Check those school calendars!!

[Par8hed]

FYI- I had booked a 2br at the 11 month window to coincide with Easter vacation. Now that I've checked the school calendar I discover that there is no Easter vacation and that the Spring Break which normally coincides with Easter isn't in fact until late April. Looks like I'll be calling MS in an hour or so. I wonder what my chances will be for Spring Break at 7 months.

 

[wdwstar]

Sending you pixie dust for your new ressies, but i dont think you will have a problem, i booked this past easter at VB & BCV only 6 months out! good luck and let us know what happened.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Par8hed
...(snip)... I wonder what my chances will be for Spring Break at 7 months.

Excellent, IMHO! (That's assuming that you don't have your heart set on a standard or BW view at BWV, or a Beach Cottage at VB or a Grand Villa at OKW. Even then, you still might be OK if you are willing to use the waitlist).

Best wishes -

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

There really isn't any particular, national Spring Break week. Some school distrcts and private schools use the week before or after Easter. Many other school districts set their schedule based on quarter breaks or use a formular such a "beginning at end of day on fourth Friday in March." So Spring Break can be any week in March or April.

In the Chciago area, Spring Break is scheduled in late March in most districts. Usually, that means that our Spring Breaks are several weeks before Easter. But in 2005, Easter is early, so our Spring Break is the week that starts with Easter.

The DVC point calendars float with Easter.

 

[Macnjac87]

Hi Fellow Long Islander!
You shouldn't have a problem booking at the 7 month window. I have heard that this later Spring Break is mainly a northeast us thing because of the early Easter date and Passover date. It's a good thing, too, because we were at BWV last Easter Break and I will never never never go to WDW again during that break. The crowds were unreal. When I found out about the late Spring Break, I booked a Disney cruise and got a great rate because its not during a holiday period, and you will be using less points because its not a holiday period too. Good luck!

 

[DisneyHumbug]

My youngest graduated HS in June, but I work in the district so I still follow the school calendar. We have a 5 day weekend for Easter and a week at the end of April for Spring Break. I have 2 in college and of course their spring breaks are different from mine!

 

[ErinC]

I think you'll be fine. In fact, I would see this as a blessing that you won't be fighting the Easter week crowds while your there. Our kids spring break week floats. Sometimes it is Easter week, sometimes it doesn't coincide with Easter. In 2005 it coincides with Easter, we won't be going spring break this year. Instead, we are going during our Mardi Gras holiday. DD gets 2 days off that week, this way she will only miss 3 days of school, and we won't have to fight the crowds as badly.

 

[Sarahsal]

I was able to book yesterday for this Easter, no problem!

 

[laceemouse]

Hey Horace, we are in Naperville! We went to WDW last March and it was great, we were 2 weeks before Easter. When our breaks coinside with Easter we will not go to WDW, too busy and too many points! Spring Break is tricky as you pointed out!

 

[TXMommy]

Are we the only ones with an early Spring Break next year? Ours is March 5-13! We are in SE Texas - between Houston and Galveston.....

 

[LIFERBABE]

Ours is March 14-18th.

BWV SV was sold out. I checked the studios and the 2 bdr.

Booked 2 studios at BCV and waitlisted for BWV SV and BW-View.

I agree, the school calendars are a DVCers best friend! (with or without schoolage kids).

What day is Easter 2005?

 

[laceemouse]

Easter is March 27th in 2005, early for Easter.

 

[patsal]

We ahve a week in February around President's day (for the forst time ever) and a week at Easter with Good Friday off as well. This is all new to me as we have always had two weeks at Easter. It should be interesting--I just hope the Feb. weather is ok so I can fly in and out of Buffalo to/from Orlando.

 

[LisaSt]

Just go at that time anyhow the ids will love it and so will you have a great trip and don't worry about the vacation days from the school year.

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

Hi Fellow Long Islander!
You shouldn't have a problem booking at the 7 month window. I have heard that this later Spring Break is mainly a northeast us thing because of the early Easter date and Passover date. It's a good thing, too, because we were at BWV last Easter Break and I will never never never go to WDW again during that break. The crowds were unreal. When I found out about the late Spring Break, I booked a Disney cruise and got a great rate because its not during a holiday period, and you will be using less points because its not a holiday period too. Good luck!

However the airfares from NY are RIDICULOUS! I already booked my trip for the week being discussed because the LI schools are (as already mentioned) closed. I thought I was SO clever, because since most of the rest of the country is not off for Passover, I assume crowds will be low. But when I went to book the airfare (in October mind you, not at the last minute) the prices were almost double what I normally pay.

I called the airlines to ask why, and they said (I am NOT making this up, I swear) it was due to the "Jewish Easter" being that week. LOL, passover IS a Jewish holiday, but it is not related to Easter in any way, other than sometimes being the same time of year. Well anyway I bit the bullet and paid the airfare but it really annoyed me. Just out of curiousity I looked at some airfares to Orlando from places further away from NY and the fares were considerably LESS. I am assuming that a lot of Jewish people from NY visit FL relatives during Passover (and vice versa, the Floridians come up to NY for the holiday) so the airlines take advantage and overcharge. Oh well. I hope I am right about crowds being not too bad and at least my daughter won't miss any school.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Par8head, you only figured this out in August??!! OOOPS. It's easier for those of us in Mass and Maine bcs April break always coincides with Patriots' Day, a state holiday in both states. But I think most of New England, much of New York State and a few adjoining areas have vacations pretty punctually around Presidents' Day and then in mid-April. I would imagine this coincides with Easter and Passover some of the time, but just as often not.

So it looks like our families are on the same vacation schedules this year, as we were down over MLK weekend just as you were, plus we have ressies for April vacation (starting on Tax day), made at the 11 month mark. We have BWV Std view already booked for 4/17-4/23, and a parallel ressie for the last two nights at BCV, hoing the beginning of the week comes thru too; we're not moving, so we will be cancelling BWV if BCV comes thru and cancelling BCV if more days do not come thru.
So this is what I know about availability that week: no more Std view 2BRs at BWV; no 1BR or 2BR units at BCV. I don't know about the other resorts, but I'll be interested to see what you end up with. Since our April break does not coincide with the rest of the country, availability has been pretty decent. Airfare for direct flights has been punishing out of New England and Upstate NY, not so bad out of NYC, at least in the summer and fall.

Good luck old pal! (and I know how "old" that is )

 

[KennyK]

Hello from a fellow L.I.er.

We are going down to WDW that same week, arriving on Sunday April 24th and leaving 29th. Let me tell you the DVC resorts are FULL, we tried to book a 2 bdrm and a studioat BCV for that time with no availability. We will be staying in our second home SSR. Don't forget that is F & G time at EPCOT also.

As far as airfares, I seached High and Low for decent airfares and finally found a cheap fair $ 230 RT from Islip on Delta Direct out of Islip. But would you know 1 month later Air Tran announces their relationship with Disney and drops all their fares to Orlando. The only problem is you would have to go out of LGA.

OH well since my flights are non refundable I'll bite the bullet and keep them.

Wishing everyone a safe trip. Can't wait until 90 days, with all this snow out side, I'm really ready for a WDW fix.


Kennyk

 

[mrsR123]

I posted not long ago on a "who's going in December" thread that I was doing a happy dance about next year's Christmas break. Lo and behold the powers that be decided that we couldn't come back on 1-02-06 because of the federal holiday on the first being a Sunday. So, now I have two days of school on the 19th and 20th.

So much for my five days of lower crowds and points. Oh well, surely in the next 35 years I'll get a good break again?

 

[DisneyHumbug]

KennyK - when you say "from Islip on Delta Direct out of Islip" - is this non-stop or do you have to change planes in Atlanta? We used to fly Delta out of Islip, but when they started flying you through Atlanta with a plane change, we switched to Southwest.

 

[KennyK]

DisneyHumBug, Hi neighbor

No it's a connecting flt through Atlanta. SW's flts were double for what I'm paying on Delta. I really don't like going out of LGA or Kennedy. Only do that at last resort. Since when you figure in the cost of a Limo for both directions, compared to parking at long term at Islip the tickets have to be really CHEAP out of LGA or Kennedy to make me go that way.

Besides Islip is less than 15 minutes from my house, Door to door. with traffic and a train in the way. During some times of the day I swear They use the radio tower in my back yard as a landing approach beacon, count the treads on those tires.

If I can get a cheap fare on SW that's my first choice. Then I search for alternatives.


Kennyk