Praises for the EPIC pass reservation system

[njdiver85]

It appears that a week runs Saturday to Saturday, I had assumed Monday to Monday. With week of reservations opening on Wednesday afternoon, Saturday weather will be largely know by the day ticket crowd before passholders can book.

Yep. Think about all the day ticket purchases that will occur by Wed morning to beat out every single passholder for the busier weekends (which is pretty much every weekend at Mount Snow!). This has been my issue since this whole thing as announced. Passholders are being treated like second class citizens here.

 

[jimmywilson69]

you have 7 priority days once you ski on the first one, you can book another one. I believe this is different than the week of reservations.

I could be wrong.

 

[njdiver85]

you have 7 priority days once you ski on the first one, you can book another one. I believe this is different than the week of reservations.

I could be wrong.

That's not what we're talking about here. Most of us will have sunk our priority days for a holiday weekend that is more than a few weeks out - think President's week. That part is safe. What some of us are concerned about are the week-of reservations. Let's not confuse the two.

 

[drjeff]

That's not what we're talking about here. Most of us will have sunk our priority days for a holiday weekend that is more than a few weeks out - think President's week. That part is safe. What some of us are concerned about are the week-of reservations. Let's not confuse the two.

Agree! Going to be very interesting to see what happens on Wednesday's, both in the early season when the competition for reservations is all with Epic Passholders and especially starting in Mid December when it's both Epic passholders and the general public.

Would of been nice if Vail resorts had implemented a system where they have you "lock in" your home resort when you purchase your pass for the season, and then say Tuesday morning, just those people have access to reservations for that coming weekend at their home resort, then open the system up to all Epic Passholders Tuesday afternoon for the coming weekend, for reservations at your non home resort, then then Wednesday, open it up to all for any resort

 

[kingslug]

oh..its going to be so much fun.

 

[thebigo]

Agree! Going to be very interesting to see what happens on Wednesday's, both in the early season when the competition for reservations is all with Epic Passholders and especially starting in Mid December when it's both Epic passholders and the general public.

Would of been nice if Vail resorts had implemented a system where they have you "lock in" your home resort when you purchase your pass for the season, and then say Tuesday morning, just those people have access to reservations for that coming weekend at their home resort, then open the system up to all Epic Passholders Tuesday afternoon for the coming weekend, for reservations at your non home resort, then then Wednesday, open it up to all for any resort

They could have solved a number of problems if they offered a premium pass, unlimited at your home mountain only, for a significant cost adder. I don't know the number but something in the $500 / pass range sounds reasonable. I suspect the system they implemented works for they vast majority of pass holders but it does not work for those with real estate at the mountain and/or kids in seasonal programs; two groups that are likely the most reliable sources of year to year revenue.

 

[jimmywilson69]

that's where I differ my local "Epic" mountain will be super easy to secure days for. I didn't even book any days outside of December, because who knows if I'll be able to get into the northeast or if I'm comfortable with flying out west.

I see your issue and it should be interesting.

 

[Edd]

Kind of wild that, having an Epic, this’ll be the first time I’ve had a season pass to Stowe, and it’s quite possible I won’t ski it this year.

 

[drjeff]

They could have solved a number of problems if they offered a premium pass, unlimited at your home mountain only, for a significant cost adder. I don't know the number but something in the $500 / pass range sounds reasonable. I suspect the system they implemented works for they vast majority of pass holders but it does not work for those with real estate at the mountain and/or kids in seasonal programs; two groups that are likely the most reliable sources of year to year revenue.

Actually with respect to kids seasonal programs, for Mount Snow at least, any kid that signs up for a seasonal program will automatically have their EPIC active on the days that the program is scheduled to meet, without having to make any reservations for that day. So in theory, since I just have 1 of my 2 kids racing for Mount Snow this year (and the way the program is currently set it be, it will just be training at Mount Snow with the same group of 4 other kids in the same age cohort and the same coach each time, and then having club races at Mount Snow with currently no races planned until March at the earliest possible time with other mountains) there could be a day where within my family, just my daughter gets to ski, if myself, my wife and my son get blocked out of a week of reservation...

Definitely wish they had done something for the passholders who are property owners near the mountain, who spend the vast majority of their time just skiing that 1 mountain. Sincerely hope that's not a tweak they'll have to make for the '21-'22 season!!!!!

 

[SLyardsale]

For giggles I went on the res system. Week of reservations go live Wednesdays at 4pm est / 2pm mst. I got on right at 4pm but had to wait 15 minutes in the waiting room. There were 18K people in front of me. Once it was my turn, both Breck and Keystone were sold out for the weekend 11/14 & 11/15. Only weekdays Fri 11/13 and 11/16 to 11/20 were avail. So it appears week of go Friday to Friday.

I believe there is still a concern for Mt. Snow on the busy weekends - You would probably be wise to queue up early as possible each Wednesday.

 

[njdiver85]

For giggles I went on the res system. Week of reservations go live Wednesdays at 4pm est / 2pm mst. I got on right at 4pm but had to wait 15 minutes in the waiting room. There were 18K people in front of me. Once it was my turn, both Breck and Keystone were sold out for the weekend 11/14 & 11/15. Only weekdays Fri 11/13 and 11/16 to 11/20 were avail. So it appears week of go Friday to Friday.

I believe there is still a concern for Mt. Snow on the busy weekends - You would probably be wise to queue up early as possible each Wednesday.

If you enter the waiting room, I wonder if they are randomly assigning places in line as they did with the priority day opening? Either way, this season will be epically frustrating.

 

[mbedle]

If you enter the waiting room, I wonder if they are randomly assigning places in line as they did with the priority day opening? Either way, this season will be epically frustrating.

Yes, if you are in the waiting room, once reservations open you are randomly assigned a place in line.

 

[jaytrem]

So in theory, since I just have 1 of my 2 kids racing for Mount Snow this year (and the way the program is currently set it be, it will just be training at Mount Snow with the same group of 4 other kids in the same age cohort and the same coach each time, and then having club races at Mount Snow with currently no races planned until March at the earliest possible time with other mountains) there could be a day where within my family, just my daughter gets to ski, if myself, my wife and my son get blocked out of a week of reservation...

You really think somebody else could be the king of the run on sentence? That one was 108 words!!!

 

[SLyardsale]

Yes, if you are in the waiting room, once reservations open you are randomly assigned a place in line.

I looked back as you get an email when you enter... I got on at 4:11, so res were already open.... don't they put you in the waiting room to avoid having the res system crash?

Point being - at 4:11 there were 18k people ahead of me for essentially 2 resorts.

What will the waiting room be like once more resorts come on line? Wednesdays might be tough.

 

[RichT]

Well thank GOD I've retired! Looks like Hunter weekends will be almost impossible to book. Tuesday-Friday (?) for me :-(. Till the vaccine comes out, HURRY UP PLEASE!!!!

 

[drjeff]

You really think somebody else could be the king of the run on sentence? That one was 108 words!!!

I know, I'm slacking lately!! Usually good for 200+!!

 

[BenedictGomez]

They could have solved a number of problems if they offered a premium pass, unlimited at your home mountain only, for a significant cost adder. I don't know the number but something in the $500 / pass range sounds reasonable.

The optics of that would have been horrific.

 

[abc]

That's not what we're talking about here. Most of us will have sunk our priority days for a holiday weekend that is more than a few weeks out - think President's week. That part is safe. What some of us are concerned about are the week-of reservations. Let's not confuse the two.

Are ANY of the holiday weekends' reservation full already? If not, it may be worth "reversing the priorities" till closer to the time.

 

[snoseek]

Kind of wild that, having an Epic, this’ll be the first time I’ve had a season pass to Stowe, and it’s quite possible I won’t ski it this year.

If the border opens I'm down with splitting the drive. They are going crazy in VT now so they can ease later you heard it here first

 

[njdiver85]

Are ANY of the holiday weekends' reservation full already? If not, it may be worth "reversing the priorities" till closer to the time.

My guess is that lots of people are waiting it out right now to see how mountains are operating before booking a big trip, but that once things seem okay, there will be a flood of bookings and those weekends will fill up. Passholders should have been given far more than 7 priority days to both hold holiday weekends as well as a bunch of regular (yet busy) weekends with the idea of rolling over those non-holiday weekends as they get used. This would provide a better guarantee that passholders could ski both on holidays as well as standard weekends at the busy mountains. This is where Vail has failed it's passholders. I suspect many people not tied to a Vail-owned mountain through property ownership will be leaving for Ikon next year if things continue proceed as they seem to have started.