Debate...Thanksgiving or take the kids out of school??

[BEASLYBOO]

FWIW, we went down this past spring break (March 21 - 28 - Easter week). Everyone kept telling us it would be the worst time in the world to go. Parks would be packed, resorts would be packed, dining waits a nightmare, etc.

:

For Florida public and most private schools, Spring break was in April, had you come during this time you would have found it terribly crowded w/ long lines, as reported by hundreds of posters on this board. Spring break is generally much worse than Summer and this particular Spring Break seemed to be much more so. I have several friends and aquaintances who went and said they wouldn't do it again.

 

[Starr W.]

FWIW, we went down this past spring break (March 21 - 28 - Easter week). Everyone kept telling us it would be the worst time in the world to go. Parks would be packed, resorts would be packed, dining waits a nightmare, etc.

I honestly have to admit that I didn't feel it was much different than our summer stays. Maybe it was because we were expecting the worse, it was surprisingly better! Our longest wait for a ride was 1 hour (Peter Pan) and though SSR was sold out, the only time we knew it was sold out was when we went to the main pool. Main pool was packed, but quiet pools were wonderful!

DTD was a little more crowded than normal, but with a little planning (make your dinner reservations so you don't have to fight the lines), it was a wonderful trip! I wouldn't hesitate to go down during a "peak" time again. Worst part...number of points I had to use for a 2-BR!!!

I think you lucked out with Easter being so early(fellow Buckeye who was at VB that week) and our schools sticking with break around Easter. A lot of districts left their breaks in April.

Bet if you go in 09 Easter is 4/12, it will be crowded.

But who knows with the gas prices/economy?

 

[BlakeNJ]

We have gone Thanksgiving week in the past and never had a problem. Granted, we are at park opening and take mid-day breaks when crowds are at their peak. We love it. It's so festive. We are going this year, similar dates as you. You will be fine as long as you go early and have your ADR made.

 

[dvcdisney]

It was really hard on our 14 yr old DS last year....

I think you sort of answer yourself here. We decided that we would only take our kids out of school if they were doing well and they had no problems making up the work and my kids are still young. However, it sounds like you should discuss it with your son. He will be the one who has to do the make up work and as you said, it was difficult for him.

Just my suggestion.

 

[disney4magic]

Hi,

It's really not that crowded, nice weather and you get to see X'mas decorations! Just take them and relax. I even heard that WDW offer Thanksgiving meal. Have fun there.

 

[WolfpackFan]

For the life of me, I don't understand parents who take their kids out of school to go to WDW. Our DD is a school teacher and she says this is one of the major problems she has, dealing with students who miss school work because their parents want to go on vacation. She's even had parents take children out during end of grade testing. She couldn't believe it. And then when they come up and fail the makeups, the parents blame the teachers. It seems like teachers these days get no support at all from the parents. Sorry, for the rant - but this is a pet peeve of mine.

 

[janni518]

Chiming in a bit late but...

We took our two highschoolers out for 5 days this year. Was only supposed to be three but they lost days off because of snow days. We took a chance and guessed wrong.

They have requested that we never do that again. We notified their teachers ahead of time and got work for them but it was a lot of pressure to get caught up.

I think up until about middle school it's okay to take them out. After that it just gets too complicated.

Just adding: We called their guidance counselors, we emailed each teacher and explained that this was not something that we were in the habit of doing ,(our first "real" vaca in 8 years) ,it was a family gathering, that we understood that this was extra work for them and an inconvenience, and we apologized for that. We asked if there was anything we as parents could do before and afterward to help. We also checked back with them all about a week after we got back and asked again and thanked them for their help. Every single one of them was just wonderful about it, even the notoriously difficult ones. Most sent little notes saying "Have a great time!" with the work. I think when you give people the respect they deserve they respond in kind.

The kids still felt all that pressure though, so it's spring break until they are out of school.

 

[Steve's Wife]

I teach in a middle school, and for the vast majority of our students missing a few days or even a week for a family vacation will not doom a child to academic failure and a life of poverty. Every child is different, though. If your child struggles to keep up, it's probably not a good idea. Likewise, if your child misses school frequently (on the 4-day a week plan), a vacation might also be problematic. The only warning I would give you is that if you have a teacher spend hours pulling together "everything Tom is going to miss while he's away" so he can "keep up", then make sure everything is done the day he gets back. I prefer my students to go, have a fabulous time, and get caught up when they return. I will move heaven and earth to get them caught up. But I have to admit that in 22 years of teaching, I have only had one child who "had to have everything" actually complete the work, and that makes this teacher cranky.
Life is short. Enjoy your families and your friends while you can. If you can't "stop to smell the roses" occasionally, why bother?

 

[nuts]

I teach in a middle school, and for the vast majority of our students missing a few days or even a week for a family vacation will not doom a child to academic failure and a life of poverty. Every child is different, though. If your child struggles to keep up, it's probably not a good idea. Likewise, if your child misses school frequently (on the 4-day a week plan), a vacation might also be problematic. The only warning I would give you is that if you have a teacher spend hours pulling together "everything Tom is going to miss while he's away" so he can "keep up", then make sure everything is done the day he gets back. I prefer my students to go, have a fabulous time, and get caught up when they return. I will move heaven and earth to get them caught up. But I have to admit that in 22 years of teaching, I have only had one child who "had to have everything" actually complete the work, and that makes this teacher cranky.
Life is short. Enjoy your families and your friends while you can. If you can't "stop to smell the roses" occasionally, why bother?

My congratulations to you! You have a wonderful view of life!

 

[drag n' fly]

We bought DVC for many reasons one of them being is we have three kids in school. After taking them out of school many times during the "slow season" we discoverd that the catching up and missed classes (especially math) was not worth the stress. We now only travel when the kids are out of school...sure the crowds are heavier but we take it all in stride and go with the flow. Up to about grade 5 we were ok but after that it wasn't working for us anymore so we bought DVC so we can go when we want not when it's cheaper etc! No more waiting for codes/deals etc just book and go. It is a long term committment for us as I can hardly wait to be able to take my grandbabies there

 

[ldo]

Esp., if you have the whole week off in Nov. Go in Nov., plan to tour the parks earlier in the week and make sure you have ADR for meals, esp. Thankg. dinner--if you plan to dine at restaurant. WE went at Thankg, and mon-wed was fine. Go early AM for the latter part of the week, or just enjoy the DVC amenities.
If kids were 5 and 7, I might consider taking out--but not at 14 and not for WDW, esp. if you go often.

 

[Kathi OD]

We always took our kids out of school and I'm a teacher. BUT....each child and family are different. You have to know your child and his/her abilities to determine whether missing school for a vacation will be a total nightmare when you return. If they can make up work easily after being out sick for a few days of illness, then it should be ok. If your child struggles to get back on track, then I think you might want to keep the plans you have and either scale back your activities or rearrange your schedule so as to not be in the parks during the busiest times.

Fortunately, our schools recognize that not all families are able to vacation during traditional school holiday times (summer, Christmas, & Easter/Spring Break) and allow students to miss time to vacation with family. I am even permitted to use my personal time in order to vacation and don't hesitate to do so.