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Started at 53

Making fresh tracks
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I see they MC and Epic ski pass discussions, especially with this years Gathering and the use of the 3 mountains for the week.

I/we could not see the use of an MC as we like to go somewhere and settle in for the stay. With a 2/2/3 (Gathering schedule) it is not a ski in/ski out situation staying at the some place all week. I don’t know, maybe we are just weird, but when I get somewhere the first thing I do is unpack and put everything away and make it home for the stay (5-12 days) how ever long it might be.

I do get the value of the number of days you get for less than $500, but is it really a value when it inconveniences the buyer by making them move around?

I get the discount after the 3rd day of the “home mountain”, but it is still not a savings if you pay $489 and then 1/2 price form additional days.

Do others feel the same, or am I just off base? As a couple travels to ski, we would be more interested in the ability to have a pass for one location for the whole week.

A pass is not an option this year as we are going to Deer Valley and Vail, I would like to throw in Snowmass in March if possible, but obviously Vail and Aspen are not compatible ski passes.

It is a bit of a conundrum
 

Philpug

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I think the MCP is an incredible value is used wisely. Two days free then 50% off the rest? It is a great option for the long weekend traveler. For the homebody skier, one that settles in for a 5-7 day trip it might not be the best value but if you look at what options it brings, killer deal. BEst time to purchase is pre season though.
 

KingGrump

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Lots depends on what floats to the top of your priority list.
 

dbostedo

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First thing, the MCP is $489 now... it was $399 with a bonus third day earlier in the year. So buying early will yield a better deal.

Second, here's an example that I think worked out well... In 2015/16 I bought an MCP for, I think, $369. I got my "bonus" day at Aspen.

-- I stayed in Aspen for 1 week and skied 6 days. 3 of them were included in my MCP, and I paid half price for the other three, ~$70 each (Aspen regular price was $140). So if I hadn't done anything else, I would have paid $97 a day to ski Aspen for 6 days. That's not great, but it's cheaper than I could have gotten buying straight from Aspen without the MCP.
-- Later than season, I visited Mammoth and Squaw and skied 4 more days with no cost. Now this doesn't fit your trip style, since I skied 2 days, drove, and skied two more days. But the skiing was free. So adding those days in, I skied 10 total days using my MCP for $582, or $58.20 a day.

At those resorts, that's a very good deal. So I did one "stay in place" trip, and one "move around" trip. Typically, for most resorts on the MCP, you pretty much break even if you ski 6 days in one place with the bonus day (i.e. 3 included days, and 3 50% off days). Any use more than that and you start to save.

This season, I'll be using 6 days at Taos ("stay in place" trip), and 6 days at the Gathering ("move around" trip). I have 3 days at Taos on the MCP, and the 50% off days will be ~$53. So this season I'll spend a total of $558 for 12 days of skiing, or $46.50 a day.

All things considered, I like vacations where I stay in place more too... BUT I really like trying new mountains. (Maybe that's why I loved Aspen - 4 unique places on one lift ticket.) So I think the mix, and the 50% off days, work out well.
 

Beartown

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I plan my skiing around my pass, and am able to get tremendous value out of the MCP. This year I paid $399 for it. My scheduled trips include four days in Banff (free), five days at Jackson (two free, three at half price), six days at Taos (three free with bonus day, three at half price), five days at AltaBird (four free, one at half price), two days at Revelstoke (free), two days at Kicking Horse (full price!), another day at Lake Louise (half price), two days at Mammoth (free), two days at SqualPine (free), and another day somewhere else in Tahoe (full price). I'm spending approximately $1100 for 30 days of skiing, or about $37/day. Of course, I could definitely pay less/day by getting a season pass somewhere or an Epic Pass, but I happen to love the MCP resorts, and still get a great value. I've had the MCP for two years, so next year I'm gonna switch it up and either get an Epic Pass or a Max Pass, depending where my ski crew wants to take the annual trip. It's all about how/what you want to ski. I like variety. I love ski-in/out as much as the next guy, but if that's all you'll do, you're gonna miss out on some great resorts.
 

Bigtinnie

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I’ve never stayed at the one ski hill for more than 5 days. I prefer to move around.
My planned trip to Europe next year will likely involve an extended stay at one ski ‘domain’ but the size of the areas will allow a lot of variety.
 

cosmoliu

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This will be my 5th year with the MCP. Most years I ski Mammoth and Alta/Snowbird and it has always been a no-brainer that I got more than what I paid for. Two years ago I also skied Jackson Hole, which also will be my third (actually, fourth, since Alta and Snowbird are being treated as separate uses of the pass for the first time this year) MCP destination this year. I also get in at the first sales tier each spring. So, for me this year there will be 9 "free" days of skiing and at least 16 half price days. Total no-brainer for the price of admission .
 

fatbob

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Your problem is the desire to ski in /out. You could easily settle into a hotel down in Sandy and use it as a base for all 6 days of an MCP in Utah.

The product is great for long weekenders and makes fkr the definitive N American roadtrip for the true driving ski bum.
 

Uncle Louie

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My usual choice was a Vail Resorts locals pass with unlimited skiing at most Vail Resort areas and 10 days at Vail and/or Beaver Creek and unlimited skiing at A basin. We can only manage 2 - six day trips this year so for us the MCP made sense as The Gathering is in SLC

Our options were either 2 Vail Resorts passes at $ 629 each or,

2 Mountain Collective passes at $ 399 each (using our 3rd day at Aspen) plus 3 additional tickets at $ 80 each. Total $ 639. (Zero lift ticket costs in SLC)

If we were able to sneak in a trip to Jackson at either end of The Gathering 2 of three days there would be free.

If we were able to add an additional week the Vail Resorts Pass would make more sense, but we would have had to skip The Gathering.

It all depends on individual needs. We are ski /out in Snowmass for the week and in downtown Midvale for The Gathering. Aspen is the "vacation" SLC is the "ski trip".

 

Uncle Louie

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.................... I would like to throw in Snowmass in March if possible............It is a bit of a conundrum

I'd do some homework on this before you make the final decision. In Summit and Eagle Counties (Breck / Copper / Keystone / Vail / Beaver Creek etc) the busiest weeks of the season are all the full weeks in March. The areas are a madhouse. Maybe some of the Pugski locals will chime in what what Aspen Crowds are like in March.
 

fatbob

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As I said before - much depends on the priority list.

Sure but the pass clearly isn't for the OP if he thinks it's poorly designed - even then I suspect it works out pretty good if you were to do destination ski in/out weeks at Aspen, JH and Snowbird say ( might have to compromise by taking a bus for 2 days to Alta).
 

Fishbowl

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I think it’s easier to plan trips around passes, rather than resorts. I know that’s not always feasable, but can make better economic sense. In previous years I have used my Powder Alliance privileges to get three free days at Sierra and at Snowbasin on quick trips. Places I might not have chosen to go to otherwise, but definitely enjoyed, for free.
 

Uncle Louie

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.................................. I suspect it works out pretty good if you were to do destination ski in/out weeks at.................... Snowbird say ( might have to compromise by taking a bus for 2 days to Alta).

You can buy a Snowbird/ Alta pass so you can ski both areas in a given day. So in effect you can stay at one area and ski both w/o taking the bus from one to another. There is a small upcharge to have the 2 area day ticket.

Not a good idea for The Gathering as it makes meeting with groups almost impossible, and in this case I think the OP would have issues with the terrain at the top of Snowbird and probably the terrain at the top of Alta.

I am guessing here that like other tickets you should be able to get the AltaBird ticket if you have an MCP for half the window price. Just a guess on that.
 
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KingGrump

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Sure but the pass clearly isn't for the OP if he thinks it's poorly designed - even then I suspect it works out pretty good if you were to do destination ski in/out weeks at Aspen, JH and Snowbird say ( might have to compromise by taking a bus for 2 days to Alta).

The MCP is definitely badly designed for the OP. It appears the first two items on his priority list are DV and ski in/out. Since DV is not on MCP. Staying in a ski in/out property at DV and utilizing the MCP will definitely not float his boat.

The MCP doesn't work for me either. The first item on my list is lots of ski days on the cheap. In the order of 100+ days per season. In my case, the MCP does not provide the required bang for the buck.
As I said before, what's your priority list? Once you know what your hot buttons are then get the pass products that address your priority list.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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I get the discount after the 3rd day of the “home mountain”, but it is still not a savings if you pay $489 and then 1/2 price form additional days.

It's kind of like a board game. If you want to play the game you can make some good scores. But only if. This year's Utah plan is pretty much landing on Boardwalk and Park Place, with tix for seven days, all paid up with the pass if you bought early and choose Snowbird or one of the other Utah areas for your bonus day. On top of that I'll ski at least one day at Sugarbush under the pass. Meanwhile dreaming, at least, of capitalizing on the Taos thing.

Really it's about how you anchor your season's big event(s). If this year's Gathering had been in Summit County I probably wouldn't have bought the MCP.
 

Viking9

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I can’t imagine skiing without a pass, the average is what around 125.00 a day , 250.00 for you and your spouse, 500.00 for the weekend, those numbers are CRAZY.
 
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Started at 53

Started at 53

Making fresh tracks
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Not Ikon, UT
You can buy a Snowbird/ Alta pass so you can ski both areas in a given day. So in effect you can stay at one area and ski both w/o taking the bus from one to another. There is a small upcharge to have the 2 area day ticket.

Not a good idea for The Gathering as it makes meeting with groups almost impossible, and in this case I think the OP would have issues with the terrain at the top of Snowbird and probably the terrain at the top of Alta.

I am guessing here that like other tickets you should be able to get the AltaBird ticket if you have an MCP for half the window price. Just a guess on that.

Terrain!!! EXACTLY, it is a problem for me at the Gathering. I would love to do it, but it is not an option this year with those mountains. Hopefully next year as I will have a year under my belt and it might be a more user friendly mountain too.

I can’t imagine skiing without a pass, the average is what around 125.00 a day , 250.00 for you and your spouse, 500.00 for the weekend, those numbers are CRAZY.

I am glad you can feel my pain, but sorry that you feel my pain at the same time.
 

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