The Ultimate Guide to a Deer Valley Family Ski Weekend

February 21, 2018

Family Friendly Ski ResortsMy family just got back from an amazing “Staycation” at Deer Valley Resort!  The weekend before Valentine’s Day, we try to do a little staycation to spend time together, unplug, and create new memories and experiences as a family!  I am a huge quality time person, so what better way to show your family that you love them, than spend an entire weekend together doing something that you love! (Be sure to scroll to the bottom for our highlight video!)

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We absolutely love to go to Deer Valley because it not only is a nearby high class ski resort, but they also provide amenities like none other!  The Deer Valley difference is real, and here are just a few of the reasons we love to go to Deer Valley!


Accommodations:  Deer Valley Resort houses some of the worlds highest ranking hotels with the St Regis, and The Montage just to name a few.  They also have so many other rental property options to go with other than a standard hotel!  We always love renting out a vacation rental because it provides our family with a bigger space, a kitchen, living room area, and more than one bedroom and bathroom!  For our staycation this trip we stayed at Comstock Lodge just steps away from the resort, or a quick shuttle ride!  We absolutely loved the location and it was the perfect size for our family!  A two-bedroom two bathroom, full-kitchen, and beautiful living room area with a fireplace made for a good welcome home after a long day on the slopes!  Our absolute favorite thing about the condo was that it had it’s own jacuzzi hot tub out on the deck!  We have never stayed at a place with it’s own hot tub, and boy was it nice!  We love a good hot tub after a day of skiing, and typically in a shared space there are a lot of others with the same plan in mind so a shared space can get crowded après ski.  But, having our own was so nice and private, and I didn’t have to worry about my kids splashing or bothering anyone!  Totally the highlight for sure!

Comstock Lodge Deer Valley Comstock Lodge Deer Valley Comstock Lodge Deer Valley Private Balcony Jacuzzi Comstock Lodge Deer Valley

Food / Dining:  The food at Deer Valley really is on another level!  Their world class chef’s and restaurants are a huge factor that sets Deer Valley apart from other resorts.  Not only are their restaurants top notch, but all the lodge food is so good, and offer some unique tastings, not to mention their signature deer valley cookies, and turkey chili is to die for!  It was also our first time having their breakfast, and we loved loved loved it!  In fact, my six year old described it as one of his favorite parts of the entire trip!  The waffles with homemade berry syrup were amazing!  I also loved seeing Pho a Vietnamese noodle soup offered in their Silver Lake Lodge!  It made for such an amazing lunch to warm up to a nice hot bowl mid-day when it started snowing hard!
The Brass Tag at Deer Valley is also one of our favorites!  We love getting the Chimichurri Nachos!  So good when you’ve worked up an appetite!  I loved the Miso Salmon I got this time around, and their desserts cannot be missed!  The cookie skillet is one I have to get every time we go!
For lunch while the kids were at ski school my husband and I tried the Royal Street Café at Silver Lake Lodge, and the food was also outstanding!  We got the Crab Stacker appetizer, which was my favorite served with some little wonton crisps.  This seafood lover was a happy girl!
Speaking of seafood, have you ever tried the Seafood Buffet at Deer Valley?  I have honestly been wanting to try it since way back in college when I worked at Deer Valley (yep!  I worked at Deer Valley for three years in college! More on that later!)  The Seafood Buffet was all I ever dreamed about!  Big giant King Crab legs, shrimp, poke bowls, oysters, seafood coming out my ears!  My actual dreams come true!  My kids were also in heaven being little seafood lovers as well, and dessert! Oh, the desserts!  I was also pleasantly surprised to see a lot of amazing non-seafood options like prime rib, an amazing salad bar, and other appetizers as well for the non-seafood fans.  There really was something for everyone!

Breakfast at Snow Park Lodge Deer Valley Belgian Waffles with Berries Deer Valley Turkey Chili Deer Valley Turkey Chili Short Rib Tacos Crab Stacker Appetizer Seafood Buffet Deer Valley Fruit Tart Appetizers at the Brass Tag Porch Chop at the Brass Tag Deer Valley Miso Salmon at the Brass Tag Deer Valley Kids Cheese burger at the Brass Tag Deer Valley

Ski School:  Now, I am not just saying this because I used to be a ski instructor at Deer Valley way back in the day when I was in college.  I worked with little kids teaching them lessons for three years, and absolutely loved it!  I have such fond memories from my time there, and it was so fun being there during the Olympics when they were in Salt Lake City!   Deer Valley Ski School is really one of the best around! And, I can say that having worked there for many years, and also from watching my kids excel from a day in lessons!  They are very well organized and work with your children on specific skills to become better skiers and improve!  If you are a parent who wants their kids to ski, but you don’t think you are able to teach your children, I would highly recommend Deer Valley’s Ski School!  My kids had a great day on the slopes, and putting them in classes with their peers helped them to push themselves more than if they were just skiing with us.  They each came back with visible improvements from their lessons, and I was very happy to see that!  My husband and I also enjoyed a day spending time together on the slopes while the kids were enjoying ski school.  It was a win-win for all!

Deer Valley Adventure Club Ski School Deer Valley Ski School Family Friendly Ski Resorts Family Friendly Ski Resorts in Utah Family Friendly Ski Resorts

The Ski Resort:  Deer Valley as a ski resort really is ranked so well each and every year for a reason.  I for one appreciate that it is a skier-only resort.  Meaning, they don’t allow snowboarders which I will admit is nice if you are a skiing family.  I tend to have to watch out for snowboarders with my kids because they have come so close to taking them out a time or two when we ski other places.  To be honest, it’s just nice to not have to worry about that.  Deer Valley also caps their ski lift sales, so the resort is never over packed or too crowded, which is so nice!
Deer Valley is also know for their world class moguls.  The moguls at Deer Valley really are unlike any other.  They maintain their nice shape, and offer some amazing mogul runs!  My kids really love moguls, the verdict is still out for me, ha!
Another thing my kids really love are their fun kids trails throughout the resort!  Bucky’s Backyard, Bucky’s front yard, are a few of the tree runs my kids love to go through!
Deer Valley is also well equipped to make snow if needed.  This year being a fairly dry winter, to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect when we got up to the resort, but I was pleasantly surprised at the conditions!  If it is cold enough they can run their snow making machines which really make a difference during dry years.
Another huge pleasant surprise for me was the complimentary overnight ski storage!  Seriously little things like this make a huge difference, especially when you are traveling with kids!  Storing our ski’s made it so nice not to have to haul all 5 of our ski’s and poles off the mountain every day.  A total lifesaver when your kids are tired after a long day!

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We really can’t get enough time together as a family on the slopes doing something that we love!  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, ski vacations are some of the best vacations for families!  You can chat on the lifts, cheer each other on, challenge yourself, cozy up together after a long day, and make some of the best memories along the way!  Making a special effort to get away from distractions now and again can really make all the difference!  I feel so fortunate that we have been able to create so many good family memories out on the slopes together, and Deer Valley was such a perfect location to add some new ones to our hearts! Hope you enjoy our little highlight video I put together!

Deer Valley Resort
2250 Deer Valley Drive South
Park City, UT 84060
435-649-1000

Instagram: @deervalleyresort
Facebook: Deer Valley Resort
Twitter: @deer_valley or @skideervalley
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