Our kids have gone to ski schools at different resorts, and I have learned that no two schools are the same and philosophies differ greatly from resort to resort.

I found Kid's Mountain School to be a little laid-back. When I called to reserve, I was told they do not take any reservations for older kids. I was promised there was never a problem getting kids signed up on the day of the lessons. We didn't have any problems, but I did note that some other families were bumped, as lessons, especially afternoon half-days, were indeed sold-out.

The cost is $122, which includes lesson, lunch, and lift ticket. The classes run from 9:30am until 3:30pm.

The school does not have a main indoor gathering spot. You gather outside under a sign. It's hard to find the first time out. Park City does not do equipment rentals at the school; you are required to bring your own skis or rent before coming to class. I prefer the one-stop method. Helmets are not required; we tried to rent helmets and were told they don't rent them, due to insurance reasons. In California, we sing the helmet mantra, so it felt odd to allow the kids on the hill without helmets. About half the class was without. The older kids also don't wear class vests for the instructor to identify them.

The instructors were good, and they gave the kids a bit of a geography lesson; we had instructors from Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada. The philosophy here is to get the kids to the next level on their own, so there is not a lot of babying here. The kids are expected to get up, carry their own skis, and keep up with the group. I personally liked the no-babying attitude, as it taught the kids to be independent.

The teachers really tried to keep the parents away. I appreciated this, as I often see parents who stick with the class and really disrupt and pull attention away from the teacher. So once the child is dropped off, it's "bye-bye daddy". The time I did not like it was during lunch. We have a habit of checking in at lunch and making sure everyone is okay. The instructors seemed really put out that we were checking and would not allow us to come into the lunch room. They got the kids and allowed them to come out in the hall. Lunch is pretty basic here: hot dogs, mac-and-cheese, juice.

The feedback from the teachers was great, and both our kids moved up to the next level. I was happy with the level of instruction here, and it takes a pretty serious approach to skiing. But if your child needs a lot of attention, you may want to look at Deer Valley, where the school does a lot more pampering.

There’s a reason the Olympic Committee chose Park City as a venue to hold a number of events during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The ski conditions are phenomenal. There are three very popular, highly regarded ski resorts in Park City. This season, the Park City Mountain Resort celebrates over 40 years as a world-class skiing destination. And can also tout the honor of hosting the Snowboarding competition during the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Canyons Resort is one of the five largest ski resorts in the country. And finally, Deer Valley Resort was named the #1 ski resort in North America in 2001, and hosted the giant slalom and aerial events in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

I skied at Park City Mountain Resort. The locals will substantiate my claim that skiing during the Film Festival is probably the best skiing of the season. Lift lines were almost non-existent. There were many runs that I didn’t see another skier. It was fantastic. Ski and boot rental was $30. Full-day lift tickets are $69 for adults and $40 for children 7-12 years of age. It was the best $99 I spent during the weekend.

Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) has something for everyone. The runs are well maintained, the lifts lines are quick, and the slopes are not too crowded. There is a lot of terrain for the advanced to expert skier. They also have a number of terrain parks for the trick riders and skiers. Night skiing is also available if you can't get your fix during the day.

Best Thing We Did: Get the Mountain Direct Card! It saves a bundle on lift tickets, rentals, and food. It will also let you skip the ticket counter lines in the morning.

I really enjoyed Park City Mountain Resort. I took a snowboard lesson that was just great. I've snowboarded before, but I had been off the snow for a while due to having another little one. It was great that I had a female teacher who could relate to me, and she was so patient.

Both of my children went to ski school, and I cannot say enough about the quality of staff they have on hand. The ski school is top-notch and my kids did not want to leave.

Skiing at Alta was the best for snow, terrain. No snowboards at Alta. Brighton is made for snowboards. Solitude has both, middle of the road for the two.