Miss 1st grade class photo for Disney???!?

[Mouskemom]

We're currently booked at the Poly for Nov 15 - 21. It seemed too close to the holidays and all the fun at home, so I called today to see if there were any other travel dates I could book with my 40% PIN code. Turns out we can go Oct 25-31 for the same price.

Great! Except my son would miss his first grade class picture. We've been to Disney in the beginnng of December and it made the holiday season at home feel rushed. October would be perfect if it wasn't for the class photo.

I also don't know much about going in late October. For those who have been, how's the weather? (I'm hoping warm enough to swim but not to hot for the 14 month old), How are the crowds?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[We Love Tinkerbell]

We have gone to WDW various times during October (early, middle and late). It is a wonderful time of the year to visit. There is the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot and MNSSHP at Magic Kingdom. While it is the end of hurricane season at that time, we only had significant rain during one visit. Most of the time the weather is fine. It should be warm enough to swim, I recall wearing shorts and sleevless tops most of the time. You may need a jacket during the evening but that it all. The crowds used to be light but I have noticed that they are heavier lately. However, I am certain it is still better than summer.

The November time frame also is nice because there should be decorations for Christmas and those are wonderful too. I would guess the crowds to be less during this time because it is close to Thanksgiving. Hard to say about the weather and swimming - it is probaby hit or miss. We were there in early December one year and it was warm enough to swim.

I don't know what to say about the class picture. I can understand how the first grade picture is important. Perhaps you could ask your son how important it is for him.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ms*mountaineer]

I personally wouldn't let a school class picture change my travel plans. Look at it this way - there's no guarantee your child doesn't wake up that morning sick as a dog and can't go to school anyway. OR they have to reschedule the photo shoot for a different day.

I can understand that it's nice to have a group shot of the class for your memories - I'm sure you could pop into class sometime (with permission from the teacher) and take a candid group shot for your photo album. That's what I would do.

 

[Bounce_Tigger]

They almost always have a retake day to deal with absences or messed up photos. Usually its the following week - perhaps you could find out if your school has one?

 

[1hero2princesses]

Our grade school doesn't even do class photos anymore. Just single shots of kids in a yearbook style format. I was sad when I found that out - but truthfully - when do I look at my grade school class photos - once every 20 years? I would ask him about it to see how he feels.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

Go in OCT it will be fun LOL

 

[Mouskemom]

Any other thoughts on Oct vs Nov?

 

[laceemouse]

October, even late October, can still be very hot. I think for sure you will be able to swim. Whether or not it will be TOO hot depends on your family and what you are used to.

I like to go in December and the thought of making the holiday season go by faster just thrills me to no end, but I don't have little kids anymore.
In October you could do MNSSHP, it is fun!

I would hate for mine to miss the picture, my guess is that your child will say it is no big deal and that he would rather be in WDW.

But then when the picture is handed out in class he will be a little sad that he is not in it. Kids don't understand that you can't have things like this both ways.
JMO!

 

[Ktharee]

How in the world do you know the exact date of his first grade class picture already??? I would love to have an advanced calendar like that!

If he knows about the trip and you are really on the fence about this issue, ask him. I am 99% positive he will say "I wanna go to WDW". Then just explain that he just won't be in that one picture. Like a PP said, there is no guarantee that he would make the photo anyway. Kids get sick all the time. I missed my first day of 1st grade because I was sick. I was devastated... for 24 hours.

Whenever you go, have fun! Life is too short to worry about the little things.

I have never been in October, sorry!

 

[MonorailNate]

Don't even think twice about the class photo. The only photo you will be interested in in a few years is your son's individual 1st grade photo.

 

[PebblesMK]

This may not be super helpful, but around here, there is always a retake day for pictures (generally a month or two later). Also, depending on who does the pictures, you may be able to go to their studio and have the picture taken (generally there is a 20 dollar minimum to spend on pictures). If you do go in to the studio for pictures, they can take a picture and photoshop it into the class picture. It may not happen with everybody, but the photographer that I work for will do that for people because he knows it's usually a pretty important thing to have.

 

[reelmom]

I would much rather have my kids picture with Mickey and the gang than his classmates.

We have been in October and December. October was hotter than I expected, some days got in the 90's. We went towards the beginning of the month. We attended MNSSHP and had a great time. December is cooler weather but a couple of days it got COLD. And I don't like the cold so I would pick October.

 

[Wendynat]

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter! The difference is only three weeks - I'm not seeing a huge advantage to going earlier and missing the class picture. If you are returning Oct 31, then he'd likely also miss trick-or-treating depending on your travel times. By going during your current Nov 15 dates, your son could have his cake and eat it, too.

I understand what you mean about the holidays seeming to go by faster when you went early December, but your current dates are before Thanksgiving so I don't see how the holiday season will be impacted much?

 

[laceemouse]

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter! The difference is only three weeks - I'm not seeing a huge advantage to going earlier and missing the class picture. If you are returning Oct 31, then he'd likely also miss trick-or-treating depending on your travel times. By going during your current Nov 15 dates, your son could have his cake and eat it, too.

I understand what you mean about the holidays seeming to go by faster when you went early December, but your current dates are before Thanksgiving so I don't see how the holiday season will be impacted much?

Great points!!!

 

[lessit]

I don't think you have a problem. Just set up a time with the teacher to take a class photo of your own. I can't imagine any school or 1st grade teacher who wouldn't work with you on this.

 

[Eliza'sMom]

I agree about missing Trick-or-Treat. I also don't think going in November would be as much of a disruption to the holidays as going in early December. Another thing to consider: We went in late October one year. We were supposed to go Oct. 24, but the trip ended up being delayed thanks to a hurricane. Late October is late in hurricane season, but it's still hurricane season. You're less likely to have that problem in November.

Also, and I'm not sure I'd be quick to ask to come in and set up your own class picture. I mean, it may not seem like much to ask, but it is disrupting classtime that the teacher has planned for something else for a purpose that benefits no one but you, and the only reason to accommodate this is so you can go to Disney World? It's not something I'd ask of my child's teacher, personally.

 

[WillCAD]

Simple solution: take a pic of the kid, have it printed life-size and make a cardboard stand-up of it, and ask the teacher to stick it into the class photo.

The only glitch is that the other kids may decide to draw mustaches or funny captions on the stand-up. You'd have to Photoshop them out.

 

[Mouskemom]

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. As someone suggested, I asked my son about it this morning. Tough since I'm trying to keep the trip a secret. Anyway, he seemed more disturbed by missing the class photo than I thought. He asked if we could leave the day AFTER the class photo.

If we do that, then we will defiitley miss Halloween here at home. Plus, the PIN code expires on the 31st. I don't think they will extend the dates, will they?

I guess 3 weeks won't make much of a difference in weather. I DID want to go to MNSSHP, but according to TGM, that week would be sold out. Not that huge a deal with older kids, but it could be a problem with the 14 month old. Maybe I'll just stick with my original dates...

 

[dvcdisney]

October is my most favourite time to visit Disney. The weather is great. Epcot is a bit crowded during Food and Wine, but it's manageable.

I know what you mean about the class photos. The first year my son attended his current school, we didn't realize that they took photos in the beginning of October. We had booked everything by the time we realized and although it didn't seem like a big deal at the time, I wished he didn't miss it. In our school, they can retake individual photos but not the class photo. After that incident, I made sure I planned our vacation later in October. Two years ago, we stopped going in October. We didn't want them to miss too much school so, we changed our vacation time. Now, we go in Spring Break and Summer. Not the ideal time, but at least they children won't miss too much school.

But I still remember how great it was going in October. The crowds are less, the weather was always great (not too hot, not too rainy) and great halloween decorations.

 

[Aquagirl]

We went that same week last year. It was fun being there for Halloween. We went to MNSSHP and had a blast. However, it was FREEZING that week. It was 42 degrees at night. I expected to be hot in my costume, but ended up having to wear several layers underneath and I had to buy gloves and a scarf. If you go at that time I would suggest bringing clothes for warm and cold weather just in case.