Disney’s Grad Nite has proven to be one of the most anticipated events of the year for thousands of high school seniors. Students have had “magical” experiences at The Magic Kingdom (Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2009) for the past 40 years. 

Schools and organizations that religiously attend the popular event received news from the Walt Disney Company in March stating a change of plans. Due to spring scheduling conflicts, Grad Nite will no longer be held at the Walt Disney World Resort. This means all students graduating in 2012 will not have the opportunity to experience Grad Nite; this year’s seniors are the last group of students attending.

Given Disney’s history, they have not lost interest in graduating seniors. The company will offer schools the opportunity to visit any park they wish on a regular operating day. The changed trip is currently priced at $55 per student for groups attending Disney in 2012 on a “graduation fieldtrip.”

Junior Paul Bokor does not like the idea of Varela seniors visiting Disney World on a regular day.

“I think that going to the Magic Kingdom with the regular crowds is not as fun as Grad Nite,” said Bokor. “I’ve always imagined myself staying at the park until two a.m. and having a musical guest play for us.”

One may go as far as to say that Disney had other incentives for canceling Grad Nite. Park employees have encountered numerous problems with rowdy teenagers in past years. In response, the infamous Grad Nite strict dress code was implemented to discourage students from doing anything wild. The tactic has worked to an extent, making students behave more orderly in an effort to prevent ruining their attire.     

According to the ‘Book of Lists’ by Russ Kick, three students died at Grad Nite in Disneyland, California. Employees have noticed that kids pass-out on gentle rides due to lack of sleep. Furthermore, Disney has also dealt with students attempting to enter the park with illegal drugs. Another reason for the event’s termination is simply, money.

“That’s a chunk of money that Disney loses from their normal resort guests, having to shut down Magic Kingdom,” said Orlando resisdent Matt Cross in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.  

Some Vipers have turned their heads to Disney’s competitor, Universal Orlando Resort. Grad Bash, Universal’s version of Grad Nite, allows students to access both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

“Grad Bash would be a good substitute for not having Grad Nite. I’ve worked really hard throughout high school and I’ve been looking forward to events like these since freshman year,” said junior Anika Nwosuocha.  

With the recent craze of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it’s no surprise that some students favor Grad Bash over Grad Nite. Will “the mouse” be replaced by “the boy who lived”? Only time will tell. It is possible that Disney may bring back Grad Nite in the future. Or perhaps, if Disney receives a too many complaints about their decision, they’ll consider bringing it back as early as 2012.

Universal has made it clear that Grad Bash is still planned for 2012. The only concern is that more schools will want to reserve their spot in one of the four nights that Grad Bash is scheduled to take place. It is unknown if Universal will host Grad Bash on additional nights to accommodate everyone.

“Right now, we are focused on making this year’s Grad Bash great,’’ Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said. “But I can say that Grad Bash is a very popular event for us and for our guests — and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.” (miamiherald.com)

Our very own Activities Director, Ms. Felicia Christin, refused to comment on Varela’s future plans since a decision is yet to be made.