RootDKJ
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Wow...this thread went wildly off track!
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Yay...Killington Snowmaking starts sometime before November 15th!!!!!!!
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GrilledSteezeSandwich
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When I'm a moderator..that sort of thing won't happen..Hi Greg
Mostly, because everyone would leave. :-D
JOKE!
trtaylor
Member
When I'm a moderator..that sort of thing won't happen..Hi Greg
Why don't you buy it?
bobbutts
New member
Step up and take some responsibility.. If you're doing so many drugs you threaten people and forget about it.. seek help now
GrilledSteezeSandwich
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Greg wanted to much money...I simple search shows this site is only worth abouut tree fiddy..
GrilledSteezeSandwich
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just joking..:dunce:
bobbutts
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heh,, I remember all the threats I made while high
GrilledSteezeSandwich
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Geoff
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The first to open, last to close strategy went a long way towards creating critical mass at Killington. An awful lot of people picked Killington as their spot to buy a season pass and a bed to sleep in for the winter based on the perceived value of the snowmaking system and the extended season. I'm one of 'em. Those people are at the resort every weekend spending money no matter how horrible the weather or the conditions. It enabled the vibrant nightlife. All those season pass people have friends who bought day tickets.
WWF-VT
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Not sure if any mountain is going to get a thousand skiers at $80 for early season skiing. Most early /late season skiers are passholders not day tickets.
Geoff
Well-known member
That just ain't the case. On fall weekends, Killington was always 75% day ticket people when they had reliable October skiing and were the only option. It was typically more than 50% day ticket people when it was the last mountain standing in May. You'd see a huge number of Canadians and the season pass people from all the other mountains. In the fall, you'd see all the structured program and mountain school kids from all the other mountains.
Midweek, there weren't a heck of a lot of people around but that's no different from midwinter. Other than opening day, Killington is a weekend/holiday business.
And the ticket is more like $50.00 than $82.00.
I've had the discussion with former Killington and ASC management many times. Spring skiing was profitable. Fall skiing ran at a slight loss but management felt they more than made up for it in all the free PR and the extra season pass sales. When ASC pulled out the Killington double with the midstation on Cascade, that made fall skiing a real issue. When they eventually replace a Snowdon lift, they'll have a better option to upload/download people to get at Rime in October. Right now, they're limited by the weather since it's so tough to blow snow below 3000 feet in October. Lower Bunny Buster or Lower Bittersweet are a problem.
See I think that the price point was a bit high last season for early season skiing. To charge the full rate was just too much IMHO. But then again it might have been lower. I just recall thinking, "I'd like to go skiing," and then hearing that it was some expensive rate and going, "no thanks."
mondeo
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Yeah, they charged full rate last year from day one. Helped alleviate the bowling alley issues, at least.
so says the season pass holder.
You can't have it both ways. You make an argument to have the place open early for a thousand day pass purchases, then applaud a higher price making the place less crowded.
I seem to recall Killington charging $60 when Sunday River was charging $25 for greater terrain. I clearly remember that the price seemed like they were gouging people, which is an overall problem with their image right now.......kids program, lodge food etc.
Riverskier
Active member
Exactly. I hear at lot of talk simply about day ticket sales covering expenses, or whether a ski area can operate profitably based on day ticket sales with an early season operation. What about the value of the good will you create with your loyal customers? What about increased pass sales due an extended season? What about people buying real estate at a mountain due in part to them having a long season? I just think it is short sighted to simply look at ticket sales to determine the overall profitability of an early opening strategy.
Take a look at Boyne- Most of their customers are very pleased with the way they have run their NE mountains, and you hear very little complaints. Of course there are many factors affecting this (affordable passes, investment, excellent communication, etc), but an extended season is certainly a big part of it. I don't have any figures is front of me, but I do know Maine increased it's market share this past season.
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Actually, we charged the early season rate, which I believe was $64. Full rate started for the Holiday week in December.
Curious what your justification was for that price when Sunday River was charging $25 opening weekend?
Riverskier
Active member
I would be curious about this as well. As I alluded to in my prior post, it seems like one of the biggest advantages of having a long season is building good will with your core customers. It seems like charging $64 a day to ski a couple trails effectively defeats that purpose.
+ 1. Too much for too little.
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