Vail Resorts Reports Certain Ski Season Metrics for the Season-to-Date Period Ended April 15, 2018

BROOMFIELD, Colo., April 19, 2018 /CNW/ -- Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today reported certain ski season metrics for the comparative periods from the beginning of the ski season through April 15, 2018, and for the prior year period through April 16, 2017. The reported ski season metrics are for our North American mountain resorts, adjusted as if Stowe was owned in both periods and also adjusted to eliminate the impact of foreign currency by applying current period exchange rates to the prior period for Whistler Blackcomb's results. The metrics exclude results from Perisher and our urban ski areas in both periods. The data mentioned in this release is interim period data and is subject to fiscal quarter end review and adjustments.

• Season-to-date total lift ticket revenue at the Company's North American mountain resorts, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue for each applicable period, was up 3.7% compared to the prior year season-to-date period.
• Season-to-date ski school revenue was up 3.4% and dining revenue was down 1.4% compared to the prior year season-to-date period. Retail/rental revenue for North American resort store locations was down 4.2% compared to the prior year season-to-date period.
• Season-to-date total skier visits for the Company's North American mountain resorts were down 1.9% compared to the prior year season-to-date period.

Commenting on the ski season to date, Rob Katz, Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased with our results as the 2017/2018 ski season concludes, particularly considering the historically low snowfall across our western U.S. resorts for much of the ski season. Conditions improved significantly in March and April across our resorts which supported stronger results that are in line with our expectations from our March 8, 2018 guidance.  Our results throughout the 2017/2018 ski season highlight the stability provided by our season pass, the benefit of our geographic diversification and the success of our sophisticated, data-driven marketing efforts."

Discussing spring season pass sales results, Katz continued, "Our attention is already turning to the 2018/2019 season with spring season pass sales underway.  Guests continue to be attracted to the compelling network of resorts available on our pass, and we are seeing the benefits of our new pass partnerships and our spring benefits, which include the ability to buy a pass for $49 down.  To date, we have seen strong overall results with continued growth on top of the record results we saw last spring, excluding sales of military pass products to new passholders. We are seeing solid growth across all geographies, with particular strength in our destination markets and with Whistler Blackcomb products.  In addition, our military pass products are driving a significant number of new passholders into our program." 

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. The Company's subsidiaries operate eleven world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Stowe in Vermont; Perisher in New South Wales, Australia; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

Forward Looking Statements 
Certain statements discussed in this press release, other than statements of historical information, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including our expectations regarding our results being in line with March 8, 2018 guidance, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to prolonged weakness in general economic conditions, including adverse effects on the overall travel and leisure related industries; unfavorable weather conditions or the impact of natural disasters; willingness of our guests to travel due to terrorism, the uncertainty of military conflicts or outbreaks of contagious diseases, the cost and availability of travel options and changing consumer preferences; the seasonality of our business combined with adverse events that occur during our peak operating periods; competition in our mountain and lodging businesses; high fixed cost structure of our business; our ability to fund resort capital expenditures; our reliance on government permits or approvals for our use of public land or to make operational and capital improvements; risks related to a disruption in our water supply that would impact our snowmaking capabilities and operations; risks related to federal, state, local and foreign government laws, rules and regulations; risks related to our reliance on information technology, including our failure to maintain the integrity of our customer or employee data; our ability to hire and retain a sufficient seasonal workforce; risks related to our workforce, including increased labor costs; loss of key personnel; adverse consequences of current or future legal claims; a deterioration in the quality or reputation of our brands, including our ability to protect our intellectual property and the risk of accidents at our mountain resorts; our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses or that acquired businesses may fail to perform in accordance with expectations, including Whistler Blackcomb and Stowe or future acquisitions; our ability to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, with respect to acquired businesses; risks associated with international operations; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly the Canadian dollar and Australian dollar; changes in accounting estimates and judgments, tax laws, accounting principles, policies or guidelines or adverse determinations by taxing authorities; a materially adverse change in our financial condition; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2017, which was filed on September 28, 2017, and the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2018, which was filed on March 8, 2018.

SOURCE Vail Resorts, Inc.