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Triple Digit Lift Tickets

BenedictGomez

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Ski areas don't buy out other ski areas unless they have outside investors (ie Peak Resorts)

Or unless they have "free money" (ie Jay Peak).

Someone else mentioned that it's protected bear habitat.

It is? I never knew that. WTH does that slice of Vermont need a "protected bear habitat" to begin with? There's plenty of them and they're not even remotely threatened/endangered.
 

Bumpsis

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I disagree look at my signature and I have always paid 50% or less! I have plenty of options and it is never a problem! I find the deals easy to work with and ski decent resorts! Paying full price is craziness!


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

I don't know what it is that you actually disagree with in my post. Perhaps you missed my main point which was that in most instances (if not all), being able to buy on discount involves a prepay and you're stuck with it for better or worse. I'm sure that you can find deals, I find them too but not for this current week at Sugarloaf.

I did look at your signature and I did not see Sugarloaf for days of 2/16 - 2/21 listed among your trips. So, you can call me crazy or stupid for paying list, but you're not walking in my shoes on this one.

It's like I did not have the chance to buy some Liftopia tickets for this current week at Sugarloaf. They were available a good couple of weeks before my arrival here and the savings were about 30% or so. But if I had bought, I would have been stuck with at least a couple of days when the weather on the mountain was just brutal and there were significant wind holds, which made for less than optimal skiing experience (long lines and brutal windchills). And today - rain. Not my cup of tea. if I had prepaid tickets, it would have been a loss, regardless of savings. I just would not ski.

I don't enjoy forking over a small fortune for walk up tickets but being able to choose the most optimal times and conditions to ski, outweights the gamble of being compelled to ski in crappy weather or endure long waits when lifts are limited due to wind holds.
 

abc

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But if I had bought, I would have been stuck with at least a couple of days when the weather on the mountain was just brutal and there were significant wind holds, which made for less than optimal skiing experience (long lines and brutal windchills). And today - rain. Not my cup of tea. if I had prepaid tickets, it would have been a loss, regardless of savings. I just would not ski.

I don't enjoy forking over a small fortune for walk up tickets but being able to choose the most optimal times and conditions to ski, outweights the gamble of being compelled to ski in crappy weather or endure long waits when lifts are limited due to wind holds.
Economy 101, my friend.

You want flexibility? You pay extra for it!

You want to ski ONLY the days with optimal condition? You pay for it! If the other guy gets 2 day for the price of your 1 day, one of his days were raining! Well, that's fair as daylight!

Instead of charging extra on bluebird day after a fresh dump, and discount when it's icy glaze, the mountain charges the same from day to day, but makes advance purchase at deep discount. It ends up with the same result. Those who don't mind skiing crappy conditions pay little and those who pick and choose the best condition pay a lot more!
 

steamboat1

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I can pick & chose my days with my pass & other discount coupons. Other discounts are offered on only specific days but I don't have to take advantage of them if I don't want to. I can make a decision that day whether I want to or not.
 

Edd

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It's like I did not have the chance to buy some Liftopia tickets for this current week at Sugarloaf. They were available a good couple of weeks before my arrival here and the savings were about 30% or so. But if I had bought, I would have been stuck with at least a couple of days when the weather on the mountain was just brutal and there were significant wind holds, which made for less than optimal skiing experience (long lines and brutal windchills). And today - rain. Not my cup of tea. if I had prepaid tickets, it would have been a loss, regardless of savings. I just would not ski.

I don't enjoy forking over a small fortune for walk up tickets but being able to choose the most optimal times and conditions to ski, outweights the gamble of being compelled to ski in crappy weather or endure long waits when lifts are limited due to wind holds.

This. AZ summits aside, buying tickets ahead at the Loaf is a risk I wouldn't take.
 

mlkrgr

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I really wouldn't be surprised if Stowe breaks the $100 mark next year. And I don't think it'll hurt them in the least. Most of their target demographic won't bat an eye, and the rest of us will still go as long as we can find deals.

I think resorts are just trying to get people to commit ahead of time. If walk up prices were cheap, people would plan a trip, and then if the weather didn't cooperate they'd just cancel. But with high walk up prices, people are pushed to buy in advance, and then it doesn't matter what mother nature does, the resort already has your money. Think about how many times you've heard people say they were going to go skiing and then changed their mind last minute? It happens a lot. Especially with the less dedicated crowd, I'd imagine, make up the largest portion of total sales.

I wouldn't either. There's enough discounts around even for Stowe. They've had 3 buses that have gone up to Stowe for $67 (bus and lift ticket included) on Nacski.com with promo code HAXNS (or $77 regular price). Because of the bus pricing, Stowe ends up being a better deal for me than many smaller resorts including Smuggs, MRG, Bolton, etc. once you count in transit costs, and especially when weekend pricing is considered.
 

MadMadWorld

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Or unless they have "free money" (ie Jay Peak).



It is? I never knew that. WTH does that slice of Vermont need a "protected bear habitat" to begin with? There's plenty of them and they're not even remotely threatened/endangered.

That's the word. Seems pretty ridiculous to me too.
 

billski

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Stowe raises it's rates, on the average, every third year. They went up 6 to 98 this season. after two years at 92 and three years at 89. They intend to add hundreds of new condo units over the next few years. They'll be breaking the barrier in '15-16 or later. BTW, Stowe is planning an indoor water/sports park similar to JPR.

If I look at this based on the raw basis of the skiing terrain and service, comparing Vail to Stowe is like night and day. After having skied Stowe for nearly 30 years, when I hit Vail for the first time, my on only descriptive word was "vast". Would I pay $100 to ski at Vail? Given the experience, terrain and upslope ability, the answer would be "yes". (but I never have.) Some people are paying 80 to ski at Disneyland/world (barring discounts).

What we have to remember about ticket pricing is that it's pure retail pricing. Mark it up to mark it down. You can always mark down, and let people think they are getting a deal. You can never mark it up. Nobody ever pays hotel rack rates. Many clothing brands are never, ever intended to be sold at MSRP. Many clothes hit the stores already down 30%.

The other thought expressed here - the resort wants you to stay multiple days is tantamount. There are economies of scale for them - getting you there is the hardest part. It costs less for them to harbor and entertain you each day you are there. Of course being a captive audience never hurt.
 

MadMadWorld

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Stowe raises it's rates, on the average, every third year. They went up 6 to 98 this season. after two years at 92 and three years at 89. They intend to add hundreds of new condo units over the next few years. They'll be breaking the barrier in '15-16 or later. BTW, Stowe is planning an indoor water/sports park similar to JPR.

If I look at this based on the raw basis of the skiing terrain and service, comparing Vail to Stowe is like night and day. After having skied Stowe for nearly 30 years, when I hit Vail for the first time, my on only descriptive word was "vast". Would I pay $100 to ski at Vail? Given the experience, terrain and upslope ability, the answer would be "yes". (but I never have.) Some people are paying 80 to ski at Disneyland/world (barring discounts).

What we have to remember about ticket pricing is that it's pure retail pricing. Mark it up to mark it down. You can always mark down, and let people think they are getting a deal. You can never mark it up. Nobody ever pays hotel rack rates. Many clothing brands are never, ever intended to be sold at MSRP. Many clothes hit the stores already down 30%.

The other thought expressed here - the resort wants you to stay multiple days is tantamount. There are economies of scale for them - getting you there is the hardest part. It costs less for them to harbor and entertain you each day you are there. Of course being a captive audience never hurt.

What is Disney's uphill policy? ;)
 

deadheadskier

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Or unless they have "free money" (ie Jay Peak).



It is? I never knew that. WTH does that slice of Vermont need a "protected bear habitat" to begin with? There's plenty of them and they're not even remotely threatened/endangered.


It's the Beech trees in the area. You go above and to lookers left of Morse Highlands and there's on of the largest stands of Beech trees in the State. Beech nuts are a critical food supply for Black Bear in the fall to help them fatten up and survive in the spring when food is scarce. Because Beech trees are very susceptible to disease, the state doesn't take the conservation of them lightly.

IIRC from the surveying I participated with in the area, development is restricted within 500 yards of this particular stand.
 

BenedictGomez

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It's the Beech trees in the area. You go above and to lookers left of Morse Highlands and there's on of the largest stands of Beech trees in the State. Beech nuts are a critical food supply for Black Bear in the fall to help them fatten up and survive in the spring when food is scarce. Because Beech trees are very susceptible to disease, the state doesn't take the conservation of them lightly.

So, is the area protected for the trees or for the bear? Black Bear have a massively diverse diet and would probably be fine without the trees. Then again, beech trees arent threatened either, so I'm not really sure I understand this.
 

MadMadWorld

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I think we need to focus on what's important.....Lots of scary bears up there and the snow sucks. If you see me heading in there don't follow!
 

deadheadskier

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Beech trees are highly susceptible to disease. So, healthy stands of this size and quality are not to be removed. It's an unusually large stand and it's presence results in one of the highest concentrations of Black Bear in the state. They are there because of those trees as Beech nuts are one of their preferred and most nutritious foods to eat before they den.

When we were doing the survey work (UVM School of Natural Resources), Smuggs was only looking to expand Cross Country terrain in the area and the State said no. Is what it is.
 

skiNEwhere

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What we have to remember about ticket pricing is that it's pure retail pricing. Mark it up to mark it down. You can always mark down, and let people think they are getting a deal. You can never mark it up.

Yup, exactly.

And that's the same reason retailers have made black friday look so appealing.
 

The Sneak

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Our lift tickets at Vail on MLK day were a breezy $139 each.

And lol at Stowe having the best skiing... The Loaf is king of the east, period.
 

abc

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And you know what? Why not? Vail gets so packed on Holidays, they could probably charge $200 a lift tickets and still be crowded.
Everywhere will be crowded on holidays because of school schedule.

The irony is, many a family when their budget gets tight, they'll typically cut back on skiing during non-holidays.
 

x10003q

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Stratton just broke the $100 barrier - for 3 days :smile:

$108 on Liftopia for Sat/Sun/Mon - 4th weekend in March. That's $36/day for a place that wears the "overpriced" crown.

If you buy on the mountain the price is $222 or $74/day. Stratton does offer what looks like a slightly more expensive Liftopia online advanced purchase on the Stratton site.
 

SnowRock

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If you compare Stowe on the east coast to full freight at some of the bumps in the Pokes I think its a deal. Not to mention the four runner starts spinning at 7:30 am. You can get a ton for your money if you get up early. And lastly, that Vermont Travel Club card that I learned about on here is fantastic. As someone who makes it up to stowe 3 or 4 times a season that thing saves me a ton of loot I gladly spend on beer and food.
 
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