Labor Day Marks Deadline for Best Rate on 2015-16 Afton Alps Pass Options to Ski Locally and to Go West
- Epic Local Pass offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Afton Alps, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, with limited restrictions at Park City, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood; includes 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek with holiday restrictions
- Families save 20 percent when purchasing the Mt. Brighton Family Pass and kids automatically get western ski resorts
AFTON ALPS, Minn. – Aug. 18, 2015 – As summer draws to a close, Afton Alps is looking forward to the coming ski season by offering the lowest guaranteed prices on 2015-16 season passes through Monday, Sept. 7. Afton Alps offers a variety of pass options to fit the needs of all snow enthusiasts.
For those looking to ski or ride locally as well as hit the slopes out west, the Epic Local Pass offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing or riding at Afton Alps, as well as Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; with limited restrictions at Park City in Utah and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe. It also includes a total of 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado with holiday restrictions.
“Kids and families receive tremendous benefits through our season passes,” said Joe Yasis, general manager of Afton Alps. “The Child’s Epic Local Pass offers unlimited access to Afton Alps as well as access to eight world-class Western resorts. In addition to unrestricted access to Afton Alps all season, a vacation out West has never been more accessible or more affordable.”
“The biggest benefit to the pass is the superb access to a wide variety of mountains,” said Sarah Zurbay, season pass holder at Afton Alps. “We have unrestricted access to our home mountain well as access to so many great western resorts. Our family can leave the Minneapolis St. Paul airport in the morning and then be skiing at one of the western resorts by the afternoon.”
Access also includes Park City, currently undergoing a $50-million transformation which will complete a number of critical upgrades to the infrastructure and feature a new gondola linking it to Canyons Resort. The project is one of the most ambitious and impactful capital programs in U.S. ski industry history and will create the largest ski resort in the United States with over 7,300 acres of skiable terrain.
For those looking to maximize their time on the snow locally, there are the Afton Alps Pass and the Afton Alps Family Pass providing unlimited access to Afton Alps with no restrictions. Families of four or more save up to 20 percent when purchasing the Family Pass. All kids’ passes (ages five through 12) are automatically Epic Local Passes and are a step closer to a visit out west. For parents with the Afton Alps adult pass, it is as simple and convenient as upgrading to the Epic Local Pass for less than the price of a day ticket to Vail.
Vail Resorts and Afton Alps offer multiple pass options for the 2015-16 season:
- The Epic Local Pass™: Perfect for people who can navigate a pass with restrictions out west. For $579, get unlimited, unrestricted skiing or riding at Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin with limited restrictions at Park City, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. Also includes a total of 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek with holiday restrictions. The Epic Local Pass pays for itself in less than four days. A child pass (ages five through 12) is $299.
- The Epic Pass™: Ski as much as you want, whenever you want for $769. The Epic Pass pays for itself in less than five days of skiing or riding. With more than 32,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain, this pass can’t be beat. Unlimited, unrestricted access to 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 2016 season, Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan, and up to five free consecutive days when staying at in-resort accommodations at Verbier, Switzerland. No blackout dates. A child pass is $399.
- Afton Alps Pass: For those who plan to ski or ride solely at Afton Alps, there is the Afton Alps Pass. At $419, pass holders receive unlimited access to Afton Alps with no restrictions. A discounted rate is also offered for seniors at $289 and college students for $269. In addition, savings of 20 percent are available for families and groups of three or more via the Afton Alps Family Pass.
- Afton Alps Family Pass: Families enjoy all the benefits of the Afton Alps Pass while saving up to 20 percent. Families of three receive unrestricted access for $899; families of four, $1149; additional members can be added for $134. Kids who receive their passes via the Afton Alps Family Pass option are one step ahead to a visit out west; Kids’ passes are automatically deemed Epic Local Passes, which offers access to nine western resorts.
- Afton Alps Night College Pass: Offers unlimited, unrestricted access at Afton Alps for college students after 3p.m for only $149.
- The Epic 4-Day™: Is optimal for guests planning one ski vacation during the 2015-16 winter season. $389 for adults and $219 for children. Ski any four days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, and Arapahoe Basin, plus four days at Afton Alps. This pass pays for itself in just over two days out West and offers a savings of over 35 percent compared to lift tickets. And, for a little over $1,200 a family of four can ski four days at the best ski resorts in the U.S.
- The Epic 7-Day™: Is ideal for guests planning to ski seven days throughout the winter season. $579 for adults and $299 for children.Ski or ride a total of seven unrestricted days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe, plus seven days at Afton Alps.
Vail Resorts encourages guests to purchase pass insurance. 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. Coverage applies for all Epic season passes, valid for the 2015-16 ski season, starting at $10 for adults and $5 for children.
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 2015-16 ski and snowboard season at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood, as well as Mt. Brighton, Afton Alps and Arapahoe Basin. Season pass holders also receive six Ski-With-A-Friend Tickets, automatically loaded onto the pass. All season pass products are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Current benefits and prices on Epic season passes are only guaranteed through Monday, Sept. 7, 2015. To purchase a season pass online or to find out more information, please visit www.epicpass.com.
About Afton Alps
For over 50 years, Afton Alps has delighted the Twin Cities’ families as one of the Midwest’s premier winter destinations. Nestled in the scenic St. Croix River Valley just outside Minneapolis and St. Paul, this sprawling resort poured $10 million into re-imagining the guest experience with renovated base area facilities, a powerful state-of-the-art snowmaking system and a new cutting edge terrain park. With nearly 300 skiable acres, 50 trails, 18 lifts and four terrain parks, there is enough terrain to challenge experts to beginners, day or night. Accessible, affordable and fun, this big-time resort with a small-town feel has converted thousands of first-timers into lifelong skiers and riders, and now with the opportunity to take that passion to Vail Resorts’ iconic western mountains, Afton Alps is truly the place where Epic begins. For more information, please visit www.aftonalps.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 two 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, Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. 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, 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.