Last Minute Trip - UPDATE Just got back!

[smellyia]

BOOKED!

Couldn't pass up $155/nt at Swan and free airfare. Still got XMAS money that will cover all our food. MY AP good through Feb so how could I NOT use it one last time. Found a co-worker of my husbands who has 2 daughters to take to the Matilda Musical. Already got Mr. Hinds car service. All that's left is some FPs and to make sure I've got a Darth Vader M&G in the touring plan.

Oh and to pack. That's gonna be ugly.

Our school system doesn't count vacation as excused necessarily. But I'm not worried about it. She has top marks and is all good with her sight words. We don't even get homework so we supplement her reading and such at home with practice because the no homework thing is weird to me anyways. She will miss a mandarin and archery lesson this weekend but that's all extracurricular....despite what her coach thinks. As for WDW being educational...we learn something new every time we go , but I would not be so lenient at missing school if these were HS courses or I had concerns over her progression which I monitor closely.

Even DH's boss said...GO GO GO especially before he starts in his new position which will have him on lockdown for several months. YOLO!

Now I need to refresh on all the changes since October and see about fitting in Club Villain, Launchbay, and maybe the pirates dress up place if they have availability.

Our shortest last minute trip was 3 weeks....I'd say 2.5 days is a new record for us. Thanks for all the help *coughENABLINGcough*

 

[Micca]

Excited for you!

 

[supersnoop]

This is a bit sanctimonious, don't you think?

But Grandfather was singing at the Vatican!

I suppose we all have a threshold. A trip to Disney doesn't breach mine.

 

[Mainemama]

As a teacher, I would have no problem with any kid in grades K -5 missing 3 days. (Obviously tell school as soon as you decide.) BUT Matilda is a fabulous show. I saw it on Broadway when my kids were 5 and 8, and it was amazing, like as good as a weekend in Disney experience. See if you can go to Matilda another way. Or, maybe find a different last minute trip in the next few months?

 

[anniemae]

HA! Glad we enabled, uh I mean helped you!

Go have fun, and let us know how it goes! I am so jealous! Like a pp said, I wish I pulled my kids our more when they were little.

 

[Tissa]

I just decided today to take my ds out and go those exact same dates lol. I never take him out because they get so cranky here but he'll only miss 3 days. This will be the first absence in years, I'm not worried about it.

 

[momtosam]

I'd have no problem with it as a teacher. If you want work for child, though, at least give the teacher the courtesy of one day's notice. I once had a parent phone me at 2:30 wanting work sent home that day for a one week trip.

 

[cruisin5]

Take her and don't look back.

DS is now 16, he's missed at least a week of school for assorted vacations since kindergarten and he's a better kid for it.

We now joke about going to school when sick cause he'll miss school for family vacations. (JOKE ... before anyone gets snarky....)

Just don't expect the teachers to cater to you and understand it is an inconvenience to the teachers. Although, every teacher has been WONDERFUL when told he'd be missing school for vacation.

 

[cgattis]

I suppose we all have a threshold. A trip to Disney doesn't breach mine.

How about the three days I'm pulling my two honor roll kids (14&12) out to go skiing next month?? I can't afford to go at Christmas. All I'm looking for them to learn is less pizza, more french fries!!

 

[StellaD]

Have fun! We are doing the same thing by taking our 6th graders out of school. To each his own, but it has always worked for us. We figured one last trip before middle school. Can't wait.

 

[TiffanyA]

I missed school all the time to go to Disney. They are some of my best memories ever and I have always thanked my parents for that invaluable time. And I do feel I learned many things. This was during the time that they were bringing the newest technologies to EPCOT and we'd spend so much time in Innoventions learning from the CMs about the latest technologies and explanations about how it all worked. From about the age of 9 to this day, EPCOT has always been my favorite park*. I never fell behind, graduated both high school and university with honors. I'm a software engineer now - perhaps I was so taken with all the tech I was exposed to at EPCOT that was why I decided to go down that road. Take your child. Don't look back.

* I am very saddened to see the state of Innoventions now

 

[wendow]

I wouldn't worry about it ... EVER. You can educate your kids just as much at home or on a fun trip than in a classroom that teaches more and more to "the test".

This.

Go and have a great time!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Wouldn't want to be pulled out during high school, but in elementary and middle school, it's fine. I hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[ryanogs]

My advice would be to do it! At that age I don't think you should be too worried and it is worth it for 3 days just to make some awesome memories!

 

[amylevan]

All that's left is some FPs and to make sure I've got a Darth Vader M&G in the touring plan.

There is possibly a wrench in your plans - Kylo Ren is supposed to replace Darth Vader at the M&G "in February". The last time I looked there was no official date listed yet.

 

[mshanson3121]

I need help deciding after a whim turned into a real Potential LAST LAST LAST minute trip to WDW this sat 1/30 thru Wed 2/3. Airline on points, really cheap deal at Swolphin, and I have an AP, but need to get tix or APs for DD and DH. We are already planned for 12 days in October.

My biggest concerns:
DD would miss 3 days of school. She is in Kindergarten and has excellent marks. Missed total of 3 days last fall for viral illness. Nothing due next week. BUT THIS IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
We have tickets for a Musical this weekend DD would have to miss and I would have to eat $130 tix if no one bought off me at half price.

Not insurmountable but last minute FPs I haven't even looked at.

Money a non-issue, but I will have to haul hiney to get my crew in gear in 2.5 days.

She's in Kindergarten. No offense, she could miss 2 weeks and it's not going to make a whit of difference in the long run. Take her - what she'll get out of the trip will be far more important to her than anything she's going to learn in those 3 days.

 

[mshanson3121]

Kept reading! Glad you're going!

To those who say Disney isn't educational... apparently they're unaware that learning can occur outside of a textbook, and what's more - typically it's better learning than that which you receive in a classroom

 

[smellyia]

Family memories will always be cherished. A random school week will not be remembered. Since you are asking the question that tells me you take her schooling seriously. Go, and build memories any time you can. My oldest is 15 and it happens in 2 blinks.

Edit to say - My 7 year old today told me antelopes are from Africa. I said, that is right, where did you learn that? (I was just curious, sometimes tid-bits like this don't stick with her.) And she was like Lion King, mom. Lion King.

My kids relate so much to their Disney experiences too - the AK wilderness explorers is a huge favorite!

I wouldn't worry about school at all, but I would want to see Matilda. I hear its brilliant! It's a tough choice, but if that's your only bite at that apple, then WDW isn't going anywhere.

It was such a tough decision about that - DD's name is Matilda and while the Dahl book was an inspiration for her name it wasn't the only one as it's also a fave song of my Dad's and she is also named after her dad in a fashion. But we will find it again and the tickets went to a very good home.

We need to move this conversation on to what you need help with planning your trip? LOL!! My friend leaves in about a month and didn't get A&E fast passes and just told me I don't need to stalk for them, so I really need something to obsess over.

I JUST did FPs and got a couple great ADR's. Luckily we go enough that the hard to get FPs aren't a big deal like A/E and we can RD others like 7d and use rider swaps.

Go for it. There are plenty of "plays" she can see at Disney - such as the broadway-caliber "Festival of the Lion King".

DD said the same thing - "we can just see a show there like Lion King!"

There is possibly a wrench in your plans - Kylo Ren is supposed to replace Darth Vader at the M&G "in February". The last time I looked there was no official date listed yet.

I saw that but I think DV meets at the Chase spot but either was we will hit DHS upon arrival on Saturday and again later in the week twice with hopes of Kylo Ren replacing by then. My kids are HUGE fans, especially DS 2 whose third word was Darth Vader I'm fairly sure...his room, clothes, toys all SW by his preference. If I try to put him in a shirt that isn't SW and he sees there's one available forget about it.

 

[Magpie]

I wouldn't call a trip to Disney a "learning" experience; other than teaching your children that it's okay to ignore their commitments when there's something else that they really want to do.

My daughter has been in school for eight years. The only time I've taken her out for a trip is when her grandfather was singing at the Vatican and we actually toured historical sites. Never for Disney.

I'm glad that worked for your family. Other families do things differently, and it doesn't mean they've all taught their kids that "it's okay to ignore their commitments when there's something else that they really want to do."

Your parenting is not necessarily superior to mine, just because you don't take your child out of school for vacations.

My husband used to go hunting with his father every spring, missing a week or two of school at a time. He's now a senior public servant, and quite good at keeping his commitments.

We took our own children out for school year trips, all the way through, up into high school. Both of my kids are now in university, and are quite good at keeping their commitments. My daughter is maintaining a straight A+ average in a STEM field, and has her pick of internship opportunities this summer, having impressed her professors with her keen dedication as an intern last summer.

I think I did a decent job of raising the both of them, even with taking them out of school for Disney vacations.

What I taught MY kids is that learning happens everywhere, not just in a classroom or at a designated historical site. (Though your trip to the Vatican sounds amazing!) Just because you are on vacation, that doesn't mean you stop learning.

 

[Katniss]

I have taken both my girls just 2 weeks ago out of school and they are 8 and 10. They both missed 3 days and our school district is not very strict on vacation time. That being said, I have taken them out of school for the last 3 years now at some point. (I usually try to go the beginning of a new marking period or as I did this time, MLK weekend.) Starting next year I will make the decision to travel on one of their breaks (winter) b/c they are getting older and I don't want them missing a lot of school. But I would not hesitate at all to take my kids when I can. Life is too short. Both my girls know that there is a chance every year to go to Disney but not if they miss school for sickness or whatever. They both have only missed the 3 days from this trip so far this year. It helps that they both Love going to school.

Have a great vacation. Start planning.