Long-Term Debt (Schedule Of Debt Instruments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
	May 29, 2013	Jul. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014	May 01, 2015
Interest Expense, Debt		$ 42,400	$ 51,200	$ 64,000
Accretion Expense		5,644	5,596	5,544
Total debt		702,320	816,830
Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs Contra Liability		2,057	2,329
Less: Current maturities		13,354	10,154
Long-term debt		686,909	804,347
Loss on extinguishment of debt		$ 0	11,012	10,831
Optional Lease Renewal Term		P20Y
Talisker Canyons Obligation, Interest Rate		10.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 400,000
Long-term Line of Credit					$ 250,000
Amortization of Financing Costs		1,000	1,300	1,900
Redemption Premium			9,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost			2,400
Credit Facility Revolver [Member]
Total debt		$ 75,000	185,000
Fiscal year maturity		2020
Basis spread on LIBOR rate		1.125%
Term Loan [Member]
Total debt		$ 240,625	$ 250,000
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, which began 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 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, 2016 (1.62% as of July 31, 2016) or (ii) the Agent's prime lending rate plus a margin (3.75% as of July 31, 2016)
Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 52,575	$ 52,575
Canyons Obligation [Member]
Total debt		$ 323,099	317,455
Fiscal year maturity		2063
Other [Member]
Total debt		$ 11,021	11,800
Fiscal year maturity, start		Jul. 31, 2017
Fiscal year maturity, end		Jul. 31, 2029
Six Point Five Zero Percent Notes [Member]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount			$ 215,000	$ 175,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			3.25%	4.875%
Redemption Premium				$ 9,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost				$ 2,300
Industrial Development Bonds [Member]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount			$ 41,000
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage			4.00%
Colorado Water Conservation Board Note Outstanding [Member] | Other [Member]
Long-term debt, maturity date		Sep. 16, 2028
Long-term debt, outstanding amount		$ 4,700
Breckenridge Terrace [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 19,980
Fiscal year maturity		2039
Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 10,410
Fiscal year maturity		2039
BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 10,600
Fiscal year maturity		2027
Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 11,585
Fiscal year maturity		2035
Tranche A [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 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
Tranche A [Member] | Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		8,000
Tranche A [Member] | BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		9,100
Tranche A [Member] | Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		5,700
Tranche B [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 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
Tranche B [Member] | Tarnes [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		2,410
Tranche B [Member] | BC Housing [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		1,500
Tranche B [Member] | Tenderfoot [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Total debt		$ 5,885
Maximum [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, end		May 01, 2039
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		0.55%
Minimum [Member] | Employee Housing Bonds [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, start		Jun. 01, 2027
Minimum [Member] | Other [Member]
Fiscal year maturity, start		Aug. 01, 2017
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		0.50%
Canyons [Member]
Accretion Expense		$ 18,000
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