Teachers~When do you go to WDW?

[Disney_Queen34]

My husband and I are both going to be educators and were wondering when other teachers went to WDW? We dont' always want to have to go in the summer or during the busiest times of the year.

 

[bobcat]

I enjoy going for longer trips so I go during late July or Early August. I always meet other teachers while I am there, we must be able to spot each other LOL.
I have gone during Thanksgiving break but it was too rushed and I had to be back to work way too soon. I've also gone right after New Years on a year our break lasted until the 6th of Jan. That was also a short trip but we had a lot of fun, minus the huge snowstorm on the drive home that closed school the next day.

 

[ScottNBecky]

my wife and I are both teachers. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the calendar. We bought Annual Passes, because we go to WDW over the summer for 10-12 days. THe break even point was about 8 days vs. other passes. Since we have AP, we decided to go over Spring BReak, and then we added December the week before Christmas (left WDW on Dec 23). Yeah the crowds are pretty high at all the times we visit, but with fastpass, and getting to every park at opening, we seem to manage fairly well. We also hit WDW around july 4th for our summer trips, but anytime you can go to WDW you just feel better regardless of the crowds. With that being said, if your school calendars are different, then definitely go whenever you can.

 

[EEyorelover22]

We could go in the summer, Thanksgiving break, Winter break or Spring break. Summer is probably the least crowded of all those times. We are only allowed two days off other than our vacation days and we cannot take anymore days off...so vacation according to the school calendar. It gives me something to look forward to for retirement when we can go in October or early December to see the decorations

 

[Laz]

As a teacher, I too am at the mercy of the calendar. Early summer is our usual time. Here in the Midwest, we get out earlier than the East Coast, so we avoid some crowds.

We do go Spring break (late March, early April), but we understand it is going to be VERY busy.

When Xmas break works out so that we have time BEFORE 12/25, it is our favorite time! WDW is beautiful and the crowds our very light. Just get out before the Xmas mobs

 

[HappyLawyer]

My husband and I are both going to be educators and were wondering when other teachers went to WDW? We dont' always want to have to go in the summer or during the busiest times of the year.

I taught 7th grade in the past, i am sad to say one year, i made up a story and took my personal days and some of my sick days and went 7 days before winter break

 

[Pinnie]

I have been teaching for 29 years and I am looking forward to the day I can vacation ANYtime I want. That being said, we go to WDW when the calendar dictates, summer and Easter weekend. However, the last 3 years, I have taken my 2 "personal business days" on a Thursday and a Friday during the second week of December and made a long weekend trip out of it. (Fly down Wed night after school and fly back home on Sunday).

Yes, it is hot in the summer and crowded at Easter, but since we bought into DVC we are no longer in "commando mode" and think of the time we spend at our home resort a vacation in and of itself.

pinnie

 

[Snow Shoe]

Both my wife and myself have been teachers for the past 27 years. We're a slave to her calendar, more so then to mine. July has been the traditional time we've always gone and probably will continue to do so in. We've been there on several July 4th celebrations, and some starting just the day after. However this past October, we took time off and went with our son and his family. It was the grandsons first visit to WDW, and we all had a great time seeing it through his eyes for the first time. The weather was good at that time, except wondering if another hurricane was going to show up!!! Personally, I'd rather go in July, but other family members want to try other times of the year. I'm flexable.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Former teacher here...one of the best parts about being a SAHM now is that we've been to Disney in early May, October and early December! LOL Now, my oldest is in kindergarten so we, too, will be slaves to the school calendar, but alas, as a Jersey girl, at least there is always "JErsey Week."

Anyhow, if I were still teaching, I would consider going as soon as school lets out, if you get out before the end of June. I think early June would be better than lat June or any of July and most of August. I've also heard some people say late Auguast is better than the rest of the summer, depending on when you go back.

Good luck!
PS Yippy this is my 1,000 post! I'm glad I got to use the words Jersey girl in my 1000 post LOL

 

[Jenny]

re: summer, either as soon as you get out in June to beat the rush or the last week of august is good since most schools have already started assuming your school starts late (maybe after Labor Day). the later in august, the better - maybe set up your classroom, etc then go up til your first day of school if you can do that w/out stressing. i also have taken 2 personal days - th. & fri., left wed. night & come back sun. in mid-may. i wouldn't recommend trying this in the winter as you run the risk of delayed flights due to snow, ice, etc. i also would find it difficult to do that in the fall as you just started work, have conferences, etc. have fun!!!!! p.s. i'm currently at home w/ my babies & going late jan/early feb. - can't wait!!!!!

 

[polkadotminnie]

We now have a fall break in Oct. so we go in Oct. and March. I will never go in July again. It is too hot! When I was on maternity leave, we always went in early May. That was a great time to go.

 

[Clay&Matt'sMom]

I've been teaching for seven years and we always leave for WDW about 3 days after school lets out. That is usually the very beginning of June. It seems like the later in June you wait, the hotter it gets and the more crowded it gets.

I would love to go in May sometime, but I too am a slave to the calendar. I guess I'll wait until I retire.

Kim

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

For the past 4 years we have been going during the summer AND in either Jan. or Feb. My DH is a classroom teacher and I am a speech path. in the school system. We just go. Where we are Jan and Feb have a LOT of snow days. We have had reservations for WDW and a snowstorm came. We left early and ended up staying 9 days and never missing a day of school!

Of course we have gone and not had a snow day and missed 5 days of school.

 

[DVC Jen]

We go as soon as our DDs and I get out of school for summer. So many schools do not get out as early as we do (Late May) so the crowds aren't terrible yet.

 

[gracelrm]

DH and I are both teachers - so we go as soon as school lets out. We're DVCers so we make our reservations way early and have to guess at when school will actually let out due to making up snow days! Most trips are the second week of June. This year, we left school one day early before Christmas Break and were there from Dec. 17 - 23rd. That was great! It'll probably be several years before we are able to do that again though. We have a fall break, but DH has school stuff going on then and we've never done spring break because of the crowds. In about 10 years, we'll be there in October and November and won't be thinking about school!!!!!!

 

[jimmiej]

I'm a school band director. I have an extended contract which adds about eight days to the end of the school year. We go ASAP after that, usually June 10th or so. However, this year, our school calendar has a winter break. DW & I are taking our first February trip! Looking forward to cooler weather & smaller crowds (I hope).

 

[paigevz]

I've only been teaching 11 years, so I haven't been brave enough to try a vacation when school is in! Also, for 9 of those years I taught Pre-Kindergarten, and the class falls apart if I'm not there for one day, much less 5! I now teach 2nd, and it would still be very difficult to go on vacation during a regular schedule. We have been once in summer, twice on our Spring Break which is always before or after Easter (and also near my son's bday), and now once at Christmas. We liked our summer trip best, so we'll be doing that again in 2006. Where I teach in Texas, we get out right before Memorial Day, so get a chance to go in early June before most vacations begin (and also near my other son's bday.......yep, I got ZERO leave with him because he was born in early summer!). We've never yet had trouble with crowds at any of those times..........the first time we went was summer and we were clueless and there was no fastpass.....but because we were clueless we didn't know we shouldn't have to wait so long. Ever since, we've used fastpass, early entry, leaving in early afternoon, late nights, and park hopping and had no troubles.

 

[Julia M]

I'm a speech therapist and work part time in the schools.

Our first trip, I took off the week after spring break (which is 3 work days for me) I worked an extra day the week before and after the trip, so I was only taking one personal day.

Our last trip we went in August (the second week) and I was surprised how manageable it was.

Our next trip will be at Xmas, and I've booked it despite knowing our schedule for next year. My guess is I could end up missing a day or so, which I would make up the week before.

I'm pertty lucky, because of the nature of my job (I assess severely handicapped preschoolers), I often flex my weeks, or switch work days (all of my kids are in school), to accomodate parent's schedules. So my district is pretty mellow about me flexing a week for my own convenience.

Julia

 

[DisneyMim]

My husband is a teacher and we always go for two weeks in the summer. We also sometimes go during spring break. He cannot go during school. It is very hard for him to take time off, his school system really discourages it so we have to go during school breaks. He has been working for over 30 years (yikes!!) so we are looking forward to the time when we can go during an "off" time. I don't know what we'll do, probably run around the World like little kids!! Also our kids (they are younger than people expect because we waited years to have them!!) can't go anytime other than school vacations either. We've dealt with this for years so we are proof that it can be done and really enjoyed. I've found that for the most part teachers are "go with the flow" type of people, a lot of our friends go during school break times as well and they all love Disney.

Good Luck and Have Fun whenever you go!!!

 

[sunny04]

I have the benefit of a year round calendar at my school, so my breaks are long. We go in Oct. for about 4 days usually to catch MNSSHP. We have been in June, although I will never go during that heat again. We have also gone the week before Christmas twice now. We are considering going on my Spring Break this spring and I'm kinda crossing my fingers for a quick Valentine's trip too. I usually take a half personal day on a Friday afternoon so we can get going early. Although, I may just have to get sick if we go at Valentine's! It seems to be much easier to work around my schedule than my husband's work.