Looks like my family's November vacation is ruined

[jodi786]

Lol....yes!

I was too...NJMOM2Zach

 

[jodi786]

Using 3 personal days in a row to go on vacation will never get approved. I will be told that we have other weeks to go when school is closed. It would be different if I had to travel out of state or something for something like a sibling's wedding...something that I can not plan around my weeks off.

I know it's not the end of the world and we will make the best of it and have a great time no matter when we wind up going. And that saying our vacation is ruined is a bit melodramatic. But it is still disappointing to change our plans. I'm just going to keep hoping that the calendar doesn't get approved.

Still stinks. Personal days should be left up to you to use. If you were sick with the flu you would use three sick days. I hate that teachers always have to travel when places are busy. I have a few teacher friends who have no spring break because of Sandy. I know that most teachers get the summer off, but we really need spring break to recharge for the end of the year!

 

[Pills]

If you go in August, book for as late in the month as you possibly can. Many schools in the south and west are back in session by mid-month, and many others will start before Labor Day. DD and I traveled 8/10-8/24 one year, and crowds dropped off with every passing day. You also might catch a free dining offer if you go at the end of august!

Now I am thinking about going for Thanksgiving...

We've gone the last week of August twice ('09 and '11). Yes, it's hot, but it's really not crowded at all. Free dining usually starts the week before Labor Day (so, around 8/25 this year). If you're not a commando, it's a great time, because you KNOW you'll have time to go to the pool, etc, and it will still be comfortable to do so after dinner.

Because of Irene in '11, we spent 8 days down there, and likely had the best family vacation we've had. Just stay hydrated and get into some air conditioning if you need to.

I wonder if all of the NJ districts are changing. Jersey week may be re-defined, and now our vacation plans may change, too.

 

[gwmort]

Using 3 personal days in a row to go on vacation will never get approved. I will be told that we have other weeks to go when school is closed. It would be different if I had to travel out of state or something for something like a sibling's wedding...something that I can not plan around my weeks off.

I know it's not the end of the world and we will make the best of it and have a great time no matter when we wind up going. And that saying our vacation is ruined is a bit melodramatic. But it is still disappointing to change our plans. I'm just going to keep hoping that the calendar doesn't get approved.

You are hereby invited to attend a destination wedding of your new close personal friend, whats her name, at the wedding pavillion in WDW, at some point during your planned stay, seating may be limited, they understand if you choose to go to the park that day instead...

 

[Seeker615]

I went in late August and yes it is hot but very doable. A lot of the attractions are indoors and air-conditioned. We just stayed hydrated and we did great.

Crowds were low to low-moderate. We had a great time!

 

[heathere3]

You are hereby invited to attend a destination wedding of your new close personal friend, whats her name, at the wedding pavillion in WDW, at some point during your planned stay, seating may be limited, they understand if you choose to go to the park that day instead...

Gwmort, I hereby award you one Internet for sheer awesomeness

 

[Luvchefmic]

guess I opened your thread curious as to what defines 'ruined'
glad for you no one lost employment no pending divorce or foreclosure no sickness injury or death
( I would also have compassionately given support )

not trying to give you a hard time but puts things in perspective

fwiw I think your fellow teachers had some great suggestions, but the best advice came
from your own DH wait & see then figure it out

 

[akayf]

the calendar was approved. No Jersey week for me. And DH refuses to go the week of Thanksgiving. He wants his turkey here at home because you are not supposed to go away for Thanksgiving. According to him, Disney turkey legs do not count as Thanksgiving dinner. Neither does liberty inn..I told him he's a party pooper.

So that leaves Aug. Most likely the last week. DH still needs to see when he can take off in August. But we're not changing our reservations yet. There is still a chance that the board could change their mind since there are lot of people upset with this calendar for various reasons.

Still disappointed that we will most likely miss Food and Wine. Plus good friends with kids are going for jersey week too and we planned meeting up with them a couple times while there. Oh well.

But on the bright side, we are still going sometime this year and whenever we do go, my boys are going to have a blast!

 

[akayf]

You are hereby invited to attend a destination wedding of your new close personal friend, whats her name, at the wedding pavillion in WDW, at some point during your planned stay, seating may be limited, they understand if you choose to go to the park that day instead...

love it! Thanks for the laugh.

 

[bumbershoot]

the calendar was approved. No Jersey week for me. And DH refuses to go the week of Thanksgiving. He wants his turkey here at home because you are not supposed to go away for Thanksgiving.

I'm sorry. I'm assuming he's been lucky enough to have stayed in the area where his family is, with no one else moving away. Hope for his sake your kids don't decide to move to a different state like I did for college! (and then I stayed away, not because I didn't love my mom, but because I didn't love where she ended up after I went to college (yep, she moved, too, from CA to Miami, FL, when I was up in WA)) If they do, he might start to see the beauty of having a mobile Thanksgiving (and other holidays).

 

[TwistGrl101]

I am also a teacher, and I have actually been SO stressed out because we are going Jersey Week this year and I'm afraid it's going to be crowded, cold, and our trip is already going to be shorter than usual (we only get off Thurs And Fri for convention...our school doesn't get a fall break.). Easy WDW does not recommend Jersey Week...

We always go the last week of August (but this time we would be traveling with a 6 month old so I didn't think the August heat would be appropriate.)
We absolutely love to go that week, and find rain to be the only downfall. It is no hotter in Disney during that time than it is here in Jersey to be honest, although it is more humid down there. But the rain does cool things down every afternoon...we actually had to buy jackets 2 years ago because it got so chilly one night after a huge downpour.
I think you will have a great time the end of August, and you will now be able to enjoy the pools for some relaxation time.

 

[cheesemouse]

Based on what you have said, I would just go the week of Thanksgiving. Yes it will be crowded. But if you are knowledgeable and have a plan you will be fine. And it won't be scorching hot, which sounds like a dealbreaker for you guys.

 

[mom2rtk]

Based on what you have said, I would just go the week of Thanksgiving. Yes it will be crowded. But if you are knowledgeable and have a plan you will be fine. And it won't be scorching hot, which sounds like a dealbreaker for you guys.

Or perhaps the fact that her husband says he won't go the week of Thanksgiving would be a dealbreaker.

 

[deanimal]

Maybe we should start a support thread for teachers and spouses of teachers who are trying to plan Disney trips! And this time of year could be called "waiting for next year's school calendar angst" period! Same boat here, except my husband works for a private school that doesn't put out their calendar until April, or sometimes even May! They almost always follow the local public school calendar, but not always, and it's always the times that I go and make plans that they change it. Last Christmas we almost had to cancel a family cruise because his winter break was a full week different from everyone else's! But at least the private school offers more flexibility than a big public district would. DH offered to spend a week in summer helping out with tech issues and the principle gave hima week off in lieu. (Phew!)

Right now we're anxiously waiting for 2013-2014 so we can decide between spring break or summer. The only thing I hate more than crowds is heat, so there are really no good options. Maybe the school will surprise us and give us some days off during a slightly better time this year.

 

[cleophus12]

The week before Thanksgiving is actually not bad at all in my experience. And as PPs have said, you get the added benefit of the holiday decorations without the massive crowds that arrive closer to Christmas. I understand that DH wants his turkey at home, so maybe you could go Saturday to Wednesday and celebrate TG at home. Or feed him a turkey leg everyday and maybe he won't want his regular Thanksgiving turkey after all. If he can be persuaded, we have had some lovely Thanksgiving meals in the World. Garden Grill at The Land does a nice family style Thanksgiving dinner with characters!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Hmmm, this is interesting. Sorry for your dilemna OP, but just curious if this will totally throw off crowd predictions for this November. Wonder if many NJ schools are doing the same or just yours? If it is all of them, then Jersey week will be dead and Thanksgiving week could be much more crowded than usual.

As for your predicament, I feel for you. We went in August once and said NEVER again. Others love August, so you just never know.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Hmmm, this is interesting. Sorry for your dilemna OP, but just curious if this will totally throw off crowd predictions for this November. Wonder if many NJ schools are doing the same or just yours? If it is all of them, then Jersey week will be dead and Thanksgiving week could be much more crowded than usual.

As for your predicament, I feel for you. We went in August once and said NEVER again. Others love August, so you just never know.

I too am curious. We also have the same time off as Jersey week even though I am in the Midwest. (And my 2013-2014 calendar is already approved).

I am wondering if that means Jersey Week will suddenly become a "normal" week for attendance....

(FWIW, we have done Jersey Week twice and I don't think it is extra crowded.)

 

[DisneyMim]

My husband is a teacher and now my daughter is a teacher. We've been going to WDW forever and have always had to go during what most people think of "bad" times. We have never had a problem and have always had a wonderful time. My husband could never just take off when he wanted so our trips have always been during school vacations. Maybe because of this we just have learned to go with the flow. We love August, the later the better, spring break and Christmas week. Yes it can be very crowded, but it never "ruined" our vacation. I understand how nice it would be to go during an "off" time, but really there aren't many off times anymore. IMHO everyone just has to go when they can, plan ahead, and have a wonderful time!!

Enjoy The Magic!!

 

[Brer Shay]

Are you sure you don't want to re-think summer? We LOVE going in August. It's the only time of year we go.

It makes those afternoon breaks so much easier. They're good for us as a family, and all I have to say is "Who wants to hit the pool?" and they're good to go. Disney is a lot of things, but it's not Hershey park. There are lots of places to go to beat the heat.

Another teacher family here too. We've decided that we'd rather do 10-12 days in heat with breaks, than squeeze into 5 long days.

I know it's frustrating though when you've had one plan set for quite a while and administration forces the change (in and out of the classroom). Hope that you are able to come up with an acceptable alternative.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

the calendar was approved. No Jersey week for me. And DH refuses to go the week of Thanksgiving. He wants his turkey here at home because you are not supposed to go away for Thanksgiving. According to him, Disney turkey legs do not count as Thanksgiving dinner. Neither does liberty inn..I told him he's a party pooper.

So that leaves Aug. Most likely the last week. DH still needs to see when he can take off in August. But we're not changing our reservations yet. There is still a chance that the board could change their mind since there are lot of people upset with this calendar for various reasons.

Still disappointed that we will most likely miss Food and Wine. Plus good friends with kids are going for jersey week too and we planned meeting up with them a couple times while there. Oh well.

But on the bright side, we are still going sometime this year and whenever we do go, my boys are going to have a blast!

I'm sorry your district did not approve Jersey Week (former Fort Lee HS teacher here!). Why not leave the Friday before Thanksgiving after school and then come home Wednesday? You can have your vacation, it won't be hot (we were there for TG a few years ago and froze, actually) and it won't be crowded. It will be much more crowded during Jersey Week/F&W.

All that said, teacher here (currently SAHM, but I have gone to WDW the years I was working), and now kids are in middle and high school, so there's no flexibility in the school year anymore - We always go in August as so many others have said. Be grateful that those of us in the NE don't go back until after Labor Day, and the crowds lighten up at the end of August. The parks will be open later than they would in November, making breaks and pool time a great addition to the vacation, and Disney in August and Hershey in August are actually not that different, believe it or not. The heat and humidity is fairly similar up and down the east coast. It's also cheaper to stay at that time.

We used to go the very end and stay until LD weekend. The past few years my kids have had orientation days at school before LD. DS12 has his starting 8/29 this year so we will go from 8/18-8/27 instead of a little later, but it's still good!