April Trip In Jeopardy?

[darthmacho]

Okay, I've been planning for several years to fit in a WDW trip in 2008, as it has been a long wait from our last trip in 2003. I've also made the mistake of talking about it to my kids, si I'd probably be disappointing them if we postpone the trip. The idea was that next April, bring our 10th anniversary (also 10 years since our first visit to WDW) it would be the ideal time to go.

Here are some serious issues that are beginning to worry me.

1. Money: Okay, we're not poor, but we aren't rich either, and not the best at money managing. We're under the thumb of a mortgage that's only 3 years old, we have young children, and Christmas is on the horizon, we have a six year old car that's due for a tune-up, and a house in serious need of upkeep. Also, we have taken vacations to NH and ME the past two summers, which though were less money than a WDW trip, were still not cheap.

I've been saving for the trip, but I'm only at 2/3 of the goal of $3000, and with the prices of vacations these days, I don't feel comfortable with that amount, especially knowing that it would probably be better spent on house repairs.

Again, I hate to make money an issue, especially knowing that we can probably afford a value resort easily, and would likely pull off a moderate with some doing, but I can't help but wonder if now is not the time. Luckily, the tax refund will come at just the right time to help out in that regard.

2. Timing: My second, and probably most worrisome issue is timing. I'm afraid that now that my older DD is in 1st grade that going during April school vacation will be a waste of money because having to cram so much stuff in a shortened highly crowded time period (we're used to 8-10 days of mid-to-off peak crowds.) I'd hate to spend thousands of $ and then go down to FL and have nothing to do in the middle of the day because the lines are out the door for even the lowliest of attractions. I wonder if it would be wiser to wait unil the summer, but figure that the crowds might not be much better, and the heat much worse. My logic with that though, is if I avoid any major holidays, at least we could stretch the days out more. Of course, more days means more $, and that leads back to issue #1, Money. Sigh.

3. Other Places to Go?: We so enjoyed our vacations to NH and ME, that I suddenly realized that WDW isn't the only place to go to have a great time. There are dozens of places right here in New England that I still want to take my family, and I love to take car trips, because though I'm not afraid to fly, and I enjoy the short flight to Orlando, I despise being separated from my luggage, hate the hassle of airport check-in, and have never recovered mentally from the visions of Sept 11 that affect us all.
That all being said, I still think of WDW as being the best place in the world for a vacation, by far, but it is just that it is not the only place for me any more.

Okay. I guess I'm done. Thanks for listening.

Any advice, mainly with issue number 2? I'll probably have to figure the $ issue out on my own, and won't need convincing about WDW as the top choice of destination, but I do have some questions about the timing:

Please, advise me on the following:
1. Is it better to wait until summer than trying to do during April vacation?
2. When should I start making concrete plans for April, should I decide to go? Is now the time?
3. What's the latest that I should wait to decide? Is January to late to start booking for April?
4. Where should I go to book? I've gone throug AAA all threee trips in the past to some satisfaction, but would I be better off going directly through WDW, Magical Journeys that I always see here, AAA again, or through some other agent?
5. Finally, any other advice on dealing with a school week trip, such as taking kids out of school a few days early?
Thanks, I've been meaning to get this off my chest for a while!

[goofiecrazy]

1. If your thinking of going in the summer maybe hit it in late august when the schools down there go back in mid august.
2. Try pricing everything separately and see if you saving $ going that way or if a package deal comes out better.We are going get our tickets from the disney store and just book the flight later since we are renting a house. We plan on useing a big chunk of our tax return to pay for everything.

[wedway fan]

lots of stuff in your post- almost enough for 5 different posts- but here goes an attempt to address your concerns. we're going in april, and discussed many of the things going thru your head.

1) timing- the school thing is a very personal issue- personally, i have no problem taking my kids out of school (2nd and 1st grade), and think that going over a busy school holiday is almost a wasted trip. but you've got to make that call yourself. a few recent threads on this very issue.

my countdown clock is set for my day to make ADR's- now at 33 days. i think if you've got a >50% chance of going in april, book it now. make your ADR's early, then you can always cancel them and refund your deposit should things change.

2) agents- i've always done everything myself, but mostly from the advice of those here, i went with MJ this time. no financial advantage so far, but it was nice not to have to spend time on the phone, and nice to know if i need things changes, terrisue will help me out.

good luck with your decision- hopefully it will be based on an appropriate balance of emotion and sanity!

[vamaggie]

The money issue I really can't help with--the money tree in our yard is bare!!!--except to say that with 2/3 saved you are in pretty good shape. See if you can "find" any other money to add to the pot (yard/consignment sales of kids stuff? rebates?) Also, I am not adverse to letting folks who ask know that we would love a contribution to our "Disney fund" as a holiday gift. As for the timing, I would not go for the spring break time--with the crowds I have heard about I think it would make it too stressful/hectic especially with little kids. Since your DD is in 1st grade, she may not miss too much if you pull her out. Are there any long weekends that you can work around? Teacher conferences for example? If not maybe late summer/early fall would be better. As for how to book-I would recommend Magical Journeys. We have booked ourselves, booked through AAA and are using MJ for our Nov trip--don't think I'll ever use another TA (or myself alone!) to book a Disney trip. They helped me figure out what worked for us (package vs room only, # of days etc) and ended up applying a discount that saved us a TON! Good Luck with your planning. Keep asking questions--the folks here are great and have given me amazing insightfrom their vast experience.

[illini]

Oooh, Darth. I'm sorry you're struggling with this decision.

As for the timing, *when* in April are you talking? Easter is early this year, and April might not be too bad, particularly at the end. We went at the end of April in 2005 and while the crowds were bigger than Oct, they were still very tolerable and we did everything we wanted with no issues at all-- once we adjusted! I don't think they'd be any larger than June/July crowds, and the weather is certainly more tolerable. You're more able to deal with lines when you're not in imminent danger of experiencing a heatstroke.

I'd book through MJ, no questions asked. I adore Debbie (though I suspect she secretly must despise me ), and she's made things so much easier on me. I'd book very soon, before things start filling up completely so you can have your choice of where to stay. That ADR window is going to open soon, too. (If you still haven't booked a room, go ahead and do your ADRs at the window anyway, and cancel them if you don't end up booking a trip.)

I'm not opposed to pulling my kids out of school as long as they're doing well. I'm not sure that pulling her out a few days ahead of this trip will make much difference, though. I suspect April will be pretty consistent. I have found, though, that the last week of school in most places is pretty worthless (though surely not all). Books are turned in, things are shutting down, and it feels like more babysitting than anything else, so that could be an easy time to pull her out, depending on your district.

Good luck, Darth. I hope you arrive at a decision soon.

[pogo]

You ARE trying to avoid meeting us this year, aren't you.

Sorry to hear you're even considering cancelling.

[WeLuvBuzz]

I understand your concerns as we have been through the same. Taking my kids out of school is not an option. Money concerns are. Here are some tips:
Look for offsite places to stay where you have a kitchen so you can eat some meals at "home". Last summer we had a condo at Silver Lake for $700 for the week with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen, washer/dryer. It was literally 50 feet from Disney Property. Even if you stay on property pop tarts, fruit snacks, pringles, muffins, granola bars, peanut butter, etc. can be brought with you.
Don't go to the parks everyday. We usually go every other. We get up early and stay late. We then sleep in on our off days. You can eat brunch in your room, hang out by the pool and relax, and then do free Disney entertainment. At both the Boardwalk and DTD they have people entertaining the crowds. It is also fun to ride the monorail loop and look at some of the resorts and take the boat over to the Wilderness lodge. You can eat dinner at Earl of Sandwich and bring your own bottle of water and it is relatively inexpensive for a good meal. Some days it is nice to relax.
In April it will be crowded, but with fastpass it is very managable. Make sure you are there at park opening and have a plan for what rides you with to fastpass. Shows with large seating areas are a great way to spend the afternoon while waiting for fastpass times to arrive. COP, HOP,TTA, CBJ,TB at MK, EEE, JIY, and AA at Epcot, FOLK and ITTBAB at AK, and all the shows at MGM are good examples. Also, if you get a Disney VISA you earn one percent of everything you spend to use at Disney. I spend almost $600 a month on groceries. Over a year that is $72 which is two dinners at Earl of Sandwich for us.
My only advice is to do what is best for your family.

[Grace]

1. You may get a better rate in the summer than in April.
2. See #1
3. January is probably too late, yes.
4. Definitely use Magical Journeys - they will get you the best rate with the least amount of fuss. They are a GREAT team.
5. Take your kids out of school if you must, we always have with no real repercussions as long as you are responsible about their homework.

If I can add one thing, it is this: We have never regretted the $$ spent at WDW. Your children will only be small for a very short time, and to the little ones the Magic is very real. It is one of the best things we did as a family.

[faline]

Massachusetts' spring break schedule seems to fall in a time that would provide you with moderate crowds - not too bad. If your school system doesn't start until after the Labor Day holiday, you might also try very late summer when the crowds go down. This would also give you more time to save for the trip.


If you want to go in April, I'd book within the next month so you can also make any dining reservations you want at the 180 day mark.

I would definitely recommend using Magical Journeys to help book your trip. They're wonderful and will also be sure to help you get the most for your money.

[darthmacho]

Wow! Dining plans 180 days in advance! That's difficult even for an avid planner like myself. I'll start looking into it soon. Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

[princessesmom]

If it were me I would go in April. Easter is early this year, so April probably won't be that bad. I doubt it would be less crowded in the summer and it will certainly be much hotter!

We have been during President's Week twice, since our schools are closed that week. While it is definitely a busy time, it is very doable. You need to get out early, use the fast passes, and take a break in the afternoon if things get too crowded and nerves are growing short. I would expect April to be less crowded than that week. Since you daughter is only in first grade, I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of school for a few days if you think it would help with the crowds.

As for money, only you know what you can afford. It sounded like a value was very doable - so go with that. There are ways to save money on food while you are there - do breakfast in the room and bring your own snacks into the park.

I agree with what some others have said - money spent on family vacations is money well spent. I would much rather put money toward a yearly vacation (or 2) than buying a bigger house or newer car (ours are 9 and 7 years old). Spending time together doing fun things is priceless. I also agree with your point that there are plenty of great family trips to take beside going to disney world - though disney world is one of the best. Since you haven't been in 5 years and you have already mentioned it to the kids, I think it is easy to justify going back there. Plan a trip somewhere else next year.

Good luck with whatever you decide, if you're leaning toward going to DW I would book now!