One trip or two?

[MountainMouse]

I posted a similar question in another forum, but want to get the feedback here as well. Next year we're planning two trips for a week each. One in early September where we'll catch MNSSHP and early December going to MVMCP. Never been to either event and want to at least try them before our daughter is school age and it gets more difficult to travel. I've gotten the bright idea in my head to possibly combine the trips into one lasting just over a couple of weeks (last couple of days of October and first two weeks of November) to experience both Halloween and Christmas in the same trip while saving on airfare. As an added benefit food and wine will also be going on although not sure how much our 4 year old would let us enjoy it.

So, has anyone done this before and did you enjoy it? Looks like there's a week this year between parties, is it kind of dull that week without any decorations or does everything "magically" change one night?

Thanks for any input/opinions.

 

[cvjw]

We did this last year and caught the end of Food and Wine, the last Halloween party and the first Christmas party. Keep in mind that the first week of November has traditionally been "Jersey Week", so the crowds are a little heavier. We also found both of the parties to be fairly crowded, as both were sold out.

Over all, I would not hesitate to take a trip the same week again.

 

[MountainMouse]

We did this last year and caught the end of Food and Wine, the last Halloween party and the first Christmas party. Keep in mind that the first week of November has traditionally been "Jersey Week", so the crowds are a little heavier. We also found both of the parties to be fairly crowded, as both were sold out. Over all, I would not hesitate to take a trip the same week again.

Thanks for the feedback and information on Jersey week. How was the switchover from Halloween to Christmas decorations? Overnight or over several days?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The Oct/Nov is a good time to catch Halloween, F&W and then the start of Christmas but you'll miss out on some of Christmas things that you would get in early Dec. the parks start getting switched over right after Halloween but the resort decorations are in the week to two weeks before Thanksgiving. And the candlelight processional doesn't start until after Thanksgiving as well as the Holiday story tellers in each of the countries in Epcot. So it's kind of a choice of getting a bit of both seasons in one trip or getting full experience of both with 2 trips.

We've done all three times your talking about and they are all good, just a bit of a trade off on Christmas activities. If you've never been for Christmas I bet you'd be perfectly happy with what you'd get in Nov but there also is a bit more to it later - just an fyi. For us, having done Dec more than once we're also happy with the over lap time in Nov but I do like the CP and the resorts decorated too,

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks for the feedback and information on Jersey week. How was the switchover from Halloween to Christmas decorations? Overnight or over several days?

MK gets done first and will be fully switched by the date of the first MVMCP. Next is Epcot, then DHS gets finished (Osborne lights start going up in Sept or so and are ready about the same time as MVMCP). Last seems to be AK? This year on Nov 13th I went to AK and they still didn't have the tree up there but DHS had gotten theirs before I left.

 

[MountainMouse]

Appreciate the replies. This has helped.

 

[ontheuptick]

I wouldn't do that, personally.

There's to much Christmas that you would miss out on. Osborne Lights, candlelight Processional, Illuminations add-on, the resorts being decorated, etc. To me, these are the things that make Christmas at WDW special much more than just the party. Also, who really is into the Christmas spirit in early November? I would much much rather keep your December trip as is, you won't get the same experience in early November.

I think you are overrating the MNSSHP if you are considering changing your Christmas trip for it.

If it were me, I would make sure the December Chriatmas trip was priority number 1. If that means you don't spend the money for 2 trips and catch Halloween another year down the road? No big deal.

 

[MountainMouse]

I wouldn't do that, personally. There's to much Christmas that you would miss out on. Osborne Lights, candlelight Processional, Illuminations add-on, the resorts being decorated, etc. To me, these are the things that make Christmas at WDW special much more than just the party. Also, who really is into the Christmas spirit in early November? I would much much rather keep your December trip as is, you won't get the same experience in early November. I think you are overrating the MNSSHP if you are considering changing your Christmas trip for it. If it were me, I would make sure the December Chriatmas trip was priority number 1. If that means you don't spend the money for 2 trips and catch Halloween another year down the road? No big deal.

Thanks for the reply, this is my wife's exact opinion and thus exactly what we're going to do. It was worth looking in to the combined option but Christmas is the more important to us. Also, Halloween would be great, but it would mean we would miss it at home.