The grad night after hours will be at DCA only. But you are of course correct that during normal park hours the grads can be at both DL and DCA.

Perhaps I misunderstood the video I watched. I took it as they would only be allowed into DCA, aka no park hoppers and no Grads in DLR. I guess I will have to rewatch it.

 

[NavyDad01]

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?