So Considering This Season, Will You Buy a Season Pass For Next Year?

[hammer]

I have two friends that bought Wachusett passes that haven't been yet this season at all!

Why not? Conditions haven't been the greatest but IMO Wachusett is less dependent than many on optimal weather...

 

[Glenn]

Yes. After this weekend, I'll have 20+ days in. It's been gravy after day 7.

 

[drjeff]

Yes. After this weekend, I'll have 20+ days in. It's been gravy after day 7.

Yup! I'll be at Day 25 by the end of my weekend coming up. And if you count in the days I got on my pass from when I actually bought it in early March last season, my current pass has been scanned on about 45 different days

The weather is what it is. And frankly I don't care if it's the most epic powder day ever or the cr@ppiest weather and snow conditions day ever, I've got a certain number of days that I can get out on the hill each season, and i'm going to make the most of them!

 

[zakyr]

I for one actually plan on getting my first season pass next year to Gunstock.

The conditions may not be the best, but you gotta make the most of it!

 

[frapcap]

The 4-20's pass available at Sugarbush is one of the best things to ever happen at any mountain.
Even though its 4 hours away, the low cost really makes the season affordable for me and other younger folks.
Regardless of this years weather, I'll buy it again for next season; assuming it is still available.

I wonder if more mountains will follow suit with this deal?

 

[hammer]

Oh yeah, this year, it's been 18 days on mountain for me. I think I paid $529 for the pass. That is south of $30 a day. Very reasonable.

How many of those are midweek?

Good to see that someone is getting out there...would be nice to have a place like Sunday River within easy day trip range...

 

[xwhaler]

For me season passes only make sense if you have a place on mtn or real close by that you can committ to going to nearly every wknd. A couple yrs ago I rented a cabin on Rangeley Lake for the season and got 37 days in at Saddleback from early Dec thru early April doing wknds and a few days midweek days where I'd take a Friday or Monday off work.
My wife and I were both in grad school at the time (PT, Night) and utilized the $299 college pass. Total cost per day of skiing was $8.08!

Now, we are out of school and have a couple friends with places in ski country (1 near Okemo/Magic and another near Loaf/Saddleback) For us at this point it makes sense to go after the deals and the variety of skiing. I should net approx 25 days this year at an average of just under $30....roughly 10 diff mtns.

 

[St. Bear]

I'm most likely going to jump back into the seasons pass market next year, though it'll be at tiny Shawnee in the Poconos so my son can start taking lessons. I'm excited because it'll let my wife and I get our ski legs and work on technique in between trips to bigger mountains. In the 3 years that I haven't had a pass, I've definitely noticed a regression in my technique and ability since I can't get out multiple times a week.

If I lived up north (and hopefully one day I will again), I doubt I'd get a pass. I guess it would depend on exactly where I lived.

 

[drjeff]

The 4-20's pass available at Sugarbush is one of the best things to ever happen at any mountain.
Even though its 4 hours away, the low cost really makes the season affordable for me and other younger folks.
Regardless of this years weather, I'll buy it again for next season; assuming it is still available.

I wonder if more mountains will follow suit with this deal?

With the amount of customer demographic data available in house to most ski areas these days, I think that if other areas feel that they can benefit from something like that, they will institute there own version. If their data shows that their target market is something quite different, and that instituting a pass like that would require a decent amount of effort, both in time and dollars spent to market it to a different target audience, then they'll probably choose not too.

I never really realized just how specific a target market a ski area can determine that it has, and then choose to go after until a couple of seasons ago when I was talking with Mount Snow's GM (who worked her way up to GM from a start in the marketing department) about why they do/don't target certain areas for attracting customers, and the level of detail about their customer base they have in general was pretty impressive. Let's face it, certain population areas/demographics tend to go to certain areas for a host of reasons (For example, younger, single folks tend to favor Killington over Okemo reguardless of their skiing/riding abilities because of the nightlife K offers over Okemo, or in general, people that live West of I-91 generally don't go to New Hampshire or Maine to get their skiing/riding fix, or in the case of Mount Snow, people from the Albany area generally don't go there, that kind of data). And to break into a different market group, often has a large amount of effort with little initial returns. And so much of the ski industry nowadays looks at how quickly one can get a return on their investment. Right? Wrong? or just reality??

 

[Glenn]

Yup! I'll be at Day 25 by the end of my weekend coming up. And if you count in the days I got on my pass from when I actually bought it in early March last season, my current pass has been scanned on about 45 different days

The weather is what it is. And frankly I don't care if it's the most epic powder day ever or the cr@ppiest weather and snow conditions day ever, I've got a certain number of days that I can get out on the hill each season, and i'm going to make the most of them!

If Rusty scanned you @ the Station, you'd have at least 60 days in. :lol:

 

[emmaurice2]

I've never bought a season pass, and probably won't unless I move further north. I've done the math for how often I ski at my little local hills and it's still less expensive for me to pay the 4-hr or 2-hr midweek rates per trip than to buy a pass for the season. For day trips or weekend trips I keep my eyes open for deals and discounts.

Last year I averaged about $23 per lift ticket, 30 days total visiting 9 ski areas.

If I were to buy a season pass my decision would definitely not be based on one season's low snowfall amounts.

 

[bobbutts]

A bad winter is always a risk, did you guys not realize that before this season?

 

[BenedictGomez]

Last year I averaged about $23 per lift ticket, 30 days total visiting 9 ski areas..

I'd say I average <$30 per day for sure (probably ~$27), but I'm very diligent with acquiring BOGOs, unrestricted vouchers, preseason ticket deals, etc... , which I actually enjoy. The thrill of the hunt!

 

[thetrailboss]

Some interesting comments in here about this and no surprise that the poll indicates that the wide majority of folks are with me in the die-hard crowd that will buy a pass regardless of how the season went.

To echo what has been said....I think it is interesting that the resorts are really focusing on the President's Week Vacation but it is the last hooray for them and a must have considering that they had bad Christmas and MLK vacations.

With regards to deals, I imagine that after President's Week we will see lots of deals and lots of resorts with "early" season pass offerings. March hopefully will be a snowy and cheap month to ski!

 

[BenedictGomez]

March hopefully will be a snowy and cheap month to ski!

I believe that March/April will be extremely snowy.

I base this not on any knowledge of the weather, but on a firm and almost religious mathematical belief in regression toward the mean.

If you flip a coin 100 times...........

 

[drjeff]

If Rusty scanned you @ the Station, you'd have at least 60 days in. :lol:

I know that come seasons end, that my combined bar tabs in The Station usually makes my season pass cost the 2nd most expensive thing I buy at Mount Snow each season :beer:

 

[JimmyPete]

Absolutely

Two things happened to me this year that determine that I buy a season ticket at Hunter for 12-13, One: in a non-skiing accident I broke my ankle , "No Ski for You". Two: I turned 65, cheaper season pass. A season pass changes everything. Go out at 9 come in at 11 no biggie , no guilt. Go out at 11 come in at three same thing.Stay our all day is a bonus, You can judge the conditions and the crowdsand make skiing what it should be fun. Also Can better go late in the season for some easy spring skiing and beer. If it slushes no problem.

 

[wa-loaf]

May skip the Wawa bronze pass next year. Depends on job situation really more than anything else.

I may move down to Bronze from the Silver. There were no weekends before Christmas this year to ski really. And this March I'll be off on trips most weekends.

 

[marcski]

We'll be back at Platty with passes.

 

[AdironRider]

I married well and get my pass for free, so for me the answer is yes!

Were having one of the worst seasons out here ever as well, still fun. Still buy my pass to Snow King to support the local hill, they need it more and more these days, plus its only 150 bucks.