jimmywilson69
Well-known member
for sure...
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VAIL SUCKS
- Thread starter thebigo
- Start date
But are you willing to pay more for your Epic Pass? I don't know how much the cost increase would translate, but let's assume it is 10-15% more? My money says no. Vail is assuming no.
My father-in-law who is keen on business stuff pinged me yesterday about the strike. He said that it must be really taking a toll on Vail's image and business. I said probably not. Why did I say that? Because this thread has thousands of posts of complaints and yet what happens every spring? Folks renew their Epic Passes. Vail figures that the only thing that motivates their passholders is price. They have the metrics and analytics to show that. It's true.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
right! that cant be an actual number for a corporate ski area gm. maybe at a mom and pop indie, but vail cant be paying their highest local managers barely six figures for those big jobs
I believe it. Their offer for an exec chef job with multiple outlets was absolutely laughable. I.actually made more working seasonal gigs than year round and that's with big gaps of unpaid time in between seasons. Seriously as an employer they can get fucked!
trackbiker
Active member
I agree. People will rationalize that this year was an anomaly with the patroller strike and when spring comes around they'll go for the low price.
Smellytele
Well-known member
Only 1 friend with an epic and it is a veteran pass( can’t blame him for that cheap thing).
Almost all of my former crew from Wildcat moved on after the 21-22 season. They gave them a pass for a couple of years because of Covid, but then realized Covid had nothing to do with their poor performance.
Eventually a tipping point will be reached that people realize Vail offering a crap product isn't an anomaly, but rather their intended business model and pass sales will start to drop in more significant numbers. Then they'll be forced to raise prices and that will just further erode support.
Eventually a tipping point will be reached that people realize Vail offering a crap product isn't an anomaly, but rather their intended business model and pass sales will start to drop in more significant numbers. Then they'll be forced to raise prices and that will just further erode support.
But they are probably like you and me--diehards. Most of Vail's intended market are the 4-10 day a year skiers and riders who aren't as passionate and don't follow the biz like we do. But yes, there will be a tipping point even for them. In the meantime, the standards just keep getting progressively lower.
kingslug
Well-known member
If you come out west...an ikon is the way to go..pays for itself in a week.
Of course you are then limited in the east...but you could own both and not use the epic out here.
That will hurt pc.
Of course you are then limited in the east...but you could own both and not use the epic out here.
That will hurt pc.
We had 13 patrollers, each w/ 20-30 years of experience all walk away from Wildcat in 2022. 4 went to BW, 3 to Cranmore, 2 to Pleasant, 2 to King Pine and 1 to Black.
I just became a ski bum
Vail ruined the cat, and most people in the MWV know it
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
That's sad...
While there has been some belt tightening at my locally Vail place, it largely has run as status quo. Opening/closing dates are a lot more rigid now, but snowmaking and other operations remain largely unchanged. Crowds are definitely worse, but that is what it is...
While there has been some belt tightening at my locally Vail place, it largely has run as status quo. Opening/closing dates are a lot more rigid now, but snowmaking and other operations remain largely unchanged. Crowds are definitely worse, but that is what it is...
That is a consistent theme. It is sad. I also understand that there have been multiple serious offers to purchase Wildcat but Vail has balked at those offers.We had 13 patrollers, each w/ 20-30 years of experience all walk away from Wildcat in 2022. 4 went to BW, 3 to Cranmore, 2 to Pleasant, 2 to King Pine and 1 to Black.
I just became a ski bum
Vail ruined the cat, and most people in the MWV know it
Edd
Well-known member
If true, I don’t understand it. My presumption is Wildcat does nothing for them. The typical Cat skier doesn’t dig the Vail way of doing business and probably doesn’t reward them much in terms of visiting Vail-owned western lodging and so forth. Wildcat is a shitty fit. Mount Snow, Okemo, and unfortunately Stowe is a much better fit. I understand keeping a grip on those areas. Wildcat makes no sense to me.
Yeah, I hear you. The only think I can of, and that has been suggested, is that they don't want to sell the resort and make stockholders worried that things aren't going well. The sale could be seen as a sign of weakness. I also have to think that they don't want to give up marketshare.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
i think its just to have a regional answer to ikon with loon and western maine
i havent been to bretton woods but maybe that would be more the vail vibe?
i havent been to bretton woods but maybe that would be more the vail vibe?
Yeah, but they have Attitash just down the road.
I have heard the stockholder fear angle and it just doesn't make business sense. Big companies buy and sell off underperforming assets constantly in all industries, including the hospitality industry. Hotels and resorts are bought and sold and then bought again by the big boys pretty frequently.
Maintaining skier visit market share does make a little bit of sense, but we are talking about a mountain that does probably sub 100k visits a year lately.
What would make most business sense to me would be for Vail to sell off Crotched and Wildcat in NH and keep Sunapee and Attitash. With Sunapee they should pursue the West Bowl and associated real estate and with Attitash, try and build it back up to be a more viable competitor to Cranmore, Bretton Woods, Loon and Sunday River.
Oh well. I'll just continue to root for Vail's total demise. They are horrible stewards to their properties in the East and do not care at all about how their business decisions impact the local communities.
oldfartrider
Active member
That’s a shame about Wildcat. I belonged to a ski club in the MWV in the 90s and all the clubs frequented Wildcat. It was such a great place. They’d extend there season an extra weekend in the spring just because a ski club requested it. That place was so good
Smellytele
Well-known member
If they have 4-10 bad days then they will look for somewhere else to spend their 4-10 days. Like the guy in the Video who spent 20k for a week for his family at PC.
kingslug
Well-known member
My house full of people arent going back..and they ski maybe 10 days a year.
Next time ikon.
Next time ikon.
