Colorado Pass - Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, ABasin
I get the Colorado Pass for ABasin and Vail's back bowls.
Keystone is OK.
Breckenridge is the Disney Land of ski resorts. Avoid at all costs during the weekend.
I've never been to Beaver Creek. It's as expensive as Vail and further away.
Rocky Mountain Super Pass - Copper Mtn, Winter Park
I like Copper Mtn but don't ski there much.
I've never been to Winter Park.
Taking lessons is a great idea. You'll be surprised how much faster you improve.
I'm going to guess that you do most of your skiing on groomed runs. If this is the case you should consider the Colorado Pass. You'll save some money and still get 10 days at Vail. I know unlimited skiing at Vail is tempting, my favorite place to be is in the back bowls but to tell you the truth there's a lot of hype surrounding the place.
I've lived here for 3 years and have bought the Colorado Pass each winter. ABasin is so close and hard to pass up that we only drive to Vail for big powder days. I've only used all 10 days once. 8 and 9 days the other 2 years so don't give me any shit.