Tag: Favorite

Disney World Is Bringing Back This Fan Favorite Pass
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Disney fans have something familiar to look forward to this month. Walt Disney World just announced they are bringing back popular annual passes.

These passes were a fan favorite for Disney lovers but were previously discontinued over a year ago.

The mammoth family entertainment company posted a blog earlier this week with exciting details of what’s to come in Orlando’s main attraction.

Many former pass holders have practically been begging for the return of these passes. Disney officials confirmed, ”we heard you loud and clear!”.

What Disney Fans Will Receive With An Annual Pass

Beginning April 20, passes can be purchased online directly through Disney’s official website.

Although, quantities will be limited. The expectation is for certain passes to sell out quickly!

Those who are able to snag a pass in time will benefit greatly from the new amenities. Disney has taken feedback from prior users and made necessary changes to make this re-launch a hit!

Starting April 18, those with an Annual Pass will have access to theme parks after 2 pm without needing to make a reservation, with the exception of the Magic Kingdom on weekends.

Currently, Disney does sell $399 annual passes, but it is limited to residents of Florida for the Pixie Dust pass.

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So, this will not be a new addition to the lineup. Current Pixie Dust consumers will have the option to upgrade once passes become available for sale online.

The upcoming passes will have a big jump in pricing but will offer many perks for its users.

Many new attractions are underway. With a new luxury hotel coming soon and the exciting revamp of Annual Passes, Disney enthusiasts will have a lot to take in!

Those who take advantage of the new passes can expect:
- Journey of the Water in Epcot
- TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom
- Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom celebrates their 25th anniversary
Disney Pirate Pass

First, Disney will launch the Disney Pirate Pass. This pass is one step above the current Pixie Pass in terms of how it will benefit guests.

Just like the Pixie Pass, this option is limited only to those with a Florida address.

Main benefits:
- Discounts on souvenirs, food, and more
- Hold reservations for up to 4 days at a time
- Vacationers staying at select hotels can add additional reserved times
- Admission to Disney World theme parks on most weekdays (some limitations may apply)
Pricing for this pass will be $749 plus taxes. Financing options are available.

Disney Sorcerer Pass

Next in line with more perks than the Pirate Pass is the new Sorcerer Pass. This pass is not limited to Florida residents, as Disney Vacation Club members are also welcome to purchase.

Vacation Club members will actually have access to a pre-sale on April 13 as part of their membership privileges.

This pass has the exact benefits of the Pirate Pass. However, instead of holding reservations for 4 days, Sorcerer pass holders will be able to extend that by an extra day.

In addition, they will also have theme park parking perks to start a fun day off right.

Pricing for this pass will be $969 plus taxes. Financing options are available.

Disney Incredi-Pass

Anyone anywhere is free to purchase the highly anticipated Disney Incredi-Pass. Blockout dates apply to both the Pirate and Sorcerer varieties.

The Incredi-Pass, however, does not have any blockout date restrictions at all. Users will also be able to hold theme park reservations for up to 5 days.

Pricing for this high-end pass will be $1399 plus taxes. Financing options are available.

For a more comprehensive understanding of each individual pass, Disney has provided a chart comparing all 4 pass options.

This tool will make it easier for shoppers to make the right decision for them.

Those interested in learning more about the latest news regarding Annual Passes should check out The Passholder Buzz, just launched by Disney.

This outlet can be found on the My Disney Experience app or online at Walt Disney World’s website.

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April 9, 2023
These Are Travelers’ Favorite Airlines According To Twitter
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Airlines don’t typically enjoy the best reputations when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Between unreliable airlines with numerous canceled flights, shrinking airplane seat sizes, and aviation debacles like the Southwest meltdown of December 2022, many travelers are not exactly thrilled with airlines in the United States.

Many travelers take to Twitter to air their complaints — or share their positive feedback.

Travel insurance company InsureMyTrip used Twitter sentiment analysis to rank the airlines with the most positive (and the most negative) mentions on the social media platform.

These rankings are based on the aggregated sentiment analysis of nearly 4,000 tweets from 2022.

According to the data, these are the travelers’ favorite (and least favorite) airlines, along with the most common complaints that travelers share on Twitter when it comes to airlines.

Airlines With The Most Positive Twitter Mentions

InsureMyTrip looked at airline mentions on Twitter and categorized them into positive, neutral, and negative sentiments.

The airlines with the most positive Twitter mentions were:
- Alaska Airlines: 29% positive
- United Airlines: 26% positive
- Hawaiian Airlines: 23% positive
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While far from a glowing majority, these airlines received more positive mentions than any other on Twitter.

However, that doesn’t tell the full story — all of these airlines still received far more negative mentions than positive ones.

When it comes to negative sentiment, here’s how these “favorite” airlines stacked up:
- Alaska Airlines: 51% negative
- United Airlines: 37% negative
- Hawaiian Airlines: 43% negative
Surprisingly, United Airlines came out as the winner in this, with the second-highest percentage of positive mentions and the lowest percentage of negative mentions.

Airlines With The Most Negative Mentions

While Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines are the three airlines with the most favorable mentions from travelers, these are the bottom three airlines with the most negative mentions on Twitter:
- Frontier Airlines: 61% negative
- Spirit Airlines: 59% negative
- American Airlines: 59% negative
It’s clear that the majority of travelers are NOT happy with these airlines.

That’s revealed even more so when you compare the percentage of negative mentions with the number of positive mentions these airlines receive:
- Frontier Airlines: 13% positive
- Spirit Airlines: 14% positive
- American Airlines: 19% positive
Interestingly, almost every airline on the list from InsureMyTrip saw an increase in negative mentions and a decrease in positive mentions from 2021 to 2022, some by as much as 20%.

What Are Travelers’ Biggest Complaints?

When frustrated travelers take to Twitter to air their grievances against an airline, there are a handful of key topics they’re typically complaining about.

According to the Twitter sentiment analysis from InsureMyTrip, these are the biggest concerns that travelers have in order of most to least mentions:
- Money
- Delay
- Cancel
- Customer service
- Luggage
- Flight attendant
Unsurprisingly, the airline with the most negative mentions (Frontier Airlines) had a high percentage of negative tweets mentioning these topics: Money (20%), Cancel (16%), and Delay (14%).

How Does This Data Stack Up To Other Rankings?

These airline rankings are based on Twitter sentiment analysis alone and don’t take into account any other factors.

When you consider that many travelers only take to Twitter to air their frustrations after a bad experience, and are less likely to spontaneously praise an airline on Twitter, these rankings can become a little more muddled and skew to the negative.

For example, Delta Air Lines won the award for Best Global Airline in the Americas in the APEX Passenger Choice Awards but despite its favorable position, it ranks on the lower end of this Twitter sentiment analysis.

However, these Twitter rankings may reveal what travelers really think about airlines, especially their in-the-moment reactions and frustrations.

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April 5, 2023
These 3 Cities In Mexico Are America’s Favorite Vacation Destinations

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Mexico is the go-to country for U.S. citizens flying abroad, and while it’s true the whole country is packed with tourist attractions and breathtaking sights, there are three cities that stand out as America’s preferred vacation destinations, regardless of travel season, due to their year-round warmer weather, the hospitality of the locals, vast tourist offer and vibrant multiculturalism.

The Southern Neighbor has come out of the health crisis stronger than ever before: it has always been a tourism powerhouse, drawing in millions of tourists every year prior to 2020, but it is breaking every imaginable record in the current era. It has hosted over 30 million visitors in 2022, and further growth is expected for 2023 when an even greater number of Americans is expected to travel.

We already knew 25% of them will be heading to Mexico this year, but now we also know which cities they’re most likely to fly to:

The Leading Tourist Destinations In Mexico

According to recent research conducted by Grupo Empresarial Estrategia, three of Mexico’s coastal cities saw a 12.6% increase in arrivals in the first seven months of 2022 jointly compared to 2019. In actual numbers, this translates as 8.4 million passengers or 23.3% of Mexico’s tourism figures at that point.

In a country where the tourism offer is impossibly vast, comprising Magical Towns, colonial-era destinations, and an extensive coastline, keeping up the momentum is hard, but these three cities have proven yet again their reign is only starting. Further supporting the earlier findings, new data from Allianz Travel confirmed them as the top destinations for Americans traveling abroad in early February.

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As seen in the study, which focuses mostly on travel data for Valentine’s Day but encompasses the wider period of February 2 up to February 13, during the peak season in Mexico, the country is the most popular vacation option for Americans flying internationally. More specifically, the exact same destinations that had been named Mexico’s most powerful triad last year.

Officially, the top three vacation spots Americans are completely obsessed with are:

Cancun

Cancun is the busiest hub in the state of Quintana Roo, and a highly sought-after destination for mainly one reason: it offers easy access to the wider Riviera Maya, a gorgeous sandy strip extending along the Eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, home to some of Mexico’s top-rated five-star resorts, a busy nightlife, the clearest beaches in the entire country, and seas that are turquoise blue.

It does have its flaws, especially when it comes to overpricing and the quality of the service amid higher demand, as well as the occasional presence of sargassum, which blankets the coast from April through October, but it remains a world-class destination. Demand has been so high and air traffic so intense eGates were opened to speed up the processing of passengers early this year.

Los Cabos

Located at the very tip of the Baja California peninsula, the ‘Capes’, or Los Cabos, are a dual destination including the neighboring cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, which are both famous for their well-developed wellness scene and stunning nature – think the iconic arch-shaped rock formation rising out of the Pacific, golden sands and lush marine parks.

As a single entity, Los Cabos is the fastest-growing destination in all of Mexico, surpassing Cancun’s own growth rate. Last year, it posted a 24% increase in arrival figures, claiming the title of Mexico’s second most popular coastal spot. Its soaring popularity is attributed to a host of luxurious hotels and spa facilities and a laid-back atmosphere – contrasting with Cancun’s chaotic party scene.

Puerto Vallarta

The gorgeous capital of the state of Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta’s skyline is one of the most easily recognized in Mexico. It features a rose-colored cathedral spire rising above a Spanish-built cobblestone Old Town, dramatically set against the backdrop of the Pacific ocean. Wandering the streets, visitors are met with a surprising mix of old and new.

The old buildings in the Centro Historico will offer them a glimpse of Mexico’s bygone colonial era, and the riches of the now-defunct Spanish Empire, under which Puerto Vallarta existed, while the well-frequented, palm tree-lined Malecon promenade, filled with restaurants and trendy bars, serves as a reminder it is far from being just another boring open-air museum: it is youthful, fun, and full of life.

A Powerhouse Trio

Regardless of the holiday period and season, these three cities will continue leading booking trends. It is not a mere coincidence, and it is a pretty rare, impressive feat. For instance, it is quite normal for bookings to surge in the European market over summer, as Americans fly in their droves to the Mediterranean – or the newly-discovered Black Sea – to soak up the culture.

As the cold months approach, however, inbound travel from America decreases significantly – the European South is, after all, a seasonal favorite. Mexico’s triad, on the other hand, is busy year-round: even though numbers tend to dwindle in the off-season, they are still high enough for incoming passengers to struggle with higher rates and lower room availability in a number of areas.

Other fast-growing destinations in Mexico that should be on your list include Isla Mujeres, a scenic island off the Cancun coast, Lake Bacalar, touted as the new Tulum – except it’s far more authentic and has not been ruined by overtourism – and Merida, a colonial gem famous for its colorful 18th and 19th century buildings and Spanish heritage.

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February 22, 2023
6 Reasons Why Florida Is One Of Americans’ Favorite Destinations

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Florida has always been a popular vacation destination, but the Sunshine State broke new tourism records in 2022.

According to Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism board, Florida saw 137.6 million visitors in 2022, up 12.9% from 2021 and up 5% from its previous record in 2019.

Florida is one of the top destinations in the United States for American travelers and international travelers alike.

Interestingly, however, in 2022, fewer travelers entered the state by airplane. Arrivals by airplane dropped from 41% to 38%, meaning that more Americans are driving to Florida for their vacation.

Here’s why so many Americans vote Florida as their favorite destination:

1. Incredible Beaches

One of the things Florida is most famous for is its beaches.

For pristine white sand beaches and clear turquoise water, you can’t go wrong with the Gulf Coast. If you’re looking for more action and nightlife, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are the places to go.

And if you want to escape to a secluded paradise, the Florida Keys, Marco Island, and Sanibel Island are some great beach destinations to check out.

2. Theme Parks

You can’t talk about Florida without talking about the theme parks.

Orlando is home to Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and numerous other theme parks. Of the 137.6 million visitors to Florida in 2022, more than 100 million of them came to Orlando.

Disney World and Universal are extremely popular destinations for families with small children, and they are growing in popularity with other demographics like childless adults and multi-generational family groups.

Of course, there’s also a lot more to do in Orlando aside from theme parks.

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3. Amazing Weather

Florida isn’t called the Sunshine State for nothing. One of the biggest draws to Florida is its year-round warm and sunny climate.

If you’re looking to escape the cold, Florida is the perfect winter sun destination. Much of the state rarely drops below temperatures in the seventies and eighties all year long.

Just watch out for August and September, which are the hottest and most humid months, as well as being the worst part of the hurricane season.

4. Diverse Activities

Beaches and theme parks may be some of the biggest draws for visitors in Florida, but there’s so much more to the state to discover!

For nature lovers, kayaking in Everglades National Park or scuba diving with manatees in Crystal River are some incredible things to do.

If you’re interested in history and culture, some places to check out are St. Augustine (the oldest city in the United States), the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West.

And, of course, you can’t beat Miami when it comes to dining, shopping, and nightlife.

5. Affordable Prices

While Florida can be a pricy destination, it can also be incredibly affordable, depending on where you go. It’s possible to snag a nice hotel room in many top destinations for under $200 a night.

For example, in this comparison of the most and least expensive destinations in Florida, you can see that in beautiful Panama City Beach, the average price per night for a hotel room is just $103, and in Kissimmee, which is a short drive from Orlando, it’s only $94.

6. Flight Connections

According to Flight Connections, there are 100 domestic nonstop flight routes to Orlando and nearly 80 domestic nonstop flight routes to Miami.

It’s safe to say that Florida is well-connected when it comes to flights, and most Americans will be able to find a nonstop flight to the Sunshine State. The ease of getting to Florida is just one more reason why this destination is so popular with American travelers.

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February 22, 2023
Isla Mujeres Is Officially One Of America’s Favorite Destinations

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It’s no secret the Riviera Maya is the go-to place for those looking to escape the winter blues, but while Cancun, Tulum and the like would normally be hailed as the top destinations, it’s the much more quaint island of Isla Mujeres that’s been stealing the spotlight lately. In fact, based on occupancy alone, it is now officially one of America’s favorite sunny destinations.

Isla Mujeres is a small island known for its ‘laid-back’ nature. Much like Puerto Morelos, another up and coming smaller settlement we already covered here, it brands itself as a ‘more authentic’ alternative to the ‘overtouristed’ continental stretch. Additionally, it is easily accessible and boasts both crystal clear and waters a year-round warm weather.

All the qualities that, when it comes to a Caribbean getaway, U.S. visitors tend to prioritize:

Americans Love Isla Mujeres And The Proof Is In The Numbers

As reported by local media, Isla Mujeres has become one of the leading destinations in the state of Quintana Roo, which comprises most of the Mexican Caribbean, largely thanks to a successful promotional campaign headed by the local government – and of course, its own hospitality outlook. The news were shared during the Día Nacional de los Pueblos Mágicos.

The commemorative date celebrates achievements of 132 towns across Mexico that have distinguished themselves as sites of both historical and cultural importance. This year, it saw Isla Mujeres, one of these magical ‘pueblos’, tower high above other competitors in the same category due to its post-pandemic hotel occupancy.

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According to figures released by Sedetur, Mexico’s equivalent to a Tourism Board earlier in the year, Isla Mujeres was already one of the best performing in the Mexican Caribbean during the first yearly quarter, way before the last surviving Covid mandates in Mexico fell – at times, it even surpassed the mighty Cancun.

In the first three months of the present year, which comprised the last high season for Mexican tourism, Isla Mujeres had an occupancy rate of 71.2%, higher even than the Cancun-Puerto Morelos duo at 70.73%. It still couldn’t beat Cozumel (71.77%), but it got pretty close to snatching the crown as the Riviera Maya’s fastest recovering municipality in early 2022.

Trend Continued Well Into The Summer Months

This trend was repeated over summer, when the insular gem experienced a ‘boom’ in bookings, with an average 180,000-200,000 tourists monthly. According to José Castillo Magaña, the island has succeeded in having ‘record occupations’ that even exceed the pre-pandemic levels. On certain occasions, occupancy was as high as 85 percent.

Of course, in terms of guests, Cancun remains a force to be reckoned with, being currently projected to be used as an entry point into Mexico by as much as 25 million tourists by year’s end. Although many will land in, and fulfill their vacations in Cancun, others will have onward tickets to other spots along or off the coast, including Isla Mujeres.

In early June, there were already up to 12,000 hotel rooms available, and an approximate 3,000 more would be added ‘until the end of 2022’, proving demand remains at an all-time high. As Magaña sees it, Isla Mujeres is positioning itself as a consolidated tourist hub, both due to the quality of services provided and ‘warmth’ of the islanders.

Our partner website and one of the biggest sources for Riviera Maya news in English, The Cancun Sun, concurs Isla Mujeres is on track to become major in the region. With multiple ferries departing daily from the continent, it is both a highly sought-after day trip, due to the exclusivity it provides being an island, as well as a resourceful final destination.

What Makes Isla Mujeres So Popular?

Located only 13 km from the Cancun coast, Isla Mujeres is home to incredibly pristine beaches, including Playa Norte, repeatedly ranked among the most beautiful in the world, and that’s been recently named ‘the best beach‘ in all of Mexico. It beats other regional contenders, like Playa Delfines in Cancun and Playa Paradiso in Tulum.

It has also been recently voted the second best island destination in North America by the renowned travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. Besides, it is part of the reason why the Mexican Caribbean’s has had surprising September numbers, a period when tourism usually slows down following the end of the school holidays.

We cannot predict whether this growing popularity will extend into the upcoming high season, namely the months of December through April, especially now that the looming recession and cost of living crisis is making it harder for the average American to go abroad and splurge on a Mexican all-inclusive, but one thing’s for certain:

Isla Mujeres is trendier than ever, and they’re eager to welcome you.

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October 16, 2022