When would you go?

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Next year my son (middle schooler) and I (school administrator) will be in 2 different school districts. 1 is year round, and the other is "traditional" Between our schedules there are 4 1/2 weeks of the year when we can both be off and go on a trip somewhere. I don't know what they will be next year, but this year they are: Next year will be something similar.

Winter Break: Dec 24th through Jan 3rd.

Spring Break: March 29 -- April 4th (which is Easter)

Summer Break: June 28 -- July 9th.

So all 3 periods have at least one major holiday in there.

Which of those times would you go? We're thinking that we'd do a mix of Universal and WDW, and maybe just stay onsite at Univeral the whole time and come to WDW during the day a few times. We really like the pool and the water parks, so I'm figuring not Christmas. Some of DS's favorite things are pin trading in DTD, and DisneyQuest.

 

[DawnM]

My guess is that the responses will be to go in June. Traditionally Christmas and Spring Break are the busiest. Summer isn't as bad as you think. Last year my cousin went 4th of July and they were very pleasantly surprised at the crowd levels.

dawn

 

[GoofyFairie]

Since you are planning to spend the majority of your time at Universal and you want to swim I would say go in summer and avoid Disney on the 4th.

 

[ripburn]

Summer Break: June 28 -- July 9th.

 

[lucigo]

Honestly? I would probably try to find a cruise or something else. The one time I took my kids to Disney in the summer I didn't even notice until I got home and started scrapbooking that there were no smiles in the pictures that trip! Is there a time that you could turn a long weekend into a trip when one of you could miss a day or two? Look at January over MLK or November over Veterans day?

My DH is a teacher and I absolutely hate trying to work around school schedules

 

[wdwfan16]

Of the three choices I would do June. None are great, as you indicated.

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

Can I just add that I am shocked that they don't get out until the day before Christmas eve?!?!?!

 

[Hannathy]

Can I just add that I am shocked that they don't get out until the day before Christmas eve?!?!?!

My kids had a full day on the 23rd.

I would think about Spring break. We went for that week and really had a nice trip. Yes it was packed BUT Disney had every ride running at full capacity, fully staffed. The hours were insanely long! It was plenty hot enough for the water parks but not the oppressive humidity of JUly. You did have to watch eating those lines were long but again if you just planned a bit and didn't try to eat lunch at noon, it was ok.

We rode and saw every show or parade we wanted and didn't wait in any longer lines than we did in October. (of course planned and fastpassed it)
So it was wall to wall people and I wouldn't want to do it with kids under 5, in other words no way I'd want to try and deal with a stroller in those crowds, but if you plan and stay late it can be a great trip.

 

[ancestry]

I would do the summer break. We went at the end of June this past year and while the crowds were very large they were manageable with a good plan.

 

[happymommy]

I would go for spring break.

The weather late June, early July, is very hot. Very hot.

Christmas break is insane crowded. It's fun, but I have never seen crowds like that before in my life. I wouldn't do it again, except that we did enjoy the resort a lot.

I also have tried Universal once. I personally didn't care for it nearly as much as Disney. We stayed onsite there, which was convenient. I wouldn't bother going back, unless my kids begged me.

If you are going to do the Disney parks, I wouldn't stay at Universal those days. I prefer to stick to Disney, as to add days to your Disney ticket once you have a few days is so little. For Universal, you have to buy a ticket for that, which adds up. So, I guess what I'm saying is I'd do either/or, not both.

I've been over Easter, and it was very fun, the weather is nice, and I never thought the crowds were too bad. Summer, the crowds are fine, and I've gone early June a few times. Sometimes it's super hot, sometimes it's just okay hot. Late June I've heard is very very hot.