VAIL SUCKS

[jimmywilson69]

I picture TB chuckling at his keyboard whilst typing this. Its funny and like maybe a dozen old men who enjoy skiing will read it...

If any of you follow liftblog on Twitter, he sort of live tweeted some of the highlights. There were some hard questions tossed at Ms. Lynch. One was about whether high priced ski tickets were affecting their bottom line. She gave a typical non-answer answer. There was also another one about comparing Vail's central style operations to Altera's more resort focused. She apparently tried to spin that question into Vail does do resort based operations.

 

[djd66]

I think that you’re one of the two people who complain about the memes.

It’s summer. We’re not skiing. Laugh a little.

Not complaining at all, just pointing out that searching for and posting 8 pictures over a 10 minute period seems a bit obsessive. I guess I just don't think about Rob Katz as much as you do.

 

[cdskier]

I usually find these hilarious, but even I think this one may have been a bit excessive.

 

[thetrailboss]

If any of you follow liftblog on Twitter, he sort of live tweeted some of the highlights. There were some hard questions tossed at Ms. Lynch. One was about whether high priced ski tickets were affecting their bottom line. She gave a typical non-answer answer. There was also another one about comparing Vail's central style operations to Altera's more resort focused. She apparently tried to spin that question into Vail does do resort based operations.

The first point is potentially an issue for them. The second is more of an issue IMHO. The other big elephant in the room was that the weather last season was not good on the east coast. Naturally, that is going to eat into the bottom line.

 

[BenedictGomez]

That last pic is particularly creepy.

I didnt know there was more than one, "Turning To The Dark Side" picture of Katz.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I just don't think about Rob Katz as much as you do.

You don't know what you're missin' out on Tiger.

 

[urungus]

Vail Resorts stock hits 4-year low after announcing that next season’s pass sales are down

Vail Resorts has been attempting to move guests away from walk-up lift ticket sales and into pre-purchased passes in recent decades, and that strategy seems to have worked better than intended in 2023-24. Company officials...

www.vaildaily.com

 

[thetrailboss]

Vail Resorts stock hits 4-year low after announcing that next season’s pass sales are down

Vail Resorts has been attempting to move guests away from walk-up lift ticket sales and into pre-purchased passes in recent decades, and that strategy seems to have worked better than intended in 2023-24. Company officials...

www.vaildaily.com

"FAKE NEWS."

 

[BenedictGomez]

Vail Resorts stock hits 4-year low after announcing that next season’s pass sales are down

Vail Resorts has been attempting to move guests away from walk-up lift ticket sales and into pre-purchased passes in recent decades, and that strategy seems to have worked better than intended in 2023-24. Company officials...

www.vaildaily.com

Everything is going according to my plans. And the MTN debt bomb hasn't even exploded yet.

Think of Vail Resorts long-term debt like that open shaft on the Death Star.

 

[BenedictGomez]

For those still here (like the end of Ferris Buehler), the below is why your "cheap skiing" is eventually not going to seem so cheap. This is the prediction I made on here almost a decade ago in a post about how Vail Resorts isn't "visionary" like people were saying, but rather it is simply another example of a publicly traded roll-up company that can last for maybe 10 to 15 years. As well as a prediction that ancillary revenue (READ: increased costs for you) will come from seemingly everywhere & anywhere.



What does the above really mean?

It means that almost ALL the juice has been squeezed from the biggest lemon in Vail's possession. To be sure, Vail owns many more lemons which can be squeezed, but the juice in those additional lemons will not yield the same volume of "juice" as the EPIC Pass lemon. Look for food price increases, parking price increases, rental price increases, lesson price increases, merchandise price increases, and new charges for things you never used to pay for at Vail resorts over the next few years (will free summer lift rides go away?). Additional lemons must be squeezed, because the Golden Goose of lemons is almost out of juice. And do keep in mind, all of these poor results Vail is currently experiencing are occurring at a time of economic expansion, rather than in a recessionary environment.

Tick tok, tick tok.

 

[jaytrem]

Interesting plan, trying to use high day ticket prices to shock people into buying a pass. Gotta think that could backfire if people looked at other options, but some just want that Epic experience.

 

[gittist]

.... some just want that Epic experience.

Aren't EPIC experiences always good?

 

[crystalmountainskier]

Aren't EPIC experiences always good?

Experience of a Lifetime™

 

[thetrailboss]

Interesting plan, trying to use high day ticket prices to shock people into buying a pass. Gotta think that could backfire if people looked at other options, but some just want that Epic experience.

Except the fact that most of the resorts are using this strategy to push folks to passes.

 

[thetrailboss]

Experience of a Lifetime™

“Hi there. You owe me $20 for using my tagline. You don’t want to make my friends here upset. You can Venmo me!”

 

[jaytrem]

Except the fact that most of the resorts are using this strategy to push folks to passes.

I don't know. As somebody who skis a lot of places off pass, I don't come across too many that are crazy high. Seems to me that's mostly Vail, Alterra and the big name places. My highest this year was almost $200 for Sun Valley. Luckily my kids skied free, so that didn't hurt too bad.

 

[thetrailboss]

I don't know. As somebody who skis a lot of places off pass, I don't come across too many that are crazy high. Seems to me that's mostly Vail, Alterra and the big name places. My highest this year was almost $200 for Sun Valley. Luckily my kids skied free, so that didn't hurt too bad.

Alterra and Vail control most of the market.

 

[jaytrem]

Alterra and Vail control most of the market.

Define most? 75%? 90%? Either way, it looks like closer to 50%. Still unfortunate. And of course in certain regions the number will be higher.

Point being there's still a crap load of areas with reasonable day ticket prices. I think I hit over 60 areas this year. I had a few passes, but also hot a bunch of off pass stuff.

 

[thetrailboss]

Define most? 75%? 90%? Either way, it looks like closer to 50%. Still unfortunate. And of course in certain regions the number will be higher.

Point being there's still a crap load of areas with reasonable day ticket prices. I think I hit over 60 areas this year. I had a few passes, but also hot a bunch of off pass stuff.

Vail and Alterra alone control 51% of the market. POWDR employs the same strategy to a certain extent. Boyne does to a certain extent.

And yes, there are lots of independent areas and I love them. But the “cheap pass, expensive day ticket” strategy is employed by those who control most of the market share. Fingers crossed it goes away.

 

[jaytrem]

Vail and Alterra alone control 51% of the market. POWDR employs the same strategy to a certain extent. Boyne does to a certain extent.

And yes, there are lots of independent areas and I love them. But the “cheap pass, expensive day ticket” strategy is employed by those who control most of the market share. Fingers crossed it goes away.

That's fine, but your initial comment was "most resorts". That's what I disagree with. Market share doesn't matter when we're talking about "most resorts". I still say most resorts are not trying to shock you into buying a season pass, and single day ticket usually are not extreme.