Day ticket prices are too damn high.

[ski diva]

I don't know what they're like everywhere, but get a load of these day ticket prices for resorts in Vermont:



Crazy, right? (At least the ones at the top) Sure, I understand they're trying to encourage people to buy season passes. That gives them a dedicated customer base, as well as money up front before the season even starts. And if, for example, you can buy an Epic pass for 20% less than you could last year, why go anywhere else? But the implications of this are profound. How are you going to get new people to try your resort, or even get them into skiing in the first place?

Your thoughts?

 

[Iwannaski]

And near us, the only affordable group lessons are never-ever lessons. We can do private lessons (which aren’t as bad as they are out east/west) but it just adds hurdles to getting people into the sport. Not everyone is as comfortable with sucking at something being persistent in learning something as I am when they are adults.

 

[MissySki]

Wow!!!! I literally can’t imagine a normal person ever trying to ski at one of these places as a beginner. Which could turn someone off from the sport completely before they even get going. :(

 

[ski diva]

Wow!!!! I literally can’t imagine a normal person ever trying to ski at one of these places as a beginner. Which could turn someone off from the sport completely before they even get going. :(

Exactly. How can the sport be expected to grow? How can new people be induced to go more than once? Yes, there are deals for never-evers. But aside from that, you're on your own.

 

[marzNC]

In the southeast, weekend prices are around $80. Hasn't really changed much in recent years. A few places have 4-hour and 8-hour tickets, plus the option of a Night ticket that starts at 4pm and can go as late as 10pm on weekend. Of course, the slopes are relatively short and there is very little off-piste terrain outside of WV but people have fun anyway.

 

[Christy]

Are all of the places with $100+ tickets on Epic or Ikon? Or are some of those just expecting everyone to pay that?

 

[vickie]

How can the sport be expected to grow?

What indications are there that they want the sport to grow?

Demand already exceeds supply during prime time.

 

[Christy]

I was curious to see if Crystal was approaching the $100 mark. They are Alterra now. Just a few years ago walk up lift tickets were ~$70. There haven't been improvements. I know last year I bought online lift tickets for the next day for ~$70 after my "wild card" ticket pack ran out.

I am genuinely flabbergasted at the prices. $184??? In WASHINGTON???

 

[Christy]

THIS is what I expect from a WA ski area. Here is Baker's price chart. (White Pass and Mission Ridge don't have ticket prices up yet).

 

[Iwannaski]

I used to work for a business that had an excess of demand for their product, so they raised prices to suppress demand. Would NOT have been the way I would have gone, and I expressed concern. I was told to stop being negative.

to summarize a long, boring story that was annoying: They suppressed demand for their own product but not the market, and ended up in a horrible tailspin for that business.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

I find some of these prices shocking; Around here one might have to work an entire week just to buy a one day ticket!!!!!

And I actually do ski at at least five of the resorts listed!

 

[Jenny]

Here in Michigan we've got day ticket prices over $90. For our little bitty bills!

 

[ski diva]

What indications are there that they want the sport to grow?

Demand already exceeds supply during prime time.

True, but they're kind of shooting themselves in the foot if they don't want new people to come into the sport. The people who leave have to be replaced by new skiers, I think.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

I don't know what they're like everywhere, but get a load of these day ticket prices for resorts in Vermont:

View attachment 16907

Crazy, right? (At least the ones at the top) Sure, I understand they're trying to encourage people to buy season passes. That gives them a dedicated customer base, as well as money up front before the season even starts. And if, for example, you can buy an Epic pass for 20% less than you could last year, why go anywhere else? But the implications of this are profound. How are you going to get new people to try your resort, or even get them into skiing in the first place?

Your thoughts?

Skivermont.com has great deals but they end soon!

 

[Iwannaski]

@skidiva… what you said, if there isn’t a funnel, they won’t be able to sustain operations. BUT. Maybe they don’t want to. I don’t know why not, but in a day and age where people have a lot of entertainment options, and skiing is just one of them, it seems silly to not try to recruit and retain a fan base.

 

[NYSnowflake]

Here in Michigan we've got day ticket prices over $90. For our little bitty bills!

Jenny, where are you skiing in MI? My sister is there and will just start skiing this season.

 

[Jenny]

Jenny, where are you skiing in MI? My sister is there and will just start skiing this season.

We got the Ikon so we'll be at Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain. Will also hit Nubs Nob a couple of times, and then the rest is kind of a last minute decision. Our friends have Caberfae passes, but we skied there all last year and kind of need a break from. If we have early snow, then Crystal is an option, at least until the regular season pricing kicks in.

Where is she going to be learning?

 

[NYSnowflake]

We got the Ikon so we'll be at Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain. Will also hit Nubs Nob a couple of times, and then the rest is kind of a last minute decision. Our friends have Caberfae passes, but we skied there all last year and kind of need a break from. If we have early snow, then Crystal is an option, at least until the regular season pricing kicks in.

Where is she going to be learning?

I had a lot of fun MTB at Nubs Nob and Boyne when I lived in MI! My sister, her husband, and their 5 yr old son all got season passes to Pine Knob/Mount Holly/etc. They also bought some family lessons.

 

[DebbieSue]

Those rates are for peak days only. Also, if you buy multi day tix in advance you save substantially on window rate for both peak and other days. Killington will allow you to role unused days to another day same season. I’m on Ikon, but buying for 2 young adult kids for 4 day VT trip, only 1 is peak/blackout day. It comes out cheaper than “buddy” passes interestingly. They definitely want to lock you in with upfront purchase.

 

[newboots]

Any industry that isn’t planning for the future is making a big mistake. I really don’t see how most beginners will buy an Epic pass. I talked to someone yesterday who said he had no use for the Epic pass, even though he skied at Hunter. He didn’t want to go any farther away, and he was taking his grandchildren skiing. Certainly didn’t want to buy three Epic passes!

They aren’t new skiers by any means. Just not frequent skiers.