The EPIC pass offers access to 61 ski areas in 8 countries. The IKON Pass, its contender, goes now head to head with the EPIC Pass.
What is new this year with the EPIC Pass:
• New for 2018-19, Epic Pass holders receive limited access to Telluride in Colorado, Hakuba Valley in Japan and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, bringing the worldwide resort access total to 61.
• In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Epic Pass, Vail Resorts is honouring its heritage with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division with a $99 Military Epic Pass and a $1 donation for every 2018-19 season pass sold to Wounded Warrior Project.
• Vail Resorts season passes offer a number of unique advantages over other industry passes, from direct to lift access to discounted tickets for family and friends
United States. Canada. Australia. Japan. France. Switzerland. Italy. Austria. No other season pass gives skiers and snowboarders access to so many celebrated resorts around the world than the Epic Pass, including unlimited, unrestricted access to 15 mountain resorts and limited access to 46 more. Priced at $899 for the 2018-19 winter season, the Epic Pass remains unmatched in the mountain resort industry for the variety and value it offers skiers and snowboarders.
New for next winter, the Epic Pass will feature access to Telluride in Colorado; Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan; and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, including Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec, all in a long-term alliance.
Unique Advantages of a Vail Resorts Season Pass
• $49 Down Now, Pay the Rest Later. For a limited time only, a $49 down payment now guarantees the lowest price for Vail Resorts’ season pass products with the remainder due in the fall.
• Put Your Ticket Towards a Season Pass Purchase. New guests can also benefit from the Turn in Your Ticketprogram, allowing skiers and snowboarders to apply the cost of their day lift ticket toward the price of an eligible season pass for the 2018-19 season. Guests can bring their same-day lift ticket to a season pass office at any of the Vail Resorts owned mountains and put the value of the ticket towards an eligible season pass product.
• 12 Total Discounted Tickets for Family and Friends. Purchasing a 2018-19 season pass by Sunday, April 15 ensures that skiers and snowboarders will lock in the lowest price, combined with the best benefits, such as 12 total benefit tickets for friends and family to use: Six “Buddy” tickets at a flat discounted rate for friends and family to use and six “Ski With A Friend” discounted tickets are offered with eligible season passes.
• Bypass the Ticket Window and Go Direct to Lift. No stopping at the ticket window at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Telluride, Park City, Whistler Blackcomb, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Wilmot Mountain, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton and the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. With a Vail Resorts’ season pass, skiers and snowboarders go direct to the lift to enjoy their day on the mountain.
• Track Your Ski Day and Share with Friends. Access to EpicMix, Vail Resorts’ award-winning app, allows guests to track vertical feet, check lift line wait times, share free photos, earn digital pins for on-mountain achievements, race against the clock and track progress in Ski and Snowboard School lessons.
Following are ideal season pass options for skiers and snowboarders next winter whether they intend to only ski four days or all season with no restrictions.
• Epic Pass™: Ski or snowboard unlimited and unrestricted from opening day to closing day for only $899. The Epic Pass pays for itself in just over four days of skiing or snowboarding. Enjoy full access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Whistler Blackcomb in Canada; and Perisher in Australia for the 2019 season. New for the 2018-19 season, Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates at Telluride in Colorado and at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec), and five total consecutive days with no blackout dates at Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan. The Epic Pass also grants limited access to Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski and Tignes-Val D’Isere in France; 4 Vallées in Switzerland; Arlberg in Austria and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy. A child pass (ages five to 12) is $469.
• Epic Local Pass™: For $669, receive unlimited and unrestricted skiing or snowboarding at Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Wilmot, Afton Alps and Mt. Brighton with limited restrictions at Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, and Stowe, plus a combined total of 10 days at Vail, Beaver Creek, and Whistler Blackcomb with holiday restrictions. New for the 2018-19 season, Epic Local Pass holders will receive five total consecutive days with no blackout dates at Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan. The Epic Local Pass pays for itself in just over three days. A child pass (ages five to 12) is $359.
• Epic 7-Day Pass™: For $669, receive a total of seven unrestricted days at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe and Arapahoe Basin, plus seven additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain. New for the 2018-19 season, Epic 7-Day Pass holders will receive up to seven days of skiing or snowboarding at Telluride and at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies with no blackout dates as part of their seven total days on the pass. After the seven days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride. A child pass (ages five to 12) is $359. The pass pays for itself in just over three days.
• Epic 4-Day™: A convenient option for a short ski trip as the pass pays for itself in just over two days and includes a total of four unrestricted days valid at Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stowe and Arapahoe Basin, plus four additional free days at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton or Wilmot Mountain. New in 2018-19, Epic 4-Day Pass holders will receive up to four days of skiing or snowboarding at Telluride and at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies with no blackout dates as part of their four total days on the pass. After the four days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 20 percent off additional lift tickets at Telluride. The Epic 4-Day Pass is $439 for adults and $239 for children (ages five to 12).
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Epic Pass on March 18, 2018, Vail Resorts is honoring the epic service of the Company’s founders from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, and the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, Canadian Armed Forces and Australian Defence Force with the introduction of a new $99 Military Epic Pass for active and retired military personnel and their dependents – an almost 90-percent discount to the regular Epic Pass price. Additionally, as the first of its kind in the mountain resort industry, all other U.S., Canadian and Australian veterans and their dependents are eligible for a $499 Military Epic Pass, which offers more than a 40-percent discount off the regular price ($269 for children under 18 years of age). Vail Resorts will donate $1 for every 2018-19 season pass sale to Wounded Warrior Project® to benefit wounded veterans and their families, which would exceed $750,000 based on last year’s sales. Visit www.epicpass.com/military for all details on military pass options.
Season Pass Insurance
Vail Resorts encourages guests to purchase pass insurance, which ranges from $10 to $25 depending on the type of pass purchased. All of the Company’s season pass products are non-refundable and non-transferable; however, pass insurance covers pass holders in the event of unexpected circumstances including sickness, injury and job loss. Find out more at www.EpicPass.com.
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 11 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe in Vermont; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
You can see the recent story of the launching of the IKON Pass rates here.
The Magic Pass was unveiled for the 2nd year for 30 ski resorts in the French region of Switzerland, with the option of riding the lifts in many of these resorts in the summer.
Another season pass that has great rates is the one of Saas-Fee– this was their offer from this season, will cover shortly what they have on offer for the 2018-19 ski season.
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Featured Image: Whistler sunset- Photo by Paul Morrison – Vail Resorts.