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“The transformation taking place this summer will re-imagine every aspect of the guest experience at Wilmot Mountain,” said Taylor Ogilvie, general manager at Wilmot Mountain. “While we think our guests will be thrilled with the on-mountain improvements such as new chairlifts and state-of the art snowmaking, it’s the adoption of best practices in all aspects of guest service and on-mountain operations that will further elevate Wilmot Mountain to truly become ‘where Epic begins.’”
 
The improvements currently underway to upgrade and modernize Wilmot Mountain include:

• New Lifts.  Towers and chairs will arrive from Colorado in early-June to begin replacing existing chairlifts with three new four-person chairlifts. To date, chairlifts 2 and 3 have already been removed and chairlifts 6 and 8 are in the process of being removed. Combined with a new high-speed rope tow in the terrain park and two new surface conveyor lifts in the beginner area, the new lifts will increase capacity by up to 45 percent, allowing skiers and snowboarders more time on the slopes.
• Base Area Transformation. The entire base lodge will be transformed, including the addition of 400 seats and upgrading the food and beverage offering to accommodate more guests. In addition, the facility will be modernized to offer seating for families, groups and adults, including a new bar and Wi-Fi throughout the facility. The Iron Kettle restaurant will be completely redesigned and will include a new lounge and bar where parents will be able to watch their children ski and snowboard and enjoy a full-service bar and food service in an energized, yet comfortable, setting. To date, all furniture and equipment in need of updates has been removed and is ready for construction to begin.
• New Kids’ Ski and Snowboard School and Enhanced Beginner Area. A dedicated and state-of-the-art children’s ski and snowboard center will be created adjacent to the learning terrain at the base of the ski area, featuring a playful open space for kids along with their own lunch and break room. The new dedicated children’s center was formally the Wilmot Mountain maintenance building, so a replacement maintenance building is currently being constructed to allow that transition to begin. Additionally, the learning terrain will be re-graded to be more accessible for teaching beginners and two new surface conveyor lifts will be added for easy access.
• New Terrain Park and High-Speed Rope Tow. A new expanded terrain park will offer unique and innovative features designed and created by terrain park staff at the Company’s western resorts, as well as the addition of a new high-speed rope tow to enable skiers and snowboarders to spend more time in the terrain park.
• Expanded State-of-the Art Snowmaking. Significant improvements to the snowmaking infrastructure are currently underway to increase the snowmaking capacity and allow Wilmot to open more terrain earlier in the season and create the ability to recover terrain quickly during the season. More than four miles of new snowmaking pipe and 56 new snowmaking guns have been ordered, including 30 low-energy fan tower guns, six portable fan guns and 20 air-water guns, which will complement the refurbishment of existing snowmaking equipment. Additionally, the snowmaking pump station will be modernized to increase water flow capacity, including a 500 horse-power variable frequency pump.  

In addition to the resort improvements, a new brand has also been established to further enhance Wilmot’s revitalization. The logo has a refreshed, vibrant look and feel, which also pays homage to the resort’s historic red color and stylistically references the ski area’s three signature peaks. Wilmot’s new brand will also speak to the brand platform, “Where Epic Begins,” that draws inspiration from the source — the ski area — where children and adults alike get their first taste of sliding down a mountain that soon becomes a quest for self-expression, whether it’s carving perfect turns, racing down a slalom course or mastering a trick in the terrain park. It’s where a strong sense of community and camaraderie prevails and a passion for the mountain is shared, time after time.
 
This transformation coincides with Wilmot Mountain guests’ opportunity to purchase Vail Resorts’ season passes, which offer guests the flexibility to choose which pass is right for them based on how much, and where, they plan to ski and snowboard. This year, a new children’s season pass option at Wilmot Mountain will automatically be issued as an Epic Local Child pass for only $319, which means it’s even easier for the entire family to ski in their own backyard and at nine world-class resorts out West: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; and Heavenly, Northstar California and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe.

• Ski Unlimited Locally and Out West with The Epic Pass™: Ski as much as you want, whenever you want for $809. The Epic Pass pays for itself in just over five days of skiing or riding out West. With more than 32,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain, this pass can’t be beat. It features unlimited, unrestricted access to Wilmot Mountain locally, plus Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Perisher in Australia for the 2017 season there; Afton Alps in Minnesota; and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. No restricted dates. A child pass (ages five to 12) is $419.
• Ski Unlimited Locally and with Some Restrictions Out West with the Epic Local Pass™: Perfect for people who can navigate a pass with restrictions. For $609, pass holders receive unlimited and unrestricted skiing or riding at Wilmot Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Afton Alps and Mt. Brighton, with limited restrictions at Park City, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood, plus a total of 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek with holiday restrictions. The Epic Local Pass pays for itself in just four days out West. A child pass (ages five to 12) is $319.
• Ski Wilmot Mountain Only with the Wilmot Pass: For those who plan to ski or ride solely at Wilmot Mountain, there is the Wilmot Pass. At $379 for adults, pass holders receive unlimited access to Wilmot Mountain with no restrictions. A discounted rate is offered for families of three people at $809; additional family members can be added for $149 each. New this year, parents can purchase a season pass for their child to ski at Wilmot for only $319 (previously only adult passes were offered), and automatically receive an Epic Local Child pass with access to nine world-class mountains in Colorado, Utah and California.

 Season Pass Benefits Guaranteed Through Memorial Day Weekend
Skiers and snowboarders who purchase their Epic or Epic Local Pass before Memorial Day for the 2016-2017 winter season will also receive two “Buddy Tickets” – the best discounted rate on lift tickets out West that pass holders can give to friends and family – and six “Ski With a Friend” tickets, a fluctuating discount rate on lift tickets throughout the season that pass holders can give to friends and family to use.
 
For further details and additional pass options, such as Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day passes, visit EpicPass.com.
 
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. The Company’s subsidiaries operate nine 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; Perisher in Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin. The Company 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, Wyoming. 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.