If you have high school & middle school age children, when do you go to Disney?

[3princes+1princess]

I currently have a 9th grader, 6th grader (special needs in school), 3rd grader, and Kindergartner. I have always taken them out of school, and always will. The last time we went we did the third week in november, the time before that was first week in December and the next time will be the last week in January. I make sure there are no school/state testing, try my best to work around extra curricular activities. However, family vacations will ALWAYS take priority over school or extra curricular activities. They will remember the family time we spent, the fun times we had....not what they learned in school, not the inconvenience of making it up. And because I know that my kids will never be the next soccer star or child actor, missing an extra curricular activity is not the end of the world.

Going when it is crowded and hot is not an option for me...if I or anyone I travel with want happy memories

However, thinking of homeschooling the younger three, so it won't matter anyway.

We have never had any issues with the schools or teachers or grades.

I say go whenever you can fit it in!

 

[darwyn]

From a middle school teachers perspective- taking a kid out for a week is a bad, bad idea unless they are gifted. It is VERY hard to make up a week (and I'm only thinking about the content for my subject- there are at least 3 others!)

Also, I actually teach instead of just using workbooks or textbooks- and that is something that cannot be made up with a packet or busy work. If you can pull them out during a shortened week so they only miss a day or two that would be so much easier for the student

 

[plutoloversmom]

My oldest is now in middle school and I always pull her from school for our family trips. Her grades have never slipped from going for the week. However if she ever had issues with her grades from it, I would probably stop and go on school holidays.

 

[minmate]

I'm a HS teacher, so I'm tied to the schedule even more than the students are. We either go the first week in June, which is right after school gets out, or we go over Thanksgiving (which is what we're doing this year). The crowds are comparable, but the weather in November is much better. No Spring Break? Did they make your summers longer to compensate?

They just quit doing a whole week of spring break in our district a couple years ago. Just Good Friday off and this year, Monday after Easter. They don't build in makeup days during the year but add to the end if we have snow days. We live in Minnesota and had a bunch this year. Kinda stinks. People get cabin fever in all this cold. School was called for a snow day on April 4 and it's supposed to snow again on Wednesday!

We pulled our three middle schoolers and 9th grader earlier this month. They missed five days. I won't pull them for that long again if I can at all possibly find another time to go.

 

[my3sons77]

When we go in December, we will have 2 in high school. A Sophomore and a Freshman. We are going the week before Christmas break. Can't afford to take them during Christmas and we have done summer so many times, we are ready for a change. I want them to see the Christmas lights at Disney. They can make up the school work. I can't make up memories. Our oldest boys are growing up so fast.

 

[Katy Belle]

We went at Spring Break. Three kids, one middle school, one High School, one college. We were lucky they all had Spring Break at the same time. With everyones activities and one kid who gwts so far behind missing ONE day, we really dont have a choice.

 

[momof1princess]

When DD16 was in elementary school, we went to WDW in september, which was GREAT, and we never had an issue with school-principal always excused her right away and teachers were very cooperative with make-up work, or with doing work in advance. Once she hit middle school, she had a lot more homework and her principal (who was also one of my HS classmates) was a complete donkey's behind, and refused to excuse her AT ALL, even for a day (yet, another girl with "connections" got excused for a trip to NYC with her BFF). In HS, with band, anchor club and AP classes, taking her out of school would be impossible, especially since our lovely block schedule is being replaced with a 7 class per day schedule this fall. We tried the end of May last year-WAYYYY too crowded. We may never get back to WDW.

 

[huey duey & luey]

Mine are middle schoolers now, and I have 2 that could probably skip a few days and be fine but 1 will not. He misses a day or 2 for being sick and its so hard for him. Plus I now work FT in a school so can't take off either. SO, this will be our first year going in late August (actually going to Universal). It's far from ideal but not left with many choices I know it will be hot and crowded but not Christmas or Spring break crowded and would much rather deal with the heat.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

We go for Thanksgiving and the entire week after. We leave the day before Thanksgiving which is a no school day. My kids miss 5 school days. We just deal with the make up work. My oldest will be in high school next fall. They are both in middle school now. So far we haven't had any problems. I think that will change when my youngest gets to high school. We may have to rethink things then based on his school habits.

 

[Grendalynn]

Honestly, we go whenever we feel like it. We give the school a couple of weeks' notice & they get their homework ahead of time.

This is typically how we have gone... according to affordability and DH and my work schedules= and pull the kids out. We always let the teachers know in advance, notified the school and brought whatever assignments they had. And being that we are in cold, snowy NH - we really look forward to Florida weather in late March and April. When the kids are younger - in elementary school and middle - its much easier to pull them out and get work. DS15 is a Freshman and a lot more conscious of his grades, work, and such.

August is a popular time with all my teacher friends...

I pay close attention to Easter. We went one year when Easter fell the same Sunday as our April break as well as the rest of the world (or so it felt like). I will never do that again. It was wall to wall people, and lines that never ended. Almost not enjoyable.. However, we went for the first time this year in November. And it was GREAT! I would def go this time of year again - low lines, weather was still great and much more affordable. Not to mention the Christmas decorations were amazing! Osborn Family Lights was the highlight of our trip!! We piggy backed the dates with a teacher workshop, veterans day and the kids only missed a few days of school. However - the new Magicband system was less than ideal.

We have gone in September, November, March & April: November you get the most bang for your buck. April you get great sunshine and shows, rides, decor and such are usually at their peak. September is nice but tail end of rainy hurricane season, March is ok, too, but nights and mornings are chilly and lots of teams/bands/groups at WDW.

 

[Luv2PixieDust]

I currently have a 9th grader, 6th grader (special needs in school), 3rd grader, and Kindergartner. I have always taken them out of school, and always will. The last time we went we did the third week in november, the time before that was first week in December and the next time will be the last week in January. I make sure there are no school/state testing, try my best to work around extra curricular activities. However, family vacations will ALWAYS take priority over school or extra curricular activities. They will remember the family time we spent, the fun times we had....not what they learned in school, not the inconvenience of making it up. And because I know that my kids will never be the next soccer star or child actor, missing an extra curricular activity is not the end of the world.

Going when it is crowded and hot is not an option for me...if I or anyone I travel with want happy memories

However, thinking of homeschooling the younger three, so it won't matter anyway.

We have never had any issues with the schools or teachers or grades.

I say go whenever you can fit it in!

I agree. My parents had the same philosophy when I was growing up. I had homework to do in the evenings but I don’t recall it being a big deal. It was worth the extra effort. It did bother my teachers however. In the end I graduated college and have a successful career. So, in the long run missing a week here and there throughout my school years had absolutely no impact. Plus I have wonderful memories.

I am now a mother of a special needs child. I refuse to have him go during peak season when it is hot or over-crowded. The school will just need to understand that. While I will make an effort to find a long weekend to adjoin (MLK for example) that is not my main driver. Family time trumps everything else in life!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Wow....I didn't realize so many posted. I guess the replies aren't being sent to my email. Last time I looked I had 4 posts and now 4 pages!

What great ideas and viewpoints. I still don't know what we'll do but I do agree family time is important. We are heavy into sports - every season. Fall is probably more of an option then any time. Or perhaps we'll bite the bullet & go on April vacation next year. My sister just arrived there this morning so I will get her report when she gets back. I"m happy for her but very bummed out at the same time. That's why I'm here on the disboards today. Reading other people's posts, makes me believe we'll go again someday.

Hopefully soon....kids grow up too fast.

 

[mm1971]

We go late August, right before the kids head back to school. We used to pull them out and go in October or December. Once our oldest hit middle school, we stopped pulling them from school and started a new tradition of the August trips. Good luck deciding.

 

[PennockFive]

I'm a teacher, so our time is definitely limited to go to WDW. I do agree that family trumps all else, and I have no problem taking personal days to attend my children's events, etc...

But I also think that teaching them responsibility is an important factor as well. If they have made a commitment to a sports team, club, I think they need to realize that they need to honor that commitment. I see school as their "job", they need to realize they can't just pick up and leave their "job" without dealing with some effects.

I also think that it's based on an individual child, I have several students who can miss a week, come back to school and not skip a beat, and then others who will miss only one day and be lost for the next two weeks.

It all comes down to a personal choice, and whatever works best for your family.

 

[Flanders]

I agree, it depends on the kid, unless you're in a district with a super strict attendance policy like some have posted on here.

My daughter is our oldest and in the 6th grade this year, we have a one week vacation scheduled for Disney next November during the slow week, she'll be in 7th then. She's a straight A student who gets her homework done before the school day is done every day, even then I'm really nervous about this next year. We are going to do it, it will be our last during the slow times like that until she has kids of her own I suppose that's a bummer and an eye opener!

Even if her school wasn't getting harder all the time our middle guy, who will be in fifth grade, could never miss an entire week at the middle school level, he's close the top of his class but it's not easy for him like it was for her.

 

[Aliceacc]

We're both teachers. And we have 3 kids: as of September two will be in high school and one in middle school.

We go over the summer. For us, there's no question; that's the only option we have.

Value II season starts mid summer. (In fact, can I take this opportuntity to mention that we're down to double digits??? We leave in 99 days!!!)

Yes, it's hot. And if you don't navigate the parks well, the crowds can be an issue.

We get there at rope drop. By lunchtime, we're on our way back to the resort to spend the afternoon in the pool. We return at dinner time. The parks are open from early morning until late at night.

In the past 3 trips, we waited only more than 20 minutes once-- I made a rookie mistake our first trip and got us to DHS at noon, thinking we could still get a fastpast for Toy Story Mania. Lesson learned.

We see everything we want to, do the big things multiple times, and have the time of our lives.

I LOVE Disney World in the summer!!!

 

[njmeisje]

spring break, christmas break and summer vacation. we dont pull out of school. school is more important.

 

[njmeisje]

spring break, christmas break and summer vacation. we dont pull out of school. school is more important.