some of the best terrain is closed in blue sky leaving 1/3 of the blue sky area closed during christmas week.

I was totally blown away by Vail. Other ski areas do not compare. The skiing here is on another level. Snow quality, length of runs, lift system, terrain, day lodges, the backbowls (THE BACKBOWLS!!!) are all top notch. This is obviously a very well run ski area. Do yourself a favor. If you have never been to Vail, Go! Every skier and rider in the US should visit here once if they can. Sorry I waited until my 50's to ski Vail. Will return.

Vail, Such a great mountain. Unfortunately it is just that. The people coming here are not worth writing about. Vail itself cares about the one week tourists and that is all. It is sad. Vail resorts are all about the turn and burn, to make money.

Wow!! What a resort!
My uncle works here so he basically showed me and my brother around. There are lots of crowds, but there are also lots of places to escape them.
Vail is great for advanced skiiers! I loved Orient Express in the Back Bowls for great pow! (But look out for the "small" cliffs on the skiier's left.).
We also did Highline, Prima, and Pronto, which was my first time on a double black. Advanced skiiers must try these!! The Front Side was great for cruising, but it got crowded. The Back Bowls had the best snow, but they got packed as well. If you want to ski in the Back Bowls but avoid the crowds, do Siberia and the Mongolias.
Blue Sky Basin was my favorite of the three areas. There are great views from Belle's Camp! Resolution was great for bumps!!
On the downside, it was really expensive! The food was the best I've had at any ski resort!

Vail is huge! In my opinion, it is better value for money than Beaver Creek nearby. It boasts better snow and more terrain options. The dragon's teeth are highly recommended for some fun in the powder.

Because of the sheer size and the excellent aspect of the back bowls, Vail holds snow well and it is relatively easy to find untracked powder.

The town/village of Vail is absolutely beautiful and visitors really should go for a walk throughout it during the evening. The bridges under light are absolutely stunning.

Thoroughly recommended - just don't forget to bring your wallet!

Best suited to: Families with a lot of money! Intermediates chasing excellent intermediate terrain. Great fun for snowboarders when the backbowls are carrying decent powder which is quite often.

Pros:
Resort is so large that it becomes uncrowded
Beautiful village

Cons:
Highly commercial experience
Very expensive

Vail is potentially the best resort any of us have been to. Definitely the largest overall...which is a problem when it's 2:30PM, you're done, and you realize that you're on the backside. Time for the longest black diamond in the US! 4.5 miles to the front side. Don't screw up, have to re-do something and get stuck miles away from where you need to be when the resort closes!

Anxiety aside, Vail is one of the craziest places in the US. You want world-class bowls with a foot or two of untouched powder for as far as you can see? Go to the back bowls. Oh, and there's like 6 of them??!? Each one is way bigger than the bowls at other resorts. China Bowl and Siberia Bowl in particular are OUTSTANDING. Cliffs, jumps, why not try stuff? There's a foot or two of soft powder to break any bad landing you might put down! It's just ssssooooooooo big. You WILL get lost. First thing, go to the backside...do the bowls...maybe BlueSky Basin too. Start heading front side around 1pm.

Awesome Mountain. So big. So much fun. On a pow day snow is ridiculous. Back Bowls are the best slopes in the world to ski on pow days. Blue Sky is great always not really crowded back there only the front side is crowded. The love resort. Best shopping by far over any other resort. I would live here if I could.

Went to CO for a long week with my wife and hit up a A-Basin, Vail, Breck, Keystone, and did backcountry with Vale Powder Guides and Keystone Powder Guides.

So Vail carried the highest expectations and was also the greatest disappointment of all the resorts. There hadn't been fresh snowfall for 2 days and everything was tracked out and icy except for 2 runs on the far side of the back bowls and they had a really crispy top. It reminded me more of the East Coast than CO. If you time it right with the snow then I could see how much fun the back bowls would be, but otherwise it's a giant waste of time and MONEY. Plus you have to put up with a lot of tourists that seem to be there as much to be seen as they are to ski/ride. I won't be back unless I know they are getting 1-2 feet of fresh snow.

Vail is big and busy in parts but there is plenty of room to find your own little slope. The back bowls and tree runs are amazing if the snow is good. Scenery is beautiful.

I would say the average person that skis Vail is wealthy, over 65 and more than likely has had a bit of work done ;p Taking that in context, the nightlife is somewhat lacking and the resort lacks a bit of atmosphere, despite the faux Austrian architecture and twinkling christmas lights. LionsHead seems to have a bit more sparkle than the main village. There's plenty of options for dining out and they're an average cost for a ski resort. However, you often need to book restaurants, sometimes weeks in advance!

Accommodation costs in Vail are ridiculous! My tip, book early (about a year in advance). Self catering condos appear to be as expensive as hotels and, of course, there's the "resort fee" and tips to take into account. If I was to visit Vail again, I would stay at another resort such as Beaver Creek and travel to Vail.

Annual ski passes can be purchased several months in advance and are more cost-effective than buying daily or weekly tickets. Again, the earlier you buy the pass, the better deal you'll get. The Epic Local pass (not just for local people) gives you access to surrounding resorts too, but watch for lock-out dates.

Purely on size alone, Vail is definitely worth a visit. The skiing is pretty fine.

I found the back bowls of Vail to be some of the best I've ever skied! If/when they get the snow it's awesome back there.

The lifts are great too, there are tons of them, tons of runs... It's huge and it needs to be because it's crowded!

Vail is like the Whistler of the USA - only the mountains are much smaller. Vail's vertical is around 3200 feet while Whistler's is around 5200. However, Vail gets much better quality snow and I find that to make all the difference. You only ski the tops of the mountains anyways - if you're like me, wanting to ski more adventurous.

Pros: Nightlife is awesome, they participate in the multi-resort ski pass that allows you to go to several different places over the duration of you pass. They have great terrain, the best back bowls, tons of lifts and runs. Snow is pretty good. Lots of amenities too!

Cons: They are crowded and very expensive.

Best suited for: Couples, groups, parties!!!