Stevens has almost fully bounced back from when vail took over. I went to stevens about 20 times this last season, which is low for me since I was out from an injury from feburary 2nd to the start of april (I only have about 30 days this season at resorts). It's actually really nice now to be able to buy an epic pass and be able to ski all the other vail ski resorts along with stevens. Compaired to baker (the last individually owned ski resort in washington), stevens is way more affordable, which shows that vail taking over was a positive for affordability. Day prices are low compared to most resorts, however that still means over 100$. Stevens has plenty of intermediate terrain, along with a decent sized park (which I've only been to about 3 times). The best lifts at stevens for expericed riders are double d, SC (southern cross), and 7th. These lifts often get shut down, especially 7th. These lifts are also closed during night operations. I would not recommend going if all these lifts are closed. However, if you're not an experienced skier, this lifts won't matter to you. Most of steven's expert terrain is walk-up only, especially the steepest runs. The walk for most of them is not very far though. I have no problem with walking up to runs (since I usually have to walk the whole way up), but I could see why some would veiw this as a downside. When the three expert lifts are closed, there is no accessible expert terrain without going far out of bounds (which can't really be counted as part of the resort). The best area for when the three lift are down (mainly during night operations) is [REDACTED]. I'm not saying where but if you search around skyline you will find the steep terrain. If you live about equally as close to stevens as you do alpental, stevens is undoubtedly the better choice for buying a pass (if you never plan on going to crystal).
Another thing to note: never go to stevens on the weekend (this should be a given for all resorts). A lot of reveiws on here are complaining about crowds, bad parking, and long lines. I've never dealt with any of this as I'm sane and only go weekdays. Always go backcountry skiing on the weekend if you have to go.