Snowbird parking reservations

[lucy]

Greetings!

Just wondering if there are any Ski Divas with a Snowbird season pass who have any tips on using the new Snowbird parking reservation system. For the 2020-21 ski season, Snowbird is using the ParkWhiz app to manage their parking lots. They aren't charging a fee and anyone who signs up for a ParkWhiz account can reserve a parking space on any day from now until the end of March 2021. Snowbird set a limit per user to 7 days during the current week and 7 days in any week in the future. Unfortunately, when I check the app I find parking for every Saturday and every holiday is booked for the entire 2020-21 ski season. I reserved parking on the Fridays that were available, but the ambiguity of not knowing if or when I'll be skiing is stressing me out in new and different ways.

Does anyone have any tips for reserving parking at Snowbird?

Thanks!

 

[Susan L]

I’d be stressed out about it too! So if you cannot get a parking reservation, then you cannot ski even if you have a pass???

 

[StayWarm]

I'm not sure if this applies to Snowbird, too, but at Copper Mountain they are also using ParkWhiz, and releasing additional days every Monday morning. When I looked last Friday, there were no weekends available through January, but when I looked this morning, I was able to snag two Sundays. I'd check back at Snowbird on a weekly basis to see if they're releasing more. I'd also take a look at their cancellation policy -- at Copper, folks with reservations need to cancel by 6am on the day of their reservation if they won't be coming, and that means that there's often new availability on Friday or Saturday evening.

 

[StayWarm]

Looks like Snowbird is indeed doing the Monday release like Copper, per their FAQ.

 

[lucy]

I’d be stressed out about it too! So if you cannot get a parking reservation, then you cannot ski even if you have a pass???

We can ski without a parking pass. The backup plan is to rotate drivers to shuttle one of us up and down the mountain for a ski day. It's just the DH and me. So one of us will drive and the other will ski.

 

[lucy]

I'm not sure if this applies to Snowbird, too, but at Copper Mountain they are also using ParkWhiz, and releasing additional days every Monday morning. When I looked last Friday, there were no weekends available through January, but when I looked this morning, I was able to snag two Sundays. I'd check back at Snowbird on a weekly basis to see if they're releasing more. I'd also take a look at their cancellation policy -- at Copper, folks with reservations need to cancel by 6am on the day of their reservation if they won't be coming, and that means that there's often new availability on Friday or Saturday evening.

Good idea! I'm checking every morning for cancelations. Snowbird requires cancelations by 7 am on the ski day, but we're usually out the door at 7 am. Still, it doesn't feel like there's much choice. I just wish I would have know this was the plan when I bought my pass. It feels a little like a bait and switch.

 

[lucy]

Looks like Snowbird is indeed doing the Monday release like Copper, per their FAQ.

It's true. I got lucky last week and picked up a Saturday. I guess I'm just a little sad I can't look out the window for a quick weather check and head for the mountain. Also, I've become a crazy person checking for parking spaces every few hours every day.

 

[StayWarm]

It's true. I got lucky last week and picked up a Saturday. I guess I'm just a little sad I can't look out the window for a quick weather check and head for the mountain. Also, I've become a crazy person checking for parking spaces every few hours every day.

I am also the person checking for parking spaces all the time. But, yeah, sadly Covid makes spur-of-the-moment skiing a bit more challenging this year.

 

[marzNC]

Good idea! I'm checking every morning for cancelations. Snowbird requires cancelations by 7 am on the ski day, but we're usually out the door at 7 am. Still, it doesn't feel like there's much choice. I just wish I would have know this was the plan when I bought my pass. It feels a little like a bait and switch.

What I've read is that Snowbird is releasing more parking spots every Monday for the upcoming week. Based on terrain availability. If the weather means that Mineral Basin is going to be closed then that obviously changes the situation quite a bit in terms of spreading people out on the among the remaining lifts.

Are you not getting Snowbird updates? The parking reservation system was announced quite a while ago. All the Powdr resorts are using that approach to limit capacity. I noticed the pattern when the Ikon webpage about reservations (or not) was created.

 

[marzNC]

Was rather interesting to see the different approaches in action in LCC during the past week. A few folks who are wanted to ski Alta were complaining that parking was full by 9:30am after powder storms in the last week or so. Much to the surprise of Alta, parking didn't fill up completely on Saturday. Perhaps because the lines on Friday morning were quite long even after 11am. Didn't help that Sunnyside didn't open until 9:45, probably due to ski patrol needing a little more time to open Sugarloaf. Supreme didn't open for the first time until Saturday.

Some people who ski Snowbird regularly are starting to appreciate the parking reservation system, at least in comparison to the first-come, first-served approach for Alta parking.

 

[lucy]

Are you not getting Snowbird updates? The parking reservation system was announced quite a while ago. All the Powdr resorts are using that approach to limit capacity. I noticed the pattern when the Ikon webpage about reservations (or not) was created.

Yes, I'm getting updates from Snowbird. The parking reservation system was announced after I purchased a season pass. Snowbird has a limited amount of parking passes for the lot behind the pond and I'm on the waiting list for 2021-22.

Some people who ski Snowbird regularly are starting to appreciate the parking reservation system, at least in comparison to the first-come, first-served approach for Alta parking.

I talked with several pass holders on Friday, the tram was delayed an hour, and they, too, are very frustrated with the parking reservation system. As for the parking reservation system limiting capacity, well, that seems to be a mixed bag. People who can't get a parking reservation are taking public transportation, parking on the road, or parking at Alta and walking down. I have hope that this will get better. It's new and new things have those pesky learning curves.

 

[marzNC]

I noticed that UTDOT is also tweeting when Solitude and Brighton parking is full. Also seems to happen by about 10am. Neither are using parking or lift access reservations so far.

Never bothered with Twitter before, but it seems worthwhile for LCC/BCC road and parking updates this season. I mostly stay at Alta when skiing Alta, but have taken a few mid-season trips where I get lodging in SLC for a week and drive for skiing. Most recent trip I stayed at Snowbird and took the UTA bus to ski Alta all week. One afternoon when there was a minor accident that slowed traffic a lot, we ended up getting off at the Cliff Lodge and walking thru to the Snowbird Center at the bus driver's suggestion. Finished by riding from there to the Iron Blosam on the previous bus that had finally made it down the road between Snowbird #4 and Snowbird #2.