Grad Nite: Attack of the Buses!

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

At the Disneyland resort now (well in the area), thought it was a little strange that Disneyland closed at 11pm yesterday (Wednesday), today at 9pm, and the next day once again at 11pm. Thought maybe some sort of event was going to take place but wasn't sure what - until we saw a gazillion buses filled with teenagers! We were out and about on Harbor Blvd. and saw the buses pouring in at about 10ish, and sure enough Disney had a Grad Nite bus parking message on their traffic marquee.

Pretty cool, this must go into the a.m. hours. Anyone have grad nite experience or info that they can share? Like which schools can participate, what the park arrangement is with the schools, do they have to pay, how long does it go, and if a CM is reading this, how crazy do things get ?!? Are all the rides open?

 

[superme80]

I can tell which High School got banned for a few years!!!!!

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

I can tell which High School got banned for a few years!!!!!

Oooo, give us the details . I can't begin to imagine the shenanigans that take place, which is why I would love to hear from a cast member!

 

[superme80]

I personally didn't attend this high school, but all of my friends did. And from what I have been told Hogan High in Vallejo, CA was banned for about 2 years due to drugs and some other shenanigans that only us true Vallejioans are capable of.

 

[Teki]

Ive never been, but I heard you aren't allowed to wear school colors etc for fear of fights breaking out, and a lot of urban legends about accidents in the park happen on grad night. If its really as bad as the rumors I don't know why they'd keep it up lol

 

[Disney Dreams]

I have attended both as a student and (a few - cough - years later) as a chaperon.

Schools have to apply. The nights sell out pretty quickly.

Once a school commits to a grad night date, they sell tickets to their grads. They have a minimum commitment to Disney. They also must provide chaperons. DL offers a free chaperon ticket for every X students. (Ex: For every 20 students, DL gives one free chaperon ticket.... or something like that.)

There are very strict rules set by DL that must be followed. Amongst the most important are those regarding arrival and departure.

- All students MUST arrive and depart via school transportation (i.e. bus, van, etc...). So, parents cannot drop off or pick up students individually. This is why it's the Parade of Buses.

- Once students enter the Park (approx. 11pm) they are in for the entire night. There is no leaving until morning (6am, I think). There is entertainment throughout the night, music, dancing, almost all attractions are open, etc....

- There's an extensive list of dress code and not-permitted items. Pretty thorough searches are done upon entering.

- The dress code used to be a HUGE deal for Grad Nite. Once upon a time, there was a very strict dress code that included jacket and tie, females were required to wear skirts. In recent years, DL has relaxed the dress code some, but there are still some strict rules that are enforced without exception. I am not up to date on the new dress code, but I do know that, as Teki mention, school colors are not allowed, neither are school logos, letterman jackets, etc.... (Multiple schools are present and the idea is to avoid fights due to rivalries.)

- No smoking. Period. Students or chaperons

It's been a few years since I attended as a chaperon so things may have changed some, but that's the basic idea. You can go to disneygradnite.com for everything you ever wanted to know about Grad Nite at Disneyland.

And yeah, while most kids just have a great, fun, grad night - there are some fascinating stories from grad nights that anyone who has attended one could probably tell you.

- Dreams

 

[HydroGuy]

I have attended both as a student and (a few - cough - years later) as a chaperon.

Dreams covered pretty much everything as I remember it - yes I am willing to admit it Dreams - in 1981. Go John North High class of '81! (thirty year re-union coming soon!)

Here is a post I created to help keep people informed.

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

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

I have attended both as a student and (a few - cough - years later) as a chaperon.

Schools have to apply. The nights sell out pretty quickly.

Once a school commits to a grad night date, they sell tickets to their grads. They have a minimum commitment to Disney. They also must provide chaperons. DL offers a free chaperon ticket for every X students. (Ex: For every 20 students, DL gives one free chaperon ticket.... or something like that.)

There are very strict rules set by DL that must be followed. Amongst the most important are those regarding arrival and departure.

- Dreams

Thanks for all the info , very interesting and I never thought to see if there was a website regarding grad night at Disneyland so I'll definitely check it out. I really hope the dress code is no longer as strict, it's really not fair to require females to wear a skirt/dress, I can understand it's considered formal-ish but can you imagine wearing a skirt for several Disney hours and in the night-time a.m. hours !

 

[Disney Dreams]

... - yes I am willing to admit it Dreams - in 1981....

And I was Class of - cough - cough -, sorry, what was I saying?

Thanks for all the info , very interesting and I never thought to see if there was a website regarding grad night at Disneyland so I'll definitely check it out. ..

You're welcome. Glad I was able to provide interesting info.

...I really hope the dress code is no longer as strict, it's really not fair to require females to wear a skirt/dress, I can understand it's considered formal-ish but can you imagine wearing a skirt for several Disney hours and in the night-time a.m. hours !

The initial concept of the strict dress code was the idea that if you are dressed up, you behave better. In theory.......

 

[superme80]

Thanks for all the info , very interesting and I never thought to see if there was a website regarding grad night at Disneyland so I'll definitely check it out. I really hope the dress code is no longer as strict, it's really not fair to require females to wear a skirt/dress, I can understand it's considered formal-ish but can you imagine wearing a skirt for several Disney hours and in the night-time a.m. hours !

Actually yes. I wore skirts the entire time I was at Disneyland.

 

[Cadillac_Dreamgirl]

I attended Gradnite in 1991....I wore a dress...I Remember coming back so exhausted from being awake all nite......

I was from Santa Maria high in Santa Barbara county....

I remember the entertainment..........ENVOGUE, STEVIE B

ENVOGUE played in front of It's a small world.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I went with my DB (who has now been my DH for almost...cough...18 years) for his Grad Night in 1987. He then went with me to my Grad Night in 1988. We both attended Simi Valley High School, but my family moved my senior year of high school and I ended up graduating from Redlands High School. I have a couple of funny memories of the rules back then. One rule included only being able to bring a date of the opposite sex. So, if you weren't part of a couple, forget asking your best friend of the same sex who was in a different grade. Another thing I remember is not being allowed to sleep. This got tough around 4:00AM when your feet were tired and you just wanted to sit on a bench and rest for awhile. I have vague memories of being rousted by a security CM after closing my eyes on a bench. As far as the clothes, I think most of the girls did wear dresses or were somehow dressed up...it seems to me I was wearing dressier shoes and they were KILLING me by the time morning came and it was time to get on the bus.

 

[ConnieB]

Ok, proud to say I'm old, lol. I went to Grad night back in 1981....yes, almost 30 years ago. We drove down from San Francisco on several buses...had the run of the parks (with a few other schools, but not crazy crowded like I imagine it is now, lol) until dawn...then you climb back on your bus and unlike the loud racuous ride down, nearly everyone falls asleep. We arrive back at school and get to go home and sleep some more.

Dress code was no jeans is all I remember....but definitely not girls required to wear dresses or I would have stayed home, lol. Didn't have the problems about school colors back then, but we didn't have nearly as scary "gangs" either. In fact, the photo I still have hanging on the wall all these years later is my "gang" of friends and the guys are all wearing their Football Jackets. My how times a-change.

Personally I have very fond memories of Grad Night, of course, I'm sure that the locals and those on vacation weren't thrilled that we took over the place, but I think it's a wonderful thing for Disney to do for graduating seniors.

 

[ChickenCarlos]

i had a pretty cool experience on my Disney Grad Night, it was "way" back in '98. When they were selling tickets for the bus they sold out in like 5 days, and me already knowing i wanted to go, was trying to get my friends into it, and we heard they sold out, so we asked the princapal to do another bus, after about a week he rented another bus and sold tickets to that, well while that happened i was doing co-op off campus work studies and the job i was at took a 4 day leave, and again i missed the tickets and they sold out again, so finally i just went to the office and gave them my money and said im going. i dont care if i have to drive myself. they gave in, because i guess a few other people also did the same thing, so they ended up renting a seperate SUV just for us, it held 6 people and the wrestling coach as the driver/shapron, the coolest part about it was that when they said it held 6 i talked my friends into trading there bus passes to the other 5 people that were supposed to ride with me in the SUV and so it was me and my 5 closest friends and the wrestling coach, in a car, when we left(monterey) we arrived in Anaheim like 3 hours before the buses so the coach took us to hollywood and venice, it was awesome. BUT the best part besides Disneyland of course was, when we all had to leave the park and head back to the buses to leave(all together) the only blind girl at our school lost her shaprone and was lost in the park somehwere, so the wrestling coach said screw it and we left, we got back home like 6 hours before the buses because they had to wait to try to find the blind girl, which they didnt and she had to end up flying home late the next day. At the graduation ceramony she gave a speech about her "lost" time at Disney grad night, it was pretty funny, i guess she got lost in so converted dance club in New Orleans, and ended up with a group of blind people from a different school that their shaprones thought she was part of thier group, and ended up going to san diego on the wrong bus.ANYWAYS it was a great time an would recommend Disney Grad nights to anybody thinking about going.

 

[Somegirl]

Grad Night was very very fun! I went in 1987 and the entertainment was
Wang Chung! Remember them? Everybody Wang Chung tonight!
Yes we had to dress up and by 6 am I was soooo tired. The bus ride down from Santa Cruz was a blast but going home was torture. I remember we stopped at a YMCA to clean up a bit and change into our nice clothes before going into Disneyland.
One huge memory of the night was that my friends ( I swear I had nothing to do with it ) sneaked in an illegal herbal substance. Not real smart. Well they decided the perfect place to break the law was in the sky way ride that used to go through the Mattahorn. Of coarse we got caught by the guys running the ride. I was so terrified of being thrown into the the Disney jail and parents being called!
The CMs just wanted the substance and weren't going to call security. Fine worked for me since it wasn't mine, but my friends argued with the CMs and accused them of wanting it for themselves! Anyway we were let go and the CMs had something to help them relax after working all night and dealing with crazy teenagers.
Fun times...I wish my DD could go ( minus the dingbat friends) but it's deemed to be to expensive so they will go to a 6 Flags instead.