Ski resorts hours of operations

[deadheadskier]

1st Chair (at whatever time) you've got a few diehard day ticket buyers and some of the locals/season passholders (the locals/season pass holders will usually be done with their day within 2 to 3 hours unless its a powder day when they may squeeze in an extra hour or so)

About 1 to 3 hours after 1st chair is when typically the masses of day ticket buyers show up for their usual 4 or 5 runs before lunch followed by another 3 or 4 runs after lunch. Most of them will be done with their day by 2/2:30

depends on the Mountain. If the weather is decent, there's typically a decent line at the Forerunner Quad at Stowe at 7:30 on the weekend and on a powder day, I've waited 20 minutes to get on the lift showing up at 7:30 because the line will start forming at 7:15.

 

[jrmagic]

Yes & the past several years both K & Sugarbush have changed their hours of operation to 10-5 after we go off daylight savings time.

magic has been doing the same and moving hours to 9 -5 in the spring.

 

[abc]

One could probably make the same argument about November/December openings and April/May closings. Most ticket buying skiers don't start till after Christmas and are done buying tickets in March. How many season pass sales would resorts lose by admitting it's too risky/expensive to cover a mountain artificially before Christmas?

Should day trippers be hit with increased ticket prices just so that pass holders have bragging rights of starting in November and finishing in April?

That's a pet peeve of mine! Personally, I suspect covering the mountain with man-made snow before Christmas cost the mountain quite a few pretty pennies, which translates to higher ticket price for day trippers.

As for season pass holders, I think it's more than just bragging rights. I believe many DO ski the full length of the season when the resort is open. As long as they're skiing, they have every right to expect the resort to continue operating. After all, they pay for a "season". So the length of the season IS important for them.

Same for day trippers, they pay for a DAY ticket so naturally (some, if not all) expect a certain number of hours in a "day".

That said, I can see from the resort's point of view why they keep the hours they do, and the opening and closing days too. It's a balancing act for the resort. Skiers can always vote with their wallet, if they don't like the hour or the length of the season!

 

[skiNEwhere]

If ski resorts aren't open or don't have significant amount of terrain open for Christmas, I would think they would lose more money overall in the season than the money they would make during Christmas minus the cost of snowmaking

 

[Smellytele]

If ski resorts aren't open or don't have significant amount of terrain open for Christmas, I would think they would lose more money overall in the season than the money they would make during Christmas minus the cost of snowmaking

I know everyone thinks Christmas is a busy week but I for one never plan to ski anywhere that week. If we get a good snow fall which is rare I may head some where but to actually plan to stay some where is a real crap-shoot.

 

[Cheese]

As for season pass holders, I think it's more than just bragging rights. I believe many DO ski the full length of the season when the resort is open. As long as they're skiing, they have every right to expect the resort to continue operating. After all, they pay for a "season". So the length of the season IS important for them.

I agree but season pass holders are a special category. They help the resorts budget by offering upfront money. However, they are getting deep discounted tickets and very likely will not be spending further money for resort services. Day trippers on the other hand could be renting, taking lessons, eating at the cafeteria and drinking in the bar. A week tripper paying for those services could easily pay more than the cost of a season pass. So, I question which type of customer offers the most revenue to the resort and whether that customer is truly getting their money's worth or if they are just funding the discount for the pass holders season.

 

[thetrailboss]

Pretty much the industry standard is 9-4. You're right that on weekends and holidays that can shift to 8-4. Since being in Utah, I've noticed that places usually don't open before 8:30 or so and that's probably because out here it is pretty dark still at even 8am.

As for out west the lifts stop loading earlier because the areas that need to be swept are, generally, much larger than eastern places, but even then upper mountain or remote lifts at larger places on the east coast will close at 3:45 or so.

 

[Cheese]

... and then there are the race teams. They come in on deep discounted tickets, take over entire sections of the lodge, close trails and sometimes even connecting links between trails, ski above the pace of most traffic and have little regard for intermediate and beginner areas. All of this allowed and perhaps even encouraged because there's a chance that the resort may someday be able to claim that Joe Fastasphuque calls their hill home.

Disclaimer: Major generalization in the above post

 

[ScottySkis]

I've read a few of your posts, and I love how you post all of your opinions as fact, and that you have a sarcastic answer for anyone who doesn't agree. (sarcasam, in case you didn't notice)

Not to mention you totally misunderstood what I said.

I'm talking about how I don't like ski resorts charging more while shortening the ski hours from previous years. I'll take the price increase if I get the SAME hours. That's not more for less.

+100 yes he does.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[abc]

So, I question which type of customer offers the most revenue to the resort and whether that customer is truly getting their money's worth or if they are just funding the discount for the pass holders season.

My guess resorts can't lose either group.

Without the pass holder fronting the cash, they would have to take out a loan to open. That would cost resorts more.

Day and week trippers pay premium for non-pass services. That's where the profit comes from.

Not to be overlooked, a pass holder may bring guests, who might need rental and lessons. Effectively bringing in additional day/week trippers.

When I fly out to SLC, I have up to 10 resorts to choose from. Where did I ski the most? The Canyons! Why? Because my buddy has a season pass there!!! I pay for my day ticket (slightly discounted because my budd has a pass), we eat lunch (my buddy usually don't when not skiing with guest). Each season, they have a rotating cast of visiting guests (family & friends), upward of 20 people! At one week each, that's a lot of day tickets!!! Some of them rent equipment, some of them take lessons, all of them have to eat lunch! These people might not have ski at The Canyons, had it not for their host being a pass holder there!

So, effectively, the couples 2 heavily discounted season pass actually netted the resort a good 20 week worth of day trippers!

Granted, that's probably a more extreme example. But there's still plenty of very good reason why resorts wants to keep their pass holder happy, even though they brown bag their own lunch!

 

[skiNEwhere]

A week tripper paying for those services could easily pay more than the cost of a season pass.

Unless you're skiing Stowe

 

[Cheese]

Granted, that's probably a more extreme example. But there's still plenty of very good reason why resorts wants to keep their pass holder happy. Even though they brown bag their own lunch, they pay more than a lift ticket when closing out their bar tab at the end of each day!

Fixed

 

[gregnye]

I thought this thread would be the long "last chair debate":

Whether the last chair up the mountain should be at exactly 4:00, or whether it should be 10 minutes before, so that the chair stops spinning at 4, and the lifties go home.

It seems like lifties start closing the lift earlier and early so that they truly shut down the lift the instant it stirkes 4 (because the stopped letting passengers on 5 minutes before) ---I really hate this.

 

[bdfreetuna]

At some medium/smaller mountains the Race Teams pay a lot of the bills.

Berkshire East is a big racing mountain there are days/evenings when half the people on the mountain are racers.

Yeah they ski fast but they ski in control. If every skier on the mountain was a good race level skier we'd actually all be safer.

 

[AdironRider]

I agree but season pass holders are a special category. They help the resorts budget by offering upfront money. However, they are getting deep discounted tickets and very likely will not be spending further money for resort services. Day trippers on the other hand could be renting, taking lessons, eating at the cafeteria and drinking in the bar. A week tripper paying for those services could easily pay more than the cost of a season pass. So, I question which type of customer offers the most revenue to the resort and whether that customer is truly getting their money's worth or if they are just funding the discount for the pass holders season.

While I would concede rentals and probably most gear sales outside of stuff they forgot, you are selling season pass holder short on their contribuitions to the bottom line.

For example, at any given mountain, I would wager there would be 50% fewer bars if season pass holders werent around.

Lessons (especially the big dollar season long programs) are also a place where season passers lay down coin as well. Lots of families where 4 passes are bought and both kids are in lessons/maybe the sig other that isnt the best skier.

 

[AdironRider]

At some medium/smaller mountains the Race Teams pay a lot of the bills.

Berkshire East is a big racing mountain there are days/evenings when half the people on the mountain are racers.

Yeah they ski fast but they ski in control. If every skier on the mountain was a good race level skier we'd actually all be safer.

Loveland probably wouldnt be around if ski teams werent there en masse early season.

 

[Cheese]

Yeah they ski fast but they ski in control. If every skier on the mountain was a good race level skier we'd actually all be safer.

I understand the point you're trying to make about fast but in control, but there's still a reason they close race trails, net the boundaries and only typically have 2-4 racers on a trail at a time. Crowds of fast skiers would surely yield far more scraped lift towers and trees with damaged bark. Got any memories of close calls just ripping with a couple buddies?

For a more humorous thought, the carnage from a pack of college racers on a powder day would be EPIC!

 

[Cheese]

Lessons (especially the big dollar season long programs) are also a place where season passers lay down coin as well. Lots of families where 4 passes are bought and both kids are in lessons/maybe the sig other that isnt the best skier.

Good point! Junior and adult seasonal lessons do offer some nice revenue.

 

[ScottySkis]

I know everyone thinks Christmas is a busy week but I for one never plan to ski anywhere that week. If we get a good snow fall which is rare I may head some where but to actually plan to stay some where is a real crap-shoot.

I know some one place that really will not be crazy crowded X mas week.

 

[ScottySkis]

My guess resorts can't lose either group.

Without the pass holder fronting the cash, they would have to take out a loan to open. That would cost resorts more.

Day and week trippers pay premium for non-pass services. That's where the profit comes from.

Not to be overlooked, a pass holder may bring guests, who might need rental and lessons. Effectively bringing in additional day/week trippers.

When I fly out to SLC, I have up to 10 resorts to choose from. Where did I ski the most? The Canyons! Why? Because my buddy has a season pass there!!! I pay for my day ticket (slightly discounted because my budd has a pass), we eat lunch (my buddy usually don't when not skiing with guest). Each season, they have a rotating cast of visiting guests (family & friends), upward of 20 people! At one week each, that's a lot of day tickets!!! Some of them rent equipment, some of them take lessons, all of them have to eat lunch! These people might not have ski at The Canyons, had it not for their host being a pass holder there!

So, effectively, the couples 2 heavily discounted season pass actually netted the resort a good 20 week worth of day trippers!

Granted, that's probably a more extreme example. But there's still plenty of very good reason why resorts wants to keep their pass holder happy, even though they brown bag their own lunch!

Do you ever do the Big and Small Cannons Resorts by SLc they just get so much more snow then the Park City resorts.