Grad Night crowd impact at DLR and DCA 2025?

[Jackiii]

I booked my 84 year old mother, my adult DD and myself for the DLR and DCA trip May 26-30, going to the parks on 5/27, 28, 29. Two of the days fall on Grad night days and the last is the last day of Imagine keys. Just watched a Disney Dad video on days to avoid all 3 of the parks days are mentioned to avoid.

Should I rethink and change my dates? Anyone have advise or experience on going to the parks on Grad night days. I always thought they were at night and wouldn’t impact us, but now I saw they options to buy day tickets also.

Everyone that answered my last post had such great suggestions and I appreciate you all! Thank you!

 

[Mathmagicland]

I booked my 84 year old mother, my adult DD and myself for the DLR and DCA trip May 26-30, going to the parks on 5/27, 28, 29. Two of the days fall on Grad night days and the last is the last day of Imagine keys. Just watched a Disney Dad video on days to avoid all 3 of the parks days are mentioned to avoid.

Should I rethink and change my dates? Anyone have advise or experience on going to the parks on Grad night days. I always thought they were at night and wouldn’t impact us, but now I saw they options to buy day tickets also.

Everyone that answered my last post had such great suggestions and I appreciate you all! Thank you!

I avoid grad night days. The parks and DTD all feel very crowded with so many high school students, way too busy for me! Yes, while Grad Night is only late night and in CA, with their all day and hopper options DL gets busy during the day and at night as non-GN folks move from CA to DL.

There are three ticket options - GN only, GN plus daytime CA, and GN plus daytime hopper to DL.

https://www.disneycampus.com/programs/field-trips/dlr/grad-nite-disneyland/

DTD and the esplanade feel more crowded with groups arriving and gathering for instructions before heading into the parks. While they are not there at rope drop, those with all day tickets start arriving late morning.

The last days of Imagine keys will also bring out locals looking to see the start of the summer entertainment before their MK are blocked.

 

[MonocularVision]

I have accidentally been to DL on grad night days and didn’t even know until afterwards. I personally think the board makes a much bigger deal of it then needed.

 

[LKing]

I have accidentally been to DL on grad night days and didn’t even know until afterwards. I personally think the board makes a much bigger deal of it then needed.

I agree. I don't usually notice much of a difference when I go during the day of a grad night.

 

[disneychrista]

I was there in mid-May last year and 2 of my days were Grad nights.

The Weds grad night I was at DCA. It was very low crowds until around noon when the Grads started to appear. It didn’t really feel crowded until after 5pm. At 8pm Guardians had a 3 hour standby wait.

The Fri Grad night I was at Disneyland. It felt like normal crowds until around 3pm. By 9pm it was very crowded and I choose to leave the park soon after the fireworks.

 

[mrsashbaugh]

I booked my 84 year old mother, my adult DD and myself for the DLR and DCA trip May 26-30, going to the parks on 5/27, 28, 29. Two of the days fall on Grad night days and the last is the last day of Imagine keys. Just watched a Disney Dad video on days to avoid all 3 of the parks days are mentioned to avoid.

Should I rethink and change my dates? Anyone have advise or experience on going to the parks on Grad night days. I always thought they were at night and wouldn’t impact us, but now I saw they options to buy day tickets also.

Everyone that answered my last post had such great suggestions and I appreciate you all! Thank you!

My family and I will be there those same dates. I've been having the same question as you, so thanks for asking. We will be at DCA with no park hopper on the Grad nite. We will rope drop and try to do as much as possible earlier in the day. I think Paint the Night will return, fingers crossed, so we'll watch that at the end.

 

[LKing]

My family and I will be there those same dates. I've been having the same question as you, so thanks for asking. We will be at DCA with no park hopper on the Grad nite. We will rope drop and try to do as much as possible earlier in the day. I think Paint the Night will return, fingers crossed, so we'll watch that at the end.

Paint the Night will be at Disneyland, not DCA.

 

[mrsashbaugh]

Paint the Night will be at Disneyland, not DCA.

Oh really? I didn't realize that. It was in DCA in 2018, so I assumed it would be the same. I guess I'll have to rethink evening plans.

 

[LKing]

Oh really? I didn't realize that. It was in DCA in 2018, so I assumed it would be the same. I guess I'll have to rethink evening plans.

Yes, Paint the Night was in DCA before, but they moved it to Disneyland for the 70th. DCA will have Better Together, a Pixar Pals Celebration during the day. Presumably because they don't have room for two sets of parade floats backstage, Disneyland will have a character cavalcade during the day and Paint the Night in the evening.

 

[twodogs]

We went during a grad night last year in May. I didn’t notice much at all. We had PHs and just left DCA when it got to evening. I did notice some groups in lines and some “loud groups” at times, but nothing that impacted us at all. I do have DDs who are late teens and were with us, so I may have better tolerance of teens than some people!

If it is going to stress you out, and you have the flexibility to move dates, you can think about that. But it really was a non-issue for us (if you don’t have PHs, DCA will be very crowded late, as it is getting close to the party time).