WPSMF Ski Locker- Total Festival Charges, Payments, Attendance Counts, Cancellations and Refunds

21.0 All about Total Festival Charges:

1.1 Total Festival Charges are charges related to all the services/products the festival arranges and provides.  These are categorized within 4 sections of our Billing Invoice:

1.11  Festival Package charges

1.12  Performing Ensemble charges

1.13  Festival Additional costs

1.14  Empty Bed Space charges

1.11  Festival Package charges: 

The number of festival attendees (less complimentary packages) multiplied by the Festival Package (per person) price as chosen by each group.  Only one Festival Package choice may be selected for your entire group.

1.12  Performing Ensemble charges:

Total of the following:

$300 for the first Instrumental Ensemble, and $150 for any thereafter (includes color guards)

$300 for the first Choral Ensemble, and $150 for any thereafter

$300 for the first Dance/Drill Team or other similar type ensemble, and $150 for any thereafter

1.13  Festival Additional Costs:

Any additional costs added to the Total Festival Charges, as desired, or may be required of a group.  These may include any of the following:

Optional Meal plans. You may have noticed within the festival’s Lodging Choices, some lodging choices offer optional meal plans.  Those listed per person and per meal prices are additional to the Festival Package Prices.

Optional Ski Resort Meal Vouchers. Most groups choose to eat at the ski resort during lunch.  If choosing to have your members purchase meals at the ski resort’s eating establishments at the resort base or higher on the mountain– the festival can provide discounted meal vouchers to you for an additional cost.  Details surrounding meal vouchers can be found within the WPSMF Ski Locker Miscellaneous Resort Topics  (section 4.11).   Directors most often purchase these so that each student has “pre-purchased” these with their trip and everyone will be sure to have a lunch meal regardless of available money.  Each $15 redemptive value ski resort meal voucher is available for a discounted price of $13.

Early check-in and late check-out lodging charges. Our lodging providers have established check-in and check-out times to accommodate you and other guests staying with them.  Sometimes groups may have special needs to check-in earlier and check-out later than these established times.  In order for us to guarantee these, reservations have to be made well in advance.  We hope that you can plan your Winter Park arrival and departure with these lodging times in mind to eliminate any additional cost.  But if needed- we can certainly arrange for all (or a portion) of your lodging spaces to be available when needed, at an additional cost.  For example- having 1-2 condos to store luggage within prior to checking into all your condos after 4:00 pm on your arrival day. Or- keeping 1-2 condos to store luggage, or have a clothes changing space, after check-out times on your last day.  

Optional Meeting Space Charges. Some lodging providers may have meeting spaces for a group to use for special purposes- whether for rehearsals, or even a space to store luggage/equipment until check-in or after check-out times.  If these types of meeting spaces are available and/or the lodging provider charges for use of this space- it could be an additional cost to you which we will bill, collect and forward to the meeting space provider through your scheduled payments.

Late enrolled festival attendees. We purchase a travel protection policy on behalf of each festival attendee, and have a deadline to submit all member names and pay the premium.  After March 5, 2021, the cost of purchasing another individual Travel Protection Plan is passed along to you.  The additional cost is $35 per person.  If a group has a late enrolled member (within days of your departure to Winter Park) – there may be circumstance that our offered Travel Protection Plan cannot be obtained which might require another protection plan provider/product. The additional cost could then exceed $35 per person. If you need more details now- we will be happy to discuss with you, or details can be found within the WPSMF Ski Locker within “Travel Protection Plan”.

Attendee Count Decreases and Group Cancellation Charges. We have 2 following sections (3.0 & 4.0), we hope clearly describe these topics and resulting charges if applicable. In either case- we would add these as additional charges within your invoice.

Late Payments Charges: A 1% automated late charge will be accessed on any amounts owing after its due date.  An additional 1% charge will also be accessed, each and every week (7 calendar days) beyond the payment due date for the non-paid billed amount. The festival may cancel any plans or reservations when scheduled payments are not received by their due date. The late charge is a partial offset to additional efforts needed to re-establish any previous planning made for a group.  There will be no guarantee that all former plans will be restored, despite a late charge amount being paid.

Late Group Member’s Individual Registrations: A $10 automated late charge will be accessed for each and every group member that has not successfully completed their online registration by the due date.  An additional $10 charge will be accessed, each and every week (7 calendar days) for any uncompleted member registrations. 

Late online data submissions: A $10 automated late charge will be accessed when all the performance information, requested music equipment, rooming lists, and other online data is incomplete beyond the due date. An additional $10 charge will be accessed, each and every week (7 calendar days) until this data is complete.

Persons not being included within Total Attendance Counts:  There are some rare and special circumstances in which a group may have a person attend the festival, not receiving overnight lodging and recreation.  If festival approved, these persons are required to complete a special individual online registration and these persons will have a Travel Protection Plan purchased on their behalf.  A $35 charge will be charged for each person.    

1.14  Empty Bed Space Charges:

Festival Package Prices (per person) are based on lodging space maximum occupancies.  Your lodging choice, and desired sleeping arrangements for your group, will determine how empty bed spaces will be charged.  Within WPSMF Information’s Overnight Lodging Choice/Descriptions, the empty bed space charge amount is listed for each lodging choice for each specific festival week.  These charges are for each empty bed space, and for each night your festival package includes.

Also within WPSMF Information’s Overnight Lodging Choice/Descriptions, notice some lodging choices we offer allow one male student room/condo AND one female student room/condo to be filled with less than maximum occupancy without a charge.  This can be a significant savings for a tightly budgeted trip.

Empty bed spaces are the number of bed spaces in a lodging unit (room, condo or cabin), less your number of attendees in that same lodging unit.  Your group’s total attendance numbers, and final rooming assignments can change up until February 12, 2021.  As a result, an exact amount of empty bed space charges for your group can be a moving target to establish initially.  Unused bed space charges will solidify on February 12, 2021, the due date for both your Final Attendance Count, and final rooming assignments.

Empty bed space charges may also include any additional nights (in excess of your chosen festival package’s “number of nights”) for any lodging units needed.

Also, possibly included within empty bed space charges, is the cost for the festival to provide your Bus Driver Lodging.

1.2  Other Trip Costs not covered in our Festival Charges:

Below are some potential, if not expected trip costs, or services/products we do not arrange/provide.  You would pay these to other parties directly.

Motor coach or bus transportation between Winter Park and your school. When investigating prices from a motor coach company, be sure and ask whether these types of things are included in the quote: bus driver tip, road toll charges, fuel surcharges, etc.  The festival staff knows the approximate cost of motor coaches from several regional areas.  Contact us if you want to save some time investigating this cost.

Airfare between Denver and your departing airport. Consider things such as additional baggage cost for music instruments, taxes, etc.…

Bus transfers or chartering motor coaches between Denver International Airport and Winter Park if flying.  Before these motor coaches drop your students off in Winter Park, and you were interested, how much additional cost would there be to get you to the grocery store or to the performance site using the same coaches?   The festival staff knows approximately what other attending groups have paid for airport transfers.  Contact us if you want to save some time investigating.

Transportation cost to the performance site. If you would not have your motor coaches or buses with you the entire time in Winter Park, and need transportation to the performance site- the cost to hire a bus or private charter.  There is more information on this topic listed elsewhere within WPSMF-Ski Locker.  Call us if we can provide more info.

Meal costs. This can be meals while you are in route to and from Winter Park, groceries to prepare you own meals (brought from home or purchased in Winter Park), meals at restaurants, pizza deliveries, etc.  We can help you with this, by providing the average cost at local restaurants, ski resort, and what other directors share about what amount they budget with for groceries.  There is more information on this topic listed elsewhere within WPSMF-Ski Locker.

Bus drivers staying overnight at a motel or hotel different from your group, if your bus company does not include, or the festival does not arrange for your drivers to stay at your selected lodging property

Ski Rental Upgrades are available to any group member wishing to receive more high performance rentals.  Rental upgrades are not recommended for beginner or intermediate skiers, but may be preferred by a well experienced skier. Any rental upgrade will be paid by the individual person, directly to the ski rental shop, and not pre-arranged by the group of the festival.  An upgrade charge will vary among ski rental shops.  Upgrades are estimated at $10/day.

Lost Ski Lift Cards can be replaced for $10 each occurrence, if specific conditions are met.  This topic is discussed in greater detail within a recreation topic page within WPSMF- Ski Locker.  Obviously, these are unplanned, but a charge an individual could be required to pay, and not included within any festival package/charge.

2.0 All about Payments 

2.1 Where to mail Payments

All payments should be mailed to:
Winter Park Ski-Music Festival
P.O. Box 369
Grandview, TX 76050

The festival utilizes a post office box at the local United States Post Office.  In the event payments are to be mailed through a delivery provider, other than the United States Postal Service, (Fed Ex or UPS for example), most likely they cannot deliver to a USPS postal box.  The festival office is located in a rural area, with an unsecured mail box on a busy county road. Therefore, we prefer for payments not be delivered to our physical address, which we are not providing here to avoid any confusion.  If you must use a non-USPS delivery company, you will need to contact the festival office to request our physical address, and give us notice as to when to expect its delivery.  We encourage you to send payments that must be signed by the festival when delivered.      

2.2 Make checks payable to: 

Winter Park Ski-Music Festival

2.3 Payment Methods Accepted

All published festival package prices, performing ensemble charges, additional festival charges, and empty bed space charges are priced for the festival receiving payments by: certified cashier checks, negotiable checks drawn against a financial institution, or bank to bank wired transfer of funds. 

The festival does not typically accept credit cards, PayPal, or any other electronic payment methods that have an associated processing/transaction charge, and/or delay of receiving entire transaction amount.  If a group had to pay with a credit card, any payment amount would have a processing fee premium added to the payment, so the festival would receive the net payment amount as billed to the group.  

The festival can assist a director or music program, who’s school or district utilizes a Purchase Order Number method of payment.  However, the director must initiate the PO process early enough to ensure the check is received by the festival’s payment deadline.  The director must also provide the festival office with all necessary steps for festival to receive payment, since these are different with most schools and districts.

2.4 Non-refundable Registration Deposit

A group director, authorized adult, or travel planner, able to access these WPSMF Ski Locker information topics, is associated with a registered group, that has sent a Registration Deposit to complete the group’s registration.  As its name suggests, the Non-Refundable Registration Deposit cannot be refunded for any reason, if a group cannot attend the festival.

The entire Registration Deposit amount is recognized as a payment toward a group’s Total Festival Charges.

The Registration Deposit is not any part of group’s Overnight Lodging Damage Deposit, which will be made at check-in.  See the Overnight Lodging section within this WPSMF Ski Locker for Damage Deposit details.

2.5 Payments and Payment Due Dates

First Payment due date- January 15, 2021
One half- or 50% of the Total Festival Charges are due on or before January 15, 2021.  As seen on a Billing Invoice, these charges will be based on a group’s “First Attendance Count”, the group’s selected festival package cost, performing ensemble charges, known additional costs, and estimated empty bed space charges.

If any changes need to be made within your Billing Invoice,  and you wish for your billing invoice to be updated before you make your First Payment– please contact the festival office.  At that time- we will update your invoice amount to reflect your changes.

Final Payment due date- February 12, 2021
All unpaid- or remaining Festival Charges are due on or before February 12, 2021.   As seen on a Billing Invoice, these charges will be based on a group’s “First Attendance Count”, the group’s selected festival package cost, performing ensemble charges, additional costs, and empty bed space charges.

If any changes need to be made to your Billing Invoice or before you make your Final Payment– please contact the festival office.  At that time- we will update your invoice amount to reflect your changes.

Please see “3.0 Attendance Counts” below, for all information about when to change your group’s Attendance Counts, and how this affects your Billing Invoice payments.

 2.6 Late Payments

Without a group’s payment being received on or before their payment due date, we are forced to cancel a group’s arrangements/reservations (overnight lodging, equipment rentals, lessons, performances, and travel insurance) to avoid being financially liable for the goods and services we provide to any group.  Re-establishing the same or similar arrangements or reservations afterwards cannot be guaranteed!

2.7  Late Payment Charges 

A 1% automated late charge will be accessed on any payment amounts owing after its due date.  An additional 1% charge will also be accessed, each and every week (7 calendar days) beyond the payment due date for the non-paid billed amount. Our policy about canceling any planned goods and services we arrange, due to non-payment by the due date, remains.  There will be no guarantee that all former plans will be restored, despite a late charge amount being paid.

 2.8  Payments for any changes prior to the festival

Any last minute changes that create an owing balance for a group, the amount owing must be received by the festival prior to attending the festival.

3.0 Attendance Counts and Due Dates for Changes

When we begin making reservations for a group’s lodging, resort ticketing, ski rentals, lessons and more- our Winter Park vendors need to know how many persons they are providing for in a group.  And as we near the festival dates, our groups’ attendance numbers have to become more precise.  Otherwise, our vendors could be turning away other business for inflated attendance counts with our groups.  Or, unable to provide the proper amount of goods and services for our groups that have underestimated their expected attendance count.  As a result, the festival has contractual deadlines to meet with our vendors, not only with forwarding payments, but also providing expected attendance counts for each group.

Registration Form-Groups will provide their initial best guess at their attendance count when completing their registration form.

December 2020 –We will ask for a group’s best revision at their expected attendance count on the WPSMF Online December Questionnaire.  This attendance count will be used when calculating the First Payment Billing Invoice due in January 2021.

Prior to January 15, 2021 (First Payment Due Date)-  Regardless whether we already received your First Payment or not, you will have until January 15^th to adjust your “First Payment Attendance Count”. You will want this First Payment Attendance Count to be as accurate as possible! This is a locked number and used thereafter to calculate any charges for decreases in attendance prior to your Final Payment Due Date as following described.

BETWEEN January 15, 2021 (First Payment Due Date) and February 12, 2021 (Final Payment Due Date)- You will have the opportunity to provide a “Final Payment Attendance Count” if attendance changes are necessary prior to the Final Payment due date on February 12, 2021.  If no attendance revision is provided by you or trip coordinator between these dates, it will be assumed that the “First Payment Attendance Count” is your “FinalPayment Attendance Count”.  However- you are only allowed a 10% decrease in festival attendees on your “Final Payment Attendance Count” from your “First Payment Attendance Count” without a penalty, and your Total Festival Charges will be adjusted accordingly.  Any attendance count decreases that exceed this allowed 10% decrease will be penalized.  This penalty will be ½ of the festival packages costs for each participant decrease exceeding the allowable 10% decrease.  Essentially the penalty is the ½ of the package cost you already paid with your First Payment.

AFTER February 12, 2021 No attendance count decreases can be accepted, since our vendors will no longer accept decreases.  Your Total Festival Charges will be calculated based on the latest attendance (provided any time prior to February 12, 2021), even if you have less than this number of attendees attend, or not.    Substituting another attendee(s) will be allowed, but subject to: permissible lodging changes, possible costs for insuring late, and having the substituted attendee (or parent) complete an online registration immediately.

Increases in your Participant “Attendance Counts” will be subject to available overnight lodging.  Increases in Attendance Counts may affect empty bed space charges.  

4.0 Festival Cancellation Policies

4.1 Individual Cancellations

All individual additions, and cancellations, are to be made within a group’s Attendance Count, in accordance with the deadlines as described above.  No decreases in Attendance Counts can be made after the Final Payment Due Date.

No refunds will be made if an individual cannot attend the festival for any reason.  However, there may be some eligible festival components, that could be refunded, if unused.

4.2 Group Cancellation Policy

On or BEFORE January 15, 2021 –Cancellation of group’s festival attendance, with a verifiable cancellation (email or certified mail) being received ON or BEFORE January 15, 2021 entitles the group for a refund of all prior payments made to Winter Park Ski-Music Festival in excess of the non-refundable registration deposit.

AFTER January 15, 2021 -Cancellation of festival attendance by group, with a verifiable cancellation (email or certified mail) being received AFTER January 15, 2021 will not be refunded for any prior payments or deposits already made.

Sorry, no refunds will be made to a group if festival is not attended for any reason.  However, there may be some eligible festival components, that could be refunded to a group, if unused.

5.0 Refunds

In the event a group has made payment(s) to the festival, in excess of the calculated Total Festival Charges, the festival will refund the amount overpaid.  This occurs most often when a group has paid the billing invoice amount, then afterwards, made a change that lessens the Total Festival Charges.    A refund may also occur when the festival can issue credit for a group’s appropriately returned unused ticketing.

Typically, the festival will refund any over paid amounts prior to a group’s festival dates.  If a group has a change that creates a refund during the festival, the festival will issue a refund after the very last festival week, after the staff has returned to the festival permanent office.