2020 Grad Nites Now Cancelled - Tradition Since 1961

[TP2000]

Not a huge surprise, but another big hit to the culture and continuity of Southern California life, and another hit to the history of Disneyland.

Disneyland has now officially cancelled all of its Grad Nites for 2020. The 16 different Grad Nite dates were set to begin in mid May and run through June 13th. Those dates already sold out back in 2019 and the tickets will be refunded.

Disneyland cancels Grad Nite parties due to coronavirus

The decision to cancel was expected, but still a blow to high school seniors who already lost their proms and commencement ceremonies.

www.ocregister.com

I really feel for the Class of 2020. The most memorable parts of their entire senior year; Prom, parties, Senior trips, commencement, Grad Nite, etc. have all been cancelled now.

Disneyland had been hosting Grad Nite parties annually every May and June since 1961, and the concept eventually spread to WDW. Next year would have been the 60th anniversary of Grad Nite, if the concept can continue a year from now.

 

[cmwade77]

I know this is going to sound mean, but honestly, I am glad they did, the Grad Nites have been a disaster since they started doing the mix-ins and cause nothing but trouble. I hope Disney changes their mind and cancels them permanently out here like they did in Florida, I would also take the alternative of them no longer being a mix-in, either way would be acceptable, but the present way doesn't work.

By the way, this opinion has nothing to do with Covid-19, rather to do with the mess that Grad Nites cause, add in Covid-19 and it would be a recipe for disaster, especially since I would imagine the theme parks will have just reopened before they start and will have new procedures to deal with.

 

[mickEblu]

I feel bad for this years graduating class but yes please stop letting those kids in during normal park hours. I avoid those days like the plague. In my day we went to grad night at midnight like respectable children.

 

[TP2000]

I feel bad for this years graduating class but yes please stop letting those kids in during normal park hours. I avoid those days like the plague. In my day we went to grad night at midnight like respectable children.

Grad Nite has been a real mess over the last decade. That "mix-in" concept just doesn't work for this.

Something tells me since no meaningful leadership or upper management is on property after 5pm anyway, the big execs in TDA could care less what the park environment devolves into and they only care about the ticket sales on a spreadsheet the next morning.

Here's some photos of the very first Disneyland Grad Nite in 1961, taken for Life Magazine that summer.

At the Space Bar in Tomorrowland they had a band playing rock n' roll, and the hip SoCal teens were some of the first white kids in the country to start doing a new dance called The Twist that had been a hit with black teens the year prior. The Twist craze didn't sweep the nation until 1962, but in June of '61 there were already some trend-setting SoCal kids doing it as you see here. (Especially the young man on the left who is already previewing the '62 lyric "Twist a little lower now!")

Meanwhile, over in Frontierland, the dancing took a more traditional and romantic approach with the live band playing on the Mark Twain dock.

Even in 1961 the late night PDA could be a bit racy, but at least the young lady is riding sidesaddle!

Admission to the overnight party was $6.00 in 1961, which is equal to $52.00 today adjusted for inflation.

 

[mickEblu]

Grad Nite has been a real mess over the last decade. Something tells me since no meaningful leadership or upper management is on property after 5pm anyway, the big execs in TDA could care less what the park environment devolves into and they just look at the ticket sales on a spreadsheet the next morning.

Here's some photos of the very first Disneyland Grad Nite in 1961, taken for Life Magazine that summer.

At the Space Bar in Tomorrowland they had a band playing rock n' roll, and the hip SoCal teens were some of the first white kids in the country to start doing a new dance called The Twist that had been a hit with black teens the year prior. The Twist craze didn't really sweep the nation until 1962, but in June of '61 there were already some trend-setting SoCal kids doing it as you see here. (Especially the young man on the left who is already previewing the '62 lyric "Twist a little lower now!")

Meanwhile, over in Frontierland, the dancing took a more traditional approach with the live band playing on the Mark Twain dock.

Even in 1961 the late night PDA could be a bit racy, but at least the young lady is riding sidesaddle!

Admission to the overnight party was $6.00 in 1961, which is equal to $52.00 today adjusted for inflation.

What a time to be Alive

 

[smooch]

I am still so salty, back when my twin brother and I graduated in 2017 (I'm a baby I know) my school stopped doing Grad Nite at Disneyland. My school did Disneyland Grad Nites every year prior for a long time but stopped in 2016 (the year my older brother graduated) and resumed it again in 2019 (the year after my girlfriend graduated). Me and my friends and brothers all got so unlucky, we were all within the 3 year window they didn't do Disneyland Grad Nites for some reason.

 

[LOSTIE]

Wouldn't it be great if Disneyland Grad Night was a formal attire event? Kids looking dapper might make it a classier event.

 

[smooch]

Wouldn't it be great if Disneyland Grad Night was a formal attire event? Kids looking dapper might make it a classier event.

That would be nice. People seem to have a problem dressing up nowadays. I personally love any excuse to dress up like weddings, the Office Christmas Party, etc. At my graduation we were told to dress nice under our gowns, like at the bare minimum wear a collared shirt for guys kinda thing but it wasn't enforced. I saw so many people that just wore normal clothes underneath, the same clothes we wore to school earlier in the day for rehearsal. I was kinda surprised honestly.

 

[DrAlice]

Wouldn't it be great if Disneyland Grad Night was a formal attire event? Kids looking dapper might make it a classier event.

Wait... they don't make you dress up anymore?

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Everyone is talking about "mix in" and i dont get what you mean by that. How did it work before ? was grad night a special even ticket that only happened at certain hours at night or was it a all day ticket with a party at night?

 

[Darkbeer1]

Everyone is talking about "mix in" and i dont get what you mean by that. How did it work before ? was grad night a special even ticket that only happened at certain hours at night or was it a all day ticket with a party at night?

A totally separate event.

You were bussed in with the rest of your class. The park was opened like 11 PM to 5 AM.

They set up a special entrance back stage in later years, that included a big security/booze check, dress code check, and no exit.

Chaperones were required based on the size of the group. Everyone was forced to remain in Disneyland until 5 AM, where everyone walked back to their buses.

No visiting the parks during regular hours. Your parents dropped you off at your school in the early evening, and picked you up in the early morning.

Grad Nite - 1974, 1975 & 1976

The Grad Nite collection on the blog gets a little thin in the early 1970’s, so we’ll pick up with a “ticket only” for 1974 , a program for ...

vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com

 

[Sailor310]

I was there in '76 and '77. It was a lot more fun with my girlfriend in '76 than with a sophmore friend in '77. In '77, Space Mountain had just opened. We got in line about 2:30. Waited until 4:30, then the ride broke down and we had to start heading for the bus. I'm still mad at SM.

 

[Darkbeer1]

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Did these kids even finish the school year? I thought they've all been home playing GTA.

 

[Curious Constance]

Kids and parents are all stuck trying to figure out home schooling and how to make it work. It’s not easy, especially with me working full time from home as well. High schools in OR have all had to go to Pass/No pass rather than letter grades so there goes the college credit my daughter was working towards for her AP class. Part of me is grateful they have something constructive to do which brings some sense of normalcy and routine to their day and part of me wishes they had just called it quits on this school year entirely and not added to the stress.

 

[drizgirl]

Kids and parents are all stuck trying to figure out home schooling and how to make it work. It’s not easy, especially with me working full time from home as well. High schools in OR have all had to go to Pass/No pass rather than letter grades so there goes the college credit my daughter was working towards for her AP class. Part of me is grateful they have something constructive to do which brings some sense of normalcy and routine to their day and part of me wishes they had just called it quits on this school year entirely and not added to the stress.

With AP, the credit comes with the exam. The grade makes no difference. Can't she still take that? I heard they were going to offer an at home version.

 

[Curious Constance]

With AP, the credit comes with the exam. The grade makes no difference. Can't she still take that? I heard they were going to offer an at home version.

Yes. She will still take the exam, or some version of it they are setting up to take at home. Our local community college took a letter grade A or B for credit as well though and she was glad to have that as a back up. She’s anxious for the exam so we will see how it goes.

 

[Travel Junkie]

I have fond memories of my grad night. It's really sad for graduates of all levels to be missing out on the ceremonies and events surrounding their accomplishment.

Without knowing when it would be safe to open would make this a logistical nightmare, but it would be nice if Disneyland was able to invite grads as their first guests back. it could be used as a practice round for cast members to train on any new social distance measures.

 

[Californian Elitist]

My grad nite left me EXHAUSTED. That same night was the Lakers championship game, the last one in 2010. My senior class voted to watch the game before going to the park, so the hype from that mixed with the time spent at the park was a recipe for a very long nap the following morning.

I really feel for the class of 2020. All of the memorable things that occur for senior year has been taken from them. I feel for the college graduates as well. Years of hard work and dedication and can’t even walk the stage.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Yes. She will still take the exam, or some version of it they are setting up to take at home. Our local community college took a letter grade A or B for credit as well though and she was glad to have that as a back up. She’s anxious for the exam so we will see how it goes.

I bet if you get the right person on the phone they'd accept a Pass instead of a letter grade. I imagine a ton of allowances will need to be made for that sort of thing given the circumstances of the last month.