The 'McVailing' Debate: Why Some Skiers Say Resorts Lose Their Local Feel

One of the most emotional criticisms of Vail Resorts is that when a mountain joins the Epic Pass network, the place can begin to feel less local and more standardized. That complaint is especially visible in Vermont and Whistler, where local reporting has documented a shift in culture that longtime skiers say is difficult to measure but easy to feel.

Vermont locals call it 'McVailing'

Vermont Public reported in 2024 that critics at Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow use the term 'McVailing' to describe a more uniform resort experience. The examples are small but symbolic: websites that look more alike, national brands replacing local products, and a broader sense that a mountain is being run as part of a system rather than as its own place.

The same report quoted longtime locals who described Stowe as more commercial, more expensive and less relaxed than it once felt. One skier who grew up there said she now drives to Jay Peak because it reminds her more of the older Stowe atmosphere.

Whistler saw a similar backlash

Bloomberg reported a similar cultural backlash after Vail bought Whistler Blackcomb. Locals objected not only to pricing changes but also to what they saw as the assimilation of a homegrown Canadian resort into a large American corporate system. Even details such as units in the resort app and changes in pass structure became symbols of the larger concern.

In the Northeast, local frustration became operational too

Bloomberg's 2024 reporting on Vail's Northeast properties described complaints at Hunter, Wildcat, Crotched, Mount Sunapee and Attitash involving closures, parking, lift reliability and service. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu publicly criticized the Mount Sunapee experience, including customer service. Vail responded that many of the worst complaints came during an unusually difficult pandemic-era season and said later investment and guest-survey results showed improvement.

Why this criticism matters

Corporate ownership does not automatically erase a mountain's identity, and not every skier sees these changes negatively. Vail has invested in lifts, snowmaking and lower-priced season access at many resorts. But the recurring criticism is that consistency across a large network can come at the cost of the quirky, local details that make one ski area feel different from another.

That is why the 'local feel' debate belongs alongside pricing and operations. For many skiers, a resort is not only terrain and lifts; it is also the staff, the local food, the traditions, the regulars, the way problems get solved, and the sense that the mountain belongs to the community around it.

Sources

Sources reviewed: Vermont Public's December 2024 reporting on Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow; Bloomberg's 2018 reporting on Whistler Blackcomb; and Bloomberg's 2024 reporting on Vail's Northeast resorts. Local opinions are presented as attributed viewpoints, and Vail's responses are included where reported.