First off I want to thank everybody for their advice on the last trip. Super-helpful with the water situation.

That being said, we are planning a new trip for 2009 and need some help finding an app. time to go. We would like to stay during the split between the Food&Wine festival and the X-Mas Season at MK. Is this possible? What is the timeframe that one event ends and another starts? I have somehow got it in my head that the parks (mainly EPCOT) magically transform over night from one thing to another. Is this the case or is there a "dead spot" where you couldn't have the best of both unless you were staying for two weeks or so? We are looking to stay a week max. Any help or if you guys know where to point me in the direction of where to find this info would be greatly appreciated.

If you came in on the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival (which will be crowded with locals getting their last tastes in!), you might see some decorations, and there might be a Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom, but you I don't believe they start the storytellers and the holiday tag on Illuminations until much later in November.

Personally, I think you need to choose one or the other (sorry).

Or do what I MAY do - go for a week or so for the F&W Festival, and then do a long weekend for MouseFest in early December :~D

I think Cathy's right. You will see decorations, but last year the first date for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party was Nov 12th.

Tracy and I went late Oct/early Nov of 2006. We hit the F&WF, and all week long we were enjoying the Halloween decorations and theming. They literally had the huge Christmas tree up at the AK the day after Halloween. I think they played Christmas music everywhere too.

Oh, we did get to see the Osborne Lights at MGM (now DHS), but our friend is a CM and we got the CM sneak preview. I believe they don't start regularly till mid-Nov as well.

In 2006 and 2007, we ended up at WDW the week before Thanksgiving. Both years, that means we missed the F&WF by a day or two, but both times, Xmas was in pretty full swing in all parks and a lot of the hotels. No Candlelight Processional at Epcot, but most of the decorations were up. I would put it at 75-80% of the Xmas stuff. We found the crowds to be VERY manageable as well. Both times, the weather was relatively cool, but all in all, not a bad time to go.

If you can do a 3-week trip, you're all set. Otherwise, it's basically pick & choose what you want.....Food & Wine, low crowds, or Christmas stuff.

Osborne Lights will start before Thanksgiving, but the rest of the holiday stuff begins the Friday afther Thanksgiving. That whole week is very busy, and the weekend is positively mobbed. For Christmas stuff, the best time to come would be the Sunday AFTER Thanksgiving, to stay the following week. You'll have all the holiday stuff and low crowds....just no Food & Wine.

The last weekend of Food & Wine is busy at Epcot and also at Hollywood Studios during Super Soap Weekend. As a result, resorts book up really early for those dates!