Parking at Gore

[nyspnypd]

They already charge you for everything else on the mountain now parking atleast whiteface has a small lot where if people want they can pay but gore is just going to hurt themselves on this one cause people just wont go. There are people who wont pay 10 dollars just to park on the mountain and pay for the lift tickets which are 50 I think not sure I have a pass so I cant say. My opinion they should make a small section where you have to pay to park so atleast the skiers have a choice.

[jimmer]

i dont know where this came from,but sounds totaly absurd to me ,theres no way they can charge 10 bucks for every car,come on wake up.

[Spongeworthy]

i dont know where this came from,but sounds totaly absurd to me ,theres no way they can charge 10 bucks for every car,come on wake up.

We don't know if they're going to charge for every car. As with most rumors, this is getting out of hand. But I did confirm today that SOME kind of fee is being considered for at least a portion of the parking area. I just sent an e-mail to Mike Pratt asking him to address this rampant rumor because it IS getting out of hand.

BTW, who does charge for parking?

[Spongeworthy]

I don't have a problem with spending $50+ in the bar at the end of the day.....but this kind of nickel/dime crap is just a total turn off

Maybe we can save the extra $10 at the Tannery. After all, Mike the bartender will not be back this year

[I:)skiing]

While I dont like it, I also dont have a problem with a business charging for their services or the demands of the customers. I dont demand close parking, thus I dont want to pay extra (or anything) to park....sometimes that means walking and I understand that.

Different perspective. Some guy.gal own a big home they dont rent and season passes for them and their 4 kids. They come to Gore 3 weekends and spend lots of cash. They dont want to wake up at 7 to get on the slopes and a close parking spot. They also dont want to slug their stuff. They would not mind and might not even care about 10 or 20 bucks to park next to the hill. You know the spot that I used to change in and my fellow parkers were drinking out of the trunk next to me. That space is sweet....Gore owns it and in the good ole' USA can charge some smo 10-20 bucks for it.

I understand it.....that is all I am saying. Now if they charge for parking 200-300 yards away....I'm pissed. Cause there is no alternative, its a captive audience. Think of analogies....parking at any football stadium...if your close your paying 30-40 bucks. Hockey, b-ball, basket ball, concerts, highschood football games.....


Someone asked for other ski areas who charge.....I know Vail, Telluride, Beaver Creek----if you want to be within a 10 minute walk to the hill, your paying. Otherwise you are taking a bus or a long green run to get start skiing. Lots of European areas....you must ride public transit to get close. There are no parking lots 100 yards next to the Gondi.


Crazy thought.....this will get peaked interest in coming to North Creek and taking the other way up......free parking lots on the front side. Just ride lifts 25 minutes.

[Lbtchnlgs]

While I dont like it, I also dont have a problem with a business charging for their services or the demands of the customers. I dont demand close parking, thus I dont want to pay extra (or anything) to park....sometimes that means walking and I understand that.

Different perspective. Some guy.gal own a big home they dont rent and season passes for them and their 4 kids. They come to Gore 3 weekends and spend lots of cash. They dont want to wake up at 7 to get on the slopes and a close parking spot. They also dont want to slug their stuff. They would not mind and might not even care about 10 or 20 bucks to park next to the hill. You know the spot that I used to change in and my fellow parkers were drinking out of the trunk next to me. That space is sweet....Gore owns it and in the good ole' USA can charge some smo 10-20 bucks for it.

I understand it.....that is all I am saying. Now if they charge for parking 200-300 yards away....I'm pissed. Cause there is no alternative, its a captive audience. Think of analogies....parking at any football stadium...if your close your paying 30-40 bucks. Hockey, b-ball, basket ball, concerts, highschood football games.....


Someone asked for other ski areas who charge.....I know Vail, Telluride, Beaver Creek----if you want to be within a 10 minute walk to the hill, your paying. Otherwise you are taking a bus or a long green run to get start skiing. Lots of European areas....you must ride public transit to get close. There are no parking lots 100 yards next to the Gondi.


Crazy thought.....this will get peaked interest in coming to North Creek and taking the other way up......free parking lots on the front side. Just ride lifts 25 minutes.

North Creek can't even hold a business for more than 2 years, they are no where near being the Vail, Telluride, ALPS status. F'n Gore. I know we're making a bigger deal out of this than it might but, but seriously... change suck, especially this one

[megatron]

[quote="Lbtchnlgs"

North Creek can't even hold a business for more than 2 years, they are no where near being the Vail, Telluride, ALPS status. F'n Gore. I know we're making a bigger deal out of this than it might but, but seriously... change suck, especially this one[/quote]

Ouch! Yes, we are no vail or anywhere else, it's North Creek. I am sure the business owners in North Creek will love your comment.

C

[Harvey44]

While I dont like it, I also dont have a problem with a business charging for their services or the demands of the customers. I dont demand close parking, thus I dont want to pay extra (or anything) to park....sometimes that means walking and I understand that.

Crazy thought.....this will get peaked interest in coming to North Creek and taking the other way up......free parking lots on the front side. Just ride lifts 25 minutes.

There's a lot here I agree with. But not all.

A lot if it comes down HOW much parking is going to set aside. If Mike would answer that he might be able to end the whole discussion right now. There's a difference between 50 spots and two lots. (I got the same form letter from him that you guys did.)

The close parking isn't really all about lazyiness. If you've got a family...you've got a ton of stuff. As it is now my wife carrys the baby and stays with her to get her acclimated in the Bear Cub Den and I make THREE TRIPS. I feel like we should be the kind of customers Gore really wants - Lifelong, Family, PASSHOLDERS. Don't make my life harder.

The big point that ILove makes...is about CAPITALISM. I am a capitalist. Charge whatever you want for anything. If your price makes sense from both the cost and revenue side you will thrive. That's one of the "stated" rules of capitalism.

There are also some unstated principles that lead to success. One of them is retaining your best customers. Old customers are always the most profitable. Nobody has to spend marketing dollars to get us to plunk down $1000s of bucks.

Now I understand that some business don't have to provide customer satisfaction. If there is only one grocery store near you...you're still probably not going to drive 3x as far just because the clerks are rude or whatever. Only businesses with competition need to provide customer satisfaction.

That's really the rub here. Many PASSHOLDERS have passes because they own property or have strong ties to North Creek. Let's face it for me...I'm not going to get a pass to Killington - I own property in North Creek. So for ME, unless I sell, Gore has no competition. For a day skier from Saratoga...maybe not so. The truth is - if I was a day skier and only hit Gore 5x a year - I probably wouldn't care about the increase.

MY REAL POINT here is...go ahead and CHARGE whatever you want. I just don't think it's FAIR to add an additional fee on top of my pass cost....AFTER I have committed non-refundable money, a lot of money, last June.

I admit I don't understand the financials of a mountain. But I have always assumed that getting that money upfront from passholders was really important to the mountain. Why would they offer a big discount on it otherwise? If this is true...treat valuable customers like they are valuable.

I'd be less cranky if they'd just sell me a pass for parking too. I don't want to stand in another GD line to pay each day. It's part of the appeal of the pass...no lines for tickets.

Last point...I not sure you're going to be bypassing this whole thing by parking at the skibowl. When/if the development goes in parking is really going to be at a premium.

That is all.

[Cliff]

Managementous Moronous

Always remember this folks.....just because a company has a good product does not mean it's well managed.

Peace;
Cliff

I will not buy another pass

[SKIdds]

Goodness! People disavowing themselves of Gore, never to buy another season pass, or worse yet, not ski the mountain at all, ever again because...............Gore sees fit to do something just about every other mountain has done at this point, designate a portion of their parking as premium paid spaces? I have to say, I just don't get it.

I'm not saying that there aren't a few valid thoughts out there against, but it is also time that some people started facing up to the economic realities of today's day and age. Mind you, we are not talking about everybody having to pay for parking, about season passholders who have already invested a large amount in the mountain having to pay even more. I'd be dead set against that. What we are talking about is a degree of inconvenience, of having to park for free a little farther away. People are really going to walk over that?

Now let me say this. Just because somebody else does something doesn't make it right. However, premium and valet parking services have become much more widespread over the last 5 years. I can remember when they converted the closest lot (albeint a small one) at Whiteface to premium paid parking. You know something, I wasn't thrilled about it, but I don't ski as often as most of you and I could live with it. Why? Face it, the economy has been getting tougher and tougher. That holds for businesses (including ski resorts) as well as individuals. Mountains looking for a source of additional revenue, especially where a valid market exists, can't really be faulted. Sure, if they converted all parking to pay I would disagree, but mountains aren't doing that. Gore and Whiteface have the added pressure of being beholden to state budgets, making their economic realities even harsher. So given these economic realities, individuals can still park for free, so they aren't harmed financially, while the mountain has an additional revenue stream which can help the mountain stay up and running and improve services. Yes, that comes at the price of a little bit of inconvenience for some, but on the whole it isn't that big a price to pay if it helps the resorts stay financially viable.

I hear you on the convenience factor of not being able to park as close. It does kind of stink. However, it's not like there isn't a dropoff area where you can leave your stuff, eliminating the need to make multiple trips to an outer lot with kids and gear. So you unload, then go park, and lose 10 minutes of your day getting to and from your car. So everyone contibutes their 10 minutes, the mountain provides a service which many people will use and appreciate, and the mountain is in a better position financially. All that said, I do think it would make sense for the moutain to make some concession, or offer a discounted parking pass, to season passholders.

It would seem to me, considering all of that, that bailing on the mountain because they take the closest lots for premium parking is a cutting off your nose to spite your face kind of thing. I suspect cooler heads will prevail. Of course, if they don't, that will be less people tracking out all of those wonderful Gore goodies. Chances are if it is season passholders that bolt they may be above average skiers, thereby reducing the number of people playing in all those wonderful, gladed playgrounds.

As an aside, let me further make you guys angry at me . I'm no richie-rich, no snob or elitist. I'm a regular guy with three kids and all the logistics involved in getting the family to the mountain. I have all the financial pressures that go with. And again, let me point out that as a 10 day a season skier paid parking isn't as big a financial burden on me as it is on a season passholder who gets in 50+ days a season, but..............I happily have used the valet lot at Windham, and I have found that on a holiday weekend at Whiteface the $10 it costs to park in the premium lot is the best $10 I spend all day!!!!