Financial Information/ Due Dates/ Attendance Counts/ Cancelations

List of Due Dates & Deadlines

Registration Form signers agree to understand, follow what items, information and payments are expected to be provided to the festival by the respective deadlines, and the consequences if not fulfilled by the group.

2024 WPSMF Registration (beginning May 2023):

Before Registering

Before a music group registers for the 2024 WPSMF, the music director or authorized travel planner must first contact the festival to confirm whether a desired lodging choice is still available during the festival week the music group wishes to attend, and whether the desired lodging facility can accommodate the music group’s expected attendance count. Until a music group registers, the festival will temporarily “pencil-in” the group for the requested lodging choice and festival week the music group should immediately register for.
The festival will recognize a penciled request for up to 7 days, when communicating with other inquiring music groups about available lodging. Beyond 7 days without a full registration received, if another music group desires the same overnight lodging during the same festival week, and with limited lodging availability, a group’s penciled request will no longer be recognized, and the newly inquiring group will be given their 7-day temporary penciled request to register within.
Signers of the Registration Form agree to consider implementing Trip Commitment Policy or Contract with all traveling students and adults. This will lessen most music director’s challenges with trip planning, paying by deadlines, and many other important reasons! Read more about this topic within WPSMF Ski Locker.

Registering

A group’s Full Registration (due before September 15, 2023) to attend the 2024 Winter Park Ski-Music Festival is the festival receiving both: a music group’s completed and fully executed 2024 Registration Form, and the group’s Registration Deposit The festival’s mailing address is listed on the Registration Form.
The Registration Deposit amount varies with a group’s choice of overnight lodging and the deposit amount is listed on the Registration Form. A Registration Deposit is non-refundable; but will be fully applied toward a group’s Total Festival Charges. The Registration Deposit guarantees a music group’s ongoing planning with WPSMF, and the music group’s opportunity to stay overnight in the lodging facility they registered for, during the festival week they have chosen. (A per person Lodging Commitment deposit explained further in this document, due by September 15, is also required to further guarantee a group’s registered choice of overnight lodging)

After a music group’s Full Registration- promote Trip Cancellation Protection

Following are the summarized published dates and deadlines each music director, school administrator and/or travel planner will agree to understand and fulfill when registering. Information about lodging space deposit forfeitures, allowed and unallowed attendance count revisions (decreasing the number of travelers) and canceling an entire music group’s attendance (for an available refund) are all included in this document and within WPSMF Ski Locker. The festival understands unforeseen circumstances may occur with individuals and an entire music group that may prevent their travel. Therefore, the festival strongly suggests for all music directors to initiate and promote discussions regarding “Cancel for any Reason” Trip Cancellation Protection for their expected travelers to purchase. This type of coverage offers some amount of financial protection in the event an individual, or all individuals within an entire music group cannot attend the festival as planned. Protection can be up to 75% reimbursement for eligible costs with all purchase and cancelling provisions met. The festival can assist a music group with one reputable insurance provider, for each student and adult to purchase cancellation protection online more easily. This coverage is incredibly detailed, and too lengthy to include all the information here. One example: Cancel For Any Reason coverage must be purchased by an individual, within 14 days an individual makes their first trip payment/deposit. When preparing your travel commitment contract or policy, please include trip cancellation protection purchase and cancellation deadlines. Speak with a festival staff person for details.

September 15, 2023

Non-registered music groups: If the festival has a previously penciled request for an unregistered music group’s desired lodging choice, during a specific festival week, and no other music groups have since requested/registered for the same, the festival may continue to recognize a group’s penciled request through September 15. However, within days after September 15, the festival will be required to turn back any penciled lodging holds it may have created with a lodging provider. Therefore, any unregistered/penciled lodging requests will be canceled by the festival after September 15, requiring new overnight lodging planning with festival, by a music group. Contact the festival if a full registration cannot be sent and received by the festival on or before September 15, to determine what lodging choices could be provided for your group’s size after September 15.
Any music group can still register for the 2024 WPSMF after September 15, by contacting the festival to determine what lodging choices are available to register for. A group must be prepared to pay both the Registration Deposit and a per person Lodging Commitment deposit when registering after September 15.

Per Person Lodging Commitment deposit deadline. On or before September 15, the festival must receive a per person, non-refundable, Lodging Commitment deposit from each registered music group. Two weeks prior to this deadline date, the festival will send a lodging commitment deposit reminder, showing the amount to be paid, based on the number of expected travelers. A group can revise its number of expected travelers (attendance count) with the festival office at any time prior to September 15, to revise their Lodging Commitment deposit amount.
- A music group should revise its attendance count from the Registration Form’s estimate, representing only the students and adults financially committed to attending the trip (already paid a non-refundable trip deposit themselves for the trip). Overestimating the number of travelers could create unwanted deposit forfeitures in the months following. Underestimating the number of travelers may not fully allow the festival to increase the number of needed lodging spaces in the months following.
- The festival not receiving the lodging commitment deposit by the due date, places a music group in jeopardy of losing overnight lodging spaces to another music group wanting the same. Example: a music group could not get its first choice of lodging when registering in July, because there were not enough available ski resort condos remaining. This group was told if any other groups already assigned there, reduced their attendance count, or did not commit to the number of lodging spaces thought needed, this music group would have an opportunity to be assigned there. A music group’s late or unpaid lodging commitment deposit could cause them to lose needed lodging spaces or the lodging choice altogether.
- The lodging commitment deposit amount calculation: The total number of expected festival attendees/travelers multiplied by the empty bed space charge associated with the lodging choice and festival week a music group registered for.
- Paid Lodging Commitment deposits are non-refundable but will be fully applied toward a group’s Total Festival Charges as explained below:
  - If a music group has paid the same number of paid per person lodging commitment deposits as the number of persons that attend the festival, there will be no lodging commitment deposit forfeitures.
  - If a music group has paid more per person lodging commitment deposits than the number of persons attending the festival, the festival will still apply the total lodging deposit as a received payment and will be fully applied toward a group’s Total Festival Charge. However, for any number of persons not attending the festival, less than the number of per person lodging deposits received, those number of paid per person lodging commitment deposits will be forfeited, by way of a charge on the Total Festival Charges.
  - If a music group pays an initial per person Lodging Commitment deposit, and then decides to increase their number of travelers or attendance count, the music group must then pay any additional per person lodging commitment deposits, to ensure lodging availability for these additional persons.
  - A festival record will be maintained for ongoing attendance changes, and lodging commitment deposits paid.
- All the above information and policy surrounding lodging commitment deposits are for every traveler. Please do not confuse/exclude the complimentary festival packages the festival provides. Complimentary festival packages are only used when the festival is calculating how many persons are being charged on the billing invoice.

December 1, 2023- Receive instructions about how to use and access WPSMF Online

By December 1^st, the festival will provide each music director and/or trip organizer with instructions for accessing and using WPSMF Online. WPSMF Online will be used for:
- Each music group’s required online December Questionnaire submission with a December 15 deadline.
- Setting up WPSMF Online for a music group’s individual group members’ online registrations. Set up date (input traveler names and printing/distributing their login information) by January 16,2024, allowing time for every festival attendee to register online prior to the music group’s February 16 deadline.
- Each music director completes the online rooming list and performance information prior to February 16.
- WPSMF Online will be used to view a group’s online billing invoices, participants information, rooming lists, music performance information, and a Trip Info Report.

December 15, 2023- Complete and submit the December Questionnaire through WPSMF Online

As stated above, instructions for accessing and using WPSMF Online will be provided to each music director and/or trip organizer by December 1, 2023. After a director or trip planner logs in to WPSMF Online, there is an upper menu item titled December Questionnaire. Directors and/or trip organizers must complete/submit their group’s online December Questionnaire by December 15, 2023. The person(s) completing/submitting the online questionnaire should be prepared to provide the following:
- revised attendance count from any previously provided attendance count the festival has. This December attendance revision will be used for calculating the 1^st ½ payment billing invoice and more.
- confirmation or revision of dates and times a group will arrive in/ depart from Winter Park
- revised performing ensembles (as previously listed within music group’s registration form) and provide the name and director name(s) of each performing ensemble.
- request for optional, added cost lodging meals, if a group is staying overnight at a Snow Mountain Ranch Lodge Rooms or Cabins.
- request for optional, added cost Winter Park Resort meal vouchers (prepaid, reduced cost, resort meal vouchers, used by many music groups for lunches at the resort, if desired).
- bus driver overnight lodging details if a music group is responsible for providing driver(s) overnight lodging.
- and very important lodging unit details to fine tune a group’s overnight lodging reservation. For groups staying in condos or lodge rooms, lodging unit details consist of: the number of male students, female students, male adults, female adults, and any other children that make up the total attendance count number, and how each of these persons will be assigned to lodging units. Directors will need to have already determined how adults plan to share lodging units or bedrooms with other adults, or students, before completing the questionnaire. A fully prepared rooming list is not needed at this time, but could be provided if already created, to explain more easily.

All information provided by a music group, within a group’s December Questionnaire, will be used over the holiday break by the festival staff, to continue more detailed planning/scheduling with the WPSMF providers, including overnight lodging reservations, scheduling of equipment rentals, ticketing, beginner lessons, performances, adjudicator schedules, and more. Without complete and accurate questionnaire responses from a group, by the December 15^th deadline date, other compliant music groups will receive priority for overnight lodging requests, and all festival scheduling.
After the festival receives a group’s completed December Questionnaire by December 15^th, and the festival has input the group’s current information, the festival will notify the director/trip organizer to view/print their First ½ Payment Billing Invoice from within WPSMF Online. If a music group needs their 1^st ½ payment amount earlier than mid-December, to have a payment check requested, processed, and mailed from their school district, or boosters, for the festival to receive a payment check by the January 16^thFirst Payment Due Date, the director must contact the festival anytime within November or early December to request a manually created billing invoice to pay from!

January 9, 2024- a week before the 1^st ½ Payment and 1^st Payment Attendance Count due date.

Suggested deadline for music directors to require their traveling students and adults to pay their entire trip cost. While the festival only requires a ½ payment by the January 16^thdue date (a week after the director collects and organizes payments), having all group members paid in full, allows a director to know exactly how many persons should be attending, and with better confidence, make any attendance count changes before the WPSMF’s January 16^th First Payment Attendance Count revision deadline. Directors: Make your life less challenging, and do not include in your January 16^th First Payment Attendance Count any unpaid or partially paid students and adults. A challenging situation will surely follow if a member cannot fulfill their trip payment obligation. Reporting only paid members will virtually eliminate any potential attendance decrease penalties in February. If a member will pay in full later, request to add them later. The only downside to requesting additional members later is the festival might not have enough lodging availability.
If a music director suggests, desires, or demands for their travelers to purchase Trip Cancellation protection, keep in mind this protection typically requires its purchase before an individual makes their final trip payment.

January 16, 2024- Deadline for all the following:

First ½ Payment Due Date. ½ of the total festival charges, as shown on the billing invoice within WPSMF Online, must be received within the festival office, on or before January 16, 2024, to avoid late payment penalties and cancellation consequences.
Deadline to revise a group’s First Payment Attendance Count with festival, regardless of the payment amount already received by festival.
Deadline to cancel an entire group’s festival attendance with festival, to be refunded any prior payments (excluding the non-refundable Registration Deposit and non-refundable per person Lodging Commitment deposits).
Deadline to have all trip members’ names input within WPSMF Online by director/ trip organizer and print & distribute each student’s and adult’s online registration login credentials (see the instructions when received on December 1^st for how to input and print). With parents and adults having the login instructions in hand, this will allow them to begin completing their own, or their child’s individual online registration. The festival’s deadline to have all registrations completed is February 16^th. Please do not shorten your members’ registration window by failing to meet this deadline! We suggest for every music director to set an individual online registration deadline for their students and adults at least 1-2 weeks earlier than your February 16^thdeadline!

February 16, 2024- Deadline for all the following:

Final Payment Due Date. The remaining balance of the total festival charges, as shown on the billing invoice within WPSMF Online, must be received within the festival office on or before February 16, 2024, to avoid late payment charges and cancellation consequences.
Last date for any FINAL changes to a group’s Attendance Count. Attendance count decreases exceeding 10% of First Payment Attendance Count has financial penalties. Attendance count increases are subject to availability.
Due date for all trip members (students, adults, and directors) to submit their individual online registration without late penalty charges. Minor aged students must have legal guardians complete and execute the online registration. The online registration contains a legal agreement that must be electronically executed by legal guardians or adults.
Due date for directors and trip organizers to complete within WPSMF Online, their music group’s online Rooming List, and online Performance & Equipment Request information, without a late penalty charge.
Last date to request any CHANGES of any festival or trip data within the Trip Information Report, found within WPSMF Online. Other groups will not be asked to reschedule their festival events later, because another director failed to review, or discovered scheduling conflicts within their trip information by this date.

After February 16, 2024

There are NO attendance count decreases accepted after February 16, 2024.
Substituting other attendee(s) will be allowed if: there is available lodging to accommodate substitute person(s), and having the substituting person complete an online registration within 24 hours.
Attendance Count increases will always be subject to lodging availability, ski equipment rental and beginner lesson capacities.

March 4, 2024

The last day to substitute a festival attendee with another person, without an additional $45 charge for the newly substituted person, and revising a group’s ticketing, rentals, lessons, and overnight lodging, if the substitution can be accommodated.

4-6 weeks prior to attending the Winter Park Ski-Music Festival, not during your travel to Winter Park, or after your arrival in Winter Park.

The music director, 3rd party trip organizer, and/or group’s trip planning adult(s) agree to read all information and topics within WPSMF Ski Locker (wpsmf.com/skilocker) well in advance of their trip. Within WPSMF Ski Locker, there are seven categorized sections. Each of these sections can be viewed and printed as a full page. Maps and PDF links within a category page must be separately opened and printed. Bring a printed copy of the entire WPSMF Ski Locker, and all its maps to Winter Park, or be able to easily access from your laptop or phone!
The music director, 3rd party trip organizer, and/or group’s trip planning adult(s) agree to read and review all information listed on their group’s Trip Info Report (found online within WPSMF Online and will be given notice when each group can access it prior to February 16, 2024) well in advance of their trip. Read and review everything printed in this report, including the notes and suggestions printed on many pages. These persons agree to ask WPSMF any questions they may have about their group’s trip scheduling, lodging unit assignments, check-in/check-out dates for every lodging unit, driver lodging unit details (if arranged through the festival), performance, awards ceremony, equipment rentals, beginner lessons, and ticketing information/locations well in advance of their trip.
Despite all attending students, their parents, and adults being asked to “review and understand” selective festival topics when individually registering online for the festival, the music director, 3rd party trip organizer, and/or group’s trip planning adult(s) agree to review these festival topics once again with all students, parents and attending adults, in a group setting or meeting, so all festival attendees will arrive in Winter Park best prepared for a successful trip.
Please understand the festival is proud to have the customer service reputation we work hard to earn. We are with each group at every scheduled festival event, excluding some equipment rentals and lodging check-ins. We thoroughly plan for each group and are onsite to handle any unforeseen challenges any group may encounter. It burdens the entire festival staff, and most importantly, interrupts the groups we are currently with, when other group directors call or text panic questions that the answer has been available to them months before. Familiarize yourself with all the WPSMF information resources, and where you could return to find answers to your questions.

Festival Charges Explained

This more detailed information is intended to give music directors a complete and organized description of all festival charges and any other costs associated with planning a trip to our festival in Winter Park. We simply want to disclose all possible charges or costs, so you will know what to expect without any later surprises. Don’t let these details bog you down. Let us send you a copy of our invoices and you will see how straightforward it is.

Our Total Festival Charges are related to all the services/products the festival provides and charges. These are categorized within 4 sections of our billing invoice:

Festival Package Charges
Performing Ensemble Charges
Empty Bed Space Charges
Festival Additional Costs

1. Festival Package Charges. The number of festival attendees within a group (minus the number of complimentary packages) multiplied by the selected “Festival Package” per person price.

2. Performing Ensemble Charges. Total of the following:

$400 for the first Instrumental Ensemble, and $200 for any thereafter (includes color guards)
$400 for the first Choral Ensemble, and $200 for any thereafter
$400 for the first Dance/Drill Team or other ensemble type, and $200 for any thereafter

3. Empty Bed Space Charges. Per Person Festival Package Prices include each person’s overnight lodging bed space and do not include any empty bed spaces that could be created when a lodge room or condo is not filled to its maximum occupancy. The same for cabins, but when a cabin is not filled to its minimum occupancy. The overnight lodging choice, and desired sleeping arrangements by a group, will determine how many, if any, empty bed spaces will be charged. Within our 2023 pricing listing, the empty bed space charge amount is listed for each lodging choice. These charges are for each empty bed space, each night of the festival stay.

Empty bed spaces are the number of bed spaces in a lodging unit (lodge room or condo), less the number of attendees in that same lodging unit. Since a group’s total attendance numbers, and final rooming assignments can change up until Final Attendance Counts are due, the exact amount of empty bed spaces for a group can be a moving target to establish initially. Empty bed space charges will solidify prior to February 15, 2023, the due date for both the Final Attendance Count, and final rooming assignments.

Within our Overnight Lodging Choices and Descriptions page, notice some lodging choices allow one male student room/condo AND one female student room/condo to be filled with less than maximum occupancy, without empty bed space charges. This can be a significant savings for a tightly budgeted trip.

Empty bed space charges may also be charged if a group were to require any additional nights (in excess of your chosen festival package’s “number of nights”) for any lodge rooms, condos or cabins.

Possibly included within empty bed space charges, is the cost for the festival to provide Bus Driver lodging. The festival can arrange for a group’s bus driver(s) to stay at the same lodging choice if desired. No festival package is provided or charged for drivers, unless a director wants them recreating as well. The bus driver lodging cost is essentially the lodging choice’s empty space charge, multiplied by the number of bed spaces in a room/condo, multiplied by the number of nights needed for the driver(s). Therefore, your bus driver lodging is included within our empty bed space charges section of our billing invoice. For a group director to accommodate any mandated, or lawful “off duty” hours for their drivers, at a group’s request, the festival can reserve a room or condo for the previous night, if a driver needs to check-in before 4:00 pm. Or, reserve for the night a group leaves town, so a driver can have the room the entire day before driving home that evening. The festival will be more than happy to discuss and provide the most economical solution.

4. Festival Additional Costs. Any additional costs added to the Total Festival Charges, as selected by a group, or may be charged to a group. These may include any of the following:

Optional Meal plans: Notice within our Lodging Choices section, some lodging choices offer optional meal plans. Those listed per person per meal prices are additional to the Festival Package Prices and would be an additional cost if chosen by a group.
Optional Ski Resort Meal Vouchers: Groups should choose to eat lunch at the ski resort, rather than wasting valuable recreation time by traveling off premises. If a director chooses to provide ski resort meal vouchers to students and/or adults, the festival can provide discounted meal vouchers for a group, as an additional cost. Directors most often purchase these so that each student has “pre-purchased” these with their trip and they will have a lunch meal regardless of available money. Each $15 redemptive value ski resort meal voucher is available for a discounted price of $13. These are valid at any resort operated eating establishment, whether at the resort base, mid mountain, or mountain top locations. All details surrounding ski resort meal vouchers can be found within the WPSMF Ski Locker for registered groups.
Early Check-in and Late Check-out Lodging Charges: Our lodging providers have established check-in and check-out times to accommodate festival groups and other guests staying with them. Sometimes groups may have special needs to check-in earlier and check-out later than these established times. For the festival to guarantee these, reservations must be made well in advance. The festival hopes any group can plan their Winter Park arrival and departure with these check-in/check-out times in mind, eliminating any additional cost. But if needed, the festival can arrange for all, (or a portion of your lodging units) to be available when needed, at an additional cost. For example, having 1-2 condos to store luggage prior to checking in all condos after 4:00 pm on a group’s arrival day. Or, keeping 1-2 condos to store luggage, or having clothes changing space, after 10:00 am on your group’s departure 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 if the lodging provider charges for the festival for this meeting space- it could be an additional cost to a group, which the festival will bill, collect and forward to the meeting space provider.
Late Enrolled and Late Substituted Festival Attendees: The festival has deadlines to submit all group member names to overnight lodging providers (through a rooming list), resort ticketing, equipment rentals, and ski school. After March 4, 2024, an additional charge of $45 is billed for revising late enrolled or late substituted persons with all Winter Park vendors. This $45 charge is addition to the increased festival package charges when addiing late enrolled persons.
Lodging Commitment Deposit Forfieture: When a music group registers to attend the festival, the group is required to pay a non-refundable per person lodging committment deposit in September for each traveler they continue to expect to attend the festival. If a music group has paid more per person lodging commitment deposits than the number of persons that attend the festival, any number of persons not attending the festival, less than the number of per person lodging deposits received, those number of paid per person lodging commitment deposits will be forfeited, by way of a charge on the billing invoice, spefically within Festival Additional costs.
Attendee Count Decreases and Group Cancellation Charges: There are 2 following sections in this document that describes these topics and resulting charges if applicable. In either case- the festival would add these as additional charges within a group’s billing invoice as additional costs.
Late Payments Charges: A 1% automated late charge will be accessed on any amounts owed after its due date. An additional 1% charge will also be accessed, every 7 calendar days beyond the payment due date for the non-paid billed amount. For registered groups, WPSMF Ski Locker will provide further description of late charges. The festival may also cancel any plans or reservations when scheduled payments are not received by their due date. A late charge is a partial offset to additional efforts needed to re-establish any previous planning made for a group that was cancelled for non-payment. 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 group member that has not successfully completed their online registration by the Final Payment due date. An additional $10 charge will be accessed, each 7 calendar days for any uncompleted member registrations.

Late Online Data Submissions: A $35 automated late charge will be accessed when all the performance information, requested music equipment, rooming lists, and other online data required of the group director is incomplete beyond the Final Payment due date. An additional $35 charge will be accessed, each 7 calendar days until ALL required data is complete.

Trip Costs Not Provided/Charged by Festival

All groups are responsible to arrange, and if applicable, pay these to a 3rd party

Motor Coach or Bus Transportation between Winter Park and a group’s hometown. When investigating prices from a motor coach company, be sure and ask whether these types of charges 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. If a director wants to save some time investigating bus costs, to include within an initial overall trip cost estimate, feel free to contact the festival
Airfare Between your Departing Airport and Denver. Consider things such as additional baggage cost for music instruments, taxes, etc.
Hiring Motor Coaches Between Denver International Airport and Winter Park if flying into Denver. Before these motor coaches drop group members off in Winter Park, and if interested, how much additional cost would there be to have the group stop at a Denver or Winter Park area grocery store? Would it be possible, or save costs if the same airport coaches provided your transportation to the performance site, instead of hiring the local school district buses (after the performance schedule is created in January)? The festival staff knows approximately what other attending groups have paid for airport transfers. Contact the festival if wanting to save some time investigating.
Hiring Local School District Buses to/from the Performance Site. If a group will not have motor coaches or buses with them the entire time in Winter Park, and bus transportation is needed to the performance site, the festival staff can help schedule local school bus transportation based on scheduled performance times, and where a group is staying overnight, after the performance schedule is created in late January or early February prior to the festival dates. The festival is not providing this bus service, only helping to schedule, and a group will pay the local school district directly. More detailed information is available within WPSMF Ski Locker under Trip Planning.
Meals. This can be meals while in route to and from Winter Park, groceries to prepare meals in condos or cabins (brought from home or purchased in Denver or Winter Park area), meals at restaurants, pizza deliveries, etc. The festival can help by providing the average cost at local restaurants, ski resort, and what other directors share about what amount was budgeted for groceries. Yes, a group can choose to purchase optional meal plans, or discounted ski resort meal vouchers through the festival, which will be charged by the festival.
Bus drivers staying overnight at a local motel or hotel away from your group, if a group’s bus company does not include driver lodging in the bus contract, or the festival has not arranged for your drivers to stay at your selected lodging property.
Travel Protection Plans. Any type of travel protection plan for group members must be purchased individually with most, if not all reputable student travel insurance providers. Therefore, this cost will be incurred by the individual group members. Please refer to the festival’s trip cancellation/no refund policies within WPSMF Ski Locker for why a group should absolutely consider for its members to purchase “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) Trip Cancellation policies for its members through an insurance provider.
Ski Rental Upgrades are available to any group member wishing to receive more high-performance ski rentals. Rental upgrades are not necessarily recommended for beginner or intermediate skiers, but may be preferred by a well experienced skier. When an individual registers online with the festival, chooses skiing as their recreation choice, and selects a ski rental upgrade; the rental upgrade will be paid by the individual person, directly to the ski rental shop. An upgrade charge will vary among ski rental shops, but estimated at $10-20/day+ tax.

Payment Details

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, 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 method of payment. However, a director must initiate the PO process early enough to ensure the check is received by the festival’s payment deadline. An issued PO number by a school or district is not a received payment. If a director is using a PO method to request a payment check, the director must provide the festival office with all necessary steps to assist with the group achieving a PO, since these are different among schools and districts.

Make checks payable to: Winter Park Ski-Music Festival. A requested W-9 can always be provided by the festival, showing our Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

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. If payments must 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 in a rural area, with an unsecured mailbox 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. If sending through a non-USPS delivery provider, we encourage you to request a delivery confirmation signature by the festival when delivered.

Registration Deposit, Per Person Lodging Commitment Deposits, and Two Scheduled payments.

Registration Deposit when registering to attend the festival– a music group’s non-refundable Registration Deposit should accompany thier completed Registration Form when registering to attend the festival. The Registration Deposit amount is listed on the Registration Form, which differs with a group’s overnight lodging choice. The Registration Deposit is for the entire group, not each person. The registration deposit amount is non-refundable. However, it will be applied 100% toward your Total Festival Charges. It will be recognized as a payment toward a music group’s Total Festival Charges on all billing invoices, despite its non-refundability. A registration deposit is not any part of a group’s Overnight Lodging Damage Deposit, to be paid at lodging check-in. See List of Due Dates & Deadlines, and Cancellation Policy & Refunds sections on this page for more information about Registration Deposits.
Per Person Lodging Commitment Deposit- September 15, 2023. After a music group has registered to attend the festival, on a published mid-September deadline date, the festival must receive a per person, non-refundable, Lodging Commitment deposit from each registered music group. If a music group registers to attend the festival after the published mid-September date, the per person lodging commitment depsoit must accompany their Registration Form and Registration Deposit. See List of Due Dates and Deadlines for more information surrounding this deposit.
First 1/2 Payment- January 16, 2024. One half- or 50% of the Total Festival Charges (less any prior payments, registration deposit, and lodging commitment deposits) are due, and to be received in the festival office on or before January 16, 2024. This payment will be based on a group’s “First Attendance Count” (see Attendance Counts in a following section), the group’s selected festival package, performing ensembles charges, known additional costs, and estimated empty bed space charges.
Final Payment- February 16, 2024. All unpaid- or remaining Total Festival Charges are due, and to be received in the festival office on or before February 16, 2024. These charges are based on a group’s “Final Attendance Count” (see Attendance Counts in a following section), the group’s selected festival package, performing ensemble charges, known additional costs, and empty bed space charges.

Payments for unexpected late group changes. Any late changes with a group (ex. substituting a person with another person), thus creating an owing balance after the Final Payment due date, a payment must be received by the festival prior to the group attending the festival.

Late Payments. Without a group’s payment being received on or before their payment due date, we may be 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 will not be guaranteed!

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 payment arriving after its due date, and a late charge amount being paid.

Attendance Counts

Attendance Count revision deadlines and penalties

When the festival begins making arrangements 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 every group. And as we near the festival dates, our groups’ attendance numbers must 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 to meet contractual deadlines with our vendors, not only with forwarding payments, but also providing best expected attendance counts for each group. The festival has financial penalties regarding attendance decreases with its vendors, almost mirroring the deadlines and penalties we have with our music groups. This also includes within February, no longer accepting attendance decreases.

Registration Form. A group will give their best attendance count estimate when completing their registration form.
Before September 15,2023. A group can revise thier attendance count with the festival, to revise the Lodging Commitment Deposit amount a group must pay, to ensure holding the correct number of lodging spaces within the lodging facility a music group chooses when registering to attend the festival. As suggested, a music director should utilize a Trip Commitment Policy or Contract to begin accounting for the correct number of festival attendees. A director should rely on non-refundable financially committed students and adults when revising their attendance counts prior to the Lodging Commitment Deposit due date. Groups registering after September 15, 2023, who must also pay the Lodging Commitment Deposit when registering, should provide an attendance count on the Regstration Form based on financially committed students and adults.
December 2023. The festival will ask for a group’s best revision of their registration form’s estimated attendance count in December 2023. This revision will be provided to the festival through the Online December Questionnaire, to be completed by each group by December 15, 2023. This December Questionnaire attendance count revision will be the group’s “First Payment Attendance Count” and used when calculating the First ½ Payment Billing Invoice owing in January 2023. If the group cannot, or does not provide an attendance count revision within the December Questionnaire, the festival will use the last know attendance count provided by a group, and consider it as the group’s “First Payment Attendance Count”.
On or before January 16, 2024 (First Payment Due Date). Regardless if the festival has already received a group’s First Payment, a group will still have until January 16th to adjust their “First Payment Attendance Count”. After January 16, this count will become a retained number, and used thereafter to calculate any potential penalties for decreases (greater than 10%) in attendance counts, as further described.
Between January 17, 2024 (the day after the First ½ Payment Due Date) and February 16, 2024 (Final Payment Due Date). Between these dates, a group will have the opportunity to provide a “Final Payment Attendance Count” if a group’s “First Payment Attendance Count” requires revision. If no attendance revision is provided by a group between these dates, it will be assumed that the “First Payment Attendance Count” will also be the group’s “Final Payment Attendance Count”.

Lodging Commitment Deposits Forfeited. When a music group has paid more per person lodging commitment deposits than the number of persons attending the festival: Any number of persons not attending the festival, less than the number of per person lodging deposits received, those number of paid per person lodging commitment deposits will be forfeited, by way of a charge on the Total Festival Charges.

Financial Penalty for any “Final Payment Attendance Count” decreases, exceeding 10% from the “First Payment Attendance Count”. A group is only allowed a 10% (or less) decrease in festival attendees on their “Final Payment Attendance Count”, from their “First Payment Attendance Count”, without a penalty. Any attendance count decreases that exceed more than 10%, a penalty will be charged. This penalty will be ½ of the festival package cost, for each participant decrease exceeding the allowable 10% decrease.

AFTER February 16, 2024. There are NO attendance count decreases accepted after February 16th. Substituting other attendee(s) will be allowed if: there is available lodging to accommodate substituted persons, possible costs for purchasing late enrolled travel protection are paid, and having the substituted person complete an online registration within 24 hours.

Attendance Count INCREASES will always be subject to lodging, ticketing, equipment rental and beginner lesson availability.

CancelLation Policy & Refunds

Individual Cancellations. All individual additions, and cancellations, are to be made within a group’s Attendance Count, in accordance with the deadlines and penalties described above. No decreases in Attendance Counts can be made after the Final Payment Due Date. Substitutions of persons after the Final Payment Due Date may be allowed if lodging accommodations require no alteration. No refunds will be made if an individual cannot attend the festival for any reason.

Group Cancellation/Refund Policy.

On or BEFORE January 16, 2024. A music group may cancel their festival attendance, with a verifiable cancellation method (festival received email, phone call with a festival staff person, or certified postal mail delivery) being received ON or BEFORE January 16, 2024. A cancellation notice by this date, entitles the group for a refund of all prior 2024 Winter Park Ski-Music Festival payments, excluding the non-refundable Registration Deposit and non-refundable per person Lodging Commitment deposits.

After January 16, 2024. Cancellation of festival attendance by a group, being received AFTER January 16, 2024 will not be refunded for any prior payments or deposits already made. A group’s cancelletion by the festival for non-payment, or deliquent payment, will not be refunded for any prior payments or deposits already made. No refunds will be made to a group, or any individual, if the festival is not attended for any reason. This is the primary reason a group, its director, or travel planner should strongly promote and require their members to individually purchase CFAR (Cancel for any Reason) Trip Cancellation protection, for every person paying money toward the trip!