Amanda Mactas

A trip to Orlando's theme parks doesn’t have to just be about the kids. Sure, you can supply them with all the butterbeer and dinosaur eggs they can handle, but when it comes time to rest and relax, be a little selfish and book a hotel that will make the vacation worthwhile for both your kids and yourself. Whether you're interested in lounging by a big pool or resting your head in a super plush room, the best hotels near Universal Studios Orlando have you covered. Remember, convenience, location, and amenities make all the difference when you’re on the go all day, so choose a hotel nearby that caters to your every need. RECOMMENDED: The best Disney World hotels to book right now Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

With summer on the horizon, most of us are consulting our calendars to plan the perfect last-minute summer getaway. While many people save this time of year for big bucket list trips and popular destinations, stifling crowds can certainly put a damper on that much-anticipated vacation. Instead, look to locales that are a bit off the beaten path and won’t draw in nearly as many visitors this season. Equally as charming and transportive yet a bit more unassuming, the best small towns in the USA bring the same appeal as any major city, with the added bonus of room to maneuver and not a line in sight. From the small town allure of the East Coast to the sprawling terrain of the Midwest and the adventurous activities out west, these are the best small towns in America worth visiting.

Want to learn a new skill? Take up a fun hobby? Get better at saving money? No matter what your goals for the coming year are, there’s an app for that! That’s right—setting and sticking to goals has never been easier, thanks to creative tech that helps users check off that daunting to-do list. Whether you want to take up meditation or finally dive into learning astrology, there are countless applications to download on that smartphone of yours to help you on your way. Here are some of the best apps on the market that will help you go from vision board to reality with the click of a button.

When mapping out your calendars for the coming year, it’s essential to consider some of the year’s hottest events—from new store openings to limited-time pop-ups to festivals. Nothing’s worse than traveling to a destination and finding out you missed an epic event by just a day or heading out of town right when a new exhibit comes to town. So what is there to look forward to in 2024? As it turns out, there’s plenty! Make sure to mark your calendars so you can attend one or all of these monumental happenings. RECOMMENDED: The 24 best things to do in the world in 2024

Everywhere you turn these days, there’s a news story about the busy travel season ahead—Airports are crowded! TSA is overwhelmed! Flights are canceled! We don’t mean to alarm you but your favorite summer destinations will be congested this year. The better travel option? Finding somewhere cool that’s somewhat undiscovered, such as our picks of the top underrated beach towns in the U.S. You’ll catch plenty of rays, splash around on some very pristine shorelines and avoid the crowds, which is all anybody really wants on vacation. Think no lines to get into places, no reservations required to dine and no wait should you decide to show up somewhere at the last minute because anything else would be a waste of your precious time off.

ペット同伴の旅行が、増加の一途をたどっている。 トレンド分析によると、ペットと宿泊できるホテルが増えており、2024年だけで50％以上の飼い主がペットを連れた旅行を計画。また、飼い主の3分の1以上は、「毛で覆われた友人」を家に置いて旅行することを嫌がっているという。 アメリカでは毎年推定200万頭の動物が民間の航空機で旅行しているそうだが、それも驚くべきことではないといえるだろう。 では、実際ペットと旅行、特にフライトを含んだ旅をする場合は、どの航空会社がベストなのだろうか。金融商品情報を提供しているNerdWalletが最近発表したランキングがヒントになる。 同社では、アメリカの主要航空会社について、実際に愛猫や愛犬などを伴ったフライトで心配になることを中心に調査した。例えば、「愛犬用の座席に追加料金を払わなければならないのか？」「感情支援猫を機内に持ち込むと、航空会社から叱られることはないだろうか？」「フライト中、ペットは安全だろうか？」といったことだ。 その結果、アラスカ航空が最もペットフレンドリーなエアラインに選ばれた。この同社では2席購入すれば4匹までペット（犬、猫、ウサギ、家庭で飼育される鳥）を同乗させることが可能。ペットキャリー1つに100ドル（約1万6,080円）が必要となるが、1つにつき2匹のペットを入れることができる。 意外なことに、2位にはフロンティア航空がランクイン。モルモットやハムスターを含む幅広い種類のペットの機内持ち込みを許可していることが評価された。10位までのランキングはNerdWalletのウェブページで確認できる。 次の冒険にペット同伴を考えているのなら、航空会社が提供する全てのペット保険に目を通し、自分に合ったものを選ぶようにしよう。 関連記事 『This is the most pet-friendly airline in America（原文）』 『東京、ドッグフレンドリーなホテル6選』 『猫好きのための東京ガイド』 『ヴァージン・オーストラリアが国内線でのペット同伴をサービス化』 『「ドッグファースト」サービスを提供する航空会社が運行スタート』 『スカイトラックスが発表、2024年の世界で最も優れた航空会社は？』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら  

Pet travel is on the rise, with an increasing number of hotels providing pet-friendly accommodations and over 50 percent of pet owners planning to take their companions on a trip this year alone. In fact, over a third of pet owners simply refuse to travel without their furry friends. So it should come as no surprise that an estimated 2 million domestic animals travel every year on commercial flights. That’s a lot of paws! But when it comes to traveling with your cat, dog, bird, or other bosom buddy, there are a few things that can make travel less of a hassle. Will you have to pay extra for a seat for your pooch? Will the airline give you grief for bringing your emotional support cat on board? Will your pet be safe during the flight? NerdWallet looked into these criteria when analyzing the best major U.S. airlines for flying with pets. By far, Alaska Airlines was the most accommodating airline. The airline allows passengers to bring up to four pets aboard if they purchase two seats and allows dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds to accompany them. The airline charges $100 per carrier; however, you are allowed to travel with two pets per carrier when possible. Surprisingly, Frontier Airlines came in second place, as they allow a wide range of pets on board, including guinea pigs and hamsters. So, next time you are thinking of bringing Fido along for your next adventure, make sure to look at all of the pet policies airlines offer and choose what’s right for you.  

Travel platform Booking.com has paved the way for making travel more accessible and pleasurable to those in the LGBTQ+ community through its Travel Proud program. Travel Proud provides free hospitality and inclusivity training to accommodations and properties around the world to ensure the community feels welcome and joyful during their travels. As part of Booking.com’s commitment to inclusion and diversity, the website has partnered with the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, a new space in New York City dedicated to both preserving and promoting LGBTQ+ history and culture. The new visitor center marks the first LGBTQ+ visitor center in the National Park Service and, of course, fittingly opens during Pride Month. The center opens to the public on June 28 and includes rotating programming that showcases stories of LGBTQ+ travelers and an inside peek at the Stonewall riots. Visits to the visitor center will join over 128,000 attractions already available on Booking.com. To coincide with the opening, Booking.com also conducted research into inclusivity in travel, and its findings show that there is still work to be done when it comes to equality. Over half of American LGBTQ+ travelers still experience discrimination while traveling, and 56 percent prioritize researching a destination’s local legislation regarding equality prior to booking a trip. Luckily, Booking.com isn’t the only company looking to make a difference—other founding partners of the Stonewall National M

Just in time for the dog days of summer, United Airlines is introducing a new cold beverage to its onboard lineup. Beginning July 1, illy’s canned, ready-to-drink cold brew coffee will be available to passengers flying the friendly skies. No longer will you have to suffer through a hot coffee when you need the jolt of caffeine without the added heat. The coffee, which is cold-brewed for 12 hours, will be served complimentary in United’s premium cabins on flights over 300 miles and available for purchase to economy passengers. The debut of the new coffee beverage marks the first time a major U.S. airline has offered cold brew on its flights. In celebration, those flying between June 26 and July 3 on redeye flights from San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport will be able to sample the new offering on select flights. “We know fliers enjoy a pick-me-up during travel, and illy’s canned cold brew is the perfect beverage option for coffee lovers looking to stay energized and focused during their trip,” explains Aaron McMillan, Managing Director of Hospitality Programs at United. Best of all, there’s no need to wait in line at a coffee shop and sprint to your gate prior to boarding—premium coffee is now just a booked ticket away.

Forget the last-minute scramble of rebooking or canceling flights when a fast-acting illness catches you off guard or a family emergency pops up. Two of the country's biggest budget airlines, Spirit and Frontier, recently announced updates to some of its flight booking policies. For travelers booking economy, premium or business class tickets on Frontier Airlines, rest assured that if you need to change or cancel your flights for any reason, there will be no fees for the adjustment. If you need to cancel your flight more than 24 hours post-booking, the airline will issue a trip credit for future travel of the same value. However, if you need to change your flight, you’ll simply need to pay if there’s any difference in the airfare. Not to be outdone by its biggest competitor, Spirit quickly followed suit by announcing updated policies of its own. Already in effect, travelers can now modify or cancel their flights—subject to travel credits and/or differences in cost—without any fees. Previously, modifications to flights aboard Spirit could set travelers back over $100 in fees, so this new policy will ease the burden of travel for many of its customers. Low-cost travel and the freedom to change your mind—you can have it both ways this summer. 

Gone are the days when you need to pay an arm and a leg to ship home your wine purchases when visiting Sonoma or Napa Valley vineyards. Kicking off on National Wine Day this coming May 25th, Avelo Airlines welcomes customers to check a case of wine for free when departing Sonoma County Airport. Of-age travelers will be able to check one case of wine (a single box containing up to 12 bottles, 50 pounds or less) for free as part of their checked baggage allowance on flights departing specifically from Sonoma County Airport. Naturally, fliers who take advantage of this new allowance will need to adhere to the airline’s packaging guidelines, ensuring their cases are securely packed with bubble wrap, cardboard liners, or Styrofoam—no one wants a cracked bottle after all. Before going through security, passengers will need to hand off their case of wine to an Avelo Crewmember at the ticket counter during the check-in process. Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy commented on the new policy, stating, “It is our hope Avelo’s new Wine Travels Free program will make our Customers’ trips to California Wine Country that much more enjoyable and memorable.” With over 425 wineries in Sonoma County alone, it’s a hard sell not to come home with some memorabilia in tow, and this new policy makes it easier than ever to travel home with a bottle or 12 without worrying about bottles breaking in your luggage or pricey shipping charges. Currently, Avelo Airlines offers nonstop flights from th

Nothing’s worse than booking a trip at a price you’ve come to terms with, only to discover hidden taxes and fees after the fact. Luckily, the times they are a changing, and thanks to California’s new “Honest Pricing Law,” major cruise lines will have to include all additional costs in their prices come July 1st. Celebrity Cruises, Princess Curises, Royal Caribbean International, and Carnival Cruise Line are among the major operators that will soon be affected by the law. Once the law goes into effect, these operators will be legally required to include the cost of taxes, port expenses, and any other additional fees passengers may be subjected to while on board. As it currently stands, many cruise lines advertise low prices for vacationers, with added expenses hidden in fine print—which can often tack on upwards of $100 to each passenger’s fare. California Attorney General Rob Bonta explained further: "Our price transparency law is about clear and honest communication with consumers, so consumers can make the financial choices that are best for them and their families. The law is simple: the price you see is the price you pay." While this new law will make pricing for cruises more transparent, the ultimate amount cruises are charging will not be changing. Simply put, passengers will be better informed about the total cost of their trips. Of course, this new transparent pricing doesn’t include any tips or gratuities you plan on shelling out, so make sure to keep that in mind wh

Mark your calendars this Memorial Day Weekend if you’re planning a European vacation later this year. From May 20th through 27th, PLAY, the low-cost Icelandic airline is offering $99 flights from the United States to Iceland, as well as $129 flights to other popular European cities, including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf. These incredible money-saving deals are valid for travel booked between August and December 2024. For interested passengers, the deal includes flights leaving out of major city airports like Boston Logan International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and New York Stewart International Airport. Of course, some restrictions and baggage fees apply, which can be viewed in detail on the airline’s website. However, despite these restrictions, PLAY’s upcoming flash sale is an opportune moment to book that dream vacation or take care of holiday travel before flight prices skyrocket. Have you been daydreaming of sipping a French 75 at a sidewalk cafe in Paris? Or taking in renowned artwork at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam? What about taking a stroll along the Rhine in Dusseldorf? All of these options are within reach should you be willing to book those flights within the coming week—all for the price of a nice dinner.

When Sleep No More first arrived in New York City in 2011, it spawned a boom of immersive theater productions not just in the city, but spanning the globe. The murky lines between performer and audience member are blurred during these immersive experiences, making each performance truly unique and muddling the audience’s perception of reality. While Sleep No More certainly isn’t the only popular immersive theater experience around these days, it certainly opened to the most fanfare, and with the impending closing of the decade-long show, many wonder if a new up-and-comer will rise to take its place.  “Sleep No More isn’t the only immersive hit out there, but it casts a big shadow,” says Taylor Myers, former Sleep No More performer and Creator and Director of Dead Letter No. 9, a recently opened immersive space in Brooklyn. “It’s the longest-running, with the biggest footprint, and one cannot overstate the impact it made on the current generation of immersive creators.” And while we owe the innovative show a debt of gratitude for guiding future shows at the crux of the immersive theater upsurge, there are certainly plenty of creative voices out there ready to steer this industry in a new direction.  “New immersive experiences like Dead Letter No. 9 will keep carrying the torch of groundbreaking, genre-defying, participatory theater for this generation and the next,” Myers tells Time Out New York. And true to his word, Dead Letter No. 9 does break the mold when it comes to imm

Leave it to Yelp to scour the internet for the best family getaways for the season. With so many people flocking to the review site, it’s no surprise that the company’s database is rife with recommendations for the country’s top attractions. With spring break around the corner and summer finally in sight, it’s high time to start planning those family vacations—and thanks to Yelp’s latest data, we’ve got some places to help get you started. To create the top 10 list, Yelp looked at “good for kids” and “family-friendly” trends among its consumer searches between the years 2021 and 2023 (there’s been an 88 percent increase in the search in just two years) and finalized its rankings with Yelp Trend Expert Tara Lewis. Whether you’re looking for a beach trip, a cultural getaway, or something in between, there’s a destination on this list for every type of family. And three cheers for California and Virginia, which both have two destinations on the list! Top 10 Family-Friendly Travel Destinations: Fredericksburg, Texas Napa, California Charlottesville, Virginia Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Breckenridge, Colorado Burlington, Vermont Ithaca, New York Virginia Beach, Virginia San Luis Obispo, California Salem, Oregon Some of the top attractions among these locales include Fredricksburg’s Pioneer Museum, Napa’s Conolly Ranch, and apple-centric delights from Charlottesville’s Carter Mountain Orchard. From apple picking to watersports, arcades to ice cream shops, both adults and kid

TikTok is rife with tips and tricks for basically anything and everything you can imagine—from DIY crafts to getting money back when traveling. One former airline employee recently took to the platform to share her number one hack for people to use when flying. She recommends texting your flight number to yourself or whoever is picking you up from the airport to easily track your flight, gate number and any updates that might come up. Texting this code (i.e. AA 686) will generate a clickable link that updates in real time, showing you where your aircraft is coming from, what gate it’s arriving at, take-off and landing times, as well as your baggage claim number. This means there’s no need to be on the lookout for airport screens displaying your gate number, no anxiety surrounding gate changes, and no scrambling to find your suitcase at baggage claim. Plus, anyone who is supposed to pick you up from the airport can stay updated on your arrival time and what terminal to pick you up from. @durbinmalonster S/O @Brooke Webster ♬ original sound - Darby Of course, many airline apps and Flight Aware all provide the same information, but for those who don’t want to download extra software onto their phones, or to nix that extra step of finding the app and logging in, this handy text trick allows you to navigate those often stressful travel days with ease seamlessly. Is your mind blown? You’re not alone. Comments on the TikTok video—which has over one million likes—range from “the w

You know the drill. It’s time to start planning that next big trip so you get online and start searching for the best travel deals to save a couple of bucks. But behind a lot of those seemingly great deals lie scammers waiting to steal your hard-earned cash. Often, you’ll receive emails or find websites advertising a head-scratchingly low-priced deal or a free vacation. However, be wary of these promotions—you’ll likely be charged countless fees or unable to find specific details about said deal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers tips to avoid falling for travel scams so that your picture-perfect vacation doesn’t turn into a holiday nightmare. 1. Never pay with wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. If you find a great-looking travel promo, but it ends up asking you to pay via one of these methods, it’s a scam. Paying through any of these means makes it virtually impossible to get your money back once you’ve been swindled. 2. Don’t sign or pay anything until you have specific details. Many scams will entice you by offering “luxury” accommodations or “five-star” resorts, however, if the address of the hotel or company name is missing, don’t book the trip. Knowing the exact address or company will allow you to research on your own. Plus, make sure to get copies of all of the cancellation and return policies before signing and paying for anything. 3. Do your research. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Try Googling the company or agent's name along