A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/7) Prayer Request for Catie (p.129)

[DisMomAmy]

So just to clarify - your February break is Presidents Week and your April break is Easter week? Is it always Easter week or does it vary by year? Looks like Easter is April 24th in 2011 - bad news for us since our vacation week is always the last week of April!! I'm guessing we'll be avoiding April next year... maybe 2011 will be our year to try February?? Actually I just checked our calendar for 10-11 and our "February vacation" is mostly in March.

Hmmm... If my assumptions are correct that makes it a hard choice... heat and/or crowds are going to be a factor during any of the times you have available. How many days of school do they miss during Jersey week?

 

[eandesmom]

From what I can tell, heat wise, late June and late august are probably a tie in the heat category with August having the benefit of lower crowds and rates.

I will be honest, I'll never go during president's week again, that's how bad the crowds last year were. I felt like I didn't really get to "do" MK as a result!

We will see this August if it's better, I just think it will be a very different trip with lots of pool time (and it wasn't warm enough in Feb for that really). So August has my vote, even with FD.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Tough decisions Kathy. In our experiences we have gone twice in August and both times we were so hot we were miserable. Crowds can be avoided but with all the walking there is to do at WDW it was a hot sweaty affair. If you plan to spend mornings at the parks and afternoons/evenings at the pool it might be tolerable. But when it is still 90 degrees at 8:00 at night we were miserable.

I think I would take President's week and crowds over the heat and humidity of August in Florida. You also have the risk of hurricanes and tropical storms making it a rainy miserable trip.

 

[maroo]

Well...


I always say the earlier the better!


But I would rather brave crowds than the heat. Unless you guys are totally cool with going early in the AM and then going back to the room for a swim and then going back to the parks. Then it may make sense to just go when it is hot.

Funny thing about FL - is that you never really know anyway.

I am thinking June.

 

[jcc0621]

Option One: Last week of June, 2011.

I know several people that go at this time and really enjoy it. They say the crowd are managable

Option Two: Last week of August, 2011.

This is when we usually go and I have noticed the last two years with free dining the crowds are more than normal! Heat is not that bad if you plan pool time and breaks!

 

[kayrosek]

One of Tricia's favorite shows is Say Yes to the Dress. We sometimes watch together and it always freaks me out to hear her talk about how she wants "her" wedding dress to look!!


Kathy

Both my girls love that show as well. Tess is turning 13 next month and Jen just turned 11 and not only do they know wht they want their dress to look like they have their weddings planned out! They grow up way to fast! As for those planned out wedding though I am going to have to sit down and write those out. I think someday when they are actually getting married (hopefully a long time from now) they might enjoy reading about wat they thought they wanted for a wedding when they were kids.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

This is a hard decision! I think I would go with August due to the crowds dropping. I hate heat but just make lots of time for pools and/or waterparks. Cool off with a TS meal and make the most of the mornings. Good luck deciding Kathy! We're not going back until 10/2011 most likely and it's absolutely killing me. My husband doesn't understand why it's "such a big deal". Ack!!!

 

[shannn]

I'm with you. I can't believe we're not going to go at all in 2010~~ I keep trying to find another time we can go!!

1) I just don't think I can stand the heat in June/August. I think the crowds would drop some in August, but the heat just makes me want to sleep only!! Maybe the end of August isn't that bad?? We start school in August, so that's not an option for us.

2) February is nice weather, although I've heard the crowds are awful. Now, we just went during Christmas and we were able to stay away from the crowds with smart touring. But it's pretty much smart to go early in the morning and leave during the middle of the day.

3) I know you said forget Christmas week, but if you're smart with it, you can during Christmas Break with fewer points. We went December 18-23 and the points weren't high at all. Is that an option with your break times? Or can you go at the very beginning of January? The weather was glorious when we were there!

4) Do you have any other breaks that you could look at?

 

[mousescrapper]

It is truly killing me to think that I will not get back to WDW for another two-plus years.... I've been playing around with the kids' school calendar for 2011-2012 and am considering two other travel periods (both earlier, of course!!)

Option One: Last week of June, 2011.




Option Two: Last week of August, 2011.




Option Three: Keep Presidents' Week, Feb. 2012.


Forget Christmas Week... way, way too many points needed.
Ditto: Easter Week
Forget Thanksgiving Week... too many points and kids will miss some school.
(I'm really trying to avoid this... otherwise we might as well just keep going during Jersey Week!)

Oy.


Comments? Suggestions??


Kathy

sorry Kathy you feel flustered by planning the next trip...

I also know what it is like to be confined to those breaks of school...

I've been in June and August and what I remember is this:

June-hot (but you know that) tour well in mornings and evenings and use lots of pool time...not alot of rain but when it did it was tour destructive. crowds..eh? hard to say the worst was DHS w/ SWW wouldn't do that again!

would I travel again in June, possibly but as early as possible in the month.

August- (mind you this is based as 2 adults) have traveled late Aug early Sept twice and besides ever wanting to spend my b-day at the World again I just wouldn't do it...no free dining for DVC so why bother? is it really that big of a difference in crowds I just remember the RAIN and yes you can get freakish rain other times there that you are walking around like a drenched rag...but I just wouldn't do it w/ kids...the risk is not worth it to me.

Presidents week never been so I can't give MHO...but have you traveled during this time before...if the crowd charts are comparable to other "holiday breaks" than I'm not sure the appeal other than possible better weather.

If you are willing to pull kids from school for a few days in conjuction w/ an actual school break your best option may be something like the Presidents week or go back to your tried and true Jersey Week.

On top of all that consider what are the goals of going back...

just to be back, experience something special, R n R, lots of touring? etc.

as well look at when you have the max amount of points available (ie banked, use or borrow) and then go back 11 months from that if you are planning your home resort or 7 months back and then just pick and semi commit...you can change your mind later.

No one says you need a reason to go back...but that may help...keeps me straight. our trip this yr it will be packed, but I'm tellling myself we have just been there 2 yrs in a row and this trip is to experience the magic of being at Disney for b-days, holiday decorations and our first DVC trip...everthing else can and should be gravy...since we have future trips in the works.

happy planning

J~

 

[KathyRN137]

Well, as usual, I can count on my DIS-friends to give their honest $0.2!

So far, the votes are:

June: 2
August: 7
February: 4
Undecided: 3
And one write-in vote for Christmas week!

I'm still debating. Seems like its going to be a choice between heat and humidity vs crazy crowds. Woo-hoo.

Sara: I'm reconsidering Jersey Week because Tricia will be in high school and she asked that I work it so she won't miss any school. It seems that it is very hard to catch up. (They miss two days with Jersey Week.)

We're skipping 2010 for financial reasons.

Amy: Spring break for Tricia is the week before Easter and Billy has the week after Easter, so somebody will be missing a whole week if we go in April.

Julie: We will want to see and do everything, as usual, plus get in some nice relaxing time at the resort. I may be able to manage crowds better than crushing heat and humidity...

Still thinking...


Kathy

 

[mommytothreeboys]

We went in late August/early September for our honeymoon...so many years ago! Anyway...the crowds were great, I remember having a rain shower or two, and I didn't find the weather unbearable. The only concern I would have would be that it is the beginning of hurricane season...we were greeted by Hurricane Andrew the weekend we arrived. Not a big deal at Disney, but we stayed offsite and Orlando was a madhouse with everyone coming north. Probably not really an issue, but just something to think about.

 

[brookelizabeth]

We went during the first week of September this past year, our first day was September 2. It was hot. I used my mini-fan a lot, sweat off my make-up some days, and our camera would fog up in the morning when we stepped out of our hotel room! But it was not unbearable. The crowds were nothing, even with free dining. It was WONDERFUL! Coming from the frozen tundra of MN, we could deal with that heat. I vote for late August!

I just read your last update as well, the whole Casey's scene had me CRACKING UP! Oh my goodness! That is hilarious!!!!!

I have tried the hot dog and weird bun once. Never again. Corn dog nuggets all the way!!!!!!!

Love the costumes, you all look really great!!!! The girls look really good! They are a perfect balance between what they wanted and what you wanted for them! Cute + coverage!

 

[MEK]

Personally, I like the last week of August. Of course, you have probably noticed that I visited in June of 08 and 09. That's ONLY because my kids start preseason soccer in August. I have had some REALLY good last week of August vacations. That's because every other kid in the country is already back in school. I also like ending my summer with a vacation, instead of starting with one.

Yeah - its hot, but its no worse than June. Plus, two extra nights. That's my pick - no question.

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Kathy,

Another nod for August...

It might not be ideal weatherwise but that's when we did it last year...the third week...(because of free dining...) and we noticed our last couple of days were really slow in the parks because Florida goes back to school...

A couple of things...I hate heat and humidity which is kind of ironic because of how much I love Disney World...

for some reason it seems more tolerable to me than when we're home...and in the Mid-Atlantic we are definitely not humidity free...

We had a great time but we had to sunscreen, drink a lot of water and we took mid day breaks...

I didn't think it was so bad...but that's just another opninion...

Good luck deciding...

 

[moparop]

We did early August a few years ago. It was hot, but no worse than the heat and humidity of a Cincinnati summer. We did the rope drop/afternoon nap/evening park thing and enjoyed the lower croads of that time of year. I'd absolutely go back at that time again!

 

[IluvXU]

Kathy....
Tough decisions. Since I am a teacher we seemingly are bound to summer trips. I can do the heat, as can my family. I loved our August trip way more than June, but I also hate the wishing the summer away for our trip. The points also play a huge factor now in when to go so I am interested in what you decide... but I know you have time to decide.

 

[KathyRN137]

Lots to think about....

I hate the heat and if we're going to run into crazy Presidents' week crowds anyway...

Dang, Shannon! Now you've got me thinking about Christmas week!!!

Unfortunately with our break it would have to be between Christmas and New Year's.... the highest # of points would be needed....
but we will have two year's worth of points to work with.

Hmmmmm.


Kathy

 

[joy13]

When we went in 2007 we went mid-September and it was hot, but I think we tolerated it better than the record heat we had this past trip at the end of October. It was a bit hotter on our September trip, but we hadn't had much cool weather in Wisconsin yet, so we were still used to it. We had a really crappy, cold October this past year, so the heat in Florida zapped us more.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

It actually wasn't that hot when we went.

Then again, we *did* go during a hurricane...

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Hi Kathy!! Just got all caught up on your TR!

It sounds like you had great start to your halloween day!!! You guys looked fabulous in your costumes!!!

I can't wait to read more!