When is the Best Time To Visit When School is Out?

[wamommy2four]

We have always planned our trips with the kids during the school year in the hopes of being there when it less crowded. We now have a dd in high school and it seems like it will be much harder for her to miss a full week of school. (Then we will have a child in high school for the next 12 years after that ). So trying to figure when is the best time to plan our next trip. Summer break, Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas? Or something else? I was thinking maybe the week leading up to Thanksgiving so they would only miss 2 days of school, but sounds like it will be busy then. Or maybe around a long weekend type holiday? Ugh, school is messing with my Disney time. LOL.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

We went in mid-June this year and I found the crowds wonderful! It was still busier than an off season time, but nothing like what we've experienced Thanksgiving week.

 

[wamommy2four]

We went in mid-June this year and I found the crowds wonderful! It was still busier than an off season time, but nothing like what we've experienced Thanksgiving week.

Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe the very first week of summer break would work. My kids don't get out until June 17th though. I wish it was the beginning of June.

 

[mikana876]

Maybe, since you can't pick a time to go that's based on crowds, pick based on weather. And then just make sure you have a good game plan. If it were me, I'd pick anytime besides Christmas break. Do you get a week long fall break?

 

[lk2500]

Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe the very first week of summer break would work. My kids don't get out until June 17th though. I wish it was the beginning of June.

The last 2 trips we went the last weekend in June - after grad nights and when AP blackout dates start. That seems to work fine for us.

Hydroguy prefers mid-late July I believe. There is also a period in August when some of the Cali schools are back in session and DL/CA is still running full hours and shows, which also seems to be a good time to go.

You really have many good choices!

 

[Butterfly123]

We never took the kids out of school, so this was always our story. For a long time we did spring break. The kids really liked the break from school, there were enough vacation days that they could scramble and get their homework done before/after we got back. The weather was great, and I loved the RDCT fireworks. Spring break did get progressively busier over the years but the kids were getting older and could handle getting up early, waiting in lines, etc. Did I say I loved the weather?

Now we have college schedules to add to high school schedules! So our only option is summers. It's working out great...I find the crowds similar, actually a little better, the weather much warmer. I don't like the hot days but early hours are pleasant and I love warm summer evenings, extended hours and full swing entertainment schedule. And it's not always really hot...but there is more of a chance of it. We try to avoid grad nights, but have had them and they weren't the worst. So I'm finding many things I really love about summer, too!

The end of August crowds really appeal, but we are back in school by then.

Good luck with your plans!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe the very first week of summer break would work. My kids don't get out until June 17th though. I wish it was the beginning of June.

My kids do get out earlier, but we didn't actually go until June 21st. We went Sat-Wed and it was perfect, plus the Grad nights were over!

 

[BriannaRuth]

If you can go the week before Labor Day weekend, that's a good time. The California schools are back (ours don't go back until the day after Labor Day) in and the crowds are not bad at all. It starts getting busy for Labor Day on that Friday, but the week before is good.

This year we weren't able to do that, so we went August 9-14. That week wasn't as bad as I'd expected. This was the week right before school started in California and most passes were still blocked out. I'm not all that up on the pass situation, but someone mentioned that the following week would be busier as the passes unblocked.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We are teachers and love going in July! Summer is in full swing- Socal APs are blocked, grad nights are through, and it isn't as crowded as we have found during shorter school holidays.

 

[lifeguardette]

I just went the week of Aug 23-27, and the crowds were really good. So, depending on when you are back, that might work.

 

[wamommy2four]

Than for the great suggestions. I'm writing all these dates down to see what might work for us. I've always been anti-summer for fear of massive crowds and long lines. I need to readjust me thinking.

Any other mid school year breaks that would be good?

 

[AZMermaid]

I am a Arizona teacher. We get out the Friday before Memorial Day and we like to travel a week later, so not Memorial weekend, but the next. Since that is out for you... I'd do the flip. I'd go as late in the summer as possible. My district went back 8/6 and most everyone in AZ is back in by mid August. So if you can do late August (not Labor Day, that's the half marathon, but the weekend before that), I bet that's great.

We get a fall break Columbus week and I read that week is nuts with crowds!

 

[Imdboss]

Last year we switched from our standard October trip to the week of thanksgiving. I've always wanted to see the Xmas decorations so we chose that week so the kids would only miss 3 days of school instead of 5. After researching crowds and reading what people said about that week I was prepared for crazy long lines and tons of people everywhere. I didn't find it to be that unmanageable, maybe because of my expectations.. We had a wonderful time and did all of the rides we wanted, even some multiple times like buzz light year (10 times - my DS favorite).

Another time we went was during mid-winter break in February i2009. Not sure if you get that time off or not but it was a great time to go also.

Have fun planning!

 

[dnamertz]

I just went the week of Aug 23-27, and the crowds were really good.

What is your definition of "really good". My next trip will probably have to be a summer trip. We went in mid-June 5 years ago and crowds were overwhelming...we barely got anything done (although I would be more prepared this time). So, how much were you able to do the week of Aug 23-27? How long were lines?

 

[abouley]

I'm not sure why but crowds this summer really weren't that bad on the days we were there (which were random Fridays and Sundays throughout the summer). When we lived further away, we had done a week during July a few times, and it was crazy busy. I think I'd try to go before the SoCal AP lifts though since many schools down here aren't in session yet (though that is changing for some of us).

Spring break is really hit and miss.

I would avoid the week between Christmas and New Year's though sometimes the week leading up to Christmas hasn't been that bad.

Thanksgiving week isn't horrible. At least the days before Thanksgiving. The times I've been it seemed to get progressively busier as it got closer to Thanksgiving. If you want to go during the holiday season I'd probably go during this time.

We're having the same debate about planning a WDW trip since we really want to go for closer to 2 weeks and I don't like pulling the kids from school....

 

[scrapshappen]

We were there August 18-21 right after the local AP block ended. I will say that it felt very busy to me considering most of the local school districts were already in school. There were times, especially in the afternoon and evening where the narrow corridors of Adventureland and Tomorrowland were just body to body (or stroller to stroller).

But CA absorbs crowds a lot better so even if the lines were a little bit longer, it still felt very manageable.

That being said, I think summer is the better time to go than other school break times. At least in the summer, people can spread out their vacations to anytime in late June-early August (or earlier or later depending on your school district) instead of just a short weekend or even week long break.