On Friday, May 12th, seniors who purchased Grad Nite tickets took an early morning bus ride to Anaheim, California. With their park hopper passes, the seniors spent all day going between Disneyland and California Adventure. Several other schools from Nevada and California were also there, and California Adventure remained open for all Grad Nite students until 2 AM. The bus ended up returning home at 7:30 AM.

Shadow Ridge seniors had a ton of fun on many different rides and were also able to get ahold of some good food and adorable souvenirs. 

“Splash Mountain was probably my favorite ride we went on,” says J.D. Coching, senior. “I was in the front so I got really wet.”

Overall, a lot of good memories were made at the park this year.

“My experience at Disneyland was really fun,” adds Mikayla Maluyo, senior. “I’d been to Disneyland once before with other people but being able to go with the people I met in high school was such a blast, and I think I want that to replace my first experience.”

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Some seniors standing in front of the castle

At 9 PM, all seniors on the trip had to make their way from Disneyland to California Adventure for the Grad Nite experience. By that point it was dark out, but students were still full of energy, and the Ferris Wheel’s light display kept the whole park lit up. A few students expressed preferring California Adventure to Disneyland.

“I hated Disney, but California Adventure was really fun,” says Charlotte Larason, senior. “There were just too many babies at Disney, it felt like I was always about to trip over a stroller.”

California Adventure definitely offered an older experience, with some real roller coasters, scarier rides, and a much different atmosphere. 

Despite the high energy earlier, around 12 AM, most seniors were getting seriously tired. 

“I had so much fun with all my friends, but let me tell you, it’s not for the weak,” says Harold Roberts, senior. “When 11 PM hit, everybody was starting to crash.”

On the bright side, the exhaustion made the bus ride home a million times more tolerable. After taking trams to the busses, most students remember sitting down, shutting their eyes, and then waking up as the sun was rising.

Overall, the Grad Nite trip was a success, and the class of 2023 made some unforgettable memories with their friends.