Take kids out of school for $1,200???? Y/N?

[Wolfclan Dan]

Hello wonderful board!

We have a trip planned in April 2009 (5th - 13th)and if the DW and I are willing to take the kids out of school the week before we could save $1,000 of our total bill and receive a $200 prepaid Visa at check in.

Our original trip is the first week of our two week spring break. So if we take the kids out of school, their spring break would be three weeks long! Good for them i suppose, bad for studies.

We are staying at POR and the difference in the two trips would be 8 nights at AAA price or 7 nights $1,200 less!

I am torn. The 4 day - 3 day free deal is pretty dang good! My oldest DD is 9, fourth grade, and she is my only real concern in regards to school. Math is not the easiest for her and I worry about her falling behind.

Any teachers here, feel free to chime in! Anyone at all here, feel free to chime in. We love to save money and all, just want the best for the kids.

:shrug:

 

[musketeer]

Yes your kid is only 9 y/o once, but not going to WDW because they have school does not mean that for the following two weeks they have off, you sit on the couch and watch TV. There are plenty of other bonding experences out there that can be scheduled during vacatiosns. Many that quite frankly, offer just as many, or more, memories than WDW.

That is an excellent point and one I tried to make in an earlier post. Believe it or not, there are many many many other places and ways to have bonding experiences besides going on a Disney trip. I think people on this board sometimes forget that Disney isn't the only vacation place in the world.

 

[captainkidd]

That is an excellent point and one I tried to make in an earlier post. Believe it or not, there are many many many other places and ways to have bonding experiences besides going on a Disney trip. I think people on this board sometimes forget that Disney isn't the only vacation place in the world.

Sorry, but I'm missing that point. If that's where someone decides to spend their bonding time with their family, who has any right to try and tell them they should go someplace else?

Of course there are other places to on vacation, and I don't think anyone on this board forgets that. That's not the point.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Believe it or not, there are many many many other places and ways to have bonding experiences besides going on a Disney trip.

Its kind of a no brainer given that this is a Disney message board that you are likely going to get a majority of people who have questions about taking their kids out of school to go on a vacation considering a trip to Disney.

If you were on a seal clubbing message board, you would probably find people asking if they should take there kids out of school to go seal clubbing.....

 

[musketeer]

Sorry, but I'm missing that point. If that's where someone decides to spend their bonding time with their family, who has any right to try and tell them they should go someplace else?

Of course there are other places to on vacation, and I don't think anyone on this board forgets that. That's not the point.

Well, I think my point was that everyone this board seems to suggest that the ONLY way to have bonding time is to go on a Disney vacation during school. I've read over and over "You'll never have this time again" and "Nothing is more important than bonding with your family"....and I agree with all of that 100%. BUT, I can't believe that the only option is to take your kids out of school to go to Disney World.

There are many times that kids are out of school. And yes, going to Disney then is more expensive and more crowded during those times, but there are so many other places that you can go and do during those vacations that aren't as expensive and aren't as crowded.

In fact, I would think that one could do a vacation for the same amount of time during one of those breaks that costs considerably LESS than the cheaper Disney vacation, and that it could be more bonding and more educational.

Sure, I conceed that there are some people who may ONLY be able to take vacation during school because of their jobs, but I think that is a very very small minority.

 

[YQY747]

Honestly, how much work gets done in one week at school? Not very much. If you can maybe speak to the teachers before you go and they can have some work prepared for you before you go, or get them to save all the work done for your kids when you return home is a pretty simple way to get caught up.

When I was in grade 11 I didn't go to school for a month and I just got my teachers to give me the work I missed and got some notes from my friends and my grades didn't suffer at all.

For that amount of money, it's pretty hard to justify not taking them out of school, in my opinion.

 

[happymom52003]

I've had some things happen in my life, especially in the last few years, that have really changed my perspective on things like this.

I take my children's education very seriously, but at the same time I know that when they are on their deathbed (hopefullly at a very old age) it is not going to matter one little bit that I took them out of school for a few days a year to go to WDW.

Life is all about experiences. And I know that there are other experiences than WDW, and yes I know it is open 365 days a year. But there are many reasons that a family may not be able to go during scheduled school breaks.

And then there are the people like me.....people who hate crowds and heat. Yes, I admit it....I take my kids out of school for 3-5 days a year to go to WDW during a time where we do not have to deal with 90 minute waits and 95 degree weather. Not because I can get a better deal, and not because that is the only time my DH can take vacation. Judge me if you like, call me selfish, but it makes for a higher quality trip for my family to do it that way.

Just because I do that does not mean I do not value school or take my children's education seriously. If you knew me in real life, you would know just how true this is. If I ever thought that taking my kids out of school was going to cause any harm or trouble to them, then I would stop doing it.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the rat race of life that we forget what life is really all about.

I respect the opinion of those who choose not to take their kids out of school...you know what works best for your family. But I feel insulted when others insinuate that because I take my kids out of school I somehow do not value their education.

 

[captainkidd]

Sure, I conceed that there are some people who may ONLY be able to take vacation during school because of their jobs, but I think that is a very very small minority.

That's not even the case with me. I just prefer to go during the school year so I can spend more time on rides with my family, as opposed to standing in endless lines. Also, I prefer to take the extra $2,000 I'll save on hotel and airfare, and spend that on my kids.

To me, both of those make up for the fact that my kids will miss 5 days of school.

 

[captainkidd]

And then there are the people like me.....people who hate crowds and heat. Yes, I admit it....I take my kids out of school for 3-5 days a year to go to WDW during a time where we do not have to deal with 90 minute waits and 95 degree weather. Not because I can get a better deal, and not because that is the only time my DH can take vacation. Judge me if you like, call me selfish, but it makes for a higher quality trip for my family to do it that way.

Just because I do that does not mean I do not value school or take my children's education seriously. If you knew me in real life, you would know just how true this is. If I ever thought that taking my kids out of school was going to cause any harm or trouble to them, then I would stop doing it.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the rat race of life that we forget what life is really all about.

I respect the opinion of those who choose not to take their kids out of school...you know what works best for your family. But I feel insulted when others insinuate that because I take my kids out of school I somehow do not value their education.

I don't think anyone could have said this any better. I agree 100%.

 

[Phonedave]

Like others, you're sort of missing the point. No one is talking about dropping out of school to join the circus. They're talking about missing about 2% of the school year to go to Disney World. No one is "choosing" Disney over school.

That is EXACTLY what you are doing. And if you are OK with that, then that s fine.

You are CHOOSING to take you kids out of school to go to WDW. Therefore you are CHOOSING WDW over school - OK I'll modify that. You are CHOOSING WDW over 2% of the school year. Me, I am choosing to keep mine in school. I am CHOOSING school over WDW.

You can throw all the family time, bonding, once in a lifetime experence, effects of missing school, learning responsibilites, etc into the equation that you want. Those are all factors that effect your decision. What it all boils down to is do you (or anybody) choose to take the kids out of school or choose to leave them in.

What is so hard about admitting you are making a choice? I am not judging anybody on that choice, I am just pointing out it IS a choice.

Someone may say, it was $1,500 cheaper, its the only time I could get vacation, there was no lessons planned, and the teacher said it was OK so I had no choice. Yes, you DID have a choice. The factors may overwhemlingly make one choice better than the other, but it is still a choice.

Again I am not judging anyones choice. That's their perogative as a parent. But own up to your decisions, not just in this case, but in life in general (thats a pet peeve of mine, especialy at work, when people tell me that they had no choice to do somthing)

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

That's not even the case with me. I just prefer to go during the school year so I can spend more time on rides with my family, as opposed to standing in endless lines. Also, I prefer to take the extra $2,000 I'll save on hotel and airfare, and spend that on my kids.

To me, both of those make up for the fact that my kids will miss 5 days of school.

And thats your choice. You weighed the factors. $2,000 & waiting on line vs. the impact of missing 5 days of school and you chose "$2,000 and shorter lines" over "5 days of school"

Again, thats your call. I am not going to say if it's right or wrong (nor is it my place to say that), but it IS a choice.

-dave

 

[Wolfclan Dan]

Well, I have already made the decision to pull the kids from school. So my original question is kinda mute now. But I see lots of discussion and opinions about this. "The Mom" was the first to reply to my question and stated straight away, I would get lots of replies on both sides.

I still agree with most of the replies. The choice we made was purely economical. Our original trip was planned during their actual spring break, as it was on our last trip. The crowds did not bother us at all we used the touring plans in the unoffical guide and all worked great. Even had time for afternoon naps/pool.

Sure there are lots of places we could and will go on vacation and have the family time, but for our annual entertainment dollar, Disney just does it better.

I shortend our trip by one day and saved the family $1,200. We personally spoke with all of my three daughter's teachers and they all said we had nothing to worry about.

My oldest's teacher said she would make sure all of her make up work was completed before we go on vacation. We did not request this of her, nor expect it. She offered it, and we greatly appreciate it.

Our situation was not one of "we can not go to WDW unless the kids come out of school". This option just lightened the load in this upcoming year which economically speaking, is quite uncertain.

 

[ann0d]

Every experience you have, you learn something. Learning is not just about school. Our school district is one of the top ten in the country, and they have no qualms about taking the child out for one week. The state actually allows excused two weeks per year for the child. Education is just not about sitting in the classroom.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Now that we have fully discussed the pros and cons of taking your child out of school to go to WDW, I would like to take it to the next level.

Should you dip into your childs college fund to go to WDW.....ok discuss. :lookaroun

 

[bingie]

Now that we have fully discussed the pros and cons of taking your child out of school to go to WDW, I would like to take it to the next level.

Should you dip into your childs college fund to go to WDW.....ok discuss. :lookaroun

No, you should only dip in if you are going seal clubbing...:hammer:

The pelts are worth it!



:lookaroun