BROOMFIELD, Colo.—Sept. 29, 2009—Vail Resorts announces several innovative programs designed to offer great values for skiers and riders all season long. From ski and ride school to dining, equipment rentals to season passes, see what’s new this winter at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly.
Adventure Sessions: If Ski School Had Recess, This Would Be It.
This winter, Vail Resorts is unveiling an entirely new way for guests to explore the mountain and maximize their enjoyment on the slopes with an expert guide. Unlike more formal ski and ride school lessons, the new Adventure Sessions are more loosely structured, focusing on whatever the group chooses such as bumps, bowls, cruisers or powder, while still providing tips on how to improve their skiing and riding. The program is geared towards intermediate and expert level skiers and riders who are looking for more adventure, a locals’ view of the mountain and less of an instruction and class setting of a standard ski school class.
Guests will be teamed in small groups with other like-minded ski or ride enthusiasts who want to get the most out of their day. The group will receive special access to move to the front of the lift lines, go places they might not see on your own, enjoy the best terrain and conditions available, and pick up tips and technical information along the way from the Vail Resorts expert guides from its world class Ski & Ride Schools. The Adventure Sessions cost $129 per person at Vail and Beaver Creek Resorts and $119 per person at Breckenridge, Heavenly and Keystone Resorts. For more information, visit www.snow.com.
Vail Resorts Reengineers the Burger from the Ground Up and More – The Epic Mountain Burger, Lunch for Less and Pre-Paid Mountain Meal Card.
This winter, Vail Resorts is introducing a broad array of new mountain dining options combining the highest quality food and greatest values for skiers and riders at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly.
One of the most popular items served at Vail Resorts’ restaurants, the hamburger, has undergone a complete upgrade for this winter season. On-mountain restaurants at Vail Resorts’ five mountain resorts will serve up a burger that features a freshly baked bun from Denver's Harvest Moon Bakery, a fresh, Angus quarter-pound patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, organic white cheddar cheese and a special signature sauce. This “best in class” burger will be offered at last year’s prices. For those who spend their mornings racking up a lot of vertical on the slopes, the Company is introducing the “Epic Mountain Burger”, which boasts all of the same fresh ingredients of the core burger with two quarter-pound patties instead of one.
“Lunch for Less” is a new value meal that will be offered across all five resorts for $9.95 and it will include an entrée, side dish and a beverage. The Lunch for Less meal may vary from day to day and from resort to resort and include a wrap and soup one day or a pasta and salad the next. It’s the perfect way to refuel on the slopes and experience a variety of menu offerings over a multi-day visit.
For the first time, Vail Resorts guests can take advantage of a convenient new pre-paid Mountain Meal Card which will offer added value with an extra 10 or 20-percent dollar value based upon the amount purchased. For the first $100 purchased, guests will receive a 10 percent additional value. For values of $200 and up, 20 percent of the total will be automatically loaded on to the card. The Mountain Meal Card must be pre-purchased in advance prior to arrival at the resort.
Two seasons ago, Vail Resorts' "Appetite for Life" program brought healthy, all-natural food to a lunch scene once known for chili-cheese fries. In addition to all organic dairy, new signature items available this season include an organic yogurt parfait served with granola and fruit and a grab-and-go lunch made of natural and organic products. Each item offered under the Appetite for Life program will be identified with an “AFL” sticker. Also new this season are gluten-free menu items identified with a special “GF” designation in addition to the AFL sticker logo, providing food options to meet most dietary needs.
Finally, in fine dining establishments on mountain this winter, Vail Resorts is offering greater value for families. “Celebrate With Us” invites guests to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or that special occasion. The offer includes a complimentary beverage or dessert with each meal. The “Family Friendly” offer is designed to make dining with the kids more affordable and will include more child-friendly menu items that are reasonably priced. Offers will vary by restaurant but each fine dining establishment will feature a Celebrate With Us and a Family Friendly offer. For more information, visit www.snow.com.
Back for Another Season: The Epic Season Pass at $599.
The Epic Season Pass™ returns for another season and offers one of the best values in the ski and snowboard industry. Ski and ride unlimited, unrestricted from opening day to closing day at all five of our world-class mountain resorts - Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly - plus Arapahoe Basin at $599 for adults and $299 for children (ages 5-12). After the sixth day, skiing and riding with Vail Resorts is free. For more information, visit www.epicpass.com.
For the first time this winter, skiers and snowboarders also have the option of The Summit Pass™, which offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin at $399 for adults, $309 for teens (ages 13-18) and $199 for children (ages 5-12). For more information, visit www.epicpass.com.
Both passes will be available through Nov. 22.
Bag the Baggage Fees and Leave the Boards Behind— Ski Rentals Are Free.
Last season, Vail Resorts provided a $50 credit on baggage fees for skis and snowboards and this year the Company is going one better. Guests can leave their skis and snowboards at home because rentals are free with this package. The Free Skis & Boards package features lift tickets and a free ski and snowboard sports rental package per person for up to seven days at the retail locations of Vail Sports, Beaver Creek Sports, Breckenridge Sports, Keystone Sports and Heavenly Sports, as well as lodging in a Vail Resorts property or third-party lodging sponsor at Heavenly.
The package must be purchased by Dec. 1, 2009, and is not valid from Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 4, 2010, and Jan. 15-18, 2010. It is based on a two-night minimum stay. Other restrictions may apply. For information and reservations, visit www.snow.com or call 800-404-3535.
Three for Free
Starting Nov. 1, when you book lodging at a RockResort property or an owned or managed property at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone, receive “three for free”; a value that includes a free night of lodging, $50 RockResorts gift card or $50 in on-mountain currency plus a free helmet cam (one per reservation) to capture your experience on the slopes. Visit www.rockresorts.com/threeforfree.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and in the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction 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.
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