Shocked

[crazedprincess]

As a homeschooling mom, I'm sure people will look at us at the end of January when we are in WDW and wonder "what happened to school?"

 

[mco-missy]

We were at EPCOT today (kids are on Fall break this week in our county). We were suprised at how empty the park seemed. Walk on for Test Track this morning, Soarin was a 30 minute wait at 11am but we had fast passes. Longest wait we had was for Character Connection and that was less than 20 minutes. Tomorrow we are heading to AK. We planned our days around the extra magic hours- tried to avoid parks with extra magic hours since they tend to be more crowded.

Hope the rest of your pak days aren't as busy as today.

 

[Bullseye]

I honestly didn't interpret the op as judging anyone who takes their kids out of school to go to Disney World.

I just thought the op was expecting crowds would be somewhat low because many schools are back in session after a summer break.

That's how I interpreted it, too.
But I guess I've always been a "glass half full" kind of girl...

Yep same here, I think OP was just surprised to see so many kids because the school year is in session.

Not a huge deal to us to take kid out of school for a trip. If we didn't, we would've never been able to go to MNSSHP and F&W a couple years ago. There is no fall vacation by us, only a couple days off for Presidents Day. School is only one part of raising good well rounded human beings. Live your life and enjoy sharing time your kids while they're young.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

Some of the crowds could be run-off from the Marathon & beginning of F&W this weekend - families that stayed for a few extra days following. We naively went to MK this past Saturday (which was a marathon day at MK in the early morning) assuming most people would be at Epcot for F&W, but it was mobbed even at rope drop. We left by 10:45 and there were still hoards coming in.

I think the "October low crowd secret" is out!

 

[Got Muchness]

I'm a daughter of two retired principals. They pay for us to take our kids out of school every year for Disney. I speak with their teachers a month in advance and get it pre-approved by the principal. The school system here allows you three family vacation days. So we only have two unexcused absences. The rest of the year my kids miss school for nothing. If they miss then they are so sick they need to go to the doctor. So it's never been a problem for us.

 

[Disney_Luv]

That's how I interpreted it, too.

But I guess I've always been a "glass half full" kind of girl...

I felt the same way when I read OP's post. I would be surprised, too, if I went this time of year, and the parks were really crowded. I think that is the point she was trying to get across, but this post turned into something completely different.

I personally don't mind pulling my 8 year old son out of school for a few days for Disney trips. Yes, there is a lot of makeup work, but to me and him, it is worth it. At the same time, we always go with my parents, and my mom will very rarely let me 16 year old sister miss school for Disney. And, she has been that way since she was 6 years old, not just she has been in High School. Both kids are straight A students. But me and my mom just have different opinions on it.

It is okay to have a different opinion than someone else, but there is no reason for a thread like this to turn so nasty!

 

[jecskc]

There are a lot of schools in KY and TN that have Fall break this week. I am at Disney now and my kids have a couple of days off this week and we are from SC. The weather is amazing here, but Magic Kingdom was an absolute MOB today. We still had a great time, though, with use if fast pass, etc. But I will say that Touring Plans estimate of a 3.6 crowd calendar was WAAAYYY off. Because it seemed more like an 8 or 9 to me. Also, there were A LOT of non-english speaking patrons today. No problems from anyone, though. We just had to work around the crowds. And we have 6 more days, plenty of time to get things done

 

[gris gris]

We just got back and thought the crowd level was high too, not necessarily the lines for rides but the amount of people in the parks and on the buses. We are thinking of trying Jersey week next year as our school is closed for 2 days that same week. Wondering if November is a better time to go! It was hot last week and the june bugs were crazy in the beginning of the week - never knew about them!

 

[ambertides]

What school?

DH & I have been out of school for quite some time.

 

[Sammie]

I didn't read all the replies because they will be the same bit over and over. There are a few things at work here:

1. Fall breaks of various kinds
2. homeschool
3. Parents who believe it is their God given right to pull thier children out of school at any time for any reason, and want to travel in low cost, low crowd periods. I have seen "I don't care what the policy is or what the school says it is my child and I will do what I want" here more times than I can count. Personally, I don't care for that attitude, but to each his own.

Well said.

Actually even though it was hot as hades in August, the crowds were less than when school is in session.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Next week my son has Monday off for Columbus Day, and Friday off for teachers In Service day, so he will only miss three days. He is a senior this year, but I cleared through the high school before I bought plane tickets. I guess next week will be crazy too.

Then my son flys home Saturday (the16th), and my DH flys in so we can spend a week doing F & Wine and have some quality time to ourselves too Hope that week isn't crazy too!

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

Our very first trip to DW was mid-October a few years ago. We planned this time thinking the crowds would be fairly light. Oh no!! It was so packed we all held hands because I was afraid we would get separated and never see each other again. There were times it became rather scary. I too wondered why there were so many kids in the parks, they couldn't all be homeschoolers! LOL But it seemed that most of the people we talked to were from Europe, so it made me think they must have some sort of break at this time. I didn't realize so many schools have a fall break as well. The schools out here don't have such a break, except for Thanksgiving.

 

[Albytaps]

We're going during Jersey week. My kids will be pulled from school for 3 days. If there are large crowds, we will not be going again at the same time next year. However, this is when we find that Disney is most plesant for us so that is when we go. School is very important, but family time happiness is more important.

 

[Joy1619]

I don't have a problem with parents pulling children for trips, quite the contrary. I am doing it myself over Thanksgiving. My problem is with the attitude that what the school policy is doesn't matter because the school sohuld have no authority over the children they are teaching and that parents sohuld be the final authority on absolutely everything that goes on at school. Parents who teach this at home and thier children are one of my biggest headaches as a teacher as this attitude extends to more than just attendance. I get "my Johnny didn't feel that this assignment was helpful, so I told him he didn't have to do it. Please excuse him from it" or "My Johnny should not be required to do homework as i don't believe in it" or "Johnny will not be serving detention for ______ today because I don't believe you saw him do it" Seriously, real emails form parents.

Haha! Oh yes, I completely understand! I have heard about parents like these my whole life from my parents - nothing is more frustrating to them than parents who undermine teachers' efforts in educating their kids...I mean, come on, just because they don't see the value in an assignment doesn't mean there's not a darn good reason the teacher is asking for it to be done...THEY are the teachers after all, and went through college and internship and years of classroom experience to know the things they know! And parents should never undermine classroom management either - consequences have to be learned. I agree with you on all of those points, completely - and my perspective is different, as our school system in this area of Canada there are no 'regulated' number of days or anything, kids are just expected to show up every day, period...however, as a PP said, my kids never get sick and rarely if ever miss any school other than the days we pull them out to go on vacation, so I never have a problem doing it (and I know they will catch up and still be A students). So the teachers have never had a problem with the days out of school (and to be honest, we are timing our holiday to coincide with the semester break for our DD, as Grade 12 is stressful enough - she is writing a couple of final exams early so will have 4 days off free and clear, which means she is only missing 4 days right at the beginning of the semester - much easier!).

I must have misinterpreted your frustration on those types of situations with the specific issue of parents pulling kids out for holidays - which I still do believe is up to each parent individually. So...smiles all around?

 

[dolphindan1]

I can understand that. however having a child in middle school there is no way we would do it. The amount of make up work is too extensive. We love staycations and weekend trips.

I have taken my kids out of school every year for the last 8 years for 1 week... 5 missed days of school...My oldest is in 8th grade...been in Honors through middle school last year he got 3 or 4 HS credits as a 7th grader and will get a few more this year...we.are going again in Mid-Nov....He keeps his grades up and the teachers have no problem about us going....My youngest made straight A's last year and has been solid this year...4th grade...

I have already made up my mind that I will take them out in HS too...life is too short...My son has only 5 more years at home with me...I plan to spend as much time as I can with him...Oh yeah he is also on the JV baseball team and B-team basketball and plays travel baseball....

In our case its too hard for me to take off in the summer working for the power company so we go in the fall...each family is different...And they take vacations when they can...

 

[cuches]

Oy Vey! I told a few people I am going the last week of October and a million peple said they are going that week too! I can see the lines now. I pull my kid out and have no second thought about it but I usually have the joy of low crowds because most of the kiddies are in school when we go. On the flip side though last year we went September 13 and the place was a ghost town. We got on Buzz light year again and again and there were tons of empty cars. I couldn't believe that I was saying "I wish there were more people here, this seems weird". Goes to prove that I am never happy

 

[smidgy]

Exactly. But it's the OP who appeared concerned about other people pulling their children out of school making for higher crowds than she expected and setting up the responses received.

hhmm. I didn't take it as the OP was concernedabout people taking their kids out of school. It just sounded to me like she was surprisedthat so many kids were there.
she probably thought they were lucky, that their kids have year round school, and can vacation when MOST kids are is school.. and was surprised that so many were there after all. (paranthetical aside. I KNOW I used too many commas in that sentance. thought about going back to edit it for the "grammar/spelling police",but chose NOT to!)
we are 2 empty nesters who try to go when school is in session. back a few years ago, we found that, while there were less school aged kids, it was STROLLER CITY!!!
now, we find, more and more, it doesn't matter what time of year you go. so many people have gotten wise to the "take your kids out of school to go when it's less crowded" philosophy that it no longer applies!!

PS. I agree with the poster who said that it's more about funding than education. schools frown on taking your kids out cause they lose the bucks. I am a firm believer in "I know my kids better than anyone else".

PPS: OP: have you ever thought of entering your family in some sort of modeling contest??? all 4 of you are gorgeous!!you could win a "best looking family of the year" award.

 

[smidgy]

when I first read the original post, I thought it would be a thread about "crowds, and the calendar"
but, because she had pictures of her kids in the signature, it turned into, yet another, "is it ok to take kids out of school" thread.

I, for one, would have liked to hear MORE about the way the crowd calendar has changed, over the years.

this is USEFUL information, for everyone. (and I think what she was getting at). but the thread got sidetracked, unfortunately. people noticed her kids, she had to defend WHY her kids were not in school, etc etc.

thank you.. to all who posted useful information about the different school breaks around the country.

as to the week after thanksgiving (and the resorts being filled) yikes! ... however, hubby points out to me that lately (with all the discounts for onsite guests) the disney resorts are almost always full now, and that doesn't always reflect on the crowds at the parks.(ie, people who were going to go anyway, will take advantage of the disney discounts, and there might be less offsite gusests at the parks)..... we're hoping, anyway!

ps. I get on these boards late at night, because I work nights, I'm intelligent (college degree), a spelling and grammar stickler, but time is of the essence late at night, and I'll be darned if I'm going back over every single post to check my typos. and sometimes my fingers are faster thean my mind. (see there? a typo. I didn't go back to edit it on purpose!) will you spelling and grammar freaks just GIVE IT A REST?) it's annoying and adds NOTHING to the conversation at hand.

 

[mimmi]

In many european countries there are fall holidays now and throughout october. Don't underestimate the number of foreign tourists.

 

[dixonsontour]

All UK school's have at least a 1 week break in October. Some like my DD's and alot of scottish schools have 2 weeks.

August flight prices were sky high this year - hence more and more from uk are choosing October.

Hope it quietens down!