Ilove it when resorts really listen to us.

When families told Park City Mountain Resort (www.pcmr.com) they didn't like leaving their little skiers and snowboarders in big ski school classes (how could the instructors teach the kids anything if they were constantly counting heads?), the Utah resort initiated a Signature Five Program, which guarantees no more than five kids in a class (the 3½-year-old to 5 crowd has one instructor for every three kids). Even better, no more soggy hotdogs or lukewarm mac and cheese for lunch and no more putting kids on the chairlift with strangers: the entire class can ride up with their instructor on a sixpassenger chairlift and eat together on the mountain. The teens and tweens, of course, will love the parks and pipes and the night skiing this resort is famous for. (Tell the teens to check out www.pcride.com.) And to simplify your travel planning, the resort has created another Web site (www.mymountainplanner.com), which offers tours of the mountain that you can customize for your gang.

Nearby, The Canyons Resort (www.thecanyons.com), one of the largest ski resorts in the country, heard families lament the cost of ski vacations, so they now offer two free lift tickets and breakfasts with many room packages - a value of more than $200 a night.

Multi-day lift tickets, without lodging, receive 15 percent off of ticket-window pricing when purchased at least 72 hours in advance.

The Canyons' ski school wins kudos from locals

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(always a good sign, I think) for its attentive staff and low instructor-to-child ratio, especially with the youngest skiers. I like the one-stop shopping - drop the kids off and the instructors take care of everything, including their gear.

" We're trying to do whatever we can to make it easier for families," says Ski School Director Barry Strout. And he means it.

Families love the laid-back ambience here and the varied terrain, including the chance to hike up to untouched powder and the six natural half pipes. Moms rave about ski champion Holly Flanders' clinics for "real women" - women who like to ski, but not world-class athletes - (www.thecanyons.com/ski_school_womens.html).

Let's not forget Park City's other resort, Deer Valley, which has always been about service and families - from the valets who help you unload your skis to the free overnight ski check. But what first-time visitors might not realize is that Deer Valley also limits the number of lift tickets it sells each day. (Get yours ahead online. They often sell out during busy weeks.) Multi-generational families like that there's an easy way down from the top of every lift so families can conquer the mountain at their own pace and still spend time together. There's just one thing - no snowboarders here. The good news: Whatever your family's slope style, you'll find it in Park City (www.parkcityinfo.com), which just may turn out to be one of the easiest ski trips you'll ever attempt.

For one thing, Park City is easy to get to - just a little more than 30 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. You won't need to take two or three flights to get here and you won't need a car once you arrive. Take an airport shuttle and then rely on the free shuttles to get around. And many times during the season, your boarding pass will get you a free afternoon lift ticket.

Then there's the snow - the light fluffy stuff Utah is known for - more than 400 inches a season.

It dumped more than 80 inches just in the five days I was in Park City recently.

Another plus, you can find digs here to suit everyone's budget, whether you are counting pennies or want the most luxurious ski house available. For example, Park City Mountain Resort touts family fun packages that are just over $300 a night for a family of four (with kids under 12), including lodging, lifts and airport transfers. (Pretty good when you consider lift tickets alone for a family of four can cost nearly that much - $258.) Honestly, you'll have so much fun you won't care if the kids ditch you on the mountain.

See you at the lift!

For more about Eileen Ogintz's trip to Park City, read her blog at www.takingthekids.com.Ogintz, a resident of Fairfield County, invites questions, comments and stories about your family travels. Write to Taking the Kids, 578 Post Road East, #566, Westport CT 06880, or visit www.takingthekids.com.

PHOTO 1. CAPTION: A ski trip to Park City may turn out to be one of the easiest ski trips you'll ever attempt. PHOTO 2. CAPTION: The town of Park City. PHOTO 3. CAPTION: A little jumper prepares to take off at Olympic Parks Utah. PHOTO 4. CAPTION: The Alpine Coaster is just one of three in the entire country, the only one in Utah.