Rising costs of Disney - school vaca'n week?

[ms.ojo]

We have been fortunate to travel to Disney about 1/yr or every 18mths at most. We started when the children were young and it was easy to take them out of school and grab really cheap midweek airfares, and go during great Disney general code discounts.

Our next trip is costing me a small fortune! The airfare went from $120rnd trip/person to $300pp! Cost of Disney hotel AND park admissions BOTH increased though we have AAA discount And purchased passes before the price increase! (this was a better deal than the codes that came out for Nov) My ds is now in 3rd grade. We're traveling around Thanksgiving when he has 1/2 days for 3 of the days for Teacher Conferences so it minimizes his time out of school but doesn't put us in a vacation week.

Next trip???? Just don't know. pricey school vacation weeks when Disney hotels and airfare are super pricey...or over the summer. I just don't know if we can pull a 2nd and 4th grader out of school.

When did you stop pulling kids out of school for a Disney vaca'n????

 

[ceemys]

Last time, 2 years ago, we went during July/August. It was a blast! But this year, I goofed and scheduled our vacation for the week before Fall break versus during the week of Fall break!! oops!! My daughter is in the 4th grade. She is a great student, so I am not too worried. But she will do homework on the plane and at the airport. Next time we go my youngest, who is now 13 months, will be in school and I will not take them out of school. So it will be summer vacations.

 

[eliza61]

We never pull our kids out of school, for me it's not an issue of money. Education is some thing we put the utmost importance on, so my kids have always heard School 1st, play 2nd. We usually go during August or Jersey week. We've already had great vacations.

 

[Princess Roo]

We feel your pain on the rising airfare! We fly to visit various family 6+ times per year and even the sales aren't anywhere near what they used to be. It's been a huge dent in our budget.

As for the school thing, there are lots of threads on here discussing it and I think it's really a personal decision, as long as your child is capable of making up the work. Ours are young, currently, but our plan is to continue to take them out of school until they are in middle school. But, we don't go for a full week, either. I don't know that I'd pull them out more than 3 school days after kindergarten. We've also been in the summer, and I don't think it's a bad time to go...we just spend more of the afternoon back at the hotel swimming and napping.

 

[dougsmom98]

I feel your pain. I am a teacher and a parent of four. We can't/don't/wouldn't take our children out of school. We travel over President's week and it can be expensive. For school vacation weeks, you can't wait for a good price to show up for flights. We book at exactly 330 days out if we find a price we can live with (less than $300 p/p round trip). If we can't find a good price, we don't go. So far we have gotten flights for $268 or less, but with the economy and airline prices I am guessing this is our last year to go. Hotel and villa prices are also more expensive and so are car rentals. Again, I find it is best to book as soon as you can with both of these to get the best price.

 

[daisyduck123]

When did you stop pulling kids out of school for a Disney vaca'n????

I haven't.

I have a DD14 (10th grade) & a DS10 (5th grade).
I just don't pull them out AS MUCH anymore. I used to pull them out for 6 or 7 school days at a time. We used to always avoid school vacations & go when schools were in session, but we don't do that anymore. In 2006, they each missed 11 or 12 school days for WDW trips (me too ). Those were two great trips!

Now, I just pull them out maybe 2 days before a school vacation.

If it weren't for my high-schooler, I'd still be pulling the kids out to go in early May.

 

[ms.ojo]

Thanks everyone. I've read the school threads and they get so volitile. Thank you for giving me some feedback in such a nice way.

Summer vaca'n at Disney is difficult to consider not b/c of the hot weather, but b/c we go to my inlaws cottage in the summer and that would mean all our family vaca'ns were in the summer and then nothing for the rest of the year. Sounds so dreary. Their cottage isn't winterized so it's not like we could go and try winter sports.

I guess we'll probably look to grab airfare a day or 2 in adv of a school vaca'n week and hope for the best. It's what I did this year (traveling the day after Thanksgiving to the following Sat) and had to jump on board at the 1st available flights. Nothing has beat that rate since...but it was a lot more than what we're use to. I've had rates in Apr/May as low as $100rnd last year it was $150rnd and this trip nearly $300!!! With the higher cost you wan to stay longer....but that's just not possible w/ school age children as they get older. sigh

Feb vaca'n weeks are an option...but you never know about snowstorms and flight delays or strandings. Guess there's always something.

 

[JESW]

I feel your pain. We live in MA and go every year during April vacation. It is always more expensive and I am very fearful of how much it is going to cost us for next year. (Rates come out on friday for Jet Blue)

Pulling kids out of school for vacation is a very personal decision and should not be made based on opinions on a message board - you need to do what is right for YOUR family. The topic can get very heated here. Next year I have a major bd coming up and we are planning on pulling out our 5th & 9th graders for a week the end of September. They will be starting middle and high school so not really the best time but I am being purely selfish (I readily admit it) and NEED to be at Disney for this bd as it is totally stressing me out.

Jill

 

[vt_disney_fan]

Do what you think is right. Some on here are die-hard "I don't do it and you shouldn't either", others are die-hard "I do it so you should too" people. Bottom line - it's not their decision, or your school's, or your state's - it's YOURS.

If you are OK with pulling them out for a week's vacation, to go during a time that suits your ENTIRE family best, that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

If you're not OK with doing that b/c of school pressures, worries about homework, etc..., that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

Personally, I've done it before, and will do it again. We've generally found teachers VERY responsive to it, especially the more advance notice you give them, and privately (though not "officially" as their teachers) they've told us that they think it's great, and wonder why more don't do it. Your teachers, however, may vary.

Do what YOU feel is right, and don't worry about what the rest of us on a message board, that you don't know, think about it!

 

[slo]

My DD is in 4th grade this year, and we are going to WDW the last week in October, which is over her fall break. This is perfect, because she is missing 3 days of school, and one of those days is her Halloween party, so that day will be low key day. I'm hoping she won't have a lot of makeup work, to put a damper on the trip.

This is the week are planning on going for as long as we can. Eventually, my oldest DD is not going to want to miss even 3 days, because of the makeup work she'll have, and then we'll have to make another plan. I"m kinda leaving it up to her, on when we should go and not go.

 

[peterbo]

Do what you think is right. Some on here are die-hard "I don't do it and you shouldn't either", others are die-hard "I do it so you should too" people. Bottom line - it's not their decision, or your school's, or your state's - it's YOURS.

If you are OK with pulling them out for a week's vacation, to go during a time that suits your ENTIRE family best, that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

If you're not OK with doing that b/c of school pressures, worries about homework, etc..., that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

Personally, I've done it before, and will do it again. We've generally found teachers VERY responsive to it, especially the more advance notice you give them, and privately (though not "officially" as their teachers) they've told us that they think it's great, and wonder why more don't do it. Your teachers, however, may vary.

Do what YOU feel is right, and don't worry about what the rest of us on a message board, that you don't know, think about it!

Well put

 

[SRICE100]

I think it is a case by case decision- depends on age of the child, how you think they will do with missing school and "catching up on homework", what will happen while they are gone, and the school itself- some are more cooperative than others...

 

[lgjjp]

I have always taken my kids out of school. Even into their senior year. Last trip my dsil had no problem with her middle schooler, but the principal of the elementary school where dniece was in kindergarten would not approve the vacation. We went anyways, and will again next dec.

 

[Chelley00]

My DD is in 4th grade this year, and we are going to WDW the last week in October, which is over her fall break. This is perfect, because she is missing 3 days of school, and one of those days is her Halloween party, so that day will be low key day.

This is what we are doing (and when we are going) as well, plus 2 of the days are parent teacher conferences on days they dismiss at 11am. I feel better that if I am pulling them out of school, they are missing the least amount of school possible. Our high schooler will only be flying in and out over Fall Break as to minimize him missing any school at all since he is taking all AP classes. He's not a Disney fan anyhow (the horror!) so to him missing the Disney part and just coming in for Universal was more than fine with him.

 

[ms.ojo]

Do what you think is right. Some on here are die-hard "I don't do it and you shouldn't either", others are die-hard "I do it so you should too" people. Bottom line - it's not their decision, or your school's, or your state's - it's YOURS.

If you are OK with pulling them out for a week's vacation, to go during a time that suits your ENTIRE family best, that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

If you're not OK with doing that b/c of school pressures, worries about homework, etc..., that's YOUR decision. Not mine, not anyone else's on here. More power to you.

Personally, I've done it before, and will do it again. We've generally found teachers VERY responsive to it, especially the more advance notice you give them, and privately (though not "officially" as their teachers) they've told us that they think it's great, and wonder why more don't do it. Your teachers, however, may vary.

Do what YOU feel is right, and don't worry about what the rest of us on a message board, that you don't know, think about it!

Thank you. I realize it's ulitmately our dec'n. It's just I'm sitting here today thinking wow, the way things are going, traveling over school breaks is going to be VERY expensive. The lure to take children out of school (less crowded park touring) is going to be magnified w/ less cost of air travel and hotel costs! I guess I'm just feeling the ache today for future trips. Sounds like others feel the pain too.

 

[melafive]

We are taking our 5th, 3rd and preschooler out this year. It will be our first trip to Disney as a family. I decided we have to go this year since I really do not want to take my son out once he is in middle school. I must say that I feel a little bit guilty but at the same time we have never done this before. My kids have an excellent attendance record. I also chose the week before Christmas break so they could do make up homework if needed during their regular Christmas vacation.

 

[ms.ojo]

That's a good idea. Will you be returning so they have a day or 2 of school before the break? Or just planning on asking the teacher for the work and doing it over the break?