Long weekend off-season, or full week during the summer

[deuceswild10]

Good Morning!

Looking at Disney for 2015. I work in a school so I am pretty tied to the school calendar. I might be able to take a few days off and do a 4 or 5 day weekend during the school year and maybe miss some crowds. Or, we could do a week long trip during the summer, maybe mid-June. Our kids would be four, or just turned five, at the time. What would you do?

A longer trip where we can relax some would be more ideal, but dealing with bigger crowds and heat would not. A shorter trip would be less crowds, but I think we would leave having missed doing some things. This would be our first trip as a family.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[eangel12]

I had the same issue...I am a teacher. We decided to do the longer vacation and are booked for 10 nights, 11 days in August! It just makes more sense even if it is hot as h&$@!!

Going during the school year is stressful enough...leaving lesson plans, missing meetings, playing catch up when you get back!! Too stressful! Much more relaxing during the summer. We plan to take it nice and slow.

My kids will be 4 and 2!!

 

[tourguide81]

I think I'd rather do the longer trip even if it meant it was in the summer. I am not sure what mid-June is like crowd wise. I have heard late August is when the crowds start to die down, but I don't know if that is an option for you. Definitely not ideal weather, but I would rather deal w/ weather than people.

 

[mrsp1030]

I agree with longer trip. We will be looking at a summer trip for our next stay b/c I would prefer that over crazy spring break. Honestly, anymore I feel disney is crowded even in what use to be the offseason.

 

[MickeyChix]

If you go in early to mid June I think crowd wise and weather wise you'd be ok. Of course there is never a guarantee.

 

[mm1971]

Good Morning!

Looking at Disney for 2015. I work in a school so I am pretty tied to the school calendar. I might be able to take a few days off and do a 4 or 5 day weekend during the school year and maybe miss some crowds. Or, we could do a week long trip during the summer, maybe mid-June. Our kids would be four, or just turned five, at the time. What would you do?

A longer trip where we can relax some would be more ideal, but dealing with bigger crowds and heat would not. A shorter trip would be less crowds, but I think we would leave having missed doing some things. This would be our first trip as a family.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you!

BothKidding.

I would elect for the longer vacation time. We started late August vacations a couple of years ago when my DS reached middle school. We decided long before that we would not pull them out of school once they got there. We have taken some shorter weekend trips in the past and they seemed rushed. Good luck.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Since this will be your family's first trip, I would opt for the longer summer trip so you don't feel rushed. You can hit the parks first thing in the morning, leave the park for a break in the afternoons, and return to the park in the evenings. If leaving the park for an afternoon break everyday isn't your thing you can have a nice, table service lunch and then enjoy some indoor, air conditioned attractions or shows when the afternoon heat/crowds are at their peak then leave the park for the day and have dinner and pool time back at where you are staying. Summer vacations at WDW are definitely manageable with a good plan and approach

 

[snoopy5386]

I'd choose the off season trip. Disney is magical in the fall and Christmas season. The lines are so much shorter. 4-5 days would be enough time to hit all the highlights of each park.

Now with FP+ and being limited to 3 FPs a day, you are going to be spending a lot of time in standby lines. We were just there for a quick couple of days after a family wedding and the lines were insane! I would assume March crowds are comparable to June crowds. I'm talking 75 min wait for Pirates, 45 min for small world, etc. And in June it is hot, hot, miserably hot.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'd choose the off season trip. Disney is magical in the fall and Christmas season. The lines are so much shorter. 4-5 days would be enough time to hit all the highlights of each park.

Now with FP+ and being limited to 3 FPs a day, you are going to be spending a lot of time in standby lines. We were just there for a quick couple of days after a family wedding and the lines were insane! I would assume March crowds are comparable to June crowds. I'm talking 75 min wait for Pirates, 45 min for small world, etc. And in June it is hot, hot, miserably hot.

Granted, this is pre FP+, but June of 2012 Small World was a walk on midday. And though maybe cooler than normal, but the highs while we were there ranged from 83-90, with the 90 only happening once in 8 days. Heat wasn't a factor once (rain, OTOH....... ).

 

[bigbabyblues]

We prefer a longer trip as soon as school lets out. For us, that is the Friday before Memorial Day. However, we don't get a school breaks longer that 2 days off at a time, tied to a weekend; except Thanksgiving and Christmas. We drive to WDW, and don't like to do a trip shorter than 8 nights. I am also a school employee and cannot take off during the year.

 

[MsMamaBear]

I'd do the summer. I'm a teacher and I always wanted to go on vacation during the off season, but it just seems rushed and no one wants to go right back to work the day after a vacation, at least I don't.

 

[deuceswild10]

Thank you for the replies! I think it would be much more relaxed to go for a full week during the summer. Ideally we would like some pool time and a waterpark day. I just wish the lines would be shorter then . . .