SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 9, 2025—Vail Resorts will now offer skiers and riders a discount on lift tickets purchased four or more weeks in advance for 12 of its mountain resorts, loosening the previously limited timeframes that non-Epic Pass holders could buy tickets for less than the highest window rates.
Park City Mountain It’s the latest effort to capture more lift ticket buyers as a means for growth since the company’s pass holder base has plateaued.
“Up until this season, there were two ways to save on lift access at our mountain resorts–you could either purchase an Epic Pass or Epic Day Pass pre-season for a huge value, or save a smaller amount on lift tickets by purchasing online at least seven days in advance–our goal is to fill that gap,” said Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz. “While we will always give the best deal to our pass holders, with this new discount, our hope is to make the sport more accessible for guests who aren’t thinking about skiing and snowboarding until winter arrives.”
VR said the savings average more than 30 percent off lift tickets. The discounted ticket price is the same for a non-holiday Saturday 28 days away as it is for a non-holiday Saturday 60 days away, regardless of demand.
Resorts included in this offer for 2025-26 are Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte in Colorado; Heavenly and Northstar in California; Park City Mountain, Utah; Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia; and Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow in Vermont.
In August, VR unveiled Epic Friend Tickets, which gives Epic Pass holders six half-off (full window rate) lift tickets to share with non-pass holders.
The renewed effort to woo occasional skiers into buying individual lift tickets follows CEO Rob Katz’s assertion that the company will focus more on individual lift ticket sales to grow its business. Katz said during VR’s Q4 earnings call in September that the company is “focused on rebuilding lift ticket visitation, an essential driver of revenue and long-term growth.” Season pass holders account for nearly 75 percent of VR’s annual skier visits.
