Okemo - RFID

[spiderpig]

Bump.

So now that the season has begun and Snowbird's system is up online I figured I would respond. A lot of places out here have RFID--Squaw Valley, all the Vail Resorts, Brighton, Solitude, Alta, and now Snowbird.

I first used RFID at Zermatt in 2002 I thought it was pretty cool and efficient. Made for a nice souvenir as well.

In terms of season passes, Alta was my first RFID pass. Except for the very first day where there was a 3 second pause for the system to recognize my Alta/Bird pass, there were no issues.

This Saturday on my first outing of the season, with a new Alta-Bird pass, the Alta folks were proactive and encouraged folks to walk up and ensure that their passes opened the gates before they opened the lift. I did so and no issue. Overall, I saw no real issues for anyone this weekend. They are able to see on their tablets who is going through the gates and kid passes are color coded so that they can tell if an adult is using a kid's pass. For season passes they see the picture of the passholder for quick ID. Pretty cool.

The Bird's system is now exactly the same. No issues. Kept my pass in my coat all day long and had no issues at any gates. My wife's Alta pass allows her to track her runs....Vail's program is insane in this regard because it Emails you your stats at the end of the day.

As for day passes, some have been finicky with me, but overall no major problems. I had one day in 2012 or 2013 at Alta where my day pass got too close to my phone and might have gotten screwed up, but they fixed it.

So for me it is great. Love it. Makes my life a whole lot easier. Now at Snowbird I don't have to pull my pass out on every run or deal with scanners that sometimes don't work or read right.

I have not read all the comments, but I wonder why folks complain--paying extra for a day pass? Problems with day passes? Seems like a first world problem to me, but to each their own.

Probably because of paying extra. Even impacts forum users who like to ski a lot of different mountains in a year and would have to save a bunch off RFID cards if every place implemented it.

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[MEtoVTSkier]

Probably because of paying extra. Even impacts forum users who like to ski a lot of different mountains in a year and would have to save a bunch off RFID cards if every place implemented it.

So there's an opening for some enterprising person to create "One Card to Rule Them All"

 

[thetrailboss]

Probably because of paying extra. Even impacts forum users who like to ski a lot of different mountains in a year and would have to save a bunch off RFID cards if every place implemented it.

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Multiple season passes?

 

[cdskier]

Information, information, information (which lifts are used most, where a person skis, etc)

To get complete info, wouldn't they have to implement it on all lifts including upper mountain lifts that currently have no scanning at all at many areas?

 

[thetrailboss]

To get complete info, wouldn't they have to implement it on all lifts including upper mountain lifts that currently have no scanning at all at many areas?

That's very true. Alta has all their lifts equipped with RFID; Park City does too. But Snowbird does not I believe (we're not completely open after adding the RFID)

 

[spiderpig]

Multiple season passes?

day tickets, so you don't have to pay the $5 fee every time. I've held onto a Jiminy Peak card for years.

 

[SnowRock]

Actually good for 50% off lift tickets at Stowe after the first 2 free ones. When I spoke to Stowe this summer, they were not sure if they would going to integrate the MCP into the Evolution card and bypass or require you to go to the window each morning to purchase a single day pass.

I picked up a Mountain Collective pass as well this year and was hoping it would be integrated. They have done that with the Vermont travel club card the past few years. First day of the season you had to go to the window but then could buy online at the reduced rate the rest of the year. I made the mistake of trying to add bypass versus simply buying on my phone in the lot or lodge and had to go back to the window to get straightened out.

I imagine its slightly more complicated with the mountain collective but was hoping to avoid hitting up a window every day.. though i rarely see lines more than a person deep at mansfield.

 

[mbedle]

I picked up a Mountain Collective pass as well this year and was hoping it would be integrated. They have done that with the Vermont travel club card the past few years. First day of the season you had to go to the window but then could buy online at the reduced rate the rest of the year. I made the mistake of trying to add bypass versus simply buying on my phone in the lot or lodge and had to go back to the window to get straightened out.

I imagine its slightly more complicated with the mountain collective but was hoping to avoid hitting up a window every day.. though i rarely see lines more than a person deep at mansfield.

I checked with Stowe on that and back in the summer they were still not sure if it would be intergraded with the Evolution cards. Hopefully they will and you can use bypass at the half off rate.

 

[thetrailboss]

day tickets, so you don't have to pay the $5 fee every time. I've held onto a Jiminy Peak card for years.

Yes, that is a pain.

 

[thetrailboss]

I picked up a Mountain Collective pass as well this year and was hoping it would be integrated. They have done that with the Vermont travel club card the past few years. First day of the season you had to go to the window but then could buy online at the reduced rate the rest of the year. I made the mistake of trying to add bypass versus simply buying on my phone in the lot or lodge and had to go back to the window to get straightened out.

I imagine its slightly more complicated with the mountain collective but was hoping to avoid hitting up a window every day.. though i rarely see lines more than a person deep at mansfield.

My Alta/Bird pass has the Mountain Collective benefits--the 50% at any other resort deal that is. If I get to Vermont this year I am tempted to use it at Stowe.

 

[rocks860]

Bump.

So now that the season has begun and Snowbird's system is up online I figured I would respond. A lot of places out here have RFID--Squaw Valley, all the Vail Resorts, Brighton, Solitude, Alta, and now Snowbird.

I first used RFID at Zermatt in 2002 I thought it was pretty cool and efficient. Made for a nice souvenir as well.

In terms of season passes, Alta was my first RFID pass. Except for the very first day where there was a 3 second pause for the system to recognize my Alta/Bird pass, there were no issues.

This Saturday on my first outing of the season, with a new Alta-Bird pass, the Alta folks were proactive and encouraged folks to walk up and ensure that their passes opened the gates before they opened the lift. I did so and no issue. Overall, I saw no real issues for anyone this weekend. They are able to see on their tablets who is going through the gates and kid passes are color coded so that they can tell if an adult is using a kid's pass. For season passes they see the picture of the passholder for quick ID. Pretty cool.

The Bird's system is now exactly the same. No issues. Kept my pass in my coat all day long and had no issues at any gates. My wife's Alta pass allows her to track her runs....Vail's program is insane in this regard because it Emails you your stats at the end of the day.

As for day passes, some have been finicky with me, but overall no major problems. I had one day in 2012 or 2013 at Alta where my day pass got too close to my phone and might have gotten screwed up, but they fixed it.

So for me it is great. Love it. Makes my life a whole lot easier. Now at Snowbird I don't have to pull my pass out on every run or deal with scanners that sometimes don't work or read right.

I have not read all the comments, but I wonder why folks complain--paying extra for a day pass? Problems with day passes? Seems like a first world problem to me, but to each their own.

Huh I skied zermatt in 2003 and I don't remember them having rfid

 

[machski]

I used RFID 2 years ago in New Zealand. Worked great for the most part but had to be sure the card was in a pocket by itself. Not even a ChapStick tube with it! I liked it for the most part.

 

[slatham]

First time user this past Friday at Okemo. Worked fine each time for the three of us. Way better than the "scanners" that Sugarbush uses - what a PITA! My home mountain (Bromley) and favorite mountain (Magic) are nice and retro in comparison.........

 

[thetrailboss]

Huh I skied zermatt in 2003 and I don't remember them having rfid

They did for at least the Trams because I still have my card.