Over the years, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and Universal Orlando Resort have hosted various hard-ticket high school graduation events. While Walt Disney World ended its Grad Nites in 2011, Universal Orlando Resort still hosts Grad Bash at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

Walt Disney World in Florida officially ended its long-standing "Grad Night" tradition in 2011, citing the need for more flexible park hours for general guests and the increasing complexity of managing the high-volume overnight events. Disneyland in California, however, continued a modified version of the event for several more years. The traditional "overnight" lock-in format at Disneyland was phased out in 2012 and replaced by "Disney Grad Nite," a hard-ticket event where students receive a private party at Disney California Adventure after normal park hours. In 2026, this format remains the standard for West Coast graduates, where they get a "Park Hopper" ticket for the day followed by an exclusive late-night celebration. The move away from the classic 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM "lock-in" was largely driven by Disney's desire to minimize the operational strain on the parks and to capitalize on the high demand from daytime tourists who no longer have to deal with early park closures for private graduation parties.