Operations at Vail Resorts are going to look a little different this year due to COVID-19.

On Thursday they announced that their 34 North American resorts will abide by all local COVID-19 regulations as well as requiring some of their own.

A list of requirements and their details can be found below:

Face Coverings

Guests will be required to wear face coverings everywhere, which includes loading and riding in chairlifts and gondolas; when inside all buildings; and during all ski and snowboard lessons. Officials say no one will be permitted on the mountain without a face covering. They are also strongly recommend that guests wear face coverings in all indoor and outdoor public spaces throughout their resort towns.

Physical Distancing on the Mountains

They will be promoting physical distancing throughout their operations, including on their chairlifts and gondolas. To help with this, officials say this season they will be implementing a reservation system across each of their mountains. They say it is possible that at some point in the season, as they evaluate the dynamics of their operations, they may decide that they no longer need the reservation system at certain resorts. Full details and FAQs on how the reservation system will work can be found here.

An overview of the reservation system is listed below:

 

  • Pass holders will be required to make a reservation before arriving at the mountain.
  • Throughout the season, pass holders will be able to make as many week-of reservations as their pass type and availability allow. 
  • The early season will be reserved for pass holders only. They will not sell lift tickets until Dec. 8. 
  • In addition to week-of reservations, they will also be providing pass holders with the opportunity to book up to seven Priority Reservation Days for the core season (Dec. 8-April 4), or as many days of access as they have on their pass if less than seven. The booking window for Priority Reservation Days will open Nov. 6 and will be exclusive to pass holders until Dec. 7. 
  • As pass holders use their Priority Reservation Days, they can book new ones, maintaining up to seven (or however many days of access are remaining on their pass) at any time. In addition, pass holders can always make as many week-of reservations as they choose (or however many days of access are remaining on their pass).
  • Families will be able to book reservations together if they are in the same pass holder account.
  • While still subject to change, at this time they do not believe pass holders will need a reservation to access our partner resorts (Telluride, Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Hakuba or Rusutsu).
  • Lift tickets (including Buddy and SWAF tickets) will go on sale on Dec. 8, with sales limited based on the number of spaces available for any given day after their exclusive pass holder reservation period. This season, lift tickets will be sold with a reservation for a specific resort on a specific date.
  • Given the need to manage lift tickets sales, they will only be sold on their websites and through their call centers. No lift tickets will be sold at the ticket window in resort – you may only pickup your pre-purchased lift ticket at our ticket windows.
  • They will be encouraging guests to purchase in advance – though guests can purchase a same day lift ticket online or through their call centers, subject to availability, and then pick up the lift ticket at the ticket window. 

Officials say to make the reservation system as easy to use as possible, pass holders will be able to book reservations to any of their resorts, and for all dates, on EpicPass.com. Booking a reservation will turn on pass access for that day, so there will be no need for pass holders to bring anything but their pass and access the mountain as usual.

They say Epic Coverage is new and free for all pass holders. It will provide refunds:

  • If pass holders are unable to book their preferred Priority Reservation Days during the initial booking window (Nov. 6-Dec. 7) and if they have not used their pass yet.
  • If there is a resort closure due to certain events such as COVID-19 during a pass holders’ initial Priority Reservation Days selected by Dec. 7. (There will still be an option for pass holders to choose to cover the core season instead.)
  • If pass holders experience an eligible personal event that prevents them from using their pass, such as job loss, injury or illness.

Officials are also extending our Labor Day deadline to Sept. 17 for our Buddy/SWAF benefits and utilization of all pass credits. If you purchased a 2020-21 pass product prior to Aug. 27 and no longer want to move forward with your pass, they will provide you a refund of the amount paid if your request is made by Sept. 17 through their call center or an online form that will be available by Sept. 1.

They are planning to start off the season with Keystone opening on November 6, weather permitting. You can find their targeted opening and closing dates for all of their resorts here.

Physical Distancing on Chairlifts and Gondolas

To maintain physical distancing on our chairlifts and gondolas, they will only be seating related parties (guests skiing or riding together) or: two singles on opposite sides of a four-person lift; two singles or two doubles on opposite sides of a six-person lift; or two singles on opposite sides of our larger gondola cabins.

Physical Distancing in On-Mountain Restaurants

To allow for physical distancing, they will be managing the number of people in their restaurants in accordance with public health requirements and will monitor guests coming in and out of restaurants at the entrances. Their full-service, sit down restaurants will operate with reduced seating, spaced to enable physical distancing. At most of their large, quick-service restaurants, such as Two Elk in Vail, Miner’s Camp in Park City and Pioneer Crossing in Breckenridge, they intend to reconfigure their “scramble areas” to have a cafeteria-style approach, where guests come in, go through a single line, and pass all the food options until they get to the cashier.

Food options in quick-service restaurants will be more limited this season, with just a handful of ready-to-go hot and cold options and no ability for any custom or special orders. They will be spacing tables in seating areas as well to allow for physical distancing while eating. They will also be maintaining as much outdoor seating as they can. 

They will still sell packaged beer and wine at most of their locations, but they will not operate any full-service bars, on or off the mountain. All transactions in their restaurants, and elsewhere at their resorts, will be cashless (unless required by local regulations).

Physical Distancing in Ski & Snowboard Rental Locations

Guests and employees will be required to wear face coverings, and for the portions of the process that require close interactions with their technicians, their employees will take additional precautions, including wearing eye protection and gloves. Equipment will be fully sanitized between each guest use and they intend to expand their rental delivery service to provide enhanced options for guests to rent equipment outside of the store locations.

Health Screenings within Ski and Ride School

All of their employees will be required to undergo health screenings before they arrive at work, given their interaction with guests and other employees at their resorts. With this in mind, all participants will be required to undergo and confirm an online self-health screening prior to arriving at the mountain for their lesson.

They will also be limiting the class size of all of group and private lessons to a maximum six people. Specific details and procedures for certain class types for children are still being determined and will be announced as they are finalized.

Lessons will need to be purchased in advance – no walk-up, day-of lessons will be available. A mountain access reservation will be included with the purchase of a ski school lesson. A lift ticket or eligible pass product will be required if the student will be riding a lift.