Vail Resorts Announces 2021-22 Operating Plans, Will Not Require Reservations

Background

In a statement this afternoon, Vail Resorts announced details on its 2021-22 operating plans. Unlike last season, visitors will not have to make reservations to visit the company’s resorts. Pre-COVID policies will largely return for outdoor experiences, and the company plans to run its lifts with no capacity restrictions.

Vail-owned resorts will only require face coverings in indoor settings next season, including restaurants, lodges, retail shops, and buses (but not gondolas). Vail will also require proof of vaccination for indoor restaurants. Select restaurants will still require reservations, but Vail says that visitors should expect significantly higher seating availability than last season. Additionally, restaurant reservations will now be released one day prior to a resort visit, rather than the day-of system last season.

North American Vail-owned resorts will open for the season between October and December. Specific dates for each resort can be found here.

Our Take

While some restrictions will remain for indoor activities, it looks like the mountain experiences at Vail-owned resorts will largely return to normal this winter. Perhaps the two most impactful COVID-era policies—the capacity restrictions and lifts and the outdoor mask mandates—will no longer be mandated, likely resulting in shorter lines and fewer confrontations between employees and disgruntled guests. However, the indoor dining restrictions demonstrate that we’re not fully out of the woods yet, and Vail has specified that these guidelines may be subject to change in the event of a new COVID spike. That being said, we’re excited to get out on some Vail-owned slopes next season for some maskless laps (although we will be taking the other guidelines seriously)!

Want to see how the Vail Resorts peaks stack up against the competition? Check out our rankings of the best ski resorts in the US and Canada!