Taking kids out of school for FREE DINING???

[emalone]

Do you think it is worth taking kids out of school for free dining? We are trying this the first time with free dining. 2 adults, 3 children(ages twins 11 & a 13 year old.) So we all are considered adult prices. We are staying at POP for 7 nights August 31st- Sept 6th, we have 2 rooms and MYW tickets for 7 nights and our total was $2400 or we can wait and go a different date and have to pay for dining and it would be at least $3500 or more. That's saving $1100 or more. I added it up and without the dining our bill for the week would be about $1800 or $1900 just for food. So we think it's worth taking kids out of school and letting them make up their work. They will only miss 4 days, due to labor day. Our school starts late this year August 18th. We normally start August 4th, 5th or 6th. We will get out later which will be on June 5th 2009. Let us know what you think about the price, free dining and keeping kids out of school. Who is taking their kids out of school? Let us know.

 

[Jeanne515]

Well I am taking my kids out for their first trip Sept 13-19.

 

[emalone]

We live in Dallas, Georgia and the school system and the teachers don't like this. Me and my husband both work for the school system. He 25 years and me 11 years.

 

[GoofyFairie]

You are going to get a variety of responses to this post; be prepared for mixed reactions. I personally am all for it. Your children are only young once and family time is very important. I did it a few weeks ago and will do it again in the future. There are many educational opportunities at Disney w/out looking hard for them and spending time with Mom and Dad is very important. Save your mone, go during free dining and have a magical time!

 

[boomhauer]

I'm not, but I would.

 

[emalone]

Oh, we would make sure our children make up all of their work. We are hoping that the teachers we have next school year will work with us on this and not think bad of us.

 

[tiger4me2]

Well if my DS was that age again I would take him out but not for 10 days at Disney but this is me. Not all schools like the idea but...

We did take him out for two weeks when he was in 9th grade high school when my DH went to Germany for a business trip. We went in to talk to his principal & he said go for it as it was a chance of a lifetime. He told us have my son bring back postcards with a trip report & he didn't have to make up any missed work or tests. It was a great trip learned more about World History than he did in school.

I was talking to someone from the UK & they get like three week off every so often & they come over to the states as it is cheap for them to stay here due to our dollar going down & down. Also the schools over there goes all year round in most parts. He told me if they (kids) are out longer than planned the parents are fined so much.

 

[zoom8942]

Your lucky if the schools work with you. ours arent too accomadating above the grade school level or I would be saving the money and going sometime other than JUNE!!

 

[emalone]

As for our daughter, she will be in 8th grade and that's when it starts to cause problems for them getting their drivers permit. I think we get 3 parent notes per semester and after that it is unexused. I think you can't get more than 4 or 5 unexused for the semester. So, if this is the case, then I will have to make sure if they are out, that we have a doctors note. This is only from August to December, then it starts over in January and we get 3 more parent notes. I think we will be ok, cause we are going anyway. We can't hardly afford Disney anyway, so I know that from now on the time for us will be when and if free dining is offered.

 

[RJD]

This comes up alot on the Disboards. Personally I don't believe in taking the kids out of school for vacation. At ages 11 and 13 (I think OP said) especially. I think 1st, 2nd grade is one thing--the older they are--I am more against it. But that is just my opinion. Apparently plenty of people do it and the kids make out fine. And the free dining is terrific. We took advantage of the first week of it last year. Forunately, our kids never start school until after Labor Day so we were able to do it and not miss school.

 

[OzFan]

We are doing it. Did it last year too. My daughters are 17, 15, and 10. They always make up their work, and they are all honor students. I let their teachers know a couple of weeks in advance. I have had no problems...knock on wood. Not trying to justify my actions, but my husband and I work hard all year, this is his only time to take off from work, our family time together is worth more to us than anything else. We will always cherish the memories we make at Disney. It is TRULY a MAGICAL place. School can wait a week. JMHO

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

My kids are young (5 and 7), but we have the opportunity to travel to Disney with DH's work, free of charge. So I am taking the kids out of school for two days only. I am a high school teacher and have only 3 personal days for the year, so I will be using 2 of them for our trip as well. I think it is worth it when the kids are so young. My students are usually fine with a substitute.

 

[islandtimect]

It's worth taking your kids out of school to save a couple thousand dollars provided your kids plan to bring school work with them. Many schools won't give your kids their assignments until they return to school. But you could ask their teachers what will be covered while they're away, then xerox their pages from their school books and bring them to do on the airplane or car ride. (That way they won't need to bring lots of heavy textbooks.) If the teachers won't help, try figuring it out on your own by looking at the next chapters or asking a parent of someone in their grades the previous year.

My 1st grader missed 4 days during last year's FD, and she had 25 pages of work to make up! The teacher let her do this over the next week, but it was a lot of work for a little kid. And my parents used to take me and my siblings out to go to Disney every 2 years. But back then, the teachers told you the assingments and I finished them by the time I returned home.

Good luck!

 

[collcass]

For savings like that ---- maybe. Generally speaking I wouldn't take them out of school simply for fewer lines or whatever, but for saving that much money I might consider it :O)

 

[momatater]

We are taking our boys out of school for the 3rd yr in a row. Here's the catch with us tho, we don't get a spring break, (well, good friday is considered spring break here) and a very limited Christmas break so our schools let us have 1 "educational trip" per year. Disney is included in the list as acceptable educational trips, so we've taken them while they had free dining!!

Last year while we were there, we met MANY other PA residents taking advantage of the free dining "educational trip" to Disney! Hope I see you all there again this year!!!

 

[RMulieri]

I wouldn't( just me though) For one, my school district is really strict, and will not allow work to be made up for a family vacation. It counts as zeros .I suppose I could LIE and say that it wasn't a vacation and get an excuse note( other parents in my district have done this) but that is not what I want my DD to learn and I don't like to lie either.So this is my last trip to Disney for awhile.DD starts Kindergarten next year.

 

[Denise Thies]

Absoloutely!

 

[wezee]

We never had a problem taking my son out of school, at any age. The teachers were always very understanding and gave him his school work before we left....actually he was an honors student and usually did all his tests and homework before we even left for vacation. The funny thing....he is now a 3rd yr. college student and I offered him a Sept FD trip and he said "no way"...I can't miss any classes.

 

[JimR24]

We are. My wife and I kicked this around and our daughter is going to be in the 2nd grade. She is a smart kid and it's not like she is missing college exams in the 2nd grade. The savings of free dining and also the possibility of smaller crowds made this a pretty easy decision.

 

[snow88]

Our school starts back on Sept 2 probably but we're only going to miss 4 days of school. Sept 2-5.