iiyamadude 6 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 ....for Madarao Kogen anyway, from what I have heard. And oh yes on their site too. Elementary school kids at 1000 yen. 小学生が有料となります、リーズナブルな料金です(１日券１０００円) Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Abenomics! Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I think that would be a silly idea It can add up when you have kids so people would be more inclined to go places where kids are free. Mine are to old now anyway but it was good for awhile Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Big decision to go back to charging for kids. So you'd think they'd thought it through. 1000 yen is hardly breaking the bank is it. Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Some will like that news. Too many children puts some paying adults off going. And if those children are all there for free, looking at it from that point of view it doesn't turn out to be good for the resort. Link to post Share on other sites
NECK 14 Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Not the end of the world Link to post Share on other sites
teikiatsulover 6 Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 I can handle that for my kid. If it was two or three thousand that would be a different matter though. Just look at how cheap skiing in Japan is compared to N. America, Europe, or Oz and NZ. It's half the price. What I worry about is the next two decades with the big population decrease. I know that's another thread, but I wonder how it will effect resorts and pensions. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 1000 yen is plenty cheap, I think. In general, for me, the lift tickets are not the expensive part anyway. Highway tolls and gasoline far outweigh. Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 1000 yen seems very reasonable to me. Link to post Share on other sites
gnarly-dude 1 Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Less children is a good thing. (I really dislike children). Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Most places charge for shougakusei anyway (effectively six and a half and up) and I would guess they charge more than 1000 yen. Fwiw, most hotels, pensions, onsens etc. will have always charged for the same shougakusei, so the only ones taking a hit to get more punters were the gelende. The most important part of the whole operation, you could say. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Yes seems somewhat unfair on the skijo deosn't it if the other folk aren't backing them up. Link to post Share on other sites
gifugill 0 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I know nothing of kids rates, but do some hotels offer much lower rates than the norm for the kids, or more specifically - is that successful? Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Don't think so. I remember my friend telling me that their 4 year old was being charged 70% of the full adult rate at one resort hotel. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I know nothing of kids rates, but do some hotels offer much lower rates than the norm for the kids, or more specifically - is that successful? You'd have to define the "norm" for starters. Japanese hotels generally charge per person, not per room, and charge per person for kids too. Up to six, you may not have to pay if they sleep in the same bed as their parents. For shogakusei, you will almost certainly have to pay.I suspect Its much more common for hotels to not charge for under sixes than for pensions. I think charging for them is a bit stingy, esp. since co sleeping is so established in Japan. Its not as if you're automatically going to get a bigger room by paying for the kids. Onsens charge for shougakusei upwards, some nearly full price. I've stayed b&b in so-so good resort hotels in Okinawa without them charging for my kids when the eldest two were 5 and 2, so I was surprised at scouser's example. I reckon a big resort hotel like a Disney one or Club Med would definitely charge, but some of the others will let it slide. We always go in offseason, so maybe that is why. Please note that skiing for under sixes will probably still be free at the resort in the original post, so its only an end of free tickets for older children. With club activities at Japanese schools eating into many kids' weekends, older kids may not be able to go skiing anyway. Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 correct, the charge is for 6-12 years Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Inawashiro has an interesting approach now. If you join their "Re:born Club," (500 yen for the season), you can ride a couple of their beginner-level lifts as much as you like for free. So not tied to age, but rather to skill level: you only start paying for lift tickets once you can no longer be satisfied with the bunny slopes. Seems like a good way to create new addicts who will likely turn into paying customers. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 That is an interesting thing. Is it new for the coming season? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 500 yen for the season? Talk about cheap! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Basically that means any parent with a beginner kid can get them up to speed over however many times it takes for 1000 yen, or possibly 500 yen if they are a preschooler. Great for the customer, if not necessarily for this lift company and certainly not for other lift companies in general. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 That is an interesting thing. Is it new for the coming season? No, they did it last year too, though then they only had one novice lift running for free to club members (Hayama #2 on the Chuo side). This year they are taking the Minero #2 lift out of mothballs (it was closed all last year) on the Minero side, and adding it to the deal. Nice to see a lift being turned back on again rather than off, for a change. 500 yen for the season? Talk about cheap! That's basically the cost to join their "frequent flier" program, which comes with enough discounts that it pays for itself the very first day you go. You do end up on their mailing list, but it is not exactly spam central. (I got a postcard the other day with the notice about the free lift program being expanded to the Minero side, but I think that is the first time I have ever gotten anything from them.) Certainly not a bad deal if you were going to go there anyway. Basically that means any parent with a beginner kid can get them up to speed over however many times it takes for 1000 yen, or possibly 500 yen if they are a preschooler. Great for the customer, if not necessarily for this lift company and certainly not for other lift companies in general. Given that they have expanded the program this year, I guess they think it is worth it. Another interesting thing I just noticed is that this year they have a joint season ticket with Numajiri, Minowa, Nango and Takahata. Were I in the market for a season ticket this year, I would be giving that one a serious look. On the flip side, they seem to have ended their "discount-ticket sister resort" relationship with Grandeco, which is sort of too bad as Grandeco has a much longer season than them or the other ones they have partnered up with. But probably a worthwhile trade-off for them. Overall, I have to say, I am impressed with what Macearth is doing with the place since they took over last year. Link to post Share on other sites
Saitaman 1 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Yes good to hear of a lift opening up again rather than more closing. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 You not season'ing it then this year MO? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Wouldn't be able to use it enough this season to justify it. Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherLocklearRocks 1 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Link to post Share on other sites
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