Skiers and snowboarders planning to spend time on Whistler Blackcomb's slopes next winter have until May 29 to lock in their passes for the lowest possible price.
Epic Pass prices will rise at the end of the month, parent company Vail Resorts announced Wednesday, May 10.
Vail Resort's suite of pass products for the 2023-24 winter season went on sale on March 7. Epic Passes launched this year at USD$909 for skiers and snowboarders aged 13 or older. The product offers unrestricted access to all Vail Resorts properties, as well as limited access to Resorts of the Canadian Rockies and Colorado's Telluride Ski Resort. Those looking to take their Epic Pass abroad can ski or ride five days each in Hakuba Valley (home to a total of nine ski resorts) and Rusutu, Japan, or ski Switzerland's Andermatt-Sedrun as often as they like. Epic Passes also allow holders limited access to Vail's European partner resorts, like Verbier 4 Vallées in Switzerland, Les 3 Vallées in France and Italy's Skirama Dolomiti.
The current Epic Pass price works out to about CAD$1,215, based on May 10's exchange rate. Last season, Epic Passes were first offered at USD$841, which converted to about CAD$1,060 at the time, or $1,124 based on current exchange rates.
No word on how big a price bump is coming this month, but the current Epic Pass price tag still falls below its USD$939 launch price ahead of the 2019-20 winter season. It ends up about 16-per-cent lower when accounting for inflation.
The May 29 increase marks the first of several price hikes Vail Resorts will likely implement until passes go off sale later this year, usually in early December.
May 29 is also the last day skiers and riders can commit to purchasing a pass with little or no money down. Those interested in a buy-now, pay-later option can select Epic FlexPay for zero down payment, zero interest, and zero payments until Sept. 1, or opt to put down a CAD$49 down payment. Those customers can pay the remaining balance in September, and are not subject to interest. Beginning May 30, that down payment option will no longer be available.
Epic Pass aren't the only product that could be subject to price increases at the end of the month: Whistler Blackcomb Day Passes are currently on sale from $84 CAD per day, while two-, five- or 10-day EDGE Cards are available from CAD$204, CAD$426 and CAD$733, respectively. Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Season passes can be purchased for CAD$1299.
Aside from savings, purchasing five- or 10-Day EDGE Card by the May 29 deadline earns EDGE Card holders another perk: one bonus day of early-season skiing and riding between Opening Day and Dec. 8. Those who purchase an Epic Pass by May 29 also receive two Buddy Tickets, which offer a discount of up to 45 per cent on a single-day lift ticket.
Epic and Unlimited Pass holders also receive a Peak 2 Peak 360 Experience Pass for unlimited sightseeing throughout the 2023 summer season. That kicks off when Whistler Blackcomb reopens for sightseeing on June 10. Meanwhile, five- and 10-Day EDGE Card holders will receive one Peak 2 Peak 360 Experience ticket they can use this summer.
More information and pass comparisons can be found on Whistler Blackcomb's website.
