Colorado Vail passes the $200 ticket window price

[Seldomski]

Regarding lunch prices at resorts... you have to be a bit less picky to save some $$. Pizza, burgers, fries are generally very costly. I think they price these high because it's what kids want and the parents will pay whatever on vacation.

Get the soup or chili. Or whatever is the special. Forget fountain drinks.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Our Ikon passes cost $2,196 for 2 kids and 2 adults. If we stopped now after skiing 15 days that would be $36/day. The adult passes were $899 each so we are at $60/day.

 

[LKLA]

Our Ikon passes cost $2,196 for 2 kids and 2 adults. If we stopped now after skiing 15 days that would be $36/day. The adult passes were $899 each so we are at $60/day.

Leaves you some $$$ for the $16 burger .

I'd rather pay $899 for an unlimited multi-mountain season pass and deal with $20 burgers than pay $1,800 for an unlimited single mountain pass and have burgers cost $10. Even though I LOVE burgers, I am not sure I can eat almost $1,000 worth. Maybe

 

[Monique]

Get the soup or chili.

I think those are like $14 at Breck. Then consider that I can't even have the stupid roll and of course they don't give discounts for that. It's amazing how tiny that bowl is, too.

 

[David Chaus]

I had a very hearty Chicken pot pie with a large cup of lentil soup side, for $15.48 including tip for sit-down table service. At Stevens Pass, which is now Vail-owned, it’s just not a destination resort.

Yet. I did talk to an employee who mentioned they had a big all-staff meeting, and announced they are building a parking garage, and building a hotel at Yodelin 2 miles down the road, which is where the overflow shuttle parking lot is located. Yodelin was short-lived ski area that was basically taken out by an avalanche in 1971, though the resort developers were warned not to build where they did. Stevens bought the property in 1976, so Vail owns it now.

Regardless, Vail is looking to incorporate more destination-type amenities, and so prices may go up correspondingly. For the time being, it’s not outrageously expensive (though long-time locals will protest about the prices going up for food and beverage, even if it hasn’t).

 

[palikona]

Don’t get me wrong. I bring my lunch anytime I go near a Vail owned resort. But my kid didn’t like her lunch and asked for a slice. And there really wasn’t another option under $15 (soup). Just ridiculous.

 

[Wasatchman]

Dude. We're talking about forms of entertainment made possible entirely by corporate entities. The soul of skiing is off in the backcountry somewhere, probably on cross country skis. If you want to save the soul of skiing, go get some AT bindings or invest in a local bump so that they don't have to sell out. But if you're paying for an Epic or Ikon pass, you're complicit.

I hear you to some extent being complicit buying an IKON or Epic pass. At the same time, I know plenty of people in Park City upset that big corporations have taken over PCMR and Deer Valley. What are those guys supposed to do, not buy a pass to their local mountain because corporations took over? If anyone in Park City wants to ski join at a local mountain, they have no choice at this point but to support the big corporations.

My view (and this extends far beyond the ski industry) is antitrust regulation is too lax in this country. Consolidation costs a lot of jobs and results in higher consumer prices.

I get both sides of the argument here. I'm complicit buying an Epic pass, but I don't like what is happening at all.

 

[Talisman]

The good part about $209 Vail walk up lift ticket price gets guests to feel better at Big Sky when they paid $154 for a walk up day ticket.

Most ski resort food is terrible in addition to being over priced, so I never bother to eat on the mountain and wait for a brew pub off mountain. The food quality at some resorts is only slightly better than midnight rations (mid-rats) on-board ship and at least that swill was free. Yes I have had the overpriced bowl of game chili at Stein's and tasty bowl of green mussels at Snowbasin, but those were exceptions.

 

[Wilhelmson]

A meal at Wendy's costs something like $7.50. What does popcorn cost at the movies? If you don't bother to bring your own food $12 isn't so bad. If you can't even pack your own drink or use the free water fountain how is that the resort's problem?

 

[LKLA]

A meal at Wendy's costs something like $7.50. What does popcorn cost at the movies? If you don't bother to bring your own food $12 isn't so bad. If you can't even pack your own drink or use the free water fountain how is that the resort's problem?

It is somewhat surprising / interesting to see people complain about the prices of food at ski resorts. Movie theater popcorn is usually marked up by over 1,000%! A bag of popcorn costs $0.25 - $0.35 cents to make but can easily sell for $5 to $7. Where I live, a bucket of popcorn and a soda comes to $14 at an AMC theater. I'd rather pay $25 for a decent Burger and a beer - seems much less of a rip-off to me.

 

[Monique]

If anyone in Park City wants to ski join at a local mountain, they have no choice at this point but to support the big corporations.

My aunt lives in Park City and skis Deer Valley. I promise you that no one who lives in Park City is suffering for the cost of a lift ticket or a ski lunch.

 

[focker]

It is somewhat surprising / interesting to see people complain about the prices of food at ski resorts. Movie theater popcorn is usually marked up by over 1,000%! A bag of popcorn costs $0.25 - $0.35 cents to make but can easily sell for $5 to $7. Where I live, a bucket of popcorn and a soda comes to $14 at an AMC heater. I'd rather pay $25 for a decent burger and a beer - seems much less of a rip-off to me.

Theater's wouldn't be in business if they couldn't sell popcorn, candy and pop at those prices. It's where they make almost all their money.

Did you know fast food places make almost no money on their sandwiches? They make all the money on the pop they sell.

 

[djetok]

FYI, Breck is fine with brown bagging in all the cafeteria-style places; obviously the sit down restaurants don't want that, but otherwise, groceries can get you pretty far. No microwaves, though =/

Thanks for the heads up. We typically bring groceries with us. We have access to a condo that we stay at off main street this year for free. So we will be eating on mountain for lunch. We typically stay at trails end, so we just ski in for lunch.

The food aspect is a reason why I like Monarch so much (besides a relatively uncrowded mountain). They actually have a bring your own lunch room.

 

[LKLA]

Theater's wouldn't be in business if they couldn't sell popcorn, candy and pop at those prices. It's where they make almost all their money.

Did you know fast food places make almost no money on their sandwiches? They make all the money on the pop they sell.

Yes, when it comes to theater exhibitors such as Cinemark, Regal, AMC, Reading,...the saying is that tickets are for show, popcorn is for dough. You could say just about the same thing when it comes to ski resort operators - skiing is for show, everything else is for dough.

 

[focker]

Thanks for the heads up. We typically bring groceries with us. We have access to a condo that we stay at off main street this year for free. So we will be eating on mountain for lunch. We typically stay at trails end, so we just ski in for lunch.

The food aspect is a reason why I like Monarch so much (besides a relatively uncrowded mountain). They actually have a bring your own lunch room.

This is a big reason to factor in when you're looking at Ski in/ski out stuff. How much more are you going to pay for it, but how much will you save on lunch $$ over the course of your trip. When we've had Ski in/Ski out we make our own lunch at the condo almost every day. It can add up. Lunch can be $60 to buy or $10 to make per day for my family. That $50 comes off the cost of the condo in terms of it's expense.

 

[VickieH]

Lunch can be $60 to buy or $10 to make per day for my family. That $50 comes off the cost of the condo in terms of it's expense.

Plus costs for parking and overnight gear storage, if you prefer to not lug gear to the hill every day.

 

[PinnacleJim]

I almost never buy lunch at the mountain. I have never had at problem brown bagging at Killington or Pico in VT, or Breck, Keystone, Copper, or A-Basin in CO.

 

[Itinerant skier]

I don't brown bag. Ever. When I'm skiing, I want hot food for lunch, even if it's just soup. I'm more ok with getting gouged for food than i am for lift tickets. Perhaps because the brown bag option is there for those who need it??

 

[Monique]

I don't brown bag. Ever. When I'm skiing, I want hot food for lunch, even if it's just soup. I'm more ok with getting gouged for food than i am for lift tickets. Perhaps because the brown bag option is there for those who need it??

In my typical season (far fewer days than many of the people who post here), I'd still end up paying $500 / season for a tiny portion of mediocre soup every ski day. That's a season pass to a smaller resort around here, or a very nice jacket or pants, etc etc.

On a truly frigid day, I might get some chili, but I'll always be disappointed. More commonly, I'll steal a few fries from a friend - not even really stealing, as no one who orders fries ever finishes the thing. I carry a collapsible cup for hot water.

Now, when I get back to the condo, I become a locust. I'm lucky I haven't eaten through the door yet.

 

[VickieH]

You think lift tickets are expensive? This couple chose between two walk-up lift tickets and having a kid.