My family is beginning to plan our trip for 2014. It will be the first time that I go with my entire family (mom, dad, older brother) since college. It will also be the first time my husband and I get to bring our little girl; depending on when we go she will be between 14-20 months.
The major problem lays in that I am a school teacher and cannot take any time off other than when school vacations are planned. I also cannot take a day off before or after a vacation to make travel easy. Okay with that in mind, what would you recommend as the best time for us to travel? We can do the following time of year:
Week between Christmas & New Year's
President's Day Week in February
Patriot's Day WeeK (3rd week) in April
Summer (end of June - Mid August)
Currently we are thinking the end of June-beginning of July, but I'm not sure.
This is a tough call. We also travel with teachers and we traveled with school age kids. I agree with them, but, as you know when you have teachers in the family, you don't take kids out of school for anything! LOL Also, are you staying on or off property that determines a measure of crowd tolerance.
It depends on how your family handles the heat. We go a lot in the last week of May, June, July slot. We are also from Georgia and are somewhat used to the heat and humidity-the latter being the killer. Here are my pennies:
If you don't have other family obligations, the week after Christmas is nice. I think most of the holiday programming is done, but, the decorations are up through the first week of the new year. We usually do a big New Years Eve party with family, but are actually skipping this year-not sure we are pleasing the crowd.
February is certainly cooler, but, a lot of southern schools are taking that week off now and a holiday weekend for some. Not as empty as it once was, but not as crowded as other times.
Anytime from mid-march through first of May is some college/lower school spring break. We have gone during peak spring break periods, but were on property and could escape during the day and do Extended Magic Hours (EMH) at night-teenagers do not not early, but, there are early hours also.
Summer-very hot and humid-once again helped out by staying on property. One of the benefits never mentioned in the pros and cons of staying on property is that knowledge in the back of your mind that at anytime I am too hot, tired, not well, cranky, etc... I can go back to my room and come back later.
There is also something very Disneyesque about being there when you are "supposed" to be there-hot, crowded, waiting in line, working the fastpass system, stumbling on that short line somehow...We went in September one time. It was nice being cooler, not waiting in line, but, weirdly it didn't feel like a "true" Disney vacation. This idea will shot down rapidly and adamantly by others that swear (insert cooler/less crowded month) is the only time to go.
Hopefully, this pageful of my scenarios helps. It really depends on you and your family's vacation style.
Whatever you choose, have a magical time!
P.S. Don't let anyone tell your daughter is too young. One is never too young-you just might have to go at her pace!
