Vail Resorts is buying Peak Resorts.

[So Inclined]

I'm stuck with mixed feelings here. One the one hand, I've got a strong personal antipathy towards mega-corporations in general (but especially a couple mega-corporations gobbling up the entire ski industry), which isn't just ideological but also practical (I think I'd follow BenedictGomez's analysis of how this business story tends to play out.) On the other hand; being a seasonal employee of a Peaks mountain, I may have just traded my Peaks pass for an Epic, assuming everything's ceteris paribus. That feels like a nice win (I've barely skied out west, never in CO or CA) as long as I can find the time and $ to get out there.

We shall see.

 

[mbedle]

Not happening; that runs counter to their business strategy.



Definitely. I'm not buying one of these gigantor passes, so all it does it make me likely to ski Plattekill, Magic, Smuggs, and to a lesser extent Jay Peak even more than I already do, as opposed to paying $150 for single day tickets. The question is, however, do these people gained replace the business they'll lose now to further increased EPIC sales.



I've already penciled-in Alterra as the future owner of Jay Peak, and Jay Peak being "IKONic" will make me sad. Not as sad as Smuggler's Notch being "EPIC" mind you, but still pretty sad.

Vail actually does offer a local Tahoe pass, which is cheaper than the epic local.

 

[cdskier]

Me three.

Always seemed to me Platty would surpass in volume what they do in price if they lowered it. The price makes no sense to me.

Yea, I love Platty but don't understand their pass price at all. I can get a NY3 pass (with holiday blackouts) for less than Platty. Although Platty does look like an absolute bargain compared to Windham. I just looked them up and they are over $1300! Now that is insane and has to put them near the top of the Northeast in general. You could pretty much buy an Epic Local and a NY3 pass (the holiday blackout version) and get to ski both Hunter and Belleayre (and a ton of other places) for about the same as Windham alone!

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

Lots of businesses go unsold if they are money losing propositions. There is no "right price" for something that loses money and has no hope of turning a profit.

Who knows, maybe Vail ends up with it and NOT Jay... wouldn't that be funny.

 

[JimG.]

As much as I love Killington, driving 2.75 hours to Mount Snow to ski 1,600ft top-to-bottom is much better than 3.25 hours to K to do the gondola-hike-500ft ski-hike out with the early season North Ridge operation.

I'll get 20+ days at Killington/Pico and around 5 days at Sugarbush and Magic. I sure miss the variety. Before all this BS I'd pay $50-$60 just to "switch things up" for a daytrip or weekend but I'm not paying $100 simply to add variety.

I agree to a point with early season. T 2 B at Snow early season is the best reason for me to go there now that K pampers the whole World Cup thing. They got lucky at K last season with the early snow that opened everything up in November, not counting on that this season. I am also 2:45 Snow and 3:15 to K and always go the extra :45 otherwise.
But fewer $50-60 tix makes skiing off pass stupid for me.

Glad ORDA stayed out of this.

 

[JimG.]

Yea, I love Platty but don't understand their pass price at all. I can get a NY3 pass (with holiday blackouts) for less than Platty. Although Platty does look like an absolute bargain compared to Windham. I just looked them up and they are over $1300! Now that is insane and has to put them near the top of the Northeast in general. You could pretty much buy an Epic Local and a NY3 pass (the holiday blackout version) and get to ski both Hunter and Belleayre (and a ton of other places) for about the same as Windham alone!

K pass $1005 with taxes and fees.

 

[drjeff]

K pass $1005 with taxes and fees.

And the crazy thing is, that if K has another season length like last years, there will be some K passholders who get their cost per day down to about $5!!

The "perfect attendance" passholder crowd at K are some folks who pull of an IMPRESSIVE feat each year!

 

[njdiver85]

From my read of the FAQ's, the upgrade cost from Peak Pass to Epic pass would be the difference from what you paid for the Peak Pass at time of purchase, and the cost of Epic at closing of the transaction. So if I purchased my Peak Explorer pass on the early buy date for $629, and Epic pass holds at current amount of $939, it's a $310 upgrade. Is that correct?

 

[cdskier]

From my read of the FAQ's, the upgrade cost from Peak Pass to Epic pass would be the difference from what you paid for the Peak Pass at time of purchase, and the cost of Epic at closing of the transaction. So if I purchased my Peak Explorer pass on the early buy date for $629, and Epic pass holds at current amount of $939, it's a $310 upgrade. Is that correct?

Sounds right from what I've read as well...

 

[JimG.]

From my read of the FAQ's, the upgrade cost from Peak Pass to Epic pass would be the difference from what you paid for the Peak Pass at time of purchase, and the cost of Epic at closing of the transaction. So if I purchased my Peak Explorer pass on the early buy date for $629, and Epic pass holds at current amount of $939, it's a $310 upgrade. Is that correct?

Sounds correct.

I was going to ask what the Peak early season rate was this year. Wonder if that price of $629 will hold in 20-21.

 

[drjeff]

From my read of the FAQ's, the upgrade cost from Peak Pass to Epic pass would be the difference from what you paid for the Peak Pass at time of purchase, and the cost of Epic at closing of the transaction. So if I purchased my Peak Explorer pass on the early buy date for $629, and Epic pass holds at current amount of $939, it's a $310 upgrade. Is that correct?

I got the impression from reading the FAQ's and I believe reading on Mount Snow's social media pages yesterday responses from their communications crew, that if you want to go from a Peak pass to an Epic Pass product, that you'd be credited the cost of what you paid for your Peak pass towards the cost of an Epic product, at the rate it would of been had you bought the Epic product on the day you bought your Peak product, not the day the deal to buy Peak closes

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[cdskier]

I got the impression from reading the FAQ's and I believe reading on Mount Snow's social media pages yesterday responses from their communications crew, that if you want to go from a Peak pass to an Epic Pass product, that you'd be credited the cost of what you paid for your Peak pass towards the cost of an Epic product, at the rate it would of been had you bought the Epic product on the day you bought your Peak product, not the day the deal to buy Peak closes

That definitely seems to not be in line with how the FAQ is currently worded...
The way I read it, the price is based on the day you make the exchange (not when you bought your original pass or even when the deal closes)

If I purchased my Peak Resorts season pass in Spring and I now want to upgrade to an
Epic Pass, can I get the same Epic Pass price and benefits from May?
You will receive current benefits and will be charged or refunded the difference in price based on the day of the exchange.

 

[TheArchitect]

Pretty high. I have to imagine Vail would want it, and I cant imagine anyone else outbidding Vail for it.

Regarding Smuggs...It's a no-brainer for Vail to buy it but here's a crazy thought. What are the chances of Alterra playing the spoiler and buying it to keep Vail from creating the Stowe-Smuggs super resort? Plus, Smuggs is accessed from the north so coming from the direction of the Montreal is easier.

i know, it's never going to happen but as an Ikon fan it's kinda fun to think about.

 

[chuckstah]

That definitely seems to not be in line with how the FAQ is currently worded...
The way I read it, the price is based on the day you make the exchange (not when you bought your original pass or even when the deal closes)

That's how I read it. Hope so anyway as I'd get a Local and a small refund if true as of today.

Sent from my moto e5 cruise using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[medfordmike]

I also believe this is the case and this seems similar to what they did when they bought Sunapee. Also the Epic Local usually gives you almost unlimited use of the New England Epic mountains minus Stowe.

 

[Tin]

Rumor is MRG and Bush will be joining the Freedom Pass with Magic, Bolton, Whale, Platty, etc.

 

[ss20]

Tangent here...I hear it time and time again on this site...why would Vail buy Smuggs?? The mountain needs massive amounts of cash for lifts, snowmaking, and modern lodging. A Smuggs-Stowe connection would be impossible to permit with the pond that's up there, the fact that there'd be major tree cutting, and local opposition as that's prime sidecountry access (or so I hear).

I just don't see ANY desire for Vail to put in that kind of work. Why essentially re-build an Eastern destination 4+ hours from any major city when you can get people to buy Epic passes, hop on a plane, and spend the money at Vail-owned properties out west. Vail's East Coast strategy is purely a funnel to get people out into Vail Village, Beaver Creek, and Park City...and make investors happy seeing that Vail owns xx% of market share. At least that's how I see it but I am 100% an armchair ski company president.

 

[deadheadskier]

Tangent here...I hear it time and time again on this site...why would Vail buy Smuggs?? The mountain needs massive amounts of cash for lifts, snowmaking, and modern lodging. A Smuggs-Stowe connection would be impossible to permit with the pond that's up there, the fact that there'd be major tree cutting, and local opposition as that's prime sidecountry access (or so I hear).
.

The short answer is folks look at topagraphical maps and assume an easy interconnect creating the largest ski area in the East because of how close Spruce and Sterling peaks are from each other.

I don't ever see anything beyond the old interconnect happening. It's all state park land up there. Vail would have to absolutely grease the hell out of VT pols to make it happen. The chance of getting lift or major trail connection is so minimal. No way I see the State approving anything that takes away from Sterling pond as it currently exists.

Hope we never see it. Keep Stowe, Stowe and keep Smuggs, Smuggs. Love em both for the different experiences they provide. No need to blend them. Feel the same way about K / Pico.


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[cdskier]

Rumor is MRG and Bush will be joining the Freedom Pass with Magic, Bolton, Whale, Platty, etc.

That would be extremely beneficial to me...

The only "problem" I see with MRG and Bush both joining is that all of a sudden you would have a lot of Bush passholders that would then have free days at a mountain right next door. That's a lot of potential people suddenly going to MRG. As a Bush passholder, I can guarantee that I would try to use all of my MRG days for sure. It would be stupid not to with how close the two are...

 

[JimG.]

Feel the same way about K / Pico.


Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

Me too.