Question for the future

[ryan840]

My friends daughter started kindergarten today and it got me thinking of when my kids are in school- is there any good time to go to WDW when the kids aren't in school? We have vowed to always go the first week in May since our first trip was so perfect (weather and crowd wise anyway) and I can't help but think we're missing out on all the other stuff that goes on during the year- not to mention I am undecided about taking them out of school for a vacation (I'm not opposed to it, it just doesn't seem as fun to me if that makes sense...) So is it always going to be miserably crowded when the kids are out of school, or are there some decent times to go? Thanks!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

My favorite time to go is also the end of April/first week in May. When our kid(s) start school we will probably end up going the middle of May b/c that is when school lets out for the summer here. I enjoy that time of year too b/c there are still a lot of places that schools don't get out till June so it still isn't that crowded yet. And it's not as hot as it gets during June, July, and August either. Not sure how it works where you live though but that's the plan for us.

Okay, I am tired so I hope that I wrote that correctly and it makes sense. I need to go to bed!

 

[SDFgirl]

Does your school district get a fall break? Some districts around here get a week off sometime in October. If so, I think that would be a perfect time to go.

 

[kaylajr]

we have never found a good time to go when the kids are out of school so we alway have taken them out
but DD 1 is going into 7th this year so that is going to be harder so we need to find a time also

our next trip in 06 we will take them out for three days but after that i fear we may have to go when they are on Vacation which means CROWDS yuck

 

[Christine]

Going in May was our favorite time also. When the kids were younger (say in grades K-3), I just took them out of school. But now that DS is in 5th grade and DD is starting high school, it has become problematic because there is so much more work. Having them miss a week of school, really puts them behind. Plus our standardized testing is always done in May--different times for different grades.

So, the last two trips, I went the day after they got out of school. Since they go to private school, their schedule is a bit different then the public schools and they get out a week earlier than probably 85% of the schools in our area. Granted, many other kids throughout the country are getting out the same as they do and heading to WDW, but it's not EVERYONE.

So, on our last trip, we got there on June 14th. It was definitely more crowded than May but certainly more manageable. By the end of the week, as we were leaving (June 21), there was a NOTICEABLE difference in the crowds. Even the hotel was bustling more. So I feel like we hit the very narrow window of the crowds being manageable. But it wasn't as wonderful as going in May.

 

[Barb D]

In the early grades I would just pull them out of school. (We homeschooled when my big kids were in elementary school so it wasn't an issue for us then.) My DS14 is going into high school this year, and there's no way I'll pull him out of school/sports practice. We're going to have to go at spring break from now on, because there's no way I'm going in summer heat.