Disney vacation with college kids?

[châteaux]

For those of you with kids in college, when do you go to Disney?

 

[mrsswat]

we have been going in August for several years now for that reason!! Finally youngest DD is graduating this May, but they actually like going then. It's very hot, but that just makes us slow down and enjoy the vacation a little more! For example, there are usually afternoon showers, which we look forward too because that has become our "Happy Hour" game time on the balcony! Don't worry, it will all work out!

 

[DisneyFreak43]

Having 2 DS's in college right now, I know where you are at. We took our trip this past Dec. 28th - Jan. 5th. They both had about a month off of school (2 different colleges), but I wish we had chosen a couple of weeks later. It was very crowded - we tended to get to the parks at opening, leave in the early afternoon, and not want to go back and face the crush of people later. Now last year, we were dealing w/ high school and college at the same time, so we chose college spring break, the 1st week of March. It was much less crowded than the Holidays, and the weather was warmer. Now we don't know when we will be back as a family - oldest DS is graduating in about 2 months, and will hopefully be working full time (keeping our fingers crossed!).

 

[mom2meiko]

you definitely can't cut out of college classes to take a trip. i work at a college and that is a serious no no. find out what the college break schedule is and try for sometime during then. i would personally recommend the end of your winter break if you have a nice long one. that way you are still on your break, the weather and crowds aren't awful and it gives you something to help you get through the next semester.

good luck!!!

 

[edk35]

Well I have a Brittany that is 18 now and going off to school this fall. My gut feeling is that she will probably not go as much anymore. We have been going in Jan. and in Nov and the past two summers in July/Aug. That is all changing. You are right....the college schedule is NOT like the high school schedule ONE BIT. At least where she is going. So we will probably continue to go in the summers however our other high school son (freshman) is getting to where he is burned out on going so often. We have been a lot the past 3 years. He is VERY involved in soccer year round and with high school tryouts in mid Aug. He likes to take camps/summer leagues and he is not that interested in Disney this summer. I see less trips with him too. So it might be that we will just be taking our youngest on occasion during the school year. My daughter loves going to Disney so until she starts school....and gets involved in stuff...we really don't know what will happen. We are going in July for 9 nights. I hope we can still plan trips that she can be a part of. I think summer trips will probably be what we do. We have enjoyed them too despite the heat.

 

[lucigo]

Where my oldest goes to college they don't have class on Fridays. Last year Veterans day was on a Tues. and with the Disney Visa we got free dining, so we left Thursday after class and were there Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, and were home Tues night. So she missed a Monday and we had a 5 day trip. We also were very lucky to have her spring break the same week as the public school so went in March for a week.

We probably won't go again for a while though, I have 3 different school's schedules to try to coordinate now...kids in kindergarten, middle school and high school, one at a jr. college and DH in grad school at the univ.

 

[edk35]

Where my oldest goes to college they don't have class on Fridays. Last year Veterans day was on a Tues. and with the Disney Visa we got free dining, so we left Thursday after class and were there Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, and were home Tues night. So she missed a Monday and we had a 5 day trip. We also were very lucky to have her spring break the same week as the public school so went in March for a week.

We probably won't go again for a while though, I have 3 different school's schedules to try to coordinate now...kids in kindergarten, middle school and high school, one at a jr. college and DH in grad school at the univ.

I have to agree with you on the coordination of the schedules. Once you have kids in middle/high school it just gets harder and harder. I think we are sticking to summers for a while.

 

[michael's mom]

I went down twice when I was in college. Once, for a long weekend while my family was down for 12 days. I don't recommend this, I cried the whole way home. ( I know, big baby huh?) The second time Patriots day fell the week after Easter so I had Good Friday off, classes didn't start on the Monday after Easter until after noon and I didn't have classes then, and then I didn't have classes on Fridays so I missed a few classes that week but my professors were totally cool. I hadn't missed any other classes.

As great as the trip was, it really was hard missing those classes. My return flight was cancelled because of a problem with Logan Airport and I missed the following day of classes too!

 

[sammielynn]

When will your classes be over in the Spring? My DS19 will be through early May and we leave just this year the day DS17 graduates May 23. Mid May and early June are wonderful! We have gone Memorial Day week for years and love that time of year.

 

[PeterPanLover06]

I'm a junior in college right now, and my younger brother is a sophomore in high school. We're going to WDW again this summer in June. I'm out of school, my brother is, and so is my sister and her kids up north that we're going with.

My last day of finals is the first week of May, and my brother's last day is the end of May, so mid June is perfect for us.

Summer breaks are good for us to go because it gives us ample time, and we don't have the same spring break.

 

[dawnbu40]

When DD was in school we always pulled her out for a week to go to WDW. Work was made up and there were never any problems. This year she is a college freshman so all that changed. We took a girls only trip with grandma in Dec. right after finals (like the next day)and just before Christmas. We were there Dec.18-22 and it was great. It was a great way for her to unwind after exams and it wasn't too crowded yet. For our 09 trip we are going in May a week after she finishes finals. I expect that we will keep going in May until she graduates.

 

[dzneelvr]

Around jr. high when the kids began having sports commitments during the school year, we switched to the last of June/first of July. Added benefit was Star Wars Weekend. DD is now 19 and DS 21 and they get out of college by mid May. I have to agree NOT to skip college classes for a trip. That would be unacceptable to us. We have everything set for 2009 except our ADRs. June 19th here we come

 

[J3nn78]

Do you know what your schedule will be? When I was in college, I had most of January off. You should be able to go early January after the holiday crowds.

 

[dis-happy]

My oldest is now a college sophomore and I take that school schedule to plan our Disney trips. Last year she had a whole year off at Thanksgiving, so we did that week. We also do spring break week (which is next week, yay!). I planned a trip for early May when she is out of class but now she's doing an internship, so no Disney trip for her.

Since colleges usually have earlier spring breaks than other schools, I've found them to be the most enjoyable. Good luck in college!