Stowe Thread

[djd66]

I bet big companies like Vail are eyeballing robots.

If they can ever figure out how to automate the snowmaking that would be great.

 

[Kingslug20]

Robots...already have them...kiosks...
Like self checkout at most stores now...people don't want these jobs..no prob...

 

[NYDB]

I'm surprised Vail gets away with this so easily. You buy the pass to have unlimited access. Not unlimited access plus an extra grand to ski all weekends at Stowe

is there fine legal print that makes this shit ok? There has to be I guess.

 

[cdskier]

I'm surprised Vail gets away with this so easy. You buy the pass to have unlimited access.

is there fine legal print that makes this shit ok? There has to be I guess.

Well you do still have unlimited access even for no additional cost I'm sure they could argue. You can park far away in a free lot. You can take a shuttle. You can walk. You can have someone drop you off.

But I do fundamentally agree that this is ridiculous and just completely negates their mantra of making skiing "affordable for everyone" by offering such "cheap" prices on the Epic pass. If you ski only 10 (non-holiday) weekends at Stowe a year, you just essentially doubled the cost of an Epic Local pass via all the additional parking fees. Sure if you ski that much you could *maybe* get a $450 season parking pass if you're lucky. But even that is a substantial amount of extra money beyond the cost of the pass. Nickle and diming people with extra parking fees is just bad publicity and just going to piss people off. You're better off just charging an appropriate season pass price to begin with. If you want Stowe to be a "premium" property (as it arguably should be), then put it on a more expensive "premium" season pass tier and be done with it.

 

[Kingslug20]

Used to be 2 grand for a Stowe season pass..

 

[drjeff]

Used to be 2 grand for a Stowe season pass..

Stop adding relevant, even if it's fully uncomfortable for some to accept, facts into the discussion!

And while it isn't the norm yet in the ski industry, pretty sure in the past paid parking wasn't the norm at say airports, theme parks, athletic stadiums, malls, hospitals, etc.

Over time we all just kind of got used to those (regrettably often) but now just accept that that is just part of the experience now. Not totally a surprising thing that the ski industry is catching on to this now if one honestly thinks about it. And certainly in some instances, paid parking policies are also being used in a way to try and encourage carpooling which is then tied into an environmental component, which then can make it an easier sell to those who automatically feel good about going green

 

[mbedle]

Used to be 2 grand for a Stowe season pass..

I miss those days....

 

[Tonyr]

I miss those days....

If you went every weekend during the season parking in the Mt Mansfield lot would cost around 2k if you weren't able to purchase a $450 parking pass. Hitting weekends there half of the season plus the cost of a full Epic pass puts you right around the 2k level which was the cost of a full season pass before Vail took over.

 

[RichT]

A season pass? Or just a Epic season pass?

 

[Kingslug20]

I'm going to let my wife decide weekends..we have an epic and ikon...
I'll be at SB, Stowe, Jay , and K during the week.

 

[Tonyr]

I'm going to let my wife decide weekends..we have an epic and ikon...
I'll be at SB, Stowe, Jay , and K during the week.

They are the 4 best places to be!

 

[slatham]

Sorry to add some additional, relevant facts, but free parking is available. Sure it’s less convenient etc, but when something is cheap, well, you get what you pay for……

 

[BenedictGomez]

I bet big companies like Vail are eyeballing robots.

I've never seen an automated lift ticket kiosk, but there's no reason one couldnt exist, similar to a lottery scratch-off machine.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Used to be 2 grand for a Stowe season pass..

Used to be you could ski with a Stowe season pass too..

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Stop adding relevant, even if it's fully uncomfortable for some to accept, facts into the discussion!

And while it isn't the norm yet in the ski industry, pretty sure in the past paid parking wasn't the norm at say airports, theme parks, athletic stadiums, malls, hospitals, etc.

Over time we all just kind of got used to those (regrettably often) but now just accept that that is just part of the experience now. Not totally a surprising thing that the ski industry is catching on to this now if one honestly thinks about it. And certainly in some instances, paid parking policies are also being used in a way to try and encourage carpooling which is then tied into an environmental component, which then can make it an easier sell to those who automatically feel good about going green

the stockholm syndrome is strong in this one.

 

[IceEidolon]

I've never seen an automated lift ticket kiosk, but there's no reason one couldnt exist, similar to a lottery scratch-off machine.

Several places have them - Blue in PA has some for sure.

 

[cdskier]

I've never seen an automated lift ticket kiosk, but there's no reason one couldnt exist, similar to a lottery scratch-off machine.

Lots of resorts have them. Typically you order online (can do it via your phone from the parking lot if you want for example) and then just scan a QR code or barcode displayed on your phone with the order confirmation at the kiosk and it spits out your RFID card.

 

[IceEidolon]

If they can ever figure out how to automate the snowmaking that would be great.

Automated snowmaking means having a year round maintenance plan. They don't like that part.

A few European resorts can run unattended overnight. I somehow doubt that's in the future for most North American below-the-treeline resorts with both narrower trails and wind, but if I were making capex decisions I'd be pricing out automatic guns on wide trails and early season core trails plus pumphouse automation.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I give it winter of 2026 before people wake up to the fact their "cheap skiing" at Vail is no longer as cheap as they remember. Add $30 parking, $8 slices of pizza, $5.50 soda, etc.... the DIS style fast-pass for rich folks is going to eventually become the norm too - book it.

 

[Kingslug20]

I bring my own food...weekends though...she will want...skinny pancake!