Summer is going to zoom past us at a crazy rate, and fall will be here before you know it. For the real Disney World fans out there with kids, there will come a time when you have to ask yourself if you should take the children out of school to go to Disney. What do you do?
I’m going to tell you to stash their book bag for a few days and pack a suitcase. I say go.
What about school work?
I am a public high school teacher, so this may sound, gasp, like educational hypocrisy. Kids need to be in school. Kids learn great things in school. But as the mother of three Mouse fans ranging from 5th to 9th grade, I know from experience that you only have a certain amount of time your children will live with you until flying away from your nest. If your child hasn’t missed 16 school days due to illness during a school year, then a few days at Disney isn’t going to ensure your darling won’t get into college.
Important Life Lessons Kids Can Learn from a Disney Vacation
Call the principal beforehand and explain you are taking a trip. You don’t have to even mention Space Mountain, but rather focus on the educational slant that Epcot and Animal Kingdom legitimately offer. Chances are it will be excused. Make sure the school work gets completed before the trip or made up afterward. It seems that it would be less painful to get it done before you leave.
Am I suggesting you take your child to Disney during state testing? Certainly not.
Am I suggesting you take your child to Disney during exams? Certainly not.
Successful children will grow up to take time off from work as adults, and this will undoubtedly require some extra hours of make up work. They might as well learn, and learn it now, how to get things done when plans vary from the norm. Life is full of changes; kids need to know how to adapt to change and varying schedules.
Two More Important Life Lesson Kids Can Learn from a Disney Vacation
Shouldn’t they be in school?
When to Go?
The general unofficial rule of Disney vacationing is that if kids are in school, the parks are less busy. If you’ve ever been to Disney on December 4th and on December 26th, there is a huge difference between crowds. Any time of year that most students are in school is referred to as “off-season” time at Disney. Of course there are exceptions. Lots of kids are in school during March and April, but spring breaks also fall within these months, so park crowds will vary.
For years, most seasoned Disney travelers regarded fall as an un-crowded time to visit WDW, because what parent in their right mind would take their kids out of school when it just started? But more do these days, and with events like the Magic Kingdom’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party,” this may not be the most un-crowded time to go. BUT, it will still be less busy than when the kids are out of school.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: Why You Should Make Plans Now to Go!
Another bonus is that you can frequently find hotel and resort specials off-season as they attempt to get more people into the theme parks.
Need help deciding the best times to visit Disney World?
When is the Best Time to Go To Walt Disney World?
What else does Orlando have as far as educational opportunities?
For info on Sea World, visit www.seaworld.com.
For info on the Orlando Science Center, visit www.osc.org.
For info on Kennedy Space Center, visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com.
So the worst that can happen if you take them out of school?
Their grades may drop. This is something you will have to weigh against Splash Mountain, I mean educational learning opportunities at Epcot.
Their teacher may be irritated. Bake a banana bread, send it with a note of thanks, and hope for the best.
If the school refused to excuse the absence and you went anyway? See one and 2 above, encourage your child to continue to study hard, and hope for the best.
And remember, the Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Expansion will be opening up at some undetermined point.
Disney’s Fantasyland Expansion: How Can It Impact Your Vacation Plans? (with Updated Photos!)
Unless you live very close to Orlando, most of us are not going to Disney as often as we would like. We are certainly not pulling our kids out of school left and right to play hookey at the Magic Kingdom as often as we day dream about doing just that. So I am going to go against the common educational notion of perfect attendance and say…Go! Have a great time. Take a lot of pictures so you can remember the fun you had playing hooky when your house is empty of children and silent. I dread this already.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride, and we’ll see you in the fall, sneaking those kids out of school and into the car.
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Like to read about Disney topics? Here ya go…
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Don’t Overlook These FREE Activities at This Fabulous Resort
- Beaches and Cream Soda Shop: Who Wants Some Disney World Ice Cream?!
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Is This the Resort for Your Next Vacation?
- 5 Planning Tips on How to Take a Large Group to Disney World
- Indulging the Disney Diva: You CAN Afford a Wedding at Disney World!
In south Louisiana we celebrate Mardi Gras usually late February or early March. The schools are out the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week. Some schools are out all that week. It is a great time to go see the Mouze. Sometimes Presidentsa Day is the same week. The crowds are alittle greater but managable. We see lots of Saints and LSU shirts at this time. This year we are going the week after Thanksgiving. Taking the fourth grader out of shcool for the week. She will get her assignments ahead of time and will do her work the week of Thanksgiving she is home. See you then!!! MVMCP is on the plans.
You can ask your school district if you can withdraw your kids from school for a week or so. Some states you can do this, go on vacation, get home and enroll your kids in school again without them having to play catch up on everything they missed.
I try to take the kids to WDW every other year…. and this year is our year to go…. We can only afford to take them during the off season with the WONDERFUL free dining! so every september i pull my kids out of school….. i think it is 100% worth it….. my kids are growing up way to fast for me and this is somthing that i think we need to do now because in a couple of years they are going to be “too old” for disney!
Kids growing up breaks my heart. I know exactly how you feel. Pull ‘em out and have fun!!
~Amanda
I agree Nicole! We are the same, booked for September for the free dining – hopefully. I would rather go off season when it is less crowded and cheaper than when it is packed and overpriced! I have no problem taking the kids out to enjoy our vacation to the fullest! Our kids are 6 and 8, we will enjoy it as long as we can because we too will soon find our kids too cool and too old to travel with mom and dad. Then it’s time for mom and dad to Disney vacay the way we want
I teach high school science, and I will not provide packets for my students beforehand. It’s an unreasonable request, because it always requires a great deal of work beforehand, and inevitably after when they returnenot knowing the material. Take that and multiply it by the 40-50 kids who needed this during the year. Taking kids out for vacation is enourmously disrespectful. I will give them work when they return, but they get no credit, nor will I devote large amounts of time to reteach the material.
You sound like a highly skilled teacher, and I feel certain your students admire your dedication to education. Thanks for reading!
Sounds like a stick in the mud. Or someone with no children.
Taking your kids out of school for a vacation at Disney World is ok if it’s only 1-2 days and your child doesn’t tend to miss a lot of school. Timing is everything. Around exams is not cool, neither is right before or after a school vacation. This all makes more work for already overworked and underpaid teachers who now have to make a special packet for your child who will probably not do the work anyway. And the school will lose money for your child’s unexcused absence. And what a message to send the kids. It’s ok to shirk your responsibilities if it DISNEY? IT’s a giant overpriced amusement park. Get over it.
Wow, can’t believe that the prospect of spending quality time with your family at such an unusual destination is perceived as irresponsible or a burden on teachers. It appears that there are strong feelings on both sides, but I will say without a doubt, that the experiences my children and family have gained from these trips are worth every penny and headache of setting them up. My children do every assignment that is sent and turned in timely. That being said, the affordability and timing of such a vacation makes it possible for a lot of families only during school time. If planned carefully (i.e. not during mid-terms or state-wide testing) it should not be that difficult to provide the upcoming curriculum, assuming the teachers already have a planned curriculum.
We’re planning to do this for the first time this year, but I’m not going to play the silly spin for education at Disney. Yes, there are a lot of opportunities for learning, but that’s so in daily life. We have the joy of living in Florida, so everyone knows what’s there. haha! I could see some smirks and laughs if I did!
I will add that ds’s teacher did tell the class that they should not be missing school for Disney World. They would “get in trouble” and all that. And this is early elementary!