Adjusting for travel with school-age child? About This Page:

[WeRDisneyFanatics]

My DD is 4 and will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall of 2010. Up until now, we haven't had to plan our WDW trip dates around school breaks and we usually go in April/May. We weren't planning to do a long trip to WDW next year (instead DH and were going to take a short trip alone-to someplace other than WDW--which is something we haven't done since she was born). But now I'm starting to feel like maybe we should rethink our 2010 plans since this will be our last chance for a while to go when it's not school break time. That means we'd have to ditch our thoughts of an adult-only trip next year so it's a tough call for us.

So after all that rambling here's my question for you -- how did your travels to WDW change once your kids were school age? Did you go during different times of the year than you used to? Do you go for longer or shorter streches? Do you go less often? Or alternatively, do you take your kids out of school at non-break times? Would love to hear your experiences!

[mdobereiner]

I think you'll get people who do it both ways, travel around school calendars and travel when it works best for their family. I think it really depends on your child and also any district regulations.

We have pulled our children out of school for trips before, both to Disney and other places. My parents always did this with my sisters and me, so it doesn't seem weird to me, but we never had a problem catching up or missing a few days of school here or there. Our children also have been fine thus far with missing school for a trip. If ever I felt like they were struggling with the material, we wouldn't pull them out. I also feel like it's important to have family trips and to make these memories, and there are lots of learning opportunities. Our children kept journals during our last trip that they then shared in class. We will see how it goes as they continue to get older, but I don't have a problem with it. And I haven't yet had a teacher or school administrator give me a hard time about it.

GL with whatever you feel is best!
Mel

[SarahJ]

We haven't gone to WDW since DD started elementary school in 2007. I refuse to take my children out of school for vacations because I just don't like the tone it sets with the child or the school. Since that means we can only go during vacations when the prices are higher we just haven't been able to afford it.

Plus, we had our third child just before oldest DD entered kindergarten and airfare to WDW alone is astronomical for us. Our last Disney trip was to DLR when our oldest was 4 and our youngest was not yet born, in fact she is a souvenier from that trip. We keep tossing around ideas for Disney trips but haven't come up with anything solid yet that will work for our budget and calendars. Instead, we do local trips. Our biggest trip this year will be camping on the Oregon coast for two weeks.

[eff051102]

We haven't gotten to this point yet with our DD but when the time comes I have
no problem pulling her out of school for a family trip. IMHO the world is a
great learning tool and when they can see different parts of the country
then they are still learning more than they will in school for the small period
of time. My DH travels for business and I also hope that DD and I can travel
with him when she gets older.

Waiting to go during the vacation day/holidays is always a challenge and IMHO
sometimes not worth the trouble or the money. If it's so busy or hot you aren't
able to do much I would rather stay home or go during a non-busy time.

It's a personal choice and you know your kids best, so I would go with that.

[Kynna]

We do end up taking our kids out for a couple of days each year. We leave midweek to overlap the trip so we have a few days when school is out and a few "quite days" when school is in session. This saves on airfare and missed school.
We are very active members of our childrens education and don't feel that we are doing them any disservice by pulling them for a couple of days. If they were poor students we would have to rethink it.

[WeRDisneyFanatics]

Thanks everyone! Lots of good points. This is why I'm now thinking we should do one more long trip in the Spring before we have to contend with the school calendar.

Originally Posted by Kynna

We do end up taking our kids out for a couple of days each year. We leave midweek to overlap the trip so we have a few days when school is out and a few "quite days" when school is in session. This saves on airfare and missed school.

This is what my mom and dad did with me as a kid. For example, they took me out for a couple of days in conjunction with the long weekend for Columbus Day. It worked out well.

[Colexis Mom]

We've taken DD out of school for a week in kindergarten (half day), 1st grade, and 2nd grade. Twice to Disney and once for a family wedding. Had no problems whatsoever, and she caught up fine (in a day in most cases). She's going into 5th grade now (and DS into 2nd) and I try not to schedule trips during the school year now as it makes for a lot of work that she has to make up.

[coastgirl]

We went for the first time when ds was in kindy, and we've taken him out three times for family trips, with another in Sept. (His sister will be coming out too, now, she's going into grade 1.) I do think about transitions, and have tried to schedule around some sort of school break, even if it's just a long w/e. (Knowing that any change from normal is going to upset the whole school...this time my kids go back after missing 4 days, when their classmates have just finished a long weekend.) I'm cheap, and I hate crowds. And I truly believe in the value of family trips. I expect we will stop doing it once the kids reach junior high.

[SARH7]

First of all, we just cannot afford to travel to WDW during school breaks. Second, it's extremely rare that dh has off from work during a school break...he is assigned his vacation time. He can swap, but it is very hard to find someone else to give up a school break vacation.

Like others have said, family time is extremely important to us. We took dd out of school last year and will again this year and the teachers were extremely supportive! Right now dd does well in school. I guess we will have to see how things are later on. If she is struggling, I would not take her out.

[nurse_mom]

We have taken the children out. But then again they were preschool and grade K. This year we are going to take them out the last day or maybe last 2 days of school. They won't be missing much, and the last day is a 1/2 a day anyway. Even if the school year is extended, we are firm with our dates. Keep this is mind
1, You need to fit it with a work schedule
2. When you can save the most $$
3. Your children will never be this age again, and it is an eduaction.
4. who cares what they school says they are not going to be dealing with your children the rest of their lives you are.

[WeRDisneyFanatics]

Thanks everyone. After much discussion last night we're going for the family trip next year! As we got talking we came to the conclusion that there will be plenty of time down the road for a "mom and dad only" trip somewhere, but she'll only be little once and we might as well take advantage of having a wide open schedule. So looks like we're WDW-bound next April or May (details TBD).

[magic mickey]

We didn't have any problem taking our children out of school when they were in elementary school. Once they started middle school we began going to WDW in the summer. Sure it is hot, but you plan accordingly and still have a great time,

[wakegrrl]

Hearing about these discussions makes me even happier that DS (1st grade) is in a year-round school. He goes in blocks...nine weeks in, three weeks out, pretty much all year -- in fact he started 1st grade two weeks ago. So we are able to go when he's out of school in late October with no problems about missing class.

Otherwise, I would probably pull him out of school (assuming he's doing well) but DH is really against that sort of thing -- so it saves us a lot of arguments!

Good luck!

[joshuasmom]

We took DS out of school for a week in Sept '07 (he was in 2nd grade). We got his work before we left (he still had some extra to catch up on when we got back). He had no problems with making up his work. This year we are taking him out for 1 week the begining of December. He will be in 4th grade. We'll have to see how it goes.

[ANGSWIN]

I am a teacher, so I have the same problem. Normally, we take the kids on trips during Spring Break (which for us normally falls on Easter Break) and in June as soon as school gets out. The exception: My daughter and I will be taking 2 days (Th & Fri) off in October so that we can have a four day weekend at WDW. I don't normally allow her to miss school, so this is a special exception.