After months of legal wrangling, the Vail Resorts vs Park City drama has come to an end today. Vail Resorts have completed their purchase of Park City Mountain Resort from Powdr Corp for the fee of $182.5 million. Yes, Park City is now EPIC as Vail Resorts proudly announced over their various social media channels (see full press release below).
Vail Resorts Acquires Park City Mountain Resort and Settles all Litigation.
Whilst many skiers may rejoice at Park City being added to the illustrious list of EPIC resorts, not everyone is happy about the deal. Feeling that a sale was the “only” option available to the group, Powdr CEO John Cumming vented that “Selling was the last thing we wanted to do, and while we believe the law around this issue should be changed, a protracted legal battle is not in line with our core value to be good stewards of the resort communities in which we operate.” Indeed, part of the agreed deal dictates that Vail retain all current Park City Mountain Resort employees. Quite where this leaves the earlier announcements of the ONE Wasatch project, only time will tell (see our earlier article on this here).
There is no doubt that the EPIC Pass has built an impressive reputations as a season pass that offers insane value. People often look at me as if I’m telling lies when I tell them just what this pass covers. Their looks increase in concern when I then tell them that the pass is only $749 (roughly ÂŁ460). Just to clarify, this is what you now get when going EPIC:
The 2014-15 Epic Pass features unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. ALSO, you get 5 consecutive days at Niseko United in Japan and up to 5 consecutive days at Verbier, Switzerland and 3 Vallees in France when staying in resort lodging.
Adult Epic Pass: $749
Child Epic Pass (ages 5-12): $389
*further details can be found at the bottom of the press release.
You can read the full press release below.
BROOMFIELD, Colo.—Sept. 11, 2014—Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that with the Company’s acquisition of Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) in Park City, Utah, the iconic mountain resort now joins the Epic Pass, expanding the collection of legendary mountains offered on the industry-leading season pass to 22 resorts and more than 32,000 acres of the best skiing and riding in the world.Â
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“Park City Mountain Resort is one of the most iconic mountain resorts in the world and as the newest addition to the Vail Resorts collection of world-class mountains, it’s now epic. We’re thrilled to be able to offer unlimited skiing and riding at Park City Mountain Resort on the Epic Pass for the 2014-15 winter season,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “We continue to provide even greater value and variety in skiing and riding with the Epic Pass and significantly invest in the guest experience at our mountain resorts, including new chairlifts, on-mountain dining options and innovative snowmaking expansions for the coming winter.”
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The 2014-15 Epic Pass features unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Furthermore, Epic Pass holders have the opportunity to extend their skiing and riding adventures globally with up to five consecutive free days (when booking in-resort lodging) at the renowned mountain resorts of Les 3 Vallées, France (Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle) and Verbier, Switzerland, and five consecutive free days at Niseko United, Japan. Vail Resorts is offering the industry’s best-selling season pass at $749 for adults and $389 for children (ages 5-12), but these prices are only guaranteed for a limited time.
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Vail Resorts offers multiple pass options for the 2014-15 season:
- The Epic Pass™: Unlimited skiing all winter for $749. Enjoy unlimited skiing or riding at 12 resorts including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. No blackout days or restrictions apply. Pass holders can also enjoy up to five consecutive free days each at Les 3 Vallées, France (Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle) and Verbier, Switzerland when booking in-resort lodging. New for winter 2014-15, Epic Pass purchasers will have access to five complimentary consecutive days at Niseko United, Japan–known as one of the snowiest and most celebrated powder skiing resorts in the world. The Epic Pass pays for itself in just over five days.
- The Epic Local Pass TM is perfect for people who can navigate a pass with restrictions. At $569 for adults, $439 for teens (ages 13 – 18) and $289 for children (5 – 12), the Epic Local pass offers unlimited and unrestricted skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado with limited restrictions at Canyons in Park City, Utah, as well as Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe. It also offers 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado with holiday restrictions. Access to Park City Mountain Resort on the Epic Local pass will be announced at a later date. The Epic Local Pass pays for itself in just over four days.
- The Epic 4-Day ™ is optimal for guests planning one ski vacation during the 2014-15 winter season. At just $399 for adults and $219 for children (ages 5-12), ski any four days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe. In addition, pass holders receive four free days each at Mt. Brighton or Afton Alps. This pass pays for itself in less than three days and offers a savings of up to 30 percent compared to lift tickets. And, for a little over $1,000 a family of four can ski four days at the world’s best ski resorts whenever they choose.
- The Epic 7-Day ™ is ideal for guests planning to ski seven days throughout the winter season. At $569 for adults and $289 for children (ages 5-12), ski or ride a total of seven unrestricted days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe. In addition, pass holders receive seven free days each at Mt. Brighton or Afton Alps.
All Park City Mountain Resort passes for the 2014-15 ski season will continue to be honored and can be exchanged or upgraded for a season pass that will also be valid at Canyons. The majority of all lift tickets sold at either resort will be valid at both PCMR and Canyons.
Season Pass Benefits
Epic Pass and all Vail Resorts season pass holders will receive exclusive offers on lodging, dining, ski rentals, equipment, ski school and special events for the 2014-15 ski and snowboard season atVail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City Mountain Resort, Canyons, Heavenly,Northstar and Kirkwood, as well as Mt. Brighton, Afton Alps and Arapahoe Basin. Season pass holders also automatically receive six Ski-With-a-Friend Tickets. Access to Les 3 Vallées, Verbier and Niseko United is only provided to Epic Pass holders and not holders of other passes offered by Vail Resorts (Epic 4-Day, Epic 7-Day, Epic Local Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, Summit Value Pass and Tahoe Value Pass). All season pass products are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Season Pass Insurance Option
Vail Resorts encourages guests to purchase pass insurance. All of the Company’s season pass products are non-refundable and non-transferrable; however, pass insurance covers pass holders in the event of unexpected circumstances including sickness, injury and job loss. Pass insurance is $20 for adults and $10 for children (ages 5-12). Coverage applies for all season passes, the Epic 4-Day and Epic 7-Day valid for the 2014-15 ski season.
All current prices on Vail Resorts season passes are only guaranteed through Oct. 12, 2014. For more information about the 2014-15 season pass line-up or to purchase a pass online, visitwww.epicpass.com.
Vail Resorts adds Park City to their EPIC collection