Top of the World now open

Are you opening the Whistler Mountain Bike Park?

Yes. We are opening the bike park in line with the COVID-19 health recommendations from Vancouver Coastal Health, the Province of BC, and Provincial Health Authority. The resort will continue providing a world-class riding environment, prioritizing health and safety.  Whistler’s Mountain Bike Park is a leader in lift-accessed mountain biking, and an industry front-runner in developing safe gravity-sport protocols. This approach to excellence will be upheld as the park opens for business in this new COVID-19 environment.  

What are you offering for on-mountain dining?

Dusty’s Bar & BBQ and the Garibaldi Lift Co. will open with full table service for both walk-ups and parties with reservations. The Rendezvous and Roundhouse Lodges on mountain will operate with grab and go options, and espresso beverages will return to our coffee bars. More dining options are expected to come online through the summer. Please note, it is important to continue wearing your face covering whenever you are not at your table.

 What on-mountain activities are open? 

To ensure we provide the safest experience, we will be focused on our core mountain activities. Sightseeing and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will come online first with hiking options opening throughout the summer as snowmelt permits. For a full list of summer activities click here. We will continue to assess expanding our operations once we are open and as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Will the Whistler Mountain Bike Park still require social distancing protocols? 

Yes. Like the rest of our operation, you will be required to social distance in lineups and wear a face covering on the lifts. Face coverings will be in addition to full face helmets and must be worn both to get on and off the lift. Chairs will be spaced to allow for proper sanitization and riding groups will be asked to stick together. Eating and drinking will not be permitted in the lineup as face coverings must remain in place.  

What if I injure myself in the bike park?  

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s bike patrol will attend to any rider injured in the park, as per standard operating procedures. Patrollers will all have PPE for medical response and will practice social distancing whenever and wherever possible to protect the health of both guests and staff.

Will your retail stores offer bike rentals this summer?  

We are operating with the same product offerings as previous years, only now with enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols, so we have valley trail bikes, e bikes and downhill bikes ready to roll, along with protective equipment. Guests can rent helmets and armour as well. Our downhill fleet will be housed at G1 and Summit, while the Fairmont, Salomon Store, Can-ski Blackcomb and Summit will be limited to Valley Trail bikes. 

Where can I purchase tickets for lift rides and summer activities? Do I need to make a reservation?  

Please pre-purchase your tickets for lift rides and summer activities online, if possible. Tickets are being sold by time and date, to ensure social distancing is maintained at all times. You will need to pick up your ticket onsite. Please note, all transactions for tickets and passes sold on site will be cashless. 

What does the food & beverage dining experience look like?   

Both restaurants will have reduced seating capacities inside and patios will be open for additional seating as well, at a reduced capacity. Washrooms are available at both restaurants for guests.  

What does the food & beverage dining experience look like?   

Both restaurants will have reduced seating capacities inside and patios will be open for additional seating as well, at a reduced capacity. Washrooms are available at both restaurants for guests.

Can I use my 21-22 Epic Pass for summer access?    

Summer benefits for the 2021-22 Epic Pass include free lift access for scenic rides (varies by pass type and region), as well as select lodging, food and beverage, and activity discounts. Full details here.  

How are you keeping guests safe this summer? 

We continue to use our COVID-19 Safety Protocols, developed in line with COVID-19 health recommendations from Vancouver Coastal Health, the Province of BC and Provincial Health Authority. These protocols focus on increased sanitization, physical distancing and face coverings. You can find more information on some of our safety procedures and guest expectations  HERE.  Please note, guests will be asked to continue wearing face coverings, regardless of immunization status, indoors and outdoors, when in close proximity to other guests.

What are you doing to protect your staff? 

We have a robust training process for all resort employees to ensure safety. All of our employees are required to wear a face covering and follow the company’s safety protocols and procedures at all times, including regular hand washing and the use of PPG. Employees undergo daily health screenings and are required to stay home if sick. We’ll continue to review and update our policies to adhere to the most up-to-date practices to keep employees and guests safe.

Do I need to wear a face covering? 

All guests are required to wear face coverings at the resort when in lift lines; on lifts and gondolas; inside our restaurants and retail locations; and whenever it is not possible to maintain a six feet distance from unknown parties. When physical distancing is possible, such as riding on trails, guests may remove their face coverings. Please note: It is important to keep your face covering in place both while getting onto chairlifts and while exiting the chairlift or gondola.

Do I need to bring my own face covering?

Yes, guests are strongly encouraged to bring their own face covering. To help us reduce our environmental footprint, we're asking guests to bring your own face covering, which can be a cloth mask, scarf or buff, as long as it covers your nose and mouth. Guests without a face covering will not be allowed to load chairlifts or gondolas, inside resort facilities, in some retail locations or other areas where physical distancing is not possible. Thank you for helping us keep each other safe.

How will you be enforcing face coverings for guests? 

Guests who are not able to follow the safety protocols that are put in place to protect our guests, employees and communities will not be able to ride in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park and asked to leave if necessary. It takes the compassion, care and personal responsibility of everyone to help us ensure a safe mountain experience for all.  

What is your child age requirement for face coverings? 

In line with local and CDC guidelines, we are asking that children older than 2 years of age wear face coverings in lift lines, loading and unloading lifts, and wherever physical distancing of six feet cannot be achieved.  

What are the rules on who can load together on gondolas and lifts? 

To minimize safety risks, guests will only be able to ride gondolas and lifts with travellers in their parties. 

Are you capping the number of people who can visit the resort? 

We will be closely monitoring capacity at the Bike Park, and may limit ticket sales on high volume days to maintain social distancing practices. Tickets will be sold to exact lift times, as communicated by our PSS staff and website. Thanks to our expansive outdoor setting, we are confident we can accommodate all visitors this summer, but are asking for guests' cooperation complying with physical distancing protocols in base areas, lift lines and indoor spaces.      

What equipment are you providing guests: sanitizer, masks, etc.?  

Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the resort. Frequent hand-washing is encouraged. While we ask guests to bring their own face coverings, we will have masks available upon request, subject to availability. We have also converted all drinking fountains to water bottle stations to keep these units touchless. 

What changes have been made to cleaning procedures?  

High-touch surfaces will be frequently cleaned and disinfected with EPA-approved products that kill the COVID-19 virus. In addition, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting will take place daily in our gondola cabins, frequently throughout the day in our public restrooms and after each use on our alpine slide and mountain coaster carts.  

Will all transactions be cashless?  

Yes, all mountain transactions (e.g. lift tickets, dining facilities) will be cashless as well as transactions at the Company’s lodging, retail and rental locations.

What happens if inclement weather forces a lift evacuation or other quick response which hampers physical distancing requirements? 

While we do our best to anticipate weather events to minimize impacts to our guests, it is very important to have face coverings for each member of your party easily accessible. If response to weather, or an environmental threat, forces a rapid response from mountain operations, we will prioritize guests’ immediate safety over standard health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please do your part to help us operate safely and keep your face covering on hand at all times.

Are you doing contact tracing? 

We will continue to work with local health officials to minimize the impact and spread of COVID-19 in our resort communities. While we don’t have a comprehensive contact system, we will work with local officials and endeavour to notify any guest or employee who we have knowledge came in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  

When will Owned & Operated lodging reopen at Whistler Blackcomb?  

Vail Resorts owned and operated hotels are accepting reservations beginning June 19, 2020. We are offering free cancellations and full refunds for reservations made between now and Dec. 17, 2020. More information on our current booking and cancellation policies is available here. 

What safety precautions is Lodging Ovations taking?  Are any special cleaning procedures being taken? 

The safety of our employees and our guests has always been a top priority. To ensure our properties are prepared to address the realities of COVID-19, we have rolled out enhanced safety protocols at all of our owned and operated lodging properties designed to provide both guests and employees with a safe and enjoyable experience. Our new safety guidelines include limited touchpoints at check in, property-wide enhanced cleaning measures, shared space guidelines in elevators and physical distancing policies. While our protocols may vary by property, our teams will continue to follow CDC and WHO guidance, aligning our robust plan to ever-evolving industry best practices.  

How are you dealing with common areas? 

Our new safety guidelines include limited touchpoints at check in, property-wide enhanced cleaning measures, shared space guidelines in elevators and physical distancing policies. While our protocols may vary by property, our teams will continue to follow CDC and WHO guidance, aligning our robust plan to ever-evolving industry best practices. As a part of property-wide expanded safety guidelines, certain amenities/common areas may not be available at this time. Please contact the property directly for the most up-to-date information. 
 
Will the pool/spa/gym be open?  

As a part of property-wide expanded safety guidelines, certain amenities may not be available at this time. Please contact the property directly for the most up-to-date information. 
 
Can I valet my car?  

As a part of property-wide expanded safety guidelines, certain amenities may not be available at this time. Please contact the property directly for the most up-to-date information.