R Day

When you book the Thayer for R-day I think you get the 1st and the 2nd. That’s what our reservations say.
 
Just a suggestion, when you book for A Day- don't book Highland Falls or the Thayer- I wanted to get as far away from WP as possible on A Day- most cadets do on A Day- my parents stayed in Fishkill- they have a Wal-Mart (you will need to shop for supplies) Sams, a mall just down the road- lots of places to eat- movie theater- and most important- laundry mat. My parents stayed at Hyatt House. I wanted to unwind- just a suggestion for A Day
 
I have been given strict orders that DD is going R day ALONE...oh the independence I am now dealing with! Luckily A day I will be staying with family, but having grown up in the area I also suggest Fishkill if you are still looking to make reservations. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc and it is just far enough away to feel like your cadet is "getting away".
 
Thank you to all for the great advice! I e-mailed the Thayer this morning and they called me right back. There are rooms available for R-Day if you call, I guess they are just blacked out on the website and not available for online booking. Congrats to all of the Class of 2022! DS is over the moon excited to be a part of this amazing experience!
 
Teragram said:
I have been given strict orders that DD is going R day ALONE...oh the independence I am now dealing with!
. . . it is just far enough away to feel like your cadet is "getting away".
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As far as 'alone on R day' don't worry - you get there super early, stand in line; ride a bus, stand in line, say your <60 second goodbye, and then all the new cadets are by themselves anyway instantly regretting being alone. Don't miss the oath ceremony that afternoon if you can help it however.

And for 'far enough away' on A-day there is a downside - late night Saturday campus return followed by 5AM Sunday campus pickup. Not too far unless you love driving serpentine hills in the dark. Out of sight will be far enough for them after BCT !!
 
Thayer reservations are non refundable. The question of how confident can one be is now an issue in my head. This is one heck of a roller coaster ride..
 
The R-Day A-Day stay close or far discussion starts every year. There are advantages and disadvantages of each.

Spring Valley, Central Vally, Fishkill are all have food, shopping, a chance to get away but are 20-40 minutes away from West Point

Thayer or Highland Falls offer close proximity about pick up or drop off but then you will be driving to go for food or shopping.

My own opinion; It depends what your DS or DD wants. I usually do not disagree with my favorite @DrMom often but we did it different

For R-Day, we went the weekend prior, stayed in Spring Valley and spent a few days in the city. It was closer to more things we wanted to do. The ride was eerily silent on the 30 minute drive to R-Day but the family survived. If you are just going to R-Day and arriving Sunday night, staying close is a better suggestion.

For A-day, I would really suggest to stay a bit away because your child will be happy to walk through the mall, eat at a decent restaurant, go to Target or Walmart, and eat again. We also stayed in Spring Valley and things were fine. Parents were driving late at night but the cadets did not see much difference in travel time.
 
How does it work with free time on A day? Do they have a significant amount of time away from WP?
 
Teragram said:
I have been given strict orders that DD is going R day ALONE...oh the independence I am now dealing with! Luckily A day I will be staying with family, but having grown up in the area I also suggest Fishkill if you are still looking to make reservations. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc and it is just far enough away to feel like your cadet is "getting away".
Click to expand...
Interesting the effect a couple of months in Alabama has on them!
 
When DD went for an overnight in October, we stayed in Fishkill. Not a bad drive, and we are going to stay there again. I called the Thayer and while they do have rooms, she was very clear that there was a 2 night minimum, and there were no refunds. And it was a bit pricey for my blood. The convenience would be nice, but there will be lines for most, if not all, so we are not sweating that.
 
All booked for shadow visit in February, R-day and A-day. We have been to West point a couple times for sports camps and vehicles were allowed to park in one of the remote lots and we were shuttled to our destination. I am assuming there will be a similar process for R-Day, A-day and Plebe Parents weekend?? I fully expect to bring my DD's siblings on A day to celebrate her completion of CBT (see lots of pictures of siblings) but am not expecting them to come along for R-Day. It is going to be a difficult enough day for my wife and I but we will keep it together for our DD's sake. I am hoping a Parents group is formed soon so we can all support each others mental breakdowns the weeks leading up to R-day ( and throughout their difficult journey ahead)!
 
MidwestDad said:
Teragram said:
I have been given strict orders that DD is going R day ALONE...oh the independence I am now dealing with!
. . . it is just far enough away to feel like your cadet is "getting away".
Click to expand...

As far as 'alone on R day' don't worry - you get there super early, stand in line; ride a bus, stand in line, say your <60 second goodbye, and then all the new cadets are by themselves anyway instantly regretting being alone. Don't miss the oath ceremony that afternoon if you can help it however.

And for 'far enough away' on A-day there is a downside - late night Saturday campus return followed by 5AM Sunday campus pickup. Not too far unless you love driving serpentine hills in the dark. Out of sight will be far enough for them after BCT !!
Click to expand...
I agree late nights through Harriman Park and over Storm King (headed to Newburgh) can get treacherous...that's why Fishkill is a good option for those not familiar with the area and unable to stay right there at Thayer. Straight across Bear Mtn Bridge and up Rte 9 to Fishkill...no serpentine hills to be had :)
 
Someone mentioned a parents groups. The West Point Parent Liaison has established a Class of 2022 Parents Page. Please search for it. You cannot join until after your child hits ‘accept.’
 
I spoke to Thayer at length and if your son or daughter does not know 100% about attending you can still book and will be refunded if you send them a copy of any official correspondence detailing the change.
 
Parent of 4 said:
How does it work with free time on A day? Do they have a significant amount of time away from WP?
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Typically, they get cut loose after the parade on Saturday morning around 11 or 12 and have to be back around midnight. Then they can leave around 6 Sunday morning and have to be back by around 17:00 on Sunday.

So yes, they will get 10-12 hours each day that they can be away from post.
 
Sorry to be late getting back to you. As @USMAROTCFamily family said...search in Facebook.

On R-Day, you will say farewell early to your child--and not have the opportunity to engage with him or her again. If you hang around all day, you can view the parade but it won't be finished until 6 p.m. or later. (If you make the trip, you might as well stay for the entire thing!).

On A-Day, you get to spend a lot of time with your cadet. Shopping, eating, watching him or her get caught up on Game of Thrones, you can go to the Palisades Mall or into NYC or to the movies (at Palisades Mall) and definitely to Target or Walmart for school supplies (Target is in Palisades Mall--about 30 minutes away from USMA, plenty of parking, restaurants, movie theater, and bookstore.)
Good luck making plans for the big days ahead...
 
I barely missed getting reservations at Thayer for R day. Is it the West Point parents Facebook page where people will mention any reservations that they want to get rid of?
 
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