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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
 6 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Consolidated Financial Statements Policy [Table Text Block]
Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements— In the opinion of the Company, the accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments necessary to state fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Results for interim periods are not indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year, particularly given the significant seasonality to the Company’s operating cycle. The accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2017. Certain information and footnote disclosures, including significant accounting policies, normally included in fiscal year financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. The Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet as of July 31, 2017 was derived from audited financial statements.

The Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended January 31, 2017 have been revised to separately disclose revenues and costs from retail and dining operations, as well as general and administrative costs. Retail and dining revenues were previously included within Mountain and Lodging revenues, and the related costs were previously included in Mountain and Lodging operating costs. Management considers the change in presentation of its Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations to be immaterial to the periods presented. There is no change to previously reported total net revenue, operating expense, income from operations, net income attributable to Vail Resorts, Inc., per share amounts or segment results for either period.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates— The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Fair Value Instruments— The recorded amounts for cash and cash equivalents, receivables, other current assets, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. The fair value of amounts outstanding under the Vail Holdings Credit Agreement revolver and term loan, Whistler Credit Agreement revolver and the Employee Housing Bonds (all as defined in Note 4, Long-Term Debt) approximate book value due to the variable nature of the interest rate, which is a market rate, associated with the debt.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Income Taxes— On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act includes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code that impacted the Company’s accounting and reporting for income taxes during the three and six months ended January 31, 2018. These changes primarily consist of the following:
•
A reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, which the Company expects will result in a fiscal 2018 U.S. blended federal statutory income tax rate for the Company of approximately 27%, and then will be reduced to 21% in fiscal 2019 and thereafter.
•
The remeasurement of U.S. net deferred tax liabilities as of the effective date utilizing the new U.S. federal corporate income tax rate of 21%.
•
A territorial tax regime resulting in a one-time transitional repatriation tax on unremitted foreign earnings (“Transition Tax”), which may be paid over an eight-year period.
•
The elimination of the domestic production activities deduction as well as revised limitations on certain business expenses and executive compensation deductions.

On December 22, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) to provide guidance that companies should apply each reporting period related to the income tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides that companies (i) should record the effects of the changes from the Tax Act for which the accounting is complete (not provisional), (ii) should record provisional amounts for the effects of the changes from the Tax Act for which the accounting is not complete, and for which reasonable estimates can be determined, in the period they are identified, and (iii) should not record provisional amounts if reasonable estimates cannot be made for the effects of the changes from the Tax Act, and should continue to apply guidance based on the tax law in effect prior to the enactment on December 22, 2017. In addition, SAB 118 establishes a one-year measurement period (through December 22, 2018) where a provisional amount could be subject to adjustment, and requires certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to provisional amounts and accounting during the measurement period.
As a result of the Tax Act, the Company recorded a one-time, provisional net tax benefit of approximately $64.6 million on its Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended January 31, 2018 (or approximately $1.55 per diluted share), as described below.
Due to the reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate, the Company remeasured its U.S. net deferred tax liabilities as of the effective date and recognized an estimated provisional benefit of approximately $71.0 million, as a discrete item in the (provision) benefit from income taxes for the three and six months ended January 31, 2018, which is a reduction in net deferred tax liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet as of January 31, 2018. The measurement of U.S. net deferred tax liabilities is provisional as the final remeasurement cannot be determined until the underlying temporary differences are known, rather than estimated.
The Company also recorded an estimated provisional charge for the Transition Tax of approximately $6.4 million as a discrete item in the (provision) benefit from income taxes for the three and six months ended January 31, 2018. The Transition Tax recorded is provisional pending the finalization of earnings estimates of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.
The Company is continuing to analyze the impact of the Tax Act. Adjustments to the provisional charges will be recorded as discrete items in the (provision) benefit from income taxes in the period in which those adjustments become reasonably estimable and/or the accounting is complete. Such adjustments may result from, among other things, future guidance, interpretations and regulatory changes from the Internal Revenue Service, the SEC, the FASB and/or various tax jurisdictions. The Company will complete its analysis no later than December 22, 2018 (the end of the one-year measurement period).
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
Adopted Standards
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” The new guidance requires companies to record all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled, as applicable, rather than within additional paid in capital which was required under the previous guidance. The guidance also requires companies to present excess tax benefits as an operating activity and cash paid to a taxing authority to satisfy employee statutory withholding as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows. Additionally, the guidance allows companies to make a policy election to account for forfeitures either upon occurrence or by estimating forfeitures. The Company adopted this standard on August 1, 2017, and is prospectively recording excess tax benefits and deficiencies within the provision or benefit for income taxes on its Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations when stock-based compensation awards vest or are exercised. The Company expects this will increase volatility of the provision or benefit for income taxes as the amount of excess tax benefits or deficiencies from stock-based compensation awards are dependent on the Company’s stock price at the date the awards vest or are exercised. As a result of adopting this provision of the standard, the Company recorded $1.3 million and $53.1 million, respectively, of excess tax benefits within (provision) benefit from income taxes on its Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended January 31, 2018, (or approximately $0.03 and $1.27, respectively, per diluted share), resulting from vesting or exercises of equity awards during the respective periods. As of August 1, 2017, the Company prospectively presented excess tax benefits as operating activities on its Consolidated Condensed Statement of Cash Flows for the six months ended January 31, 2018. Additionally, the Company has elected to record actual forfeitures for recording stock-based compensation expense when they occur, rather than estimate expected forfeitures, which did not have a material impact to the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations for both the three and six months ended January 31, 2018. In accordance with the disclosure provisions of the new guidance, the Company retrospectively adopted the new presentation. Cash paid to taxing authorities on an employee’s behalf was changed to be classified as a financing activity in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows, which resulted in a decrease of approximately $13.0 million to cash provided by financing activities with a corresponding increase to cash provided by operating activities for the six months ended January 31, 2017, as shown below (in thousands).
 
Six Months Ended January 31, 2017
 
Previously Reported (Previous Guidance)
 
Tax Payments Change
 
Revised Reported (New Guidance)
Cash flows provided by operating activities
$
316,918

 
$
12,975

 
$
329,893

Cash flows used in investing activities (no change)
(591,821
)
 
—

 
(591,821
)
Cash flows provided by financing activities
348,285

 
(12,975
)
 
335,310

Effect of exchange rate changes (no change)
(370
)
 
—

 
(370
)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents (no change)
$
73,012

 
$
—

 
$
73,012
Accounting Standards Being Evaluated
Standards Being Evaluated
The authoritative guidance listed below is currently being evaluated for its impact to Company policies upon adoption as well as any significant implementation matters yet to be addressed.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, “Revenue Recognition.” This ASU is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2014-09, the FASB has issued several amendments, which do not change the core principle of the guidance and are intended to clarify and improve understanding of certain topics included within the revenue standard. This standard will be effective for the first interim period within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (the Company’s first quarter of fiscal 2019), using one of two retrospective application methods. The Company will not early adopt this standard and is evaluating the impacts, if any, the adoption of this accounting standard will have on the Company’s financial position or results of operations and cash flows and related disclosures and is determining the appropriate transition method. The Company has completed the review of revenue streams consisting of (i) season pass sales, (ii) non-season pass lift ticket sales, (iii) retail/rental sales and (iv) dining sales and determined the recognition and measurement shall remain unchanged under the revised standard as compared to the prior guidance. The Company is continuing to evaluate its remaining revenue streams as well as disclosure requirements of the new standard in advance of the required date of adoption.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which supersedes “Leases (Topic 840).” The standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities arising from all leases, including those classified as operating leases under previous accounting guidance, on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The standard also allows for an accounting policy election not to recognize on the balance sheet lease assets and liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset on their balance sheets, while lessor accounting will be largely unchanged. The standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those years (the Company’s first quarter of fiscal 2020), and must be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach to leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impacts the adoption of this accounting standard will have on the Company’s financial position or results of operations and cash flows and related disclosures. Additionally, the Company is evaluating the impacts of the standard beyond accounting, including system, data and process changes required to comply with the standard and has selected an information system application that will centralize the Company’s lease information and be utilized for accounting under the new standard.