Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2012 Y D	Apr. 30, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes, maturity date	Jun. 01, 2012
Maximum funding by facility	$ 1,700,000,000
Expiration date of credit facility	July 31, 2013
Amount of minimum equity maintained	500,000,000
Reduction of the aggregate outstanding principal amount, maximum	200,000,000
Reduction of aggregate outstanding principal period (in days)	30
Net worth in compliance with covenants	1,300,000,000
Capital lease obligation	10,393,000	10,953,000
Capital lease obligation (in years)	11
Payments to retire debt in 2013	631,400,000
Payments to retire debt in 2014	700,000
Payments to retire debt in 2015	400,200,000
Payments to retire debt in 2016	800,000
Payments to retire debt in 2017	800,000
Payments to retire debt beyond 2017	6,600,000
Mortgage loans held for investment eligible to serve as collateral	297,100,000
Available-for-sale securities eligible to serve as collateral	121,400,000
Senior Notes, 7.875%, Due January 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	599,913,000	599,788,000
Senior Notes, maturity date	Jan. 15, 2013
Senior Notes, issued	600,000,000
Senior Notes, interest rate	7.875%
Senior Notes, 5.125%, Due October 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes	399,412,000	399,177,000
Senior Notes, maturity date	Oct. 30, 2014
Senior Notes, issued	400,000,000
Senior Notes, interest rate	5.125%
$500 Million Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility repayment	500,000,000
Senior Notes 6 3/4% Due In November 2004 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility repayment	250,000,000
Credit facility repayment, interest rate	6.75%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of annual facility fee	0.70%
Maximum [Member] \| LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual interest rate of facility	2.80%
Maximum [Member] \| PRIME [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual interest rate of facility	1.80%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of annual facility fee	0.20%
Minimum [Member] \| LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual interest rate of facility	1.30%
Minimum [Member] \| PRIME [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual interest rate of facility	0.30%
FHLB [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of advanced capacity	$ 334,200,000

Amount of advanced capacity.

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Capital lease obligation (in years).

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Credit Facility Repayment, Interest Rate

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Net worth in compliance with covenants.

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Percentage of annual facility fee

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No definition available.

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Reduction of the aggregate outstanding principal amount.

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Reduction of aggregate outstanding principal period.

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- Definition

The fair value of available-for-sale securities that serve as collateral for borrowings.

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Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

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The percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

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No definition available.

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The average effective interest rate during the reporting period.

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Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter, etc.).

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The carrying amount of held-to-maturity securities that serve as collateral for borrowings.

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Decrease for amounts repaid on the credit facility for the period.

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-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(f))

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Reflects when the credit facility terminates, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter).

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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

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Amount of long-term debt maturities after year five following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed of determinable prices and dates.

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Amount of long-term debt maturing within the next twelve months following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed or determinable prices and dates.

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Amount of long-term debt maturing in year five following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed of determinable prices and dates.

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Amount of long-term debt maturing in year four following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed of determinable prices and dates.

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Amount of long-term debt maturing in year three following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed of determinable prices and dates.

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Amount of long-term debt maturing in year two following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, which may include maturities of long-term debt, sinking fund requirements, and other securities redeemable at fixed or determinable prices and dates.

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The lowest amount of net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) required by secondary market investors or state-imposed regulatory mandates.

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-Name Audit and Accounting Guide (AAG)

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The cash inflow from a borrowing with the highest claim on the assets of the entity in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer).

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-Glossary Financing Activities

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Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of Notes with the highest claim on the assets of the issuer in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer). Senior note holders are paid off in full before any payments are made to junior note holders.

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