Walt Disney World announced today that it is ditching its annual Grad Nights for high school seniors, after this year's events. Grad Nights will continue at Disneyland in California.
(And by the way, I know that Disney calls its event "Grad Nite," but as someone who once taught writing to college students, I just can't bear to go there. So it's "Grad Nights" when I write about these events, okay?)
Disney's offering the excuse that increased attendance at the parks in April and May is making the Grad Nights too difficult to schedule, which I believe. With Disney's continued push to convert more of its visits to on-site stays, with more hotel or Disney Vacation Club guests, those on-site visitors resist the shorter park hours that Disney needs on days when it schedules a Grad Night.
Disney instead is pushing $55 one-day theme park tickets for school groups, for schools that which to continue sending their soon-to-graduate to Disney World. (Those tickets are available throughout the year, actually. More info on that and other Disney school programs is online at disneyyouth.com.) You'd lose the special event feeling, however, since you'd no longer be in the park with just other kids your own age. But a trip to Disney World on even a "normal" day is still a nice way to celebrate.
I can't help but think that all this really is my fault, though, after ratting out Smokey McPuff and his buddies earlier this year. So to Florida's high school juniors and younger students, I apologize. I'm sorry that you're losing this special event.
But I do hope that you'll enjoy your evening at Hogwarts, instead.
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I think a majority of Disney's deaths have been during Grad Nights. Most of them, though, were also the person's fault!
Sorry to see Grad Ni(gh)t(e) go but times are changing and each generation seems to be just a bit more trouble than the one before it. jack Lindquist might be sorry to see this go but from a safety and security point of view, I'd back the park's decision.
So, although they may cancel this official grad night option, there are still plenty of kids coming to celebrate the end of their high school careers. Personally - I'd rather grad night... I'm staying at the Poly next time I go for the Princess - hopefully there won't be any half nekked highschoolers there...
Sorry to see it go at WDW, but fully understand the economic aspects of the whole thing.
Unfortunately I've never experienced Grad Night at even Disneyland as my school decided not to participate... and I don't think they ever have to this day! The school opened in '92 so that's almost 20 years of no Disney. =(
Seriously, though, most seniors picked this event over the Grad Bash at universal because of the choice in performers as well as overall park appeal. This means that Grad Bash will be more crowded next year, and more miserable for us teens when we do visit there. But for the mean time, WDW is their property, they can do anything they want for it.
I'm going to tell a short, controversial story. You may not agree with it, but take from it what you will. I have a buddy who did acid (LSD) at the Animal Kingdom. He had an amazing time, acted respectfully, and got along great with the other guests. He was even chosen as a volunteer in one of the live shows. He never cut lines, vandalized, or did anything else annoying or obnoxious. In other words, he was in control. Some people would automatically consider him a bad person for using "heavy" drugs, especially at a family theme park, but he's a great guy with a preference for certain substances over, say, alcohol.
The next day, we went to Islands of Adventure and witnessed several drunk men acting extremely inappropriately in line for Duelling Dragons. People around them were visibly uncomfortable. To top it off, they were all fathers, and their kids were with them. They didn't get kicked out, nor did they get asked to tone it down. They acted like asses, but alcohol is perfectly legal, so it must be okay.
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