Which school holiday?

[joolz1910]

I am tied to the school holidays because I am a teacher.

I wanted to know which school holiday you would go in and why.

Choices: (where I live anyway!)
February half term (1 week) usually 2nd week of Feb
Easter (2 weeks) usually April
May half term (1 week) usually last week of May
Summer (6 weeks) usually last week of July to first week of September
October half term (1 week) usually last week of October
Christmas (2 weeks) usually 3rd week of December to 1st week of January

I would be interested in your opinions.

 

[scottish mum]

If it is 2 weeks you want I would go for the summer holidays as late as you can as the parks get quieter late August. I was going to vote for october but you only get 1 week so that may be out

 

[wayneg]

February half term (1 week)
Too short & too cold

Easter (2 weeks)
Very busy, depending whe it falls can be cold, last 2 Easters we have had 1 good week 1 cold each visit.

May half term (1 week)
Again too short but weather a lot better.

Summer (6 weeks)
Too hot for some but perfect for us and can go for upto 25 nights(like this year) if we return bank hol weekend.

October half term (1 week) usually last week of October
My fave time of year, perfect weather, halloween, good crowd levels but again only 1 week.

Christmas (2 weeks)
Been 5 Xmas' all busy but this year was manic, some days having to line up 45 mins for a burger, NYE upto 6 hours for Soarin. Fantastic time to go but way too busy, no good for a 1st timer only for the experienced thats knows the system and doesn't mind missing half the rides. Also weather can be freezing, lucky this last Xmas it was good but other years had to de-ice the car every morning.

 

[Dimplenose]

I'm a classroom assistant so I'm tied to school holidays too. We've gone at the end of August on previous trips as I like to have a few days after I get home to recover.

This year we're going at the end of July so that we can be home for A-level results.

 

[Macl1uk]

Personally I would recommend Easter, yes the parks can be busy but during school holidays that will mainly be the case whenever you go.

Easter the weather is warm but not humid (T shirt weather and a fleece in the evenings if staying out late to watch the fireworks), sunny with very few showers. Whereas the summer it is very humid and also smack in the hurricane season.

 

[Kath2003]

I'm going at Easter, because that's when I could get cheap flights!
My favourite time to go is the summer, I love the heat.

 

[pktbMouse]

we went easter last year and never again..the rides were over 2 hours long!
Be careful of presidents day weekend in May also.

 

[JulieSharp]

I am in the same situation as I am a teacher also.
Since I started my teaching job we have only been in the summer, it's the natural time to go with 6 weeks off. However, despite the fact we have been many times then on recent holidays myself and my son have really suffered with the intense heat. Often 95 degrees or more in July/August.

So this year we are going at Easter, and as it falls in April the weather should be nice and warm without that intensity of the humid summer months - we know it will be busy but visit the theme parks in the morning most of the time, and we don't do them every day also.
To be honest July is extremely busy too and with the dining plan August is nothing like as good crowd wise also now.

If schools were off 2 weeks in Ocober that would be my choice, personally I don't think I would go for just one week, and February the weather can be difficult to predict. When Easter fell in March in 2005 in was very cold most morning's.

 

[Pinklepurr361]

Easter is do-able with proper planning. We went in Easter '08 and didn't have to queue for more than 15 mins for any ride. We planned our park days and got up early. Weather was cool for the first couple of days then it was lovely and warm. We plan on going at Easter 2010.

 

[jen_uk]

I'm also a teacher and for the third year we are goingin August, it is very hot but its manageable, once the Americans start going back to school it gets quieter and its nice

 

[joolz1910]

That's a lot to think about. I don't really mind extremes of weather. I would rather freeze or roast than have massive crowds.

I like the sound of October - what are crowds like then? With it being around Halloween I would have thought it would be manic.

I am a job-share which means I could possibly negotiate for my partner to work a full week for me and I would do the same for her. I've never done it before, but it's a possibility.

It's looking like the above option or the last two weeks in August for me.

Any other advice/opinions?

 

[Danauk]

Another teacher here! For a first trip I would choose the last 2 weeks of August, the crowds should be lower and if you are looking to go after next year you might be able to get free dining too. We have been at this time of year and found that the crowds were really low, the weather was hot though and with the exception of one day we had a really heavy down pour of rain every day.

We have also been at Christmas and loved it. The weather was mixed and the crowds were busy, but we had a good plan and we had a great trip. We are planning another Christmas trip for our next visit as we just love the atmpsphere and the decorations, but I would not really recommend this for 1st time visitors.

 

[UKDEB]

If you can get your job sharer on board and go for two weeks then, without a shadow of a doubt, I would opt for October. Whenever you choose to go, I'd be inclined to do everything you can to make it a two week trip.

February
President's Day is the third Monday in February and, in 2009 falls on 16th. The parks will be busy during the week leading up to that and manic over the weekend itself. The weather in Central Florida can be as unpredictable as our own, but there's a good chance you'd get some cold days. We've been several times in the winter months and we've had changeable weather with highs in the 80s followed by cold snaps. One thing you definitely won't get is the balmy evenings.

Easter
This would be a last resort for me. It's one of the busiest times of the year and, when it coincides with the US schools' Spring Break (which it frequently does), it's hellishly busy. Avoiding crowds is my number one priority.

May
This isn't a bad choice provided you can avoid the week leading up to Memorial Day (last Monday) as the same crowd patterns apply as to President's Day in February. Other than that, the crowds will be comparatively low. Obviously there are no guarantees, but the weather should be pleasantly hot without being unbearable, and the start of the rainy season will still be a good month away. Epcot stages the Flower and Garden Festival and, whilst it probably isn't an event to plan a trip around, it is stunningly pretty.

Summer
As others have mentioned, the last two weeks of August are the optimum choice here. Like our own schools, those in the US have drifted from the traditional calendar, but the majority of schools still observe the mid June to mid August summer break. The heat and humidity can be oppressive and, even if that doesn't bother you, it will slow you down. Statistically, you'll get a lot of rain, too. In August 2007 we didn't see any, but in 2000 it set in late afternoon every day and didn't let up - it curtailed a good deal of our evening plans.

October
We've undoubtedly been lucky, but we've never had bad weather in October. Occasional rain, yes, but hot and sunny by day followed by those glorious balmy Florida evenings. The Halloween celebrations will be in full swing (including Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at WDW and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal) and the parks and resorts will be decorated to the max. The International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot (which runs roughly mid September to mid November) is arguably the standout event at WDW and we've organised several trips around it (including our most recent last November). Whilst the days of virtually empty parks at this time of year are long gone, it's still a relatively slow time.

Christmas
The week from Christmas through New Year is officially WDW's busiest and I've been enough times during the first week of January to know that a lot of folks hang around until the end of that week, too. The pay off is that the holiday events and decorations are magnificent. I've already commented on weather during the winter months and, whilst we've always been lucky, there have been years which have seen freezing weather and daily frosts.

 

[JulieSharp]

That's a lot to think about. I don't really mind extremes of weather. I would rather freeze or roast than have massive crowds.

I like the sound of October - what are crowds like then? With it being around Halloween I would have thought it would be manic.

I am a job-share which means I could possibly negotiate for my partner to work a full week for me and I would do the same for her. I've never done it before, but it's a possibility.

It's looking like the above option or the last two weeks in August for me.

Any other advice/opinions?

It depends on if you are able to go for 2 weeks, if so I would say October is a great time to go....but I wouldn't go for just 1 week.

I would still prefer the Easter period to August - but that's based purely on the weather, and I suppose the fact we have been many times means we don't spend as much time as many people do at the parks.
Hence the fact it's busier isn't really a factor for us.
In addition whilst historically the last 2 weeks in August (I am sure a phrase used a lot on here), is quieter than other times of the summer, we remember being at Magic Kingdom in August 2006 and it was packed. That AND the heat is the combination I seek to avoid.

I suppose from an 'ideal time to visit' perspective neither Easter or summer are, especially for the 1st timer, it's just us teachers are restricted usually to these times if you want to go for 2 weeks.

I fully understand that people say Easter is a bad time to go, it's just for us we view it differently - it's all about doing what suits you best. Personally I would go for crowds rather than heat every time. Seem to remember we were staying at the Boardwalk one day in 2006, and planned a walk around EPCOT in the afternoon. The temperature was 102 degrees! - I think we went to the Mall instead.

 

[joolz1910]

Thank you so much for the thorough advice - it really helps. I think I'll roast and have shorter queues!

Is it cheaper to go in the last two weeks of August or in October half term?
Also,
Would we be better going for the last two weeks of October or the last week of October and the first week of November - if my Headteacher and jobshare partner are agreeable!

Sorry for all the questions but once I've made these decisions, I can start planning in earnest!

 

[wayneg]

Unless you find a great August deal(which it is is possible with lots of searching and luck) then Oct will be the cheaper of the 2.
Whenever we have attached days to Oct holiday it has been before it, I would not want to take a child out of school for the start of term, prefer him to miss end of term. Also weather can change end of Oct. I would trust weather more mid~late Oct than running into Nov but that can be different every year.

 

[joolz1910]

Unless you find a great August deal(which it is is possible with lots of searching and luck) then Oct will be the cheaper of the 2.
Whenever we have attached days to Oct holiday it has been before it, I would not want to take a child out of school for the start of term, prefer him to miss end of term. Also weather can change end of Oct. I would trust weather more mid~late Oct than running into Nov but that can be different every year.

That would be fine with me because my birthday is 19th October - I can feel a birthday celebration coming on.

Unless Disney offered the 44%, deluxe dining and 14 day ticket offer again, I think I would be better to book flights before accommodation, would you agree?

 

[wayneg]

We always book flights 1st.
If they offer the free DDP again with a discounted hotel the offer should go on until early Oct or even Dec like last year, that will hopefully give you chance to find good priced flights before having to commit to the Disney package.

 

[joolz1910]

We always book flights 1st.
If they offer the free DDP again with a discounted hotel the offer should go on until early Oct or even Dec like last year, that will hopefully give you chance to find good priced flights before having to commit to the Disney package.

So much to consider...
MIL has said she would come with us too. It means it would cost me more but we could also leave the kids with her and do Universal's Halloween Night. I'd better talk to my jobshare first... fingers crossed.

 

[madmumof2]

I think the time I'm going is the perfect time to go, and hope to go at the same time every time. 6-20th of October. Lovely weather, not too hot, not too cold, not too humid, not too much rain, low crowds, cheaper, easier to get dining reservations etc

Like Wayne, I chose to take Cameron out of school for a few days at the end of term rather than the beginning of the next one.

Although I shouldn't have to take him out at all next time as he has 2 weeks off for October half term.

If we ever go for longer than 2 weeks, we'll go right at the end of the summer holidays.