May vs. June

[kakiegirl]

I just wanted opinions on whether it will be worth taking my DD who will be in 2nd grade out of school to go in May or if we should just wait and go in June in 07. I have been planning to do May for some time now. However, now I am having second thoughts about taking her out of school that maybe we should just go the second week in June. Will there be that big of a difference crowd wise. I know I am planning way ahead but we are going to make our reservations in June so we can start paying on our vacation. If we are going to take her out of school for a week then I am going to talk with her principal before the end of the year this year. So far we have been July 4th week, the first week of October and the third week in June. All three times were really crowded. I really would like to go once when it is not as crowded. I am a South Georgia Girl so I can deal with the heat and hummidity so that is not a big factor but it would be nice to go when it is a little cooler and does not rain every day. I would consider April but I have read April is a busy time with spring breaks. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[la79al]

We went last year the last week of June. We used FastPass for a lot of rides and the longest we actually stood in line was 20 minutes for BTMR because we did not use fastpass for that. I can't compare the crowds to May but DH who hates crowds did not have any problems. I can tell you though that except for the first day we were there, it rained every single day for at least an hour and one day it rained and blew hard enough for about 3 hours that we left the park. Whether you take your DD out of school depends on how she does in school and whether there is any testing or anything going on. Keep in mind she is going to be very excited weeks before you leave and may have problems refocusing on school once you get back.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I really think it depends on the child. If you and his teacher feel she will be ok missing a week of school, then I would go for it! It is SO nice to go during slower times. I went the 1st week of May in 2005 and it was wonderful. It wasn't "dead", but the lines were very, very managable (longest we waited was 25 mins. for Kali River Rapids) - the weather was sunny, 85-90, but low humidity and there was only one surprise spring shower.

I am going again this May and taking my 10 year old niece with me. She is a straight A honors student and her teacher was fine with her missing the week, just asked that she write a report about her trip and make up any missed homework. We also checked to make sure she wouldn't have any big tests that week. I know all schools and teachers aren't as accomodating about missing school for vacations though.

 

[dizcrazee]

This is so strange, I have a daughter in 2nd grade and we are taking her out of school one week and two days early (on May 18) to go to WDW so we can avoid the June crowds! From our past experience, May is much less crowded than June and not quite as hot (although it's still pretty hot). Also, May is MUCH less crowded than Spring Break time!

My DD's teacher said that they will just be reviewing for during the last week, so it won't hurt her to miss during that time. I also asked if we could complete any assignments she might have in advance, but he said that it wouldn't be necessary since he'll already have her grades averaged.

When does your child's school let out for summer? Here in Mississippi everyone gets out by the end of May. This is probably when we'll try to go from now on, since the last week doesn't appear to be as important for her learning and grades as the rest of the year, and we'll be able to miss the bulk of the summer crowds by taking her out a week early. Of course, Memorial Day is a factor to consider, but we'll be leaving just as that crowd starts to really build. So, anyway, you may want to see if it would be better just to take her out a week or so early (assuming the school lets out in May). All things considered, we think it's definitely worth letting her miss that last week! Whatever you decide, have a fun trip!