Grad Nite

A Banner Welcoming Grads Circa 1991 ... My Only Photographic Memory of My Nite

This installment of I Was A Teen-Age Cast Member is going to be a little different than most. In fact, it might not seem like I'm a cast member at all as I'm telling this story. And that's because I'm not ... yet. But in honor of high school graduation time, I'm going to tell you a little about my Grad Nite experience in 1991.

It had always been a big thing for me that I was going to graduate high school, board a bus and travel to Anaheim to celebrate at the Happiest Place on Earth. So when it came time to book my passage to Grad Nite, I didn't hesitate to sign up. Admission price to Disneyland was $27.50 at the time, so the $40 charged seemed a bit steep. But it included the bus and there's only one chance to go to a Disneyland Grad Nite after graduating high school. So I got a ticket for myself and one for a date, a junior that I was seeing at the time.

Graduation was great. Whatever. My graduation gift from my mom was a new wallet with $200 in it and instructions to have a good time. Boy, was I ever going to! I had never eaten at the Blue Bayou and that was what I was planning to do this evening.

So we all boarded a bus after the ceremonies were completed and we were on our way. The dress code was pretty strict at the time - boys needed to wear suits; girls, dresses or suits. Needless to say, we were a pretty fine looking group of kids. We had to submit to some sort of search at the entrance to the park because we weren't allowed to bring in things that a lot of teens who were in a celebratory mood might be tempted to have on their persons.

As a senior, the week before graduation wasn't a really taxing situation. We had taken our finals the week before, to be sure we passed all of our classes and were able to walk, so the days leading up to the big event were pretty relaxing -- senior breakfast, yearbook signings, rehearsals.

But, if you remember, my date was a junior and they had finals until that last day of school. My date had been up pretty late the previous few nights studying for her tests and another night up late, even at a party like Grad Nite, would prove to be too much for her.

At first, she said that she was hungry. So after entering the park, we headed to Tomorrowland Terrace to get her a burger. Unfortunately, the lines were really long so we headed back to Main Street and she got a sundae at the Gibson Girl. After eating, she said that she felt better but we didn't even make it back to the end of Main Street before saying that she didn't feel too good.

So we made our way to First Aid and she was given a bed to lay down in. I sat in a chair next to her and told the friends we were with to go off and have a good time. They'd check in on me from time to time while my date slept through the night.

I got a lot of props for staying with her while she rested but I lost out on my chance to experience my Grad Nite. I could hear the pounding rhythms of one of the bands playing in Tomorrowland through the walls of the First Aid building but that was about it.

I never did get to dine at the Blue Bayou and I returned home the next morning with most of my $200 still in my wallet. But I did get to experience a new Disneyland adventure - a trip to First Aid.

Besides feeling that it was the right thing to do, to stay with my date while she slept, I also knew that I'd be back to Disneyland the day after I got home. Since I had family from all over to watch my graduation, we had planned a trip to Disneyland that Saturday. It was on this return trip that I was able to buy myself a Grad Nite T-shirt and keychain and to hear all of the jokes from my relatives about going to First Aid every time we passed by the building.

When I came home from this outing with my family, I had a message on my answer machine from my Uncle Joe. It seems that my Aunt Sue had put in an application at the Disney Store in Northridge in my name and used their phone number, which was local. I had a call from the store's manager inviting me in for an interview. A pretty cool surprise when you aren't expecting it and a pretty cool end to an adventurous graduation weekend.

Needless to say, I got the job and started a few weeks later. If you've read some of my other writing on this site, you know how much working at the Disney Store has changed my life. So every June, when talk of Grad Nite percolates on Disney discussion boards, I smile a little smile knowing that although I didn't get to fully participate in my own Grad Nite, I had a much better Disney experience waiting for me soon afterward.

- Story by Matthew Walker
Matt started working at the Disney Store as an 18-year-old in 1991. "I Was A Teen-Age Cast Member" is a look at the magical Disney memories of a former cast member as remembered years later.
Posted

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