Visit during busy or quiet period?

[Boardwalk_bride]

Hello!

Until now we have always visited WDW, for the most part, on what is predicated to be less/moderate busy times (with the exception of one Christmas). Now that we have a child starting school, we are conflicted of what to do. For context, our next trip will likely be Disneyland - we have never been to California.

So, basically I am wondering if we should visit at Christmas, March Break, or late summer (we are in Canada and start school second week of Sept), or if we should just pull her out of school, although we want to go for 2 weeks. The benefits of going during the busy period are that we don't need to find/pay for a child care solution at home and she isn't missing school. The downfall is obviously the crowds and price.

What do you all do? Any preferences?

TIA.

 

[Drewsdad]

We have been at Christmas, March break and summer with kids. Of those 3 we like Christmas the best. Yes, busy but the decorations and not as hot make up for everything else.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

We have been at Christmas, March break and summer with kids. Of those 3 we like Christmas the best. Yes, busy but the decorations and not as hot make up for everything else.

That is what I was thinking! Plus we could pull her out a bit early as they don't really do anything that time of year anyway (I guess it will be next year, at this point, which will just be senior kindergarten she'll miss).

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I lived in California for 16 years and the weather is a lot better than Florida, especially during the summer. So, weather wise, you're golden. I've been to DL for Christmas and Spring Break and Spring Break was by far more crowded than Christmas. After our last Spring Break trip, we never did another. It was that bad. I've always been advocate for never pulling my daughter out of school. She's 16 now and we've never taken her out for a vacation. I must admit, I am waiving on that a little in light of recent events in our lives. Pulling a kindergarten child out of school versus a middle school or high school kid is totally different. As they progress in age, it gets a lot harder to pull them out of school because they miss so much. But, in Kindergarten, I wouldn't worry so much. If you decide to pull out of school, I'd suggest to know and understand your schools policy.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Pulling a kindergarten child out of school versus a middle school or high school kid is totally different. As they progress in age, it gets a lot harder to pull them out of school because they miss so much. But, in Kindergarten, I wouldn't worry so much. If you decide to pull out of school, I'd suggest to know and understand your schools policy.

Thanks for this! I'm pretty certain the rules for us (in Ontario) are flexible for the first 2 years, as they are not required to attend school until grade 1. That said, she is in French Immersion, which I think has different rules to keep up with language. I don't think a week out would impact learning a language, and my husband speaks french anyway.

So interesting spring break is busier. Based on my one Christmas at WDW, as magical as it was, I am a bit scared to go back during that time (we saw a full grown adult take out small children at rope drop!). We were not parents at that time. That said, if we do Christmas we can probably go in 2022, whereas I can't see us travelling across a border/on a plane this spring break.

Do you know when most Americans have spring break, or is it all different? Ours is always mid March.

Thanks!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Thanks for this! I'm pretty certain the rules for us (in Ontario) are flexible for the first 2 years, as they are not required to attend school until grade 1. That said, she is in French Immersion, which I think has different rules to keep up with language. I don't think a week out would impact learning a language, and my husband speaks french anyway.

So interesting spring break is busier. Based on my one Christmas at WDW, as magical as it was, I am a bit scared to go back during that time (we saw a full grown adult take out small children at rope drop!). We were not parents at that time. That said, if we do Christmas we can probably go in 2022, whereas I can't see us travelling across a border/on a plane this spring break.

Do you know when most Americans have spring break, or is it all different? Ours is always mid March.

Thanks!

I kind of figured school rules would be different in Canada. I mentioned it because a friend of mine took her 2 boys out of school for a trip and she got reported and it was a great big mess. When my daughter was in Pre K, I informed her teacher she'd be out 1 day to a long weekend trip and did I ever get the evil eye. It was Pre K for heaven's sake, not even a full day.

I lived in Monterey CA, about 6-7 North of DL. DL much smaller and compact than WDW. We'd only go for a max of 3 days. In my area, there were about 5 school districts and even though some were within a couple of miles of each other...everyone had a different Spring Break schedule. Some started in March and went clear thru April. And this does not include the private schools, which there are many and all on different schedules. When I mentioned how busy it was to several CM at DL during Spring Break, they said the same thing. So many schools, so many different schedules for time off. In addition, DL is very much a "local" park/place to go. A lot of pass holders and on top of that, those on vacation. We're DVC and been to both WDW and DL many times, including Spring Break and Christmas at WDW, and that particular trip to DL was the worst of them all.

 

[Rory607]

Christmas is fun, but crazy. American spring breaks run from mid-March through the beginning of April, but I do think later March/early April is most common. So mid-March might not be too bad yet. Your sweet spot might be the end of August before you start school because a lot of American schools start mid-August.

That being said, it’s not too difficult for them to miss school at that age, depending on your school’s policy. I felt so guilty the first time we let our kids miss school for vacation, but it ended up being okay. Now that we have one in middle school I don’t think it will work anymore. Too many assignments and tests

 

[courtney1188]

Christmas is fun, but crazy. American spring breaks run from mid-March through the beginning of April, but I do think later March/early April is most common. So mid-March might not be too bad yet.

All the local public schools in Florida have their spring break in the middle of March in 2022, so the end of the month might not be as busy as the middle of it this time around. And they won’t stop in early April this year because Easter isn’t until April 17, so areas that do Easter week off (large chunks of the Midwest and northeast) will have their spring break then.

 

[pigletgirl]

I think you just go with what works for your family. My oldest will be 9 in May and because we now home school (long story), our travel times are a lot more flexible. I will say though, I'd rather pick the first week in June over Spring Break.

We have been in early December and it is fun to see the holidays in the parks. It isn't an ideal time to travel for most families but again, if it works, it works.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Christmas is fun, but crazy. American spring breaks run from mid-March through the beginning of April, but I do think later March/early April is most common. So mid-March might not be too bad yet. Your sweet spot might be the end of August before you start school because a lot of American schools start mid-August.

Thanks. My husband is pushing for August, but it would be 2023. I just don't see us planning something international for the summer of next year, but I guess things can change. I am also going to hold early March 2023 - I think we could pull her out the week before our break starts, so one week away, one week is break (and we would hit Disney first).

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

We have been in early December and it is fun to see the holidays in the parks. It isn't an ideal time to travel for most families but again, if it works, it works.

We don't mind being away over Christmas. For us it is more a gamble with the weather, especially if we leave from Buffalo as it tends to be worse than Toronto. December is usually okay - but the one time we went to WDW for xmas we got home at midnight and had to shovel our driveway out as we missed a huge storm. It was brutal! Our flights were fine though.

 

[MomDoc_99]

We went to Disneyland a few years ago as soon as school let out in early June. One day turned out to be very busy (I think it was the last weekend before Annual Pass blackouts), but the weather was great and we got everything done we wanted to do. I think I would go back at that time again vs. going at spring break.

 

[sponica]

I feel like the "usual" patterns probably won't return until 2022/2023 at this rate. The upside (generally) to busier times is longer park hours.

 

[ZeeWP]

In our situation we had 3 problems:
1) School teacher in our group
2) High schooler in our group
3) My 2nd grader struggles in school

1 and 2 can be avoided as they are extended family going with us and it could be just the four of us if we needed to. But with my daughter's struggles in school, we don't want to miss school without having to (and she's already missed 6 days cause of COVID close contact situations). If she didn't struggle in school, or it was just my Kinder kid, it would be a different story.