I love my ball python. If you get a captive bred snake it will usually be a good eater, my current ball "Delphi" has never missed a meal. I think troublesome Balls are much less common then they used to be. Captive breeding has really produced good eaters. Seasonal fasts in adult snakes are still to be expected but are not really a problem. The fasts seem triggered more by light frequency than temperature, since most tanks are temp controlled, and many people report seasonal fasts. Also the husbandry is really well known so, husbandry related fasts are really a thing of the past.

Ball pythons are usually very chill, but they can get stressed by frequent handling and even though they just hang out, they might not be the best snake for frequent handling. I find that sometimes, handling balls can put them off of food for a day or two. This really depends mostly on the individual snake, since some will eat after being handled and some won't.

Though I have experience with other peoples corn snakes, I just picked up a my first corn snake. She is a rescue from someone who lost interest in her after about a year. She is in good shape, very active, will eat seconds after being held. She is just hypnotic as she moves though my fingers. I use both hands, with my fingers spread, guide her from one hand to the next, then turn my wrist so she makes a complete circuit. She will move continuously like this for hours, her maze like markings moving past one another in a whir, We renamed her maze.

I have to agree with the corn snakes poop a lot comment. I have had Maze for two weeks and cleaned the tank six times already. When I worked in a college vivarium, the colubrids all had messy cages every few days, the boas and pythons tended to defecate less often, except for the Tics that seemed to enjoy messing a cage five minutes after it was cleaned. I will say that colubrid poop is generally not as rank as Boa or Python Poop.

Both types of snakes are great beginner snakes, but I would probably go with the corn first. It is an easier snake to care for, and a more certain eater. It is less expensive, so you can spend more money on a proper set up. It takes smaller prey through its lifetime. Corn snakes are far more curious than Ball Pythons in general. Individual snakes may vary. My corn is constantly watching what is going on outside of her tank. This seems true of most corns. My ball stays in her hide 95% of the time and could care less about anything. This seems typical of most ball pythons. Corn snakes are not generally as strictly nocturnal as ball pythons, so you will see your corn snake more. Corn snakes also seem to be less stressed by handling than ball pythons.

Either way, you will be getting a great first snake. I hope you have many happy years as a snake keeper. Please remember though, that both species can live for decades, and that the Ball Python could potentially make it half a century, so these snakes require long term stability and commitment on your part.

Best of luck.

David