Vail Resorts announces “Epic Experience” vision, puts guest experience at center of new growth plan

The new era will be defined by delivering the best and most differentiated guest experience in skiing and riding

Vail Resorts is entering a new era as the company looks forward to new growth for skiers and riders visiting its properties worldwide.

The “Epic Experience” vision is defined as: a new era delivering the best and most differentiated guest experience in skiing and riding, Vail Resorts announced in a press release on Wednesday, July 17.

According to Vail Resorts, the new vision is anchored to the company’s belief that future growth will come by offering an exceptional experience that drives loyalty and visitation.

The Epic Experience vision also spans a several-year roadmap that comes with a series of immediate investments in food, lessons, gear, guest engagement and talent.

Vail Resorts said the company will “raise the bar next season on mountain food with a significant investment to elevate its most popular dishes, and introduce “Epic Ascent” to enhance private lessons with concierge services.”

“For years, Vail Resorts focused on building the Epic Pass model and expanding its resort network,” Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said. “That strategy helped establish the company’s position today, but the Pass and acquisitions were not the end goal.”

Katz thinks the next chapter of growth for Vail Resorts is about delivering a guest experience that “undeniably leads the ski industry and is best in class in the travel sector.”

According to Katz, the Epic Experience vision is about using the strength of the company’s integrated model and leveraging its scale and technology to make every part of the mountain journey more seamless, personalized and memorable.

Breakdown of the five “Epic Experience” pillars:

Reimagining rentals with My Epic Gear

• Vail Resorts is continuing its plans to integrate the best features from My Epic Gear into traditional gear rentals as part of a multi-year effort to transform the gear experience for all skiers and riders.
• Beginning in 2026/27, guests who book high-performance Demo rentals at the company’s rental outlets across 12 participating resorts will receive the curated My Epic Gear experience without the membership fee.
• Ahead of the 2027/28 winter season, Vail Resorts’ rental outlets will offer expanded and upgraded gear and service options, which will include the ability for anyone to choose a specific gear model – online or in app. Returning guests will have the ability to get their skis or snowboards fully teched, tuned and ready for pickup or delivery, without going through an in-store fitting process. Other future offerings include slopeside valet and digital enhancements for easier browsing and booking.

Elevating lesson into personalized mountain experiences

• Vail Resorts is redesigning its private lesson experiences to be more personalized and seamless for every guest. This winter at Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek, the company will upgrade all private lessons to Epic Ascent, an elevated private lesson experience offering concierge services, white-glove gear rental and enhanced customer support.
• Private-lesson guests will get high-touch customer support and a dedicated concierge to coordinate every detail of their overall trip, like dining reservations, transportation coordination and white-glove gear rental. Epic Ascent will expand across more Vail Resorts mountain destinations in the 2027/28 season.
• In parallel, Vail Resorts is further simplifying the pathway to progression with connected ski and ride school in the My Epic app by expanding from four to 14 resorts. A first-of-its-kind digitized offering, ski and ride school in the My Epic app offers guests in group lessons a seamless arrival with direct-to-lesson digital check-in.

Setting a higher standard for guest engagement

• Starting fall 2026, guests will be able to purchase Passes and lift tickets, as well as share Epic Friend Tickets with friends and family, directly in the My Epic app. Guests can also expect the introduction of Apple Pay and Google Pay, while continuing to enjoy favorite features like Mobile Pass, lift line wait times, Find My Friends and personalized stats.
• Ahead of the 2027/28 season, guests will be able to purchase lessons and rentals directly in the My Epic app. Future app enhancements will leverage modern AI to support intuitive trip planning and surface intelligent personalized recommendations and itineraries – from parking and lessons to lunch, après and more.

Raising the bar on mountain food

• Vail Resorts is making its most popular menu items better across 15 destination resorts. Ski-day classics like chili, burgers, pizza, fries, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese are all getting elevated, with a significant investment in higher-quality ingredients and refined presentation.
• Next season skiers and riders will continue to see chef-driven dishes that bring fresh energy and flavor to each mountain experience. Resorts like Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Whistler Blackcomb will continue to focus on the development of unique signature dishes that reflect the energy, culture and character of each resort.
• The food improvements next season will not come with higher prices, beyond normal inflation. In addition to elevated food, the company will be looking to add new technology and processes to reduce wait times and increase seating capacity.

Investing in top talent to drive excellent guest service

• Vail Resorts is committed to making every interaction easier and more personal by elevating its ability to anticipate and exceed guests’ expectations.
• Following a $175 million investment in wages and benefits, the company has continued to build a world-class frontline team through a disciplined, technology-enabled approach to recruiting, staffing and scheduling. These investments have helped the company remain fully staffed each season, become more selective in hiring for guest-service orientation, increase seasonal employee return rates and give employees more hours while reducing overall hiring and housing pressure. This is collectively translating to better service, with frontline teams serving as a key driver of record guest satisfaction scores last season.

“Exceptional experience is not one moment, it is the standard we want guests to feel across their entire journey,” Vail Resorts said. “From the food, lessons and gear that shape a day on the mountain to how we communicate with and support our guests, we are focused on removing friction, elevating the experience and creating more moments that inspire guests to return.”