Post by jo on Mar 23, 2011 19:39:58 GMT
Disney officials announced this week the celebration that dates back to 1972 would be discontinued, although its California counterpart will go on. They said increased spring attendance in Orlando made it more difficult to schedule the after-hours, separate-ticket event that closed the Magic Kingdom to everyone but high school seniors several nights each spring.
"I think one day out of the week, they could still make a profit. I think they should still have it," Delgado said in a telephone interview from Tampa.
Taylor is the last major Volusia and Flagler high school still participating in Grad Nite. Other area high schools switched in recent years to Universal Studios' similar Grad Bash event.
"It was always a lot of fun going to Grad Nite," said Taylor assistant principal ShariLou McConnell, who chaperoned the event for several years. "I always felt Disney did a great job in honoring seniors. It's a sad end to a great era."
Disney World will offer Florida school groups one-day, one-park tickets for $55 per person as a future alternative that can be used at any time of year. Spokeswoman Andrea Finger said that will give student groups more flexibility in scheduling theme park visits.
As recently as last fall, Disney officials were courting local schools that had switched their senior parties to Universal to return to Grad Nite.
Seabreeze senior class sponsor Jennifer Campanella and student representatives attended a Grad Nite preview event at Disney last fall and got free admission to the Magic Kingdom for the day.
The plan, Campanella said, was this year's seniors would report back to underclassmen after their May 6 Grad Bash so the younger students could decide whether they wanted to stick with that event or switch back to Grad Nite. "It certainly got our younger classes thinking about it," Campanella said.
No matter where the seniors celebrate, the annual after-hours parties at theme parks aren't cheap. Tickets at area high schools this year range from $55 to $95 per person, including park admission and round-trip bus fare.
This is the first year Atlantic High School seniors will go to Grad Bash at Universal instead of Disney's event. "The kids feel the rides (at Disney World) were baby rides," said activities director Randi Abbruzzese of the reason seniors decided to switch.
This is the third year DeLand High seniors chose Universal's party over Grad Nite at Disney World.
Senior Casey Dunn didn't buy one of the $70 tickets because she would rather have gone to Disney. "It's more of a party. They really make it a celebration for the seniors," she said.
DeLand classmate Doug Morefield will attend Grad Bash, although he had hoped to celebrate graduation at Disney as his sister did in 2007. He's puzzled by the cancellation decision. "It just kind of annoys me they would cancel when so many people enjoyed it all this time," Morefield said. "I'm kind of confused why they would do that."