Best Time to Go when not in school....

[libinatorsmom]

Really don't want to pull my daughter out of much school - what is the best time to go for about 5 - 7 days when school is not in - shes in traditional school Aug - May - with normal times off.... we don't like crowds.. LOL We have gone in May twice and loved it (not to busy we didnt think I mean its Disney there will always be people there) but since shes in middle school for next year just not liking pulling her out of a week of school... Love some advice and opinions...

 

[mom2rtk]

The choices are not great. Because when your child is out..... chances are a lot of others are out as well.

I'd pray for no snow days and scoot out the moment she gets out of school in May. You should be able to beat some of the families coming from the Northeast where they tend to get out in June. It will still be busy though. And hot.

Do you have any long weekends during the year you could use?

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I would look at times when your DD has off when the whole country isn't out. For instance, we have spring break the very first week of spring break season, and our schools get out a week earlier than most schools (we went Memorial Day week since most schools get out in June - it was crowded, but not as crowded as it could have been). During those weeks, we are at least mostly traveling with other early schools. So, if you start later in August, that might be an option or if you have some breaks that not everyone has (Mardi Gras or a fall break, for instance), those could be good weeks. You could take her break schedule and compare it to a crowd calendar.

We're at the point, too, where I don't want to pull DD out of school for any more than a day or two. She has great grades, but it is really hard to catch up as they get a little older.

 

[mchelle77]

I agree, go right when she's done with school. Up here in the Northeast, we go until mid-June so you'll be safe from us LOL New Hampshire has a different February week of as almost everyone else so we're going to try that week next year. That may be another option - see what weeks your school district differs from the rest of the country - if you look at the "best weeks to go" chart on one of the websites (Google it!) you can see what the projected crowds will be like each week. Compare it to the school calendar for next year.

Either that, or pull her for a few days - if they happen to have a holiday (Columbus Day or something) on a week where school is closed for a Teachers' workshop, then taking her out for 3 days as opposed to 5 might be easier.

Personally ... I just take my daughter out when I need to. The school is OK as long as she does the work, they encourage family time and traveling, I don't abuse it but definitely use it!

 

[rwdavis2]

The closer to Labor Day in August the crowds should get smaller. But it's hot.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Really don't want to pull my daughter out of much school - what is the best time to go for about 5 - 7 days when school is not in - shes in traditional school Aug - May - with normal times off.... we don't like crowds.. LOL We have gone in May twice and loved it (not to busy we didnt think I mean its Disney there will always be people there) but since shes in middle school for next year just not liking pulling her out of a week of school... Love some advice and opinions...

I'm guessing you are from the south as most northern schools have a late August/early September until mid-late June schedule. If that were the case I would say go mid August as a lot of the kids in the south are back to school. That being said I would then say go in late May/early June because at least then the northern kids are still in school. (Caveat, i have only gone in the summer months one time in July, I am going by theory).

 

[anniemae]

definitely as soon as she is out of school. Late may/early june

 

[glohoffman]

I dont know how the schools are for Christmas break where you live, but we are going Dec 15 in 2016 and she will only be missing a couple days before her break starts. (shes also younger than your daughter, so I dont know if they have testing right before break) But it seems like a decent time before the Christmas crowds show up and the weather is cooler as well. Just another option!

 

[scrapquitler]

Really don't want to pull my daughter out of much school - what is the best time to go for about 5 - 7 days when school is not in - shes in traditional school Aug - May - with normal times off.... we don't like crowds.. LOL We have gone in May twice and loved it (not to busy we didnt think I mean its Disney there will always be people there) but since shes in middle school for next year just not liking pulling her out of a week of school... Love some advice and opinions...

unless your district has a fall break, a holiday break that goes for a week beyond new years, or a February break, I think I'd shoot for immediately after school gets out in May because those of us in the Northeast are still stuck in school until mid/late June, and at least you'll avoid most of us in late May/early June.

 

[jerseygal]

The choices are not great. Because when your child is out..... chances are a lot of others are out as well.

I'd pray for no snow days and scoot out the moment she gets out of school in May. You should be able to beat some of the families coming from the Northeast where they tend to get out in June. It will still be busy though. And hot.

Do you have any long weekends during the year you could use?

As soon as your child gets out of school in May, I would go! BEAT those Jerseyfolk, haha!

 

[itchin2go]

We went Thanksgiving week last year. My daughter only missed a day or 2 of school. I find (at least at her school) that they don't do much during those partial weeks, so she didn't miss much. We didn't find it to be too busy, liked the weather (except for the rain), and had a great trip.

The year before, we went during her Fall Break. It was in October, and for whatever reason, it was unseasonably hot. Too hot for us. Imagine how we would react to summer temps!

Next trip, we're going during her Spring Break - second week in March.

One thing I have learned to watch for is when the quarters or semesters begin and end. We find it's easier to "catch up" if days missed are at the beginning of a quarter, whereas missing days at the end of a quarter is brutal.

 

[mom2rtk]

One thing I have learned to watch for is when the quarters or semesters begin and end. We find it's easier to "catch up" if days missed are at the beginning of a quarter, whereas missing days at the end of a quarter is brutal.

That's why we're swapping to October instead of December next year.

 

[IndySam]

I was in the same situation for our last trip in 2012. We ended up going the first week of June, as other have suggested. It wasn't bad, though it was slightly more crowded than I had expected. It had been a very mild winter, and virtually no schools had to extend their school year. I've heard that if you get out earlier, say around May 20th or so, it is better to wait until that first week in June rather than the previous week, which includes Memorial Day. We now have a full week for fall break in October, so that's what I'm shooting for on our next trip.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was in the same situation for our last trip in 2012. We ended up going the first week of June, as other have suggested. It wasn't bad, though it was slightly more crowded than I had expected. It had been a very mild winter, and virtually no schools had to extend their school year. I've heard that if you get out earlier, say around May 20th or so, it is better to wait until that first week in June rather than the previous week, which includes Memorial Day. We now have a full week for fall break in October, so that's what I'm shooting for on our next trip.

Our only days off in the fall are the Friday before and Monday after Halloween. Since my daughter likes trick or treating with her friends, that kills using it for an extended break.

We were in the MK last Saturday and it was every bit of the level 9 it was predicted to be. But I knew going in it was not a recommended day. If I was going for a week and had flexibility I would be sure to follow the crowd calendars closely.

At least in the fall, the parties in the MK make it easier to find low crowd days.

 

[g-dad66]

If you have a Spring Break week that doesn't coincide with Easter, that's the week I would go. In fact, that IS the week that we go every year.

Great weather. High crowds but not the crazy super-crowds of Christmas and Easter.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

If you need to select a time when your kids are not in school, I would go as soon as they get out. If you can take them out of school a few days early - DO IT!!

 

[ElizabethG]

I'm going to vote for the late May / early June, like many have already said. I'm in the Mid-West and we go until the second week of June. We don't start until after labor day. This year it is not until the 7th! So, first week of September for us.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I teach and have a child in school and I will agree with what most others are saying. Leave the day after she gets out of school for summer break. The first week or two of June tends to be less expensive and less crowded because many schools are not out yet. We went to Universal this year on May 28th because that was my first day off. The crowds were very manageable and actually most were quiet and polite (lots of Europeans and Australian families) and the resort rates were lower than the rest of the summer. The weather in Orlando was gorgeous - 80's and breezy. Fifteen minutes of rain for our entire trip.

We also go for our September break for free dining (does tend to rain a lot in September, but rack rate resort prices are the lowest they will be all year) and this year we are going for our spring break since it does not fall the week before or after Easter (last year it did and I would not go that week - far more crowds and Disney resort prices are super high).

I would not go at Thanksgiving or Christmas. We went one Thanksgiving week and crowds were absurd.

 

[Flamingeaux]

Not sure what your school schedule is but we always went Thanksgiving week. The kids were out the whole week so that wasn't an issue. We have been many times so going commando wasn't an issue. We would go from Saturday to Saturday. You can get a lot done up to Tuesday and then it gets crowded. You can still get enough done after that. You are there when they have all the Christmas stuff out!!!

 

[Disneyliscious]

I vote for Columbus Day weekend. Take her out on Friday and Tuesday. She already has Sat/Sun/Mon off (presumably). Experience MNSSHP and some great weather while you're at it.