Our vacation plans changed yet again

Two years ago we took a trip to Disney World. Anyone who has stayed on Disney property knows that it is not cheap. So for the following summer we decided that we would just go on a vacation closer to home. We decided to go to Houston (about 3 hours from here).

But that plan changed when my parents decided to take my brother and my family on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate my Dad’s 80th birthday and my husband and my 20th wedding anniversary. So we pushed the Houston plans to the summer of 2016.

That was the plan when I wrote in January about our summer plans. We were going to save money and go on a vacation closer to home so that we could re-do the counter tops in our kitchen. Then we got a much larger than expected tax refund. And my husband mentioned going to Disney in December rather than waiting until June 2017 as was our original plan.

Christmas Tree outside of the Animal Kingdom Theme Park. (2009)

Now, before the kids were in elementary school, we had taken them to Disney World a couple of times in December. The weather is great and the theme parks and hotels are all decorated for Christmas. But if you recall a post I wrote back in January, I try not to have my kids miss too much school. Typically they have only missed a day if they are sick.

OK…I admit to taking them out early for the rodeo and once for a beach trip. Every June Disney trip has had them missing the last day of school. I always thought I would feel too guilty to take them out of school for a whole week for a vacation.

I stewed over my husband’s suggestion for a week or so. I began looking at prices of hotels to see if it was any cheaper to go in December verses waiting until June. (Nope, not really much of a price difference.) I even talked to a few parents I know who have taken their kids out of school for a family vacation whether it was Disney World or a cruise. None of them regretted it. One, who now is a teacher at my school, highly encouraged me to do it.

“You won’t regret it,” she said. “Think of the memories you will make.”

Our principal is very family oriented. My kids are good students. If the teachers give make up work, we will do it. If they get zeroes on work for the days they miss, it won’t affect their grades that much. And honestly, who really cares what your grades were in third and fifth grade anyway.

So I decided we would do it. We would take them out for five days in December.

Caribbean Beach Resort

Now each time we have gone to Disney, we have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. My husband and I spent our honeymoon there and an anniversary trip before taking the kids to that resort. But when I looked, there was no openings for the time we wanted to go. (9 months in advance and no standard rooms? Weird but it is the same time as a youth sports groups annual competition and they may be holding rooms for them.)

Animal Kingdom Lodge

I have always wanted to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But this is a deluxe resort and $$$$$. I was thinking if I could get it on a discount and it was only a little more than our normal resort then I would go ahead and do it. Pricing it out with the discount I assumed might be offered and it was still out of our range for what I am willing to spend on a resort.

Savannah View at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Then I read about renting Disney Vacation Club points from a DVC member. This would make the Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge affordable for us. After looking at room options and dates, we booked a Studio with a view of the Savannah for the week after Thanksgiving. I am so excited! I cannot wait to check out this resort!

Taking your kids out of school for non-health related reasons

I always tell my kids that their job is school. It is their job to learn and do their best at the lessons taught. Because I believe school is important, we try not to have them miss school.

I am a firm believer that if they aren’t really sick, then they need to be at school. If they aren’t running a fever (over 100) or throwing up, they are going to school. The one time I relented to this rule, I regretted it.

Of course, there are also doctor or dentist appointments to consider. We try to make those after school but that isn’t always possible, so I try to make them later in the school day, so they don’t miss too much. (School may start at 7:30 am but they have to be in class at 9:30 am to be counted for the day. Even if they come in later than that, they are still marked as absent.)

I know quite a few parents who have no qualms about taking their kids out of school for any reason – vacation, mental health day or whatever. Yes, places like Disney World are less busy during the school year, but I would feel too guilty taking my kids out for a week. There is no amount of makeup work that can replace actually being there.

Jase and Lexie on the tall slide at the rodeo.

Now, I must admit that I have taken the kids out for some not medical reasons. The last time was just two and a half weeks ago. Every year, San Antonio has a Stock Show & Rodeo in February.  This is a two-week event featuring not just a rodeo and agricultural exhibits but major singers nightly and a carnival.

We don’t typically go to the rodeo though it is very popular (read crowded). I took the kids when Jase was 6 and Lexie was 3 for what they call Dollar Days. Admission, all carnival rides and some foods only cost $1 on these days. Two years later, I took them again and then again this year.

The best way to beat those crowds on these discount days is to go early so I have taken the kids out of school around 11 am (or during the first year just waited until Jase was out of his pre-K class).

Lexie watching baby chicks hatch.

It isn’t all riding rides. We do some of the other kid activities and check out the petting zoo. I hope that some of it is at least educational for them. It at least lets them see another side of life if nothing else.

This is only one afternoon every other year, so I don’t feel too bad about taking them out. Last year, they also missed a day in the spring. My husband had a conference at South Padre Island, so we went up the weekend before. Since it is a 5-hour drive, we decided the kids and I would just drive back on Monday. But I knew the kids didn’t have any tests or major activities happening that day, so I felt fine with our decision.

And Jase missed the last day of school the first three years of elementary school. But then again, all the teaching is over by then, and we were going on vacation, so I didn’t feel bad at all about this.

As the kids advance in school, I actually expect it to be harder to feel okay with taking them out of school for a day here or there. Yes, there are some things like doctor’s appointments but most of their time is best spent in school learning.