MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Aug. 14, 2024 – The best time to plan for winter is now, and your checklist to prepare for the ski and ride season is here. Skiers and riders who start planning now will lock in the best deals and experiences when visiting their hometown hills in the Midwest, including Afton Alps, Wilmot, Mt. Brighton, and Boston Mills Brandywine.
Here’s our pre-winter checklist to start preparing now for the 2024/25 ski and ride season:
✔️ Get caught up on what’s coming next to the Midwest
Welcome to where it all begins - learning to carve first turns, race down a slalom course, or master a trick in the terrain park. A place to bring the kids and introduce them to the thrill of the mountain. Midwest resorts with proximity to large metro areas are the perfect place to welcome new guests into the sport. These hometown hills are where guests can learn to ski in a familiar environment and where the passion for skiing and riding blooms before venturing to other Epic Pass destinations from Vail Mountain to Breckenridge.
It starts right here in the Midwest, and this season we are excited to bring some welcome additions to our Midwest resorts to enhance the guest experience and heighten the fun:
- In addition to skiing and riding, this season Afton Alps in Minnesota will welcome the highly anticipated return of snow tubing to its winter lineup, which means more winter fun options. The park will offer 10 lanes of tubing adventure. Located conveniently in the Highland Zone, adjacent to the Alpine Chalet, the new location will offer ample parking and easy access. In addition to the tubing park, the Alpine Chalet is undergoing a comprehensive refresh, offering grab-and-go snacks and meals, hot chocolate, and premade cocktails in a welcoming atmosphere.
- At Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin, The Rope terrain park will be re-graded, making it less dependent on snowfall and more available in the early season. The historic and fan-favorite Main Lodge Bar will reopen this season. This beloved landmark will once again welcome guests with its bar service and convenient grab-and-go snacks. Wilmot Mountain is Wisconsin’s ultimate destination to play, ski, learn, and tube featuring special events like Dew After Dark Night Ski, and so much more.
- Mt. Brighton in Michigan is introducing a brand-new menu at the guest-favorite dining spot, Ore Creek Mountain Grill. Enhancements are being made to the terrain parks to get guests on the snow even faster in the early season. Mt. Brighton is excited to bring back the Duct Tape Derby, where guests can build the sled of their dreams using cardboard, duct tape, and lots of creativity. Additionally, every Sunday, guests can enjoy a sweet treat at the fire pit for Sunday S’mores.
- Mad River, the largest ski resort in Ohio, is reprioritizing its snowmaking infrastructure to ensure an even better experience on the slopes this year. The resort will host special events and run the popular Midnight Madness promotion throughout the season.
- Snow Creek, in the Kansas City area, is introducing a new yurt next to Tornado Alley Tubing Park as a dedicated check-in point for tubing, reducing wait times for guests who have purchased tickets online. Additionally, Snow Creek will host special events and run guest-favorite promotions like Dew After Dark Night Ski throughout the season.
- Get ready for a brighter season at Boston Mills, Brandywine, and Alpine Valley. We're continuing our work to update the hill lighting to vibrant LEDs, making nighttime adventures even more exhilarating.
✔️ Skip lift tickets, get an Epic Day Pass for as low as $44 per day if you buy now
Skiers and riders have until September 2 to purchase an Epic Pass before prices increase. Epic Passes offer significant pre-season savings compared to lift ticket prices and, whether you plan to ski or ride one day or every day, there is a Pass option for everyone.
- Epic Day Pass (as low as $44 per day) offers skiers and riders the ability to build their own Pass – choosing 1-7 days to use throughout the season. Epic Day Passes provide up to 60% savings compared to lift ticket prices. Ski and ride nine resorts across the Midwest including Afton Alps (MN), Wilmot (WI), Mt Brighton (MI), Boston Mills Brandywine and Mad River Mountain (OH), Seven Springs (PA) and more – for as low as $44 per day.
- Regional Passes provide great value to those who want to ski and ride locally. For instance, the Ohio Pass ($357) provides unlimited, unrestricted access to Boston Mills Brandywine, Alpine Valley and Mad River Mountain. Many Midwest resorts also offer unlimited access at an incredible value including the Wilmot Pass ($439), Afton Alps Pass ($490), Mt. Brighton Pass ($557).
- Epic Local Pass ($746) provides unlimited access to Midwest resorts and world-class destinations like Breckenridge and Keystone, plus 10 total days at Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb.
- Epic Pass ($1,004) continues to offer the best deal in skiing and riding with access to more than 80 resorts worldwide, including unlimited, unrestricted access to resorts throughout the Midwest.
- Specialty Passes are available including active and retired Military and their dependents ($177), Veterans and their dependents ($573) and Adaptive Passes ($492) that offer access to 42 resorts at a discount. Plus, there are several Passes for college students in the Midwest like the unlimited Afton Alps College Pass ($327).
View all Epic Passes on epicpass.com before prices rise September 2.
Epic Passes also provide savings on other parts of the in-resort experience. Passes come with Epic Mountain Rewards, which offer exclusive discounts including 20% off on-mountain food and beverage, lodging, group ski and ride lessons, equipment rentals and more –v all winter long.
✔️ Skip the ticket line, download My Epic app with Mobile Pass
Download the new My Epic app to use Mobile Pass this winter. Guests can buy their Pass online, activate and store it in the My Epic app, and scan their phone hands free at the lifts using low-energy Bluetooth® technology. Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets will be available at Vail Resorts’ 37 North American resorts during the 2024/25 season.
My Epic app will also feature enhanced stats tracking, Find My Friends, interactive trail maps – and with Buddy and Ski With a Friend Tickets available in app, your guest can skip the ticket line and head straight to the lift with you.
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About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts is a network of the best destination and close-to-home ski resorts in the world including Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Stowe, and 32 additional resorts across North America; Andermatt-Sedrun and Crans-Montana Mountain Resort in Switzerland; and Perisher, Hotham, and Falls Creek in Australia – all available on the company’s industry-changing Epic Pass. We are passionate about providing an Experience of a Lifetime to our team members and guests, and our EpicPromise is to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030, support our employees and communities, and broaden engagement in our sport. Our company owns and/or manages a collection of elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, a portfolio of vacation rentals, condominiums and branded hotels located in close proximity to our mountain destinations, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Retail operates more than 250 retail and rental locations across North America. Learn more about our company at www.VailResorts.com, or discover our resorts and pass options at www.EpicPass.com.