I've got my trip to Vermont narrowed down to these 2. Mt. Snow is a litle more affordable, but not really that much difference in price. Mt. Snow has a plus in that the accomadations are ski-in / ski-out. Killington you have to walk, but you do avoid the shuttle.

It's myself and my 3 college age kids. All are pretty good skiers / boarders, not experts though. We don't spend time on the beginner slopes. I'm thinking I will be happy in either place compared to stuff around here. We are planning for the first week in January after the holidays. So it's kind of early in the season. Killington has more snowmaking and more terrain, so is that the safer bet?

Any first hand experiences with the 2 places?

Thanks.

I've skied both multiple times; used to have a weekend share house between the two near Stratton when I was in grad school.

I'd say Killington. Mount Snow is a wonderful southern VT option for weekenders from NYC (and to a lesser extent Boston), but most people are there due to proximity. I believe there is a hardcore freeride/board/parksnpipes crowd that goes there too.

Killington has more variety, more snowmaking, better/more natural snow, and I would say on average more challenging terrain. The period when it was the most prominent resort in the Northeast is over, but it is still has a lot to offer for your vacation.

IDM, I have never skied Mt Snow but I have skied Killington that same exact week you are planning to go. When I was there in '07 the skiing was pretty good. They didn't have anything too terribly hard open, but there was plenty to keep me happy for 3 days. If I am not mistaken, they had about 100 slopes open. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Here is a shot from one of the days I was there:

I've been to both also and either could work, but I think Norsk's comments are right on target, particularly for a group staying longer than just 2 or 3 days and aggressive enough to want to ski a greater variety of advanced-expert terrain. It could be cold during your visit, but hopefully that will mean good snowmaking conditions and a decent trail count. Sounds like a fun family trip.

Killington.

I've never been to Killington, but I went to Mt. Snow this past winter during the second week of January. Most of the mountain was opened, including their 18 ft superpipe, and 3 of their other terrain parks. My least favorite part about Mt. Snow was the lack of things to do in the evenings. With no night skiing, and no restaurants within a reasonable distance, my friends and I found ourselves bored...and hungry.

Word.