Winter Park’s new Rope Drop Club allows eligible Winter Park and Ikon Pass holders to earn benefits by skiing at the resort during November and early December. Instead of purchasing priority access, participants qualify by logging a certain number of ski days.
Passholders who ski at Winter Park on two separate days during November qualify for several benefits, including text alerts from ski patrol when terrain is about to open, access to an exclusive early-season preview at Mary Jane, and two days of priority lift access.
The priority access is available through dedicated lanes at the resort’s Gondola and Super Gauge Express lifts. Participants who return for two additional ski days between December 1 and December 15 can earn another two days of priority access.
The program gives Winter Park an incentive to encourage visits during the early season, when terrain is often limited and ski areas are still building toward full operations. It also gives local passholders another reason to head to the slopes before the busy holiday period.
Priority Lift Lines: A Growing Debate
Priority lift access has become increasingly common at North American ski resorts. Some operators sell upgrades that allow customers to use designated lanes and bypass portions of regular lift lines, potentially reducing their waiting time during busy periods.
The practice has drawn criticism from skiers who believe everyone holding a valid lift ticket should have the same opportunity to board. Every chair occupied by someone entering through a priority lane is one fewer available to skiers waiting in the regular line, although the effect on waiting times depends on how the lanes are managed.
Supporters of priority access compare it to express passes at amusement parks, where customers can pay extra to spend less time waiting. Critics question whether ski resorts should charge additional fees for faster access to lifts when daily lift tickets at major destinations can already cost hundreds of dollars.
For the 2026-2027 season, Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain advertises VIP lift lines for qualifying season passholders at its three high-speed chairlifts: Main Street Express, Comet Express, and Challenge Express. Nearby Camelback also offers dedicated passholder lift lines. Both resorts offer the combined Peak-to-Peak Poconos Pass, which includes priority lift access at both mountains.
In Virginia, Massanutten is advertising exclusive extended skiing hours as a benefit for 2026-2027 season passholders. Although the resort has not specified the dates or hours, the benefit would give passholders additional time on the slopes beyond the regular operating schedule.
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