Giving Up Summer Trips

ddbowdoin

ddbowdoin

Well-Known Member
Has anyone else quit WDW during the summer months? My DW and I just got back, and while we had a great time since we are fans, it got to a point where I've been 7 times in 4 years and summer isn't worth it. It's hot... Hoards of tour groups and 60 min waits for POTC and HM?!?! DW is a teacher so it's hard to go on slow times but I found myself saying "is this worth it anymore?!"
 
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Gig 'Em Mickey

Gig 'Em Mickey

Well-Known Member
Nemo14 said:
I can't speak for all school districts, but around here you'd be an unemployed teacher if you ever said that to a supervisor.
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Especially when you just got done with a 3 month break. Wow. I'd be ed if my kids had to learn from a sub for two weeks while the teacher went on vacation. And I'm a son of two public school teachers, and the husband of a professor so I do understand the teaching profession. That's just part of being in that profession, but then you have extended breaks where you do have flexibility.
 
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Disneydreamer16

Disneydreamer16

Member
We always go the last week and a half at the end of August and don't really experience a lot of crowds at all. We never wait an hour for any ride really. That's the only time of year we really can go anyway because he is a teacher and I am a School counselor. The rest of the summer is really packed though I have heard.
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Summer trips were only taken when they were the only option available for me. The choice was do I go and deal with the humidity, crowds, waits, or do I not go at all. I chose to go... wasnt as happy, didnt accomplish as much, had to find ways to not overheat, but at least I got to go. Like its been said before... A bad day at Disney's better than any day at work.
 
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Amyleigh

Amyleigh

Member
I'm a teacher too! I'd like to know what district will allow a teacher to take off 2 weeks for vacation during the school year. I might be transferring soon. :)
There is no way my district would allow that.
 
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Aurora1

Aurora1

Well-Known Member
ddbowdoin said:
Has anyone else quit WDW during the summer months? My DW and I just got back, and while we had a great time since we are fans, it got to a point where I've been 7 times in 4 years and summer isn't worth it. It's hot... Hoards of tour groups and 60 min waits for POTC and HM?!?! DW is a teacher so it's hard to go on slow times but I found myself saying "is this worth it anymore?!"
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I'm in the same boat as you... as a teacher my options are limited to February break and Summertime. We just got back from a week in July and found it to be really manageable if you do it right (ex. getting 9 FP+ total at MK, cooling off at the shows like Country Bears, etc.) but I definitely prefer February!
 
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Disneydreamer23

Disneydreamer23

Well-Known Member
I work for a private school that is only k-3 I am a kindergarten teacher our ratio is 20/1 staff but my class I have my self another teacher and a floating aid so we are allowed to take 2 weeks off during the year plus 1 floating holiday!
 
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Mr Toad

Mr Toad

Well-Known Member
I don't mind the heat in the summer. When its in the mid/upper 90s in Florida, it's usually in the low 90s in the Carolinas. The tour groups are only problematic in the parks since we stay at moderate/deluxe resorts. I just prefer to go in the summer.
 
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ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
cw1982 said:
This.

I'm also a teacher. I can use 3 of my sick days per year for personal, non-sick reasons. Other than that, if I'm caught using my leave time in a dishonest manner (ie using sick pay to take a trip to WDW), I could be fired immediately.

For the rest of us who work in districts where demanding the ability to take two weeks off during the off season is out of the question, it's next to impossible to go any time when the parks won't be busy. I can't even take an extended fall break, because personal leave is generally blacked out right before and right after school breaks.
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Same here. We get 4 days off for Presidents' Day up here and I once mentioned taking the following day off and was given a very firm "absolutely not." I guess I could "get sick" and make it work once, but it would certainly not be allowed on a recurring basis. We ended up just waiting until May when I was out. A hot Florida vacation is better than no vacation (or no job).
 
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C

Carol53000

New Member
Disneydreamer23 said:
I work for a private school that is only k-3 I am a kindergarten teacher our ratio is 20/1 staff but my class I have my self another teacher and a floating aid so we are allowed to take 2 weeks off during the year plus 1 floating holiday!
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Well that explains that. I couldn't imagine a public school district giving 2 weeks off. You are lucky to have that opportunity. We have always had to go in summer. We deal with it. Hate to say that Disney has now been pushed down the list of places to go. Too many other things in this world to see.
 
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Disneydreamer23

Disneydreamer23

Well-Known Member
Carol53000 said:
Well that explains that. I couldn't imagine a public school district giving 2 weeks off. You are lucky to have that opportunity. We have always had to go in summer. We deal with it. Hate to say that Disney has now been pushed down the list of places to go. Too many other things in this world to see.
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I am very happy that they allow us to do this, a lot of teachers get 1 class to them selves with 20 children and I always have another person plus an aid! I have it very easy compared to a lot of other educators out there.
 
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Dwarful

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
Another teacher chiming in here. We try to go the first week in June. Unfortunately, that is not always possible. I could try for a spring trip but we only get Good Friday and the Monday after Easter and both of those can be 'given back' if we go through our 5 planned snow days. This year we went through 12! Our district is spread far and wide, lots of rural hilly areas that don't get plowed. But, living in Southern Illinois - near St. Louis, heat and humidity are par for the course for the summer months.

We have gone in July as well. Those trips we try to book two weeks so we can go at a more relaxed pace and take mid day breaks or go to the water parks.
 
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RetiredFRN

RetiredFRN

Active Member
Just got back from a 4 day WDW and 3 day Universal trip. I have gone to DW many times in many different months and this summer was the hottest and the busiest. I think even busier than Christmas time. Lines and wait times were unbelievable along with the crowds and tour groups. We went in the morning and evening time which helped and used our FP+. If you don't plan your ADR's or FP+ then I can see how DW could lose its magic because you won't be eating except in quick service and you will be waiting in very long lines. We took advantage of EMH at MK which was great. Rode 7 Dwarfs mine train (sorry not impressed, ride very short) and we were the only people on Under the Sea. If DW gets rid of magic hours I would definitely not go in the summer again. Like DW much better in the fall and spring like April. Much less crowded and the weather is much better. Had to go in the summer this year but will probably not ever go again in the summer months. We had a great trip but way too many people staring at their phones while walking and running in to you, suddenly stopping in the middle of the walkway and giving you the dirty look when you run into them, and expecting you to get out of their way when their walking around the parks. And yes, the tour groups, just loved it when they all lay down on the sidewalks with their backpacks blocking the way. Still love DW, just not in the summer!
 
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Amyleigh

Amyleigh

Member
Disneydreamer23 said:
I work for a private school that is only k-3 I am a kindergarten teacher our ratio is 20/1 staff but my class I have my self another teacher and a floating aid so we are allowed to take 2 weeks off during the year plus 1 floating holiday!
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You are lucky. Public school would never be so generous (with class sizes, number of teachers per classroom, and personal/vacation days).
 
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Disneydreamer23

Disneydreamer23

Well-Known Member
Amyleigh said:
You are lucky. Public school would never be so generous (with class sizes, number of teachers per classroom, and personal/vacation days).
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I agree I am off for the summer I go back August 11th and I told my Boss I want to cut down my hours and he gave me 9-4 my Class starts at 8:45 with another teacher and ends at 3:30 with 30 minutes with me for like a RAM ( extra Help time) I am so blessed !
 
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M

MountainMedic'sWife

Active Member
We only go every 2 or 3 years. In the past, the last of May or the first week of June has worked pretty well. Now, though, for various reasons, we no longer want to go then. So now, I'm looking at January, right after New Year. Our kids typically don't start school until around the 8th or 9th and depending on what day the 1st falls on, it appears the crowds start to thin out pretty quickly. It won't be a long vacation but it would be a fun little trip!
 
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gooftroop5

gooftroop5

Well-Known Member
Sssshhhhhh.......don't tell me what we are missing! I'm a teacher and hubby is a school administrator so summer is the ONLY time we can go. We've gone in June, July, and once in August. We will NEVER go in August again. It was way too hot. However we find June and July to be ok. We tour mornings and evenings/late nights taking a break mid-day because of heat and crowds. EMHs are our best friends. However, we also go for 10-14 days so we have the ability to spread things out.
 
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gooftroop5

gooftroop5

Well-Known Member
gooftroop5 said:
Sssshhhhhh.......don't tell me what we are missing! I'm a teacher and hubby is a school administrator so summer is the ONLY time we can go. We've gone in June, July, and once in August. We will NEVER go in August again. It was way too hot. However we find June and July to be ok. We tour mornings and evenings/late nights taking a break mid-day because of heat and crowds. EMHs are our best friends. However, we also go for 10-14 days so we have the ability to spread things out.
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Oh and we also go at Christmas. ANY TIME is better than Christmastime so June and July look amazing to us. :D;):)
 
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