UPDATE 3/5/24 9:00pm ET: Up to date to right the worth for the Epic Native Cross, which was erroneously quoted finally yr’s fee.
On Tuesday, Vail Resorts introduced its suite of Epic Cross merchandise for the 2024-25 winter season. Entry will stay just like final yr, which means Epic’s phrases will probably proceed to undercut its primary competitor, the Ikon Cross, though costs have elevated throughout all ranges of passes.
The highest-of-the-line Epic Cross, which presents limitless entry with no blackouts to all resorts owned by Vail, will begin at simply $982—a rise of 8%, the identical fee hike as final yr. The lower-level 2024-25 Epic Native Cross, which comprises vacation blackouts and restricted entry at some resorts, begins at $731—additionally an 8% improve from final yr. Each merchandise are prone to stay cheaper than their Ikon Cross rivals. Regional Epic merchandise, such because the Northeast Worth Cross and Tahoe Native Passes, stay out there for a lower cost; these merchandise sometimes include extra restrictive blackouts than the complete Epic and Epic Native Passes.
The Epic Day Cross product, which is actually a versatile 1-to-7-day carry ticket, will proceed to be supplied in the identical three value tiers as final yr—additionally with an 8% value hike. The higher “All Resorts” tier begins at $93 for a 1-day non-holiday move. The “32 Resorts” tier, which excludes high-caliber locations similar to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Park Metropolis, and Whistler, begins at $73 for a 1-day non-holiday move, whereas the bottom “22 Resorts” tier, which fully excludes all mountains outdoors New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and the Midwest, begins at simply $44.
Epic has not gained or misplaced any main North American companions for the upcoming winter. Nonetheless, just a few additions have occurred abroad. The move suite will add Crans-Montana, Switzerland, topic to its acquisition by Vail Resorts, with limitless entry on the complete Epic Cross and 5 days of entry on the Epic Native Cross. The complete Epic Cross can even add 5 days at Rusutsu Resort, Japan—marking its first providing in that nation.
Outdoors of Europe and Japan, the most important modifications this yr arguably include the redemption of Buddy and Ski with a Pal tickets. Epic Cross holders who wish to redeem these discounted tickets for his or her associates can now accomplish that on-line, fairly than ready on line on the resort ticket window. Those that buy an Epic Cross inside the close to future will obtain ten Buddy tickets and 6 Ski with a Pal tickets (the previous presents a much bigger low cost than the latter). As well as, Whistler Blackcomb will now permit visitors to retailer their carry move on their telephone, transferring in line to the identical function supplied at Vail Resorts’ 36 US resorts this yr.
Epic can also be persevering with to supply no-interest cost plan for his or her 2024-25 move merchandise. Pending creditworthiness, move purchasers will be capable of lock in a 6-month installment plan, with funds beginning in September, with no curiosity. The cost plan continues to be unavailable to Iowa and West Virginia residents.
All 2024-25 Epic Cross merchandise are on sale now on the Epic web site.
Our Take
As with final yr, the 2024-25 Epic Cross suite is extra evolutionary than revolutionary. Apart from just a few expertise improvements and abroad entry additions, the upcoming 2024-25 Epic Cross suite is actually the identical because the 2023-24 one.
We count on Epic’s move merchandise to undercut Ikon price-wise for the fourth yr in a row, and a few Ikon clients eligible for renewal reductions might pay much less in the event that they swap to an equal Epic product—though we received’t know for positive till Ikon releases their 2024-25 passes (which is able to probably occur a while within the subsequent week or two).
Finally, Epic seems to be to be sustaining the established order this season: persevering with to supply limitless entry to Vail-owned resorts at aggressive costs, whereas preserving a grip on the few remaining non-Vail-owned companions. Epic has misplaced floor in sure North American areas in comparison with Ikon lately, and Telluride and the Canadian RCR resorts on the complete move stay the one North American mountains not owned by Vail. Nonetheless, Epic seems to be to be attempting to determine a stronger grip on Europe with the addition of Crans-Montana, and it continues to supply aggressive choices in Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Les 3 Vallées, Skirama Dolomiti, Verbier 4 Vallées, and Ski Arlberg—though the latter 4 are solely out there on the complete Epic Cross, and entry to the latter two solely is conditional on reserving a (sometimes very costly) associate lodge.
We’re excited to see how the Epic Cross suite stacks up in opposition to the 2024-25 Ikon Cross suite, which has not debuted but. We’re watching to see whether or not Ikon maintains a established order just like Epic or decides to shake issues up with extra radical entry modifications—final yr, there weren’t too many shakeups on both aspect.
For extra data on resorts on the Epic Cross, see our Epic Cross mountain evaluations in addition to our Colorado, Tahoe, Utah, Vermont, and Washington rankings.
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