PEAK is Epic

jgreco

So if you lose your pass this year you'll be doing the day pass thing for a few weeks unless you can get to Sunapee, Okemo or Stowe.

Maybe not for me in particular... A week after we picked up our passes at Sunapee, I got another Epic pass in the mail. My girlfriend never received a 2nd pass by mail. Then just this morning, I got an email "Your Epic Pass Has Shipped". So, I could end up with 3! The 2nd one has a different pass number, so I doubt I could use it as a replacement.

Also, everyone's Epic pass I've seen so far has their head stretched out vertically. Thought it was a problem with Sunapee's printer. But the one I got shipped from Vail, and a buddy's Stowe-printed pass are stretched too,

DrJeff

ski_it;c-39044 wroteYes what you describe is what I generally understood what happens. They were implying some kinda possible change. Those dang BB trips are too short to fully understand or get the complete story. I know you will.

Do you envision Vail making changes to the ambassador program?

Given that Vail has strong ambassador programs at many of their other properties, I'm guessing the most likely change that Vail may make to the Mount Snow Ambassador program that Pete runs very well, will be to the uniforms they wear to bring them inline with the rest of the Vail Resorts ambassadors.

Frankly I'd love if they went back to the Neon green one's from a few years ago. Very easy to recognize, and much better than the current "Mustard" colored if you're non CPR certified and Red if you are CPR certified color scheme's they've had the last 2 seasons IMHO

DrJeff

jgreco;c-39015 wroteWe grabbed a 10-pack of these and have been handing out extras to friends. Using old zingers/yoyos we had laying around.

That's what me and my family are using for our EPIC's. Got mine hooked into a "Duff Beer" from the Simpson's TV show lanyard that I got at Universal Orlando Resort last Spring. Yup, its a nuisance to unzip my coat, pull out my pass, get it scanned, put it back in my coat and re-zip each time, but atleast I can have a little fun with my lanyard until a fully scanable through clothing RFID system shows up next season...

ski_it

tedede;c-39054 wroteHere's a ThinkVail blog with some options

Last year Crotched sold a version of the "Liftie" goggle strap carrier in clear plastic for a few dollars.

That reminds me, I lost my goggles there a couple years ago. Have you seen them?

ski_it

DrJeff;c-39059 wrote
jgreco;c-39015 wroteWe grabbed a 10-pack of these and have been handing out extras to friends. Using old zingers/yoyos we had laying around.
That's what me and my family are using for our EPIC's. Got mine hooked into a "Duff Beer" from the Simpson's TV show lanyard that I got at Universal Orlando Resort last Spring. Yup, its a nuisance to unzip my coat, pull out my pass, get it scanned, put it back in my coat and re-zip each time, but at least I can have a little fun with my lanyard until a fully scanable through clothing RFID system shows up next season...

One nice feature my ski jacket does have is a clip inside the lower pocket to which I attach my lanyard. I can take my pass in & out as needed without zipping it up or having it flopping around on a run. IMHO many of those retractable lanyards break because they get sat on or caught on something like a chair lift, etc....

ski_it

So my pass still hasn’t arrived. I took a look at both the customer service and the ticket line around 8:30 Saturday and they both looked to be out to the parking lot. So I went with out. Talking to someone on the bubble, and he said they are now printing passes at Snow. His pass never arrived because he never paid the $4.95 shipping fee which they never asked for when he ordered it online. So he went there Friday morning at 7:30. I only got an attempted scan once this weekend. I guess it’s time to call or print

DrJeff

ski_it;c-39302 wroteSo my pass still hasn’t arrived. I took a look at both the customer service and the ticket line around 8:30 Saturday and they both looked to be out to the parking lot. So I went with out. Talking to someone on the bubble, and he said they are now printing passed at Snow. His pass never arrived because he never paid the $4.95 shipping fee which they never asked for when he ordered it online. So he went there Friday morning at 7:30. I only got an attempted scan once this weekend. I guess it’s time to call or print

After having skied Okemo yesterday, where all of the EPIC scanners are in place and working very efficiently, I honestly can't wait until Mount Snow gets that same system next season. SO MUCH better than what is in place this season, between the scanners not always working, having to manually have your passes scanned directly (and not just through clothing), the new staff definitely having some speed issues with scanning passes and pairing folks up in the queue line, etc. Myself, and a few of the other Mount Snow racer parents who were at Okemo yesterday watching our kids race, were all commenting about how much smoother, seamless, and "professional" the Okemo pass/scanning/line pairing situation was compared to what is at Mount Snow right now.

jaytrem

I too received a 2nd set of Epic passes. Also got another shipping email, so a 3rd set may be showing up.

Not a RFID fan. 3 times they've gone bad on me over the years. And seems like when somebody can't get thru it causes big delays. Around 7 empties went up at Okemo last time I was there. One lady couldn't get thru and the rest of her family was in the way of anybody else wanting to get by.

ski_it

Called Epic they said it shipped the 11th. Still not here. Via Turtoise mail?

ski_it

I’m finally legal again!!! Got to MS customer service Friday at 3. Very quick and painless service. Now I have photo that makes me look like one of the coneheads too.

jaytrem

We went to Hunter today prepared with 3 passes each. The newest epic did work, not sure about the first one they sent, will test at MS tomorrow.

Hunter was nice, arrived around 12:30 at north side lift. Great place to park to avoud the mayhem. Only lift with long lines was the the front 6. That was gone shortly after 3. Triple line was about 3 to 5 min in the afternoon. West side, north side and the "new" double were basically hop right on.

ski_it

I was told my one coming in the mail had been deactivated when I got one at Mt Snow

jaytrem

As expected the first one they sent me does not work. Maybe I'll try the Peaks pass next.

ski_it

You are persistent I’ll give you that. :)
As related before, Immediately after we upgraded from Peak to Epic, the Peak went "BONK-K-K" but the lifties didn't flinch. Did 3 weeks of BONK-K. They just said go to customer service. Peak-Epic expected you to go get a day ticket everyday before they could print passes.

jaytrem

Peak still working! Not surprised since they messed up my order so bad.

ski_it

Yep our 1st Epic Passes were waiting in the mail box when we got home....

At Mount Snow we talked to someone who for whatever reason didn't get there Peak in the mail or go to the mountain before this week. When they went to customer service they were told that they ran out of Peak passes and could not print them. They had to get paper tickets each day.

I overheard other people inquiring about Ski with a Friend or Buddy tickets. So if you don't know by now; if you upgraded from Peak to Epic all Peak benefits are void.

Then if you are at a former Peak Resort:
From the Mt Snow site:
"NOTE FOR EPIC PASSHOLDERS
Vail Resorts will be integrating lift ticket and season pass systems for the newly acquired Peak Resorts after the 2019-20 winter ski season and therefore Epic and Epic Day Pass benefits, such as Buddy Tickets and Ski With a Friend Tickets, will not be eligible at the 17 Peak Resorts during this season."

In other words, tough cookies.

ski_it

Tried my postal Epic pass and it doesn’t go “BONK-K-K" but it doesn’t work either.

rickbolger

OK Boomer

:p ;)

rickbolger

All kidding aside, I was at Attitash yesterday morning and one of my daughters (who worked there circa 2015) noticed fewer employees "in the trenches" so to speak. At one point said, "I'm a little concerned there's no liftie out here"

Also seemed to me that snowmaking was seriously behind what it should be. Hopefully that's just lingering damage from warm temps.

And there were no liftlines to speak of.

All in all it reminded me of the waning days of ASC -- a resort on the decline.

The other glaring thing, I looked for but could not find one single Vail brochure nor any evidence of cross-selling except for Wildcat. Did not stumble upon the words Vail or Epic anywhere on the property, aside from the pass I was wearing.

yardsale

I think Dr Jeff has said it... Vail doesn't integrate anything in the 1st year. Wildcat, Attitash, Snow, Crotched may have other factors at play - perhaps left to their own to see how they run things. A test of sorts. I was at Okemo today. That place is full on Epic. Over staffed on a weekday with Epic uniforms. Pass scanners wear all red. Lifties wear all navy blue. Instructors where all royal blue. Bathrooms clean. 2 people running bag check on a weekday. Daily Yellow banners drilled into the snow and placed at all trail intersections. Epic MIX gates at all lifts. RFID working flawlessly.. Okemo is Epic. Wildcat, Attitash, Snow, Crotched are not Epic... YET. Next year.

It is weird.. skiing Mt Snow this season, you would not know Vail owns Snow at all. There are zero indications that they are involved with the place.

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