need help - good news and bad news

[kiddisney]

hi - we need a little help - due to the fact that my daughter is going to be a senior in hs next year and doesn't want to miss anything while we take our annual trip to wdw - we decided to go in june as soon as she get out of school for the summer - but now we have some good family news - my sister-in-law is pregnant - and the due date is right in the middle of our trip - we are so excited - they have been waiting for this for i don't know how many years - so we don't want to miss it - but the bad news is that we won't be able to go in june - so how would changing the trip to mid-july be - say around July 11th to the 21st - is it really hot - is it manageable - she wants to do so many things - would she be able to do it all - thank you for all your help -

 

[bytheblood]

Honestly, if my choice were July or scheduling it for a complete different time, I would reschedule all together.

I really Disney, but July is too crowded and way too humid.

Personally, I would go either during the Autumn break, Winter Break or Spring Break.

 

[mandy200587]

I've done July the past few years and it's all about knowing what day to go to which parks. July is a big month though I noticed for tour groups, but whatever direction they go, you go opposite. Learn to eat on the off times for lunch or dinner crowds.

 

[alfredromero1975]

July is do-able, just be sure to get to the parks early, drink plenty of cold beverages, and target your afternoon time to air-conditioned attractions/shows.

 

[kiddisney]

thanks for the help - the kids dont' get breaks - except for christmas - and we know that that's a really crowded time - we usually pull them out of school - but she doen't want to be pulled this year - with being a senior and all - but anyway - would august be better -

 

[Lynne M]

Not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, is your sister-in-law coming along on the trip?

 

[OHIODISNEYFAMILY]

This was my question, too. *I* could handle WDW in July, even though it would not be my favorite time.....but I would not subject a month old baby to the Florida heat at the parks. I can imagine that would be especially NOT fun for a nursing mother (hot and sticky!).

 

[kiddisney]

she might be - she originally planned on coming - so it would be better it is the least crowded month - and if she does not come - we'd still like the least crowded month - but we'd like to plan either way - a better trip for my sil and daughter - (what we moms do for our kids - i'd rather go for f&w - but we're working on their scheduled) - thanks again

 

[OHIODISNEYFAMILY]

According to the crowd calendar at "touring plans" online, the least busy time time to visit WDW in the summer would be the last few weeks of August. The beginning weeks are just about as busy as July. I guess this would depend on your daughter's fall school schedule, if she is planning on higher education at that point.

 

[kiddisney]

thanks all - we'll discuss and see if we can change

 

[dbarker]

IMHO, I would totally re-think a summer trip w/ SIL. She is due the middle of June and you are planning a trip the middle of July. Not only are the weather and crowd conditions a factor, but also SIL will be just 4-5 weeks post partum. I had C-Sections w/ both my kids and it took me 8 weeks to recover from that for just normal easing living conditions, not an amusement park. There is no way I could have survived WDW that soon after a baby.

 

[Lynne M]

I understand that you need to get the trip in before your daughter starts school, and in that case, I think the end of August is probably better than June or July. It's still disgustingly hot and humid, but the crowds are down a bit.

But, I wouldn't count on your sister-in-law being able to handle WDW, even by August. She may be feeling well by then, but doing WDW in that kind of heat requires tremendous stamina. And no way on earth would I bring a baby that young to a theme park in 95+ temperatures. I don't think you can even put sunscreen on a baby that's a couple of months old.

She'll probably want to skip this year's trip....but just think of the fun you'll have on your next trip with her and the little one!

 

[mmmcq]

I feel your pain on the planning issue. My DD17 is a senior this year and last year's spring vacation was spent on college visits as was most of this past summers (4-5 weekends total with one week at the beach). In July my DH and I decided one last trip to WDW as a family was in order. It's not that she won't come in the future...but it will be harder as her vacations will not jive with her younger sisters....and of course the collegiate returnees want to be at home during their breaks to see their friends - NOT with their parents.

So our July plan turned into a surprise Thanksgiving trip - with 1.5 and 3.5 days off for our two high schoolers. We left on 11/16 and just got back today. But....when we announced our "surprise" plans to our older DD's....the news was not so well received by our senior. We didn't realize in July that she would be in charge of the school spirit day which was on Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. How in the world were we to know that? I'm willing to bet that the administrators time these things so kids won't want to take days off from school! We've never taken our kids out of school before.....

So she was seriously pouting for two days and then we gave her an option - fly home early (only because we found an $80 fare on Delta), stay with Mom's 50+ yr old cousin, but no use of car except for schoolm (it's a 25 min drive), Thanksgiving with mom's relatives on Cape Cod and stick to scripted schedule. She took the deal. She was happy enough with the plan and we didn't have to forfeit the whole trip or have her sulking around Disney for 4 days.

And we had similar planning obstacles as yourselves. My sister who is single is having her first child - probably with complications - perhaps as early as next week although she's technically not due till December 13th. I knew we couldn't go over Christmas and we have a trip to Hilton Head planned for my DH and his golf buddy in April. This coming summer is reserved for a family reunion trip to celebrate my DH's parent's 50th wedding anniversary. (There'll be 20 of us - oh joy!) And then of course there is college orientation and the packing for college, etc. So this was it for Disney for a couple of years.

Anyway...back to your planning problem. We've gone in July (13-21?) and the week before Labor Day. Both were hot and rainy. But in all honesty.....after this frigid week at WDW....I'd take July or August in a heartbeat. The crowds were manageable in August and you could count on one shower a day - a bit of thunder and lightening and then it was over. ?We did La Nouba, Disney Quest, shopped, saw a movie, etc. We were still on vacation and just adjusted.

July was a bit more humid and a bit more crowded. But we're used to the April/Easter vacation body count and found July and August "easy". We just spent more time by the pool and less time at the parks. This was of course in 2001 and 2003 before the wave of hurricanes that swept thru Central Florida around Labor Day.

And this week was no piece of cake with the cold temps and the crowds. I found the lines to be tougher to endure when you are shivering. If the temps had been higher perhaps I'd be singing the virtues of taking the kids out for the few days before Thanksgiving. But you have to arrive in the parks by 11/15-16 to make it worthwhile. By Sunday 11/19 the MK was busting and it was twice as hard to get on a ride without a fastpass as it had been on the previous Friday. Would I go at Thanksgiving again - probably - someday. Am I going to reserve next year - no way. If I'm going to go to FL I want it to be warm at least.

We went to WDW once in February and I said "never again". I thought we could squeak a week in November and it would be warm enough - but it wasn't. I used to live in FL and I remember December vacations home from college lying in a makeshift barrier between lawn chairs covered in towels determined to get a few freckles before heading back to school. I was freezing..... How could I have forgotten that?

As another poster said....it's just all about adjusting your expecations and you'll have a wonderful time no matter when you go.

 

[chrisn]

My DD was a senior in HS last year and I had had a trip to the Caribbean planned originally for March. As she ended up taking several college courses both semesters, of course I had to change the date and rescheduled for June (her graduation trip). Of course it was sweltering (what do you expect for June in the Caribbean) but we swam all day everyday at the glorious North Shore beaches on beautiful St. John. Of course after returning, the WDW withdrawal kicked in and I immediately planned a trip. This was tricky though since DD was getting ready to start her freshman year at college and our trip which we previously liked to take in February now had to be worked around her breaks. It was either mid Summer, Spring Break (never really serious about that one), or Christmas Break (ie; the week before Christmas). Of course we chose Christmas break and are now less then 3 weeks out!!! I believe we chose the lesser of the evils and are so excited about being in the parks for the holidays. I hope we will be pleasantly surprised with the week. Now if the weather and crowds cooperate, it will be nothing short of perfection! Good luck!

 

[pigletforever]

DS is a senior now and I wanted one last big family vacation because Iknew once he starts college vacations as a family will be a thing of the past. We went during his fall break. He did miss a couple days of school but he had a great time. I lived in FL and hate the heat and humidity and could never see my self going back there in the heat of the summer. But that is just me.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

I agree with many of the statements above.

I would completely reschedule for the following year or I would go on with my trip and come back to the new baby when it is over.

 

[bobcat]

A majority of our family trips have been during the end of July/beginning of August time frame because of family schedules. Maybe we are crazy but we like the warmer months and the bonus is that no one has to miss anything because we go during the week of our county fair and no practices, etc. are scheduled for that week. If our familt had to choose to go at a time of year we weren't thrilled about or not possibly get to go at all that's an easy choice.

 

[pepperw23]

hi - we need a little help - due to the fact that my daughter is going to be a senior in hs next year and doesn't want to miss anything while we take our annual trip to wdw - we decided to go in june as soon as she get out of school for the summer - but now we have some good family news - my sister-in-law is pregnant - and the due date is right in the middle of our trip - we are so excited - they have been waiting for this for i don't know how many years - so we don't want to miss it - but the bad news is that we won't be able to go in june - so how would changing the trip to mid-july be - say around July 11th to the 21st - is it really hot - is it manageable - she wants to do so many things - would she be able to do it all - thank you for all your help -

That is probably a good thing. We scheduled our trip right after school this past year, and our son ended up missing a lot of Graduation parties. That is important to them. I felt so bad we ended up leaving for the world a day late so he could attend one. We ended up having to drive all the way through instead of cutting the trip in to two days. Congratulations on your Sister In Law.

 

[pepperw23]

That is probably a good thing. We scheduled our trip right after school this past year, and our son ended up missing a lot of Graduation parties. That is important to them. I felt so bad we ended up leaving for the world a day late so he could attend one. We ended up having to drive all the way through instead of cutting the trip in to two days. Congratulations on your Sister In Law.

Oh yea,

As long as you don't mind the heat, it is really not that bad. We have been in Aug before, and it was not that bad. Sure it is hot, but there are a lot things to do to get cool.