Long-Term Debt (Schedule Of Debt Instruments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May. 29, 2013	Jul. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013	May. 01, 2015	Apr. 25, 2011
Accretion Expense				$ 5,596	$ 5,544	$ 985
Total debt		$ 816,830		816,830	626,622
Less: Current maturities		10,154		10,154	1,022
Long-term debt		$ 806,676		$ 806,676	625,600
Stated percentage in the debt instrument		6.50%		6.50%
Issuance of 6.50% senior subordinated notes								$ 390,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt				$ 11,012	10,831	$ 0
Initial Capital Lease Term	50 years
Optional Lease Renewal Term				P20Y
Talisker Canyons Obligation, Interest Rate		10.00%		10.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 400,000		$ 400,000
Long-term Line of Credit							$ 250,000
Credit Facility Revolver [Member]
Total debt		185,000		$ 185,000	0
Fiscal year maturity				2020
Basis spread on LIBOR rate				1.25%
Term Loan [Member]
Total debt		250,000		$ 250,000	0
Fiscal year maturity				2020
Long-term debt, maturity date				May 01, 2020
Long-term Debt, Description				In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, VHI has the ability to increase availability (under the revolver or in the form of term loans) to an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the greater of (i) $950.0 million and (ii) the product of 2.75 and the trailing twelve-month Adjusted EBITDA, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The term loan facility is subject to quarterly amortization of principal, commencing on January 31, 2016, in equal installments, with five percent payable in each year and the final payment of all amounts outstanding, plus accrued and unpaid interest due on May 1, 2020. The proceeds of the loans made under the Credit Agreement may be used, in addition to the redemptions of the 6.50% Notes and industrial development bonds (as discussed below), to fund the Company’s working capital needs, capital expenditures, acquisitions, investments and other general corporate purposes, including the issuance of letters of credit. The Credit Agreement matures in May 2020. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement, including the term loan facility, bear interest annually at the Company's option at the rate of (i) LIBOR plus 1.125% as of July 31, 2015 (1.32% as of July 31, 2015) or (ii) the Agent's prime lending rate plus a margin (3.50% as of July 31, 2015).
Industrial Development Bonds [Member]
Total debt		0		$ 0	41,200
Long-term debt		0		$ 0	41,200
Fiscal year maturity				2020
Long term debt interest rate				6.95%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount					41,000
Redemption Premium		2,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost		100
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			4.00%
Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		52,575		$ 52,575	52,575
6.50% Notes [Member]
Total debt		0		0	215,000
Long-term debt		$ 0		$ 0	215,000
Fiscal year maturity				2019
Stated percentage in the debt instrument		6.50%		6.50%				6.50%
Long term debt interest rate				6.50%
Debt Instrument, Redemption Date				May 01, 2015
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount					175,000
Redemption Premium		$ 7,000			9,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost		2,300			$ 2,300
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage				3.25%	4.875%
Talisker Canyons Obligation [Member]
Total debt		$ 317,455		$ 317,455	$ 311,858
Fiscal year maturity				2063
6.75% Notes [Member]
Stated percentage in the debt instrument		6.75%		6.75%
Other [Member]
Total debt		$ 11,800		$ 11,800	$ 5,989
Fiscal year maturity, start				Jul. 31, 2016
Fiscal year maturity, end				Jul. 31, 2029
Colorado Water Conservation Board Note Outstanding [Member] | Other [Member]
Long-term debt, maturity date				Sep. 16, 2028
Long-term debt, outstanding amount		4,900		$ 4,900
Breckenridge Terrace [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		19,980		$ 19,980
Fiscal year maturity				2039
Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		10,410		$ 10,410
Fiscal year maturity				2039
BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		10,600		$ 10,600
Fiscal year maturity				2027
Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		11,585		$ 11,585
Fiscal year maturity				2035
Tranche A [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		37,780		$ 37,780
Reference for interest rate determination				LIBOR plus 0% to 0.05%
Tranche A [Member] | Breckenridge Terrace [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		14,980		$ 14,980
Tranche A [Member] | Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		8,000		8,000
Tranche A [Member] | BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		9,100		9,100
Tranche A [Member] | Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		5,700		5,700
Tranche B [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		14,795		$ 14,795
Reference for interest rate determination				LIBOR plus 0% to 0.05%
Tranche B [Member] | Breckenridge Terrace [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		5,000		$ 5,000
Tranche B [Member] | Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		2,410		2,410
Tranche B [Member] | BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		1,500		1,500
Tranche B [Member] | Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 5,885		$ 5,885
Maximum [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, end				May 01, 2039
Maximum [Member] | 6.50% Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage					4.875%
Maximum [Member] | Other [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, end				Jul. 31, 2029
Long term debt interest rate				5.50%
Maximum [Member] | Tranche A [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Basis spread on LIBOR rate				0.05%
Long term debt interest rate				0.24%
Minimum [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, start				Jun. 01, 2027
Minimum [Member] | 6.50% Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage					0.00%
Minimum [Member] | Other [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, start				Aug. 01, 2016
Long term debt interest rate				0.17%
Minimum [Member] | Tranche A [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Basis spread on LIBOR rate				0.00%
Long term debt interest rate				0.19%
Canyons [Member]
Accretion Expense				$ 12,000
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition	May 24, 2013
Initial Capital Lease Term	50 years
Optional Lease Renewal Term	six 50-year renewal options
Minimum Capital Lease Payment, Annual	$ 25,000
Adjustments to Capital Lease Annual Payments	inflation linked index of CPI less 1%, with a floor of 2% per annum