Vail Resorts might not be able to eliminate lift lines at some of its most popular resorts, but this upcoming season, it'll at least be able to tell you which lines are the worst. The resort giant is harnessing the technology it puts in season passes to turn them into data points in a system to crowd-source wait times. The EpicMix™ Time feature will be a part of its already available EpicMix app and will debut this season at the company's Colorado resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. The newly acquired Perisher Resort in Australia, which is in the middle of its season, is the guinea pig for the new service.
When EpicMix Time debuts at Vail's Colorado resorts, it will provide real-time wait estimates for 55 core lifts and gondolas. And Vail has already outlined its plans to expand the feature from just lift lines to waits for resort amenities like restaurants and rental shops. In future seasons, the feature should roll out to more of Vail's resorts.
What makes this all possible is the RFID system that Vail has been including in its season passes for seven years, with other resorts recently incorporating the technology, as well. The chips in season passes allows Vail's EpicMix app to track vertical feet, lift rids and other data as the company has expanded its services.
If it sounds like The Vail Empire is collecting a healthy amount of data about you, you're not wrong, but you can take some comfort in that these types of RFID systems only have a range of about 300 feet. Vail might know if you bailed on that tree run halfway through, but can't tell how long you hung out at the off-mountain après spot. The on-mountain bar … well, that's another story.
· Press release [Official site]
· Vail Closes On Acquisition of Australia's Perisher Ski Resort [Curbed Ski]
· Steamboat and Winter Park Ski Passes Getting Tech Upgrade [Curbed Ski]
· Vail Resorts and Breckenridge at Odds Over Tax Proposal [Curbed Ski]
· Vail's New Name for Park City Resort is Revealed [Curbed Ski]
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