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beelze
05-03-2009, 07:54 PM
Win -

You have perhaps the most unfriendly pricing structure in Vermont and frankly just about anywhere. But leaving it in VT, compare your prices to Stratton and Killington. Everything below a full pass is significantly better value away from Sugarbush. While you may (for now) have those of with condos and houses locked in, nothing is forever.

ski_resort_observer
05-03-2009, 08:39 PM
Win -

You have perhaps the most unfriendly pricing structure in Vermont and frankly just about anywhere. But leaving it in VT, compare your prices to Stratton and Killington. Everything below a full pass is significantly better value away from Sugarbush. While you may (for now) have those of with condos and houses locked in, nothing is forever.

I beg to differ...as you pointed out for a full pass price, kmart and the Bush are the same, Stratton is alittle cheaper while Stowe is much more expensive. Stowe is in Vermont, right?

The Bush has a cheap midweek and Mt Ellen only pass, kmart has a cheap non-holiday pass but it has 19 blackout dates. Again Stowe is by far the most expensive. Only the Bush sells a cheap college pass to people for the year after graduation. Back to the full pass, Bush includes a free season pass for a child 12 or under, most of the other resorts do not do that. The Mt Ellen plus is a good deal plus, again, a child under 12 get a free pass. Sugarbush offers some great values below the full pass price when compared to other Vermont resorts of comparable greatness. :D

bill-now
05-03-2009, 08:41 PM
Win -

You have perhaps the most unfriendly pricing structure in Vermont and frankly just about anywhere. But leaving it in VT, compare your prices to Stratton and Killington. Everything below a full pass is significantly better value away from Sugarbush. While you may (for now) have those of with condos and houses locked in, nothing is forever.

Care to backup your statement with some data?

summitchallenger
05-03-2009, 08:58 PM
Well, SB is not really competing with those resorts....not the same product per se. But if you want to compare, it would be fair to compare the Ellen Only pass with those passes...because Stratton closes pretty early. So with that in mind, the Ellen Only Pass is $499 plus a free one for a kid. Family of 4 skis for under $1,000. Not sure why that is not competitive....

gone.skiing
05-04-2009, 10:56 AM
Asked and answered in a similar thread last year. Sugarbush did not raise pass prices and actually lowered them in some cases for next season. Facts aside, "value" is combination of lots of factors and Sugarbush is way ahead of competition on nearly all of them.

HowieT2
05-04-2009, 04:38 PM
Beelze- can you give us a chart of what you're talking about.

I think for weekenders like me, we are pretty much "price inelastic" were going where we want to be as long as the price is in the ballpark. For vermonters that may be different.

anyway, I got my passes for next year so now all I need are new bindings.

win
05-05-2009, 10:29 AM
Thanks for all who continue to support Sugarbush. Spring Pass sales are up at least 5% over last year. In an tough economy that is great support. I guess a lot of people do understand the value and the different options available.

Yard Sale
05-05-2009, 03:21 PM
Got mine.

Sugaree
05-05-2009, 09:27 PM
Me too. $1,300 for me and my two girls. If we ski 35 days, that's $37 per day for all 3 of us. I don't compare prices to other mountain because I don't want to ski there. $37 a day for 3 at the Bush sounds pretty good to me!!!

jwt
05-06-2009, 08:06 AM
Hey folks,
Some health plans rebate a portion of your passes to encourage exercise. I live in Taxachusetts, so anything I can get is helpful. Our company utilizes Fallon Health - out of Worcester I believe. This is the second year in a row we have received a rebate for proof of purchase of a season pass.

Last year it was $300, this year $400. My wife and I have passes, and I have one child left under 12 so for $1600 we have all mountain access.
Check your health plan. I think it is one rebate per family.

John Walden
05-06-2009, 09:16 AM
Win:

My wife and I got ours last week before the May 1st deadline. Thanks for holding the prices from last year. That really helps in this economy. My wife is going to give me her stimulus check to help offset the cost of the pass. That's dedication, right?

flakeydog
05-06-2009, 10:04 AM
It is a free market out there... The Mad River Valley is blessed with at least 2 choices for Skiing, 3 if you count Mt Ellen (you can buy stand-alone season pass or day tickets there now) so I dont think they have a "lock" on anyone here.

In fact one could argue that no ski area has a lock on anyone. Dare I say that skiing is not a necessity like food/shelter/transportation. Dont get me wrong, skiing is a necessity for me but I think conceptually, it is considered a discretionary expense for most people. There are plenty of examples where weather, price, economy, quality, etc have pushed customers away and put ski areas up against the ropes. Clearly Sugarbush is one ski area that seems to know their business and is able to successfully deliver a quality product at a fair price in a competitive free market.

It's a free market out there, have at it.

djd66
05-06-2009, 07:32 PM
Win -

You have perhaps the most unfriendly pricing structure in Vermont and frankly just about anywhere. But leaving it in VT, compare your prices to Stratton and Killington. Everything below a full pass is significantly better value away from Sugarbush. While you may (for now) have those of with condos and houses locked in, nothing is forever.


Are you kidding me??? Why don't you go over to Kzone and see how Killington skiers feel about the value they get from the ownership down there?? I have a wife+2 kids+ me - I just paid $2,000 for all of us the ski next year - no black out dates. I also get 10% off at the ski shop and 10% off at Timbers. Sugarbush just built a brand new lodge - Have you been in KBL lately? The money I spend on our passes is the best $2,000 I spend for our family!

madhavok
05-17-2009, 06:41 AM
I wish the season pass didn't inlcude a free kid. Rather have a slightly cheaper pass. Or maybe consider adding a perk for those who don't have kids?

Just my 2 cents.

Lostone
05-17-2009, 07:23 AM
There is a large long term gain in the free child's pass.

It is a good way of enticing families to buy a (their) pass(es) here.

madhavok
05-17-2009, 06:53 PM
There is a large long term gain in the free child's pass.

It is a good way of enticing families to buy a (their) pass(es) here.

I understand that. However it discourages me from buying a season pass because I can't afford to and don't want to subsidize someones kid's pass.
But I am aware of why they want to do it, just don't like it.

Yard Sale
05-17-2009, 07:50 PM
There is a large long term gain in the free child's pass.

It is a good way of enticing families to buy a (their) pass(es) here.

I understand that. However it discourages me from buying a season pass because I can't afford to and don't want to subsidize someones kid's pass.
But I am aware of why they want to do it, just don't like it.



If the resort's strategy of seeding the herd for future generations of pass/ticket/lessons buying riders, discourages you then don't buy a pass. But to be clear, your not subsidizing anything. Beyond seeding for future consumers, the "free" passes you speak of are a loss leader a.k.a. a product provided at a discount to encourage other purchases such as adult season passes, seasonal programs like Blazers, meals in the lodge and goods at the ski shop to name a few. If your remorseful over your purchase, feel better knowing family guys like Yard Sale are up there on week ends throwing the doe rae mi around like drunk sailors on shore leave. The cost of passes, seasonal programs and mountainside incidentals? Thousands of dollars. Chasing my 11, 8, and 5 year old girls through Eden? Priceless. The good life ain't cheap, but it is good.

Speaking of paying dues. Is there going to be a trimming party in Slidebrook this year? If so, I'd like to be in on it. Did last year for the first time, and it was pretty fun. And it was free.

Lostone
05-17-2009, 08:38 PM
And I would have to point out that if you fly, there are a myriad of prices for the very same ticket.

The deal is, if it is a good value to you, buy the pass.

The bad news is you'll have to lay out the up-front dough. The good news is, you'll have to do a lot of skiing/riding, to make it worthwhile.


You can have a kid, to make it seem like a better deal, but be warned... I don't know of anyone who had kids and thought that was a good way to save money. :wink:

asland
05-18-2009, 06:49 PM
I would love to see a non-holiday pass offered. Buyer wins because he gets a discounted pass price (affordable in bad economy) and resort wins because it is not overcrowded or non-holiday season pass holder buys tickets for holiday period. Sounds like a win-win idea. :-)

Lostone
05-18-2009, 07:59 PM
They used to offer that.

It was called the Value Pass. It was the pass that got me to start skiing Sugarbush in '87.



Just looked at the past, and not only was my hair brown... There was a LOT more of it. :?

asland
05-19-2009, 09:44 AM
They used to offer that.

It was called the Value Pass. It was the pass that got me to start skiing Sugarbush in '87.



Just looked at the past, and not only was my hair brown... There was a LOT more of it. :?

sorry about the hair loss. it happens to the best of us...

I wonder how many other skiers started with this Value Pass (or would start out with a modern day equivalent) and then moved up to a full pass and now are lifelong Sugarbush skiers? It's a good hook and may be a middle ground for this conversation.

summitchallenger
05-19-2009, 11:24 AM
They used to offer that.

It was called the Value Pass. It was the pass that got me to start skiing Sugarbush in '87.



Just looked at the past, and not only was my hair brown... There was a LOT more of it. :?

sorry about the hair loss. it happens to the best of us...

I wonder how many other skiers started with this Value Pass (or would start out with a modern day equivalent) and then moved up to a full pass and now are lifelong Sugarbush skiers? It's a good hook and may be a middle ground for this conversation.

Have you looked at the Midweek or Ellen pass options?

My sense is that the "draw" is Lincoln Peak now....and that is in high demand. Hence no Lincoln Peak only tickets, etc. Makes sense considering that is where you have a captive audience and where most skiers/riders go now.

If you offered a non-holiday Mountain-7 Pass, a lot of the Mountain-7 passholders would go to that...so you'd lose money because you'd be selling less $999 passes.

saabski
05-20-2009, 03:13 PM
They used to offer that.

It was called the Value Pass. It was the pass that got me to start skiing Sugarbush in '87.

yes, the Value Pass sucked me away from Stowe in the early 90's when their similar product took a sudden leap in cost (vague memory is it went from $500 to $800 approx - a big jump!)..... I for one would absolutely do a Value Pass were it available; alternatively during more budget conscious seasons (the last 2!) I have chosen the Mt Ellen or Mt EllenPlus.
ME+ has turned out to be a great choice for me in the absence of the old Value pass. As soon as budget allows, I'll go back to full pass.
IMO, costs at Sugarbush are def not out of line for the product and services offered. Local owner and management play a huge role in making it the place it is. They listen and are very responsive. We are lucky! My friends that ski K... not so much!

summitchallenger
05-20-2009, 07:50 PM
Saabski:

+ 1 on the Killington comment. Everyone is complaining about the place. I skied there in April and it was just OK. Really dead...employees were not as nice to me....and the vibe was just off. They've really burned a lot of bridges down there....

HowieT2
05-20-2009, 08:17 PM
Saabski:

+ 1 on the Killington comment. Everyone is complaining about the place. I skied there in April and it was just OK. Really dead...employees were not as nice to me....and the vibe was just off. They've really burned a lot of bridges down there....


friends who are long time killington skiers, just bought their SB passes for next year.

win
05-27-2009, 02:49 PM
That's nice to hear. We are really pleased with the spring pass sales. Up more than we anticipated. Now let's think "early snow"