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The Park – Grad Night 1964, Disneyland’s First All-Nighter

Last month, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure stayed open for 24 straight hours beginning at 6 a.m. on a Friday. Many thousands of Southlanders flocked to “Monstrous Summer All-Nighter”, and some eager fans camped out outside the gates starting on Thursday night.

That event brought to mind the first time Disneyland stayed open all night – its first Grad Nite in 1964. One of the park’s marketing geniuses thought it up and it was some chore selling it to Operations, Security, Legal and every other department. Imagine having thousands and thousands of teen-agers in the Park overnight? Unheard of!

The other concurrent event that would add to the first Grad Nite’s excitement was the introduction of the Ford Mustang to the general public, the most successful launch of a new car since the Model A. Lee Iacocco, later to become president of the Ford Motor Company, had been one of the forces behind the original Mustang whose development costs were astronomical. It was said at the time that there was no way the car would flop, because Ford would spend whatever it took in marketing costs to make it a success. And Disneyland was the happy recipient of Ford’s marketing windfall. A brand-new, silver Mustang would be given away at the first Grad Nite.

64-mustang

There was a lot of hustle in the Park’s Marketing Department to promote the giveaway to the high schools. Pre-publicity, posters in schools, and paid advertising created quite a hoopla. A few weeks before the event, the car was to be on daily display, parked in a showy spot in front of the castle. There was a local Ford plant in nearby Pico Rivera, where this fabulous new car was starting to come off the assembly line. I was assigned to pick up the display car and drive it back to the park. There were snickers in the department as I was known to be a somewhat reckless driver, roaring into the employee parking lot each morning – always just a few minutes late. This time, however, I took my responsibility quite seriously, even though I could hardly wait to get behind the wheel of that bad boy.Read More »The Park – Grad Night 1964, Disneyland’s First All-Nighter

Grad Nites Flunk Out, Disney World to End Near 40 Year Tradition

Remember when you were young and you didn’t walk and wash your dog? Then your mom would tell you, if you don’t walk and wash your own dog I’m going to give it away? This would go on for weeks and eventually you either started… Read More »Grad Nites Flunk Out, Disney World to End Near 40 Year Tradition

Grad Nite Loses Its Luster

All-nighters at Disneyland are a rite of passage in California this time of year. High schools from up and down the state, indeed some from out of state, send their seniors by bus, weary of their studies, to revel in the adolescents-only environs of the… Read More »Grad Nite Loses Its Luster

Grad Nite at Disneyland Celebrates its 5 Millionth Student

When I was in High School *cough* *cough* years ago, I spent a good portion of my junior and senior years lobbying to have the school participate in Disneyland’s Grad Nite program. Alas, I failed in my endeavor, and thus will always be incomplete in… Read More »Grad Nite at Disneyland Celebrates its 5 Millionth Student

Hayden Panettiere and Katy Perry at WDW to perform for Grad Nite

They’re all Ears! Wearing Minnie Mouse ears, singer/songwriter Katy Perry (left) and actress/singer Hayden Panettiere (right) strike a pose April 25, 2009 with Minnie Mouse herself at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The duo was enjoying the theme park prior to their evening performance for the Disney… Read More »Hayden Panettiere and Katy Perry at WDW to perform for Grad Nite