A question for fellow educators/teachers!

[Bluesky481]

I'm an educator in a school system that runs on a traditional schedule. I love my job (I teach special education for students with moderate disabilities), but I find it very tricky to make vacation plans for Disney during the school year. However, my husband and I find it difficult to justify going during the summer/spring break/or other peak times of year as we just can't compete with the prices and crowds. We only go about every 3 years so it's not a situation where I'm leaving my students on a constant basis
So here's my question ...for those of you in a similar situation: 1. When do you make your plans to go to Disney World? 2. How long are you willing to leave your precious kiddos behind in the classroom?
I will say that IMO 3 or 4 days of low crowds at Disney is worth more than a week of congested park-going.
I appreciate any help or advice anyone can give (you need not be a teacher to respond) Thanks!

[disneycouple2004]

My wife is in the same situation. We dislike the huge crowds also. We usually check the school calendar and schedule a few extra days off during one of her staff devlopement days or something like that..such as last year in October she had off a Friday and Monday..so we flew down Friday am and stayed all of the following week..she missed 4 days of work but we enjoyed 9 days of the World. She says it causes very little problems and the crowds and the weather was perfect !!

[disneykat]

I teach 11th/12th grade classes at a public high school that is also on a traditional schedule. I have taken off 3 of the past 4 years in the fall to go to Disney. My husband's job is very demanding during the summer months so it makes sense for us to go at a different time. I have taken off as many as five days at one time but have since gotten a bit wiser! I try to schedule it around school holidays or staff development days. As you know, it's much easier to make up that than a day with the kiddos. This year, we have a professional develpment day the Friday of Labor Day week. That means, we'll fly down on Saturday before Labor Day and stay until the following Saturday or Sunday. I'll only miss 3 days with my kids, plus the in-service day. By the way, I also pull my elementary aged children out of school for the same length of time. Their teachers have always been very cool about it. I think as teachers, we realize that the rest of the world doesn't operate on the same schedule as the schools. That shouldn't mean that those individuals are not entitled to vacations. By the way, my high schoolers realize that I'm addicted to and they usually work really well the days that I'm gone. By the way. . .our spring break starts today. I've got one student on his way to Disney right now. He's promised me Mickey Rice-Krispy treats when he gets back! Go ahead and go when it works for you! Your kiddos will be fine!!

[merlinmagic4]

Wow....my husband is a teacher here in Massachusetts and it's pretty much forbidden to take days off for vacation! He gets one "comp" day per year for an inservice they do and the line at the office the next day to put in for the day is probably a dozen deep! He used his comp day so we could leave for Disney on the Thursday night before the April break. It's also frowned upon to take a personal day before or after a vacation but they can't question that one comp day. I would LOVE to go off season but I probably couldn't pull my kids for a week either. My son misses a lot of school (actually half of this year he has missed) so he needs to be there when he can!

We did go in August and it was fine with us. I'm just glad to be able to go at all!!

[vamaggie]

Does your school year start after Labor Day? I have never gone in Aug but I have read here on Intercot that the last week in Aug is not as crowded. If your school will let you take days off around staff dev days, I would do that. OUr kids have 2 days off in late Oct/early Nov each year for 1st quarter conferences and we go to Disney then. When I taught (years ago!!) we were not allowed to take off any days around vacation days or staff development days so I tried to plan vacations as far out as possible to get good deals on flights/car rentals etc. Good Luck!

[ibrowse17]

DW and I take off a couple of days during our Mardi Gras break, and a Friday/Monday over existing 3 day weekends once in a while. In saying that, you really should look into going the early part of June. We did that last year and loved it. The crowds and summer heat are nothing like July.

[BronxTigger]

I am a teacher. I go in late August. Yes, it is hot, humid, hurricane season, and there are still a lot of people. But that is nothing compared to my principal's wrath. She does not allow for absences; she often (usually) denies requests for personal days. She is trying to discipline someone for jury duty! Last year, when someone was in the hospital, they were calling her and asking her where her students' assessment results were!

No, I am not at a school where I can miss work unless I'm sick!

[jedigrrrl]

I teach Pre-K. I go to Disney 3-4 times during the school year. I pick weekends that have a teacher workday on a friday/monday, take that day off, then also take the other friday/monday off to make a 4-day weekend. That way, I only miss ONE day of face time with the kids.(did that make sense?) Anytime there is a teacher workday on a friday or monday during a non-peak month, we try to make it into a Disney weekend.

We never go during xmas break, spring break, or summer.

Also, if your school year ends early enough, the first week in June is a good week, too. We've stayed the whole first week in June the past 2 years and the crowd levels were completely manageable.

Our favorite times of the year to go are October, January-Early February, May(before Memorial Day), and the first week in June.

AND NEVER DURING A HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

[wdwcarrie]

I teach HS on a block schedule (90 minute classes), so for me, missing one day is really like missing two, etc. It can also be hard to find a substitute who can actually cover the more indepth material, so to take days off I'd have to schedule tests, movies, etc. AND face my principal's wrath!

DH & I have had great luck with leaving for WDW the day after school lets out (usually around June 10). That week is warm, but the crowds have been very manageable.

[JoshGrobanfan]

WOW! It kind of surprises me to hear about schools not wanting you to take vacation time. I understand the whole learning part-but goodness! I guess we are lucky here as we get personal time (5 days a year) and sick leave. I plan on taking a week off in December to go on our trip and yes, I will be taking my children out of school for a week to go. I want to see "the World" decorated for Christmas and I know better to go while they are out for break. So, that leaves me no other options.

[snowhyte]

I am also a teacher and absolutely CANNOT take days to extend a weekend or holiday. We get a week off in February over President's weekend and have gone at that time the last two years. Yes it was crowded, but we really didn't mind too much. We aren't "park commandos" so we don't mind not getting to do everything in one day. We've had great experiences at EPCOT and the crowds were not a factor. We went to World Showcase when it opened and then back to Future World in the late afternoon. By then the lines were very short (less than 10 minutes). I am taking two days in May to take a long weekend to Disney. It is not around a scheduled long weekend though (and hopefully my principal approves it!). I have been to Disney once in August and once in July and personally, it was just too hot for me!

[Bluesky481]

I'm really enjoying everyone's replies It's amazing how policies are so different among the varied school districts. I only get 2 personal days each year, but it's not difficult to get time approved (I just don't like the idea of taking a bunch of unpaid days off). However, I can tell you that even though teachers in my school don't have too much difficulty getting days approved, many eyebrows raise when a fellow educator takes an entire week off...for vacation nonetheless!! But I'm sure every work place has their fair share of the "vacation police" Life isn't all about work though, right??

[tigger24601]

my mother teaches preschool autistic children at a local public school. it does affect their day when she's not there so she limits her days off. however she needs a break every now and then, and i'm not talking about a training seminar or anything. so we're stealing her for a few days in november. as long as she calls it in in advance it's fine for her to take a day off. my dh and i have gone the week after thanksgiving for our honeymoon and first anniversary. (we missed last year because of our baby was only 3 months) so we're taking her with us when we go back this november. it's very slow and the weather is beautiful. so worth taking the time off especially if you've got sick time saved up that you can take. my mother has worked for the school board for years and could take a month off before she'd be out of time. now she's not letting many people know she'll be out during that time and even fewer will know where she's at. me and my husband have even decided we will take our kids out of school to go during that time when their older.

all in all. it's worth taking time off to avoid crowds and not to mention it's cheaper.

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I am a teacher. I go in late August. Yes, it is hot, humid, hurricane season, and there are still a lot of people. But that is nothing compared to my principal's wrath. She does not allow for absences; she often (usually) denies requests for personal days. She is trying to discipline someone for jury duty! Last year, when someone was in the hospital, they were calling her and asking her where her students' assessment results were!

No, I am not at a school where I can miss work unless I'm sick!

Whoa! THat is rough!

DH and I, (and my Mom) work for the school system. I am an SLP who works at 2 schools, one on Mon, Tues morning, the other on Tues afternoon thru Fri.

We don't have to ask ahead for permission to use our 3 personal days that are allotted. If I wanted to I could call that morning (and have) and tell them that I will be absent that day. There are also no restrictions on when I can use those days. Although SLPs don't have subs but DH who teaches in high school can do the same.

We have a lot of teachers who have taken a week off to go on vacation and specifically WDW. One of our Kindergarten teachers always took off the 3 days before Thanksgiving to go to WDW. And 2 years ago, one of our 1st grade teachers took off a week for a WDW trip.

We plan Feb. trips because we usually miss 1-2 days a week for snow! We have gone and only had a couple of snow schedule days (2 hour delays here) and then we have been to WDW and not missed one day! It was snowing so we left home a couple of days early and ended up with 10 days in FL and didn't miss one school day!! This last Feb. trip we were gone a week and missed one day of school. It was great. Of course you have to drive. But we get to fly during our summer trips.

[luvkatiebug]

Okay, remind me not to complain about my work situation. We don't seem to get "grilled" so much when we miss. If I take off a day to do something, no one questions about what it was for. And we don't have the days off around holidays rule either.

My husband and I teach together at our public high school, but he coaches year round, so we don't really take off school days for vacation. My oldest just started school this year, and I don't like to take her out either. We are lucky, though, in that we get out in May for school, so we take our trips at the end of May, which I would say is medium on the crowd level scale. When my kids are older, and I can go by myself with them, I may take them out a few days to squeeze in a trip, but my 2 year old is too much of a handful for that now.

We are also off for Mardi Gras in February which is a great time to go (but once again, my husband is in the heat of baseball by then, so I would go with out him.)

I'd try May / June if I were you, its not too bad. (gotta be cooler than August).

Enjoy

Oh, and you can see by my signature, I also take a school group every other Mardi Gras - great excuse to fit in an almost free trip for you. If you are willing to organize it, Disney does great school trips!

[Speedy1998]

MY DW is a highschool teacher, we usually go the first week of June (school in the Houston area lets out in May), or the week before Christmas, (I have actually picked her up at her school to go to the airport to fly to Disney).

[tinkerbell04]

I am a teacher in the Baltimore region and school year vacations are not encouraged. IWe take a long weekend at least once or twice a year. However, I have taken a week off twice before in the past. Once it was partial pay using personal time to compensate and the other time it was no pay for the week. I am lucky to have a flexible principal who doesn't make a big deal about it.

[King Triton]

We're in the same situation...my DW is a teacher, so unless we go for a short weekend, we're stuck with summer. For family reasons, we don't go Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter break.

So, the past three trips, we've gone in late August. Yes, its hot, but the crowd level drops fast once you get into the 3rd week of August. Actually, I don't find the heat all that much worse in Fla. in late Aug. as opposed to home (Pa.). It just doesn't cool off as much at night.

[PracticallyPerfectMollie]

I am a special education teacher as is my husband so we always have the same dilema. We usually have to take our chances with the crowds. Sometimes summer is less crowded than our spring break. It is always hit or miss. How much time do you have at christmas? I know next year our schools don't go back til Jan. 8 so we are considering going on the second or third. I don't know what the crowd will be like though.

[LarryBoy]

I am fortunate enough to work at a school that is fairly generous with the personal days. We are given 10 days a year to use for sick or personal, and any days we don't use are accumulated up to 50 days. Also we have a very early Spring Break, 1st week of March, so often we go them. It's usually not too crowded then because most schools have a later break. Once we took a week in January and went down, but that was our 10th anniversary as well.