Debating dates for our 2015 trip

[mommajo143]

DS7 & DS3 are bringing up a trip to WDW at every opportunity. We of course plan to go back & actually have invited my DF who retires this winter. We are really in a pickle regarding dates. We took DS7 out of school every year & have had no problems. He is very bright, gifted in fact, so missing hasn't been an issue at all. However, this is his last school year without standardized testing. Next year common core will be in full swing here in our home state & he will need to take the test at year end. In years past the testing in 3rd grade was iLeap which was basically a practice test for the "real" test the next year. Our state is in the middle of a terrible lawsuit about testing so in reality there is no telling what will be in place next year.. Anyhow, we are debating 4/30-5/9 and the week after Labor Day. The spring trip will be warmer, and we can stay longer. DS7 hasn't ever been to a water park at disney & DH wants to check out WWOHP so the extra days would be great. However we have always travelled off season & I really worry about crowds. Plus the cost in May will be higher - we will have an adults only trip in a few weeks & could book a BB with free dining for September. We have been in Sept, love the weather, crowds & MNSSHP. But I'm worried about pulling DS7 out of school right as it starts back up & we would have to trim our dates to 6 or 7 days, shorter than any family trip we've taken before...(we typically go 9-10 days) Help!!! I need to get my dates picked before we get to WDW so I can book a BB for the best dates...

 

[mommajo143]

I'll add I am not sure how my dad (age 65) will tolerate heat in spring vs a more intense schedule in fall due to shorter # of days. Dad works in a glass factory doing electrical maintenance so his endurance & tolerance for heat is probably above that if the typical retiree but still...this is a dream trip for my dad - he has never been, my mom won't fly, so when she have him the thumbs up to go with us he was over the moon excited!

 

[wdwchamp]

My experience has been taking my trips around Labor day weekend. I would take about 7-10 days during these trips. The nice thing is that right after Labor Day, the parks are nearly empty. Line ups are minimal so you can do more rides in a day.

It still very hot and humid during Sept and you can expect an afternoon rain shower. The only major downside during Sept are the possible rain storms due to tropical storms or hurricanes passing nearby. If that occurs expect 1 day of doing indoor activities at Disney (i.e. Disney Quest).

 

[mommajo143]

We've been in sept & absolutely love the (lack of) crowds... DS will have only been in school a week at that point and pulling him out seems risky...

 

[msmama]

I took my son out the end of April/beginning of May last year (he was in K). There was A LOT of random school stuff that I had to work around. Most of it was minor stuff, stuff that he could have missed, but didn't want to because it's really important to Kindergarteners - book fair, end of year play, mothers day tea, school birthday parties, etc - we also have spring break in the middle of April). I think we were actually gone during testing (though since he was in K, it didn't matter). I was surprised at all the "End of the year" stuff going on at that time considering we were in school until the end of June!!! I think they do the elementary stuff early and save the real "end of school" stuff for the older kids.

The good thing about the beginning of the school year is that there isn't much going on. A boy in his class this year has been gone for 2 weeks oversees visiting family and the only thing he's missed is school picture day. That said, I wouldn't want to do it.

Take a look at your school calendar and see what's going on those weeks this year. Maybe talk to his teacher (or one of the next years teachers) to see what they'd recommend.

 

[mommajo143]

Our schools end by mid may and the last week the teachers practically beg parents NOT to send students. DH is really leaning to a SEPT trip and so I think that'll be what we do. Thanks for advice -

 

[QueenQueso]

For us, the best time to go is September. Here, we go back to school early to mid August and we get out at either the very end of May or the first week in June. So a May trip here would mean missing a lot of stuff and having no time at all to make it up, whereas a September trip puts us at having been in school for about a month so he is used to the 'new' routines that each teacher always has and time to get any work together in advance. DS1 was in 2nd grade when we went in 9/2013 and his teacher was so excited for him (it was a surprise trip, he had NO CLUE) that she was literally crying when I stopped at school to pick up his folder of work. If I can swing a trip in 9/2015, he will be in 4th grade and I'm crossing my fingers that his teacher won't be crappy about it then. (Some are, some aren't. It's just luck of the draw.)

 

[scrapquitler]

I personally like mid-October. You get to go to MNSSHP, it's not incredibly crowded and it's not ridiculously hot.

We have also liked early December, that has the perk of holiday decorations without the crowd, okay weather, and MVMCP.

I'd go for something early in the school year before things get really revved up. The end of the yea seems to have a lot more activities than the beginning of the year. Many families in my area take their trip to Disney World or elsewhere during early November becaue we always have the Monday/Tuesday of election day off for that and staff development, and we also have the day off for Veterans Day, the same week or the week after. Because of this, people can manage a 10 day trip and only miss 3 or 4 days of school. Our standardized testing is most of the month of March, also the only month that does not have any school vaction days or holidays.

I would suggest talking to one of the teachers/administrators in your school and try to figure out when the standardized testing is most likely to be, and avoid those dates if at all possible. And if you really can't avoid the standardized testing, they do have scheduled make up days for it, but the school district would really rather not have you count on those.