New MagicBand Changes Disney Park Entry, More

Contributed by GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN (@gsbrownabc)

Months of speculation surrounding a wrist band replacing paper tickets at Disney parks is over. An official announcement confirming the band was made Monday on the Disney Parks blog.

A Disney spokesperson told ABC News the bands would be rolling out this year over the next several months.

Worn on the wrist, the "MagicBand" will serve as a guest's room key, theme park ticket, access to FastPass+ selections, PhotoPass card and optional payment account all rolled into one.

"At Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, we continually push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to deliver the best possible experience for our guests," Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts wrote. "We're always looking for ways to take what we do and do it even better. Over the past few years, we've devoted considerable time and resources to create a more immersive, more seamless and more personal experience for each and every guest who spends time with us."

The introduction of the band is part of a larger effort named MyMagic+ and includes a new My Disney Experience website and mobile app.

Guests can plan dining and reserve times for their favorite attractions, shows and more in advance through an enhanced FastPass system called FastPass+. Once they arrive, they can use their smart phones to change their plans.

Of course, the gathering of data on guests makes sense from a business standpoint for Disney. The more it knows about guest preferences, the more it can tailor the guest experience. But some skeptics worry about just how much information might be stored on those MagicBands.

"Ensuring the security of our guest's information is obviously very important to us, and no one is more focused on this than we are," a Disney spokesperson told ABC News. "Everything is opt in and guests will have the opportunity to choose what information they share with us. Nothing is more important to us than protecting that information. Guests should also know that the band does not store personal information."

The FCC filing on the MagicBand reads: "The radio of the device, Model MB-R1G1, is a wrist worn arm band that transmits a 2.4 GHz signal to an indoor wireless infrastructure. The PCB assembly is potted in plastic and completely overmolded with thermal plastic polyurethane. The band has no on off switch and is powered with a nonreplaceable coin cell."

Mexico: Cancun-Riviera Maya Host Wine And Food Festival From March 14 To 17th

Contributed By Rosemary McClure

Poolside lunch at Esencia Estate, Riviera Maya. (Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office)

Foodies can taste their way through Mexico's Riviera Maya from March 14 to 17 when 30 culinary events take place as part of the annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine and Food Festival.

The festival, set at several Riviera Maya resorts, will feature taste-offs, chef competitions and tastings of mescal and wine. 

Why hold the event in Riviera Maya, a slice of the Mexican coastline that stretches south from Cancun along the Caribbean? 

“The region is becoming a mecca for culinary enthusiasts,” said Darío Flota, director of the region’s marketing office. Local chefs have developed a fusion of traditional and contemporary, indigenous and international cuisine, he said.

“The festival is a great way for us to showcase Riviera Maya’s diverse dining scene as well as the immense talent and anthology of international tastes that come together in the region,” Flota said.

Among the events:

• Mescal tasting with master sommelier Doug Frost
• A taste of Europe: Tribute to Massimo Bottura
• Cancun-Riviera Maya dine around
•  Cooking demos with celebrity chefs 

Area hotels and resorts are offering specials connected to the event. Among them are Hotel Grand Velas, El Dorado Royaleand Paradissus Playa del Carmen.

Proceeds from the festival will benefit Ciudad de la Alegria, a nonprofit dedicated to disadvantaged children, victims of violence and elder care.

Airline Fees: Dozens Of New Charges Added For 2013

Contributed by the Huffington Post.

Airlines have added more than 50 new fees over the past year, new data from the website TravelNerd show.

The finance-oriented site found dozens of "direct fee increases" on already existing charges, as well as 28 new baggage-related fees levied in January 2013 compared to January 2012.

The fees add an estimated $36.1 billion annually to airlines' bottom lines, according to TravelNerd.

Increasing fees for the same service are a big part of the uptick. For example, Spirit Airlines' premium seat fee, which was $25-$75, is now as much as $199 depending on the flight.

The only good news, TravelNerd reports, is that the increases are generally modest. "The majority of fee increases were within $5-$10," the site writes.

While some fees are nearly unavoidable, travelers can prepare for them. A newly released Airfarewatchdog super-survey of U.S. airlines' charges is a good place to start. 

Kissimmee Florida Invites You To Enter Their Decade Of Memories Contest

Our friends at Kissimmee Florida invite you to enter their Decade of Memories Contest with a grand prize of
10 years of vacations for the winner and five guests inclusive of air, car rental, and 6 nights accommodations; along with $25,000 in cash. To enter submit an essay describing "What would you do with a decade of
Kissimmee vacations" by midnight February 28th. For details about the contest please visit www.decadeofmemories.com  and for information about traveling to the region visit www.kissimmee.org

Hamburg: Northern Germany’s Biggest City Offers A Plethora Of Festivals, Cultural Highlights, And A Top Horticultural Event In 2013

 

Visitors to Hamburg can expect even more than the well-known maritime attractions in 2013, when the city is host to the prestigious International Garden Show, and celebrates the anniversary of its renowned ballet company. These and many more events will make for a diverse program that shows the many faces of Germany’s northern most metropolis. The top highlights for 2013 include:

40 Years Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the internationally acclaimed Hamburg Ballet and its director and chief choreographer John Neumeier will be presenting a special jubilee program. Spanning the company’s artistic vision from the very beginnings in 1973 to its current multi-facetted repertoire, the season will include four revivals, one premiere, as well as two guest companies. Highlight of the anniversary program will be Hamburg Ballet Festival, which will open with the John Neumeier interpreted performances of “Scenes from Shakespeare”.
The Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier kicks off the anniversary year with a tour of the United States in February 2013, with performances in Chicago, Orange County and San Francisco.
Celebrated as one of the great signature choreographers of tour time, American-born Neumeier is known for masterfully combining classical ballet tradition with very contemporary forms.www.hamburgballett.de

80 Gardens Around The World: The International Garden Show Hamburg (igs)
April 26 until October 2013
Poised to become the Mecca for garden enthusiasts and landscape designers, Hamburg will be showcasing “80 Gardens around the World” on 100 acres on the Elbe river island of Williamsburg, during the International Garden Show 2013. Seven horticultural themed sections will present unique eco-systems as well as cultures form around the world. Visitors will also learn about green initiatives, and experience the very typical regional agricultural and horticultural landscapes with its carefully kept gardens and fruit trees. The show is complemented by a full program of open-air activities, concerts, plays, and gastronomic events.www.igs-hamburg.de.

824th Harbor Birthday
May 9-12, 2013
Highlight of Hamburg’s annual events calendar will again be the Harbor Birthday celebration (Hafengeburtstag). Touted to be the world’s biggest harbor festival, the tradition goes back to 1189, when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa granted the people of Hamburg exemption from customs duties for ships on the Elbe river. Centered on and around the Landungsbrücken (landing docks), Hamburg’s 824th Harbor Birthday is expected to draw some 1.5 million visitors who for four days will enjoy 500 booths, music, performances, food, and entertainment. Complementing the activities on land, some of the world’s most impressive cruise ships, frigates and steamboats ships will be part of the program with ship parades, tug boat ballet, dragon boat races and more.
Quickly becoming a new tradition, cruise lines are using the popular harbor event to stage their ship naming ceremonies. This year, on May 10, 2013, Hapag Lloyd’s MS Europa will be “baptized” in a festive public celebration. The event will culminate in a huge firework display.

Elbjazz Festival
May 24/25, 2013
The fourth annual Elbjazz Festival is again expected to draw fans from all over Europe to enjoy some 50 performances on ten stages at and around Hamburg’s harbor and the Elbe river. Unique venues range from open-air stages, to hidden ship yards, a freight ship or a local bar, and – in Hamburg fashion - fans can hop from concert to concert by boat. Jazz legends as well as newcomers from Hamburg and around the world will present their diverse styles. Line-up for 2013 includes the European Jazz Ensemble, Charlie Wood and many others.

Reeperbahn Festival
September 26 – 28, 2013
This one-of-a-kind urban club festival turns the formerly seedy red light district into Europe’s coolest live music venue. For three nights some 200 bands heat up the clubs, bars, theaters and churches in this legendary neighborhood. Now in its eighth year, the festival features bands and DJs from abound the word, but also serves as a platform for entertainment industry professionals, and offers a diverse program of street art, poetry and literature, movies, and parties. www.reeperbahnfestival.com.

Information on travel to Hamburg at www.hamburg-travel.com.

"All-Inclusive" Cruises- What Is Really Included?

More and more these days we hear about all-inclusive cruising. This has become a particularly hot topic since so many of the large cruise lines have begun charging for all sorts of extras, from sodas to cappuccinos to specialty restaurants.
But as more and more of the upscale lines advertise themselves as being “all-inclusive” consumers find themselves having to read the fine print to know what is actually included and what is not.
The key items that passengers are typically interested in are alcoholic drinks, shore excursions and gratuities…but there are lots of other little “extras” that consumers may not have considered, like airport transfers, pre- or post-trip hotel stays and 24-hour cabin service.
The editors at AllThingsCruise thought it was important that you have somewhere to go to know exactly what you are – or aren’t – going to get on your next cruise. They contacted each and every cruise line with a list of 13 cruise amenities and asked them to detail which are included on their ships.
The result is a chart  that we believe will be invaluable to cruisers who want to get the most from their cruise dollar.
Thirty-three cruise lines, including small luxury lines line Silversea, Seabourn and Regent and river lines like Uniworld, Viking and Scenic, are included. And the large companies are there as well – Carnival, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean, NCL and more.
Studying the chart reveals a trend to including more amenities on smaller ships and fewer on large ships. For example, the only amenity included on Carnival ships is 24-hour room service and the only amenity on NCL ships are butlers (and only in a very few suites.)
“I frequently sail on smaller ships that include some, but not all, amenities and I am often confused by what I will be paying for and what not,” explains Cynthia Boal Janssens, editor of AllThingsCruise. “So it was obvious that this kind of reference was needed, both for consumers and for travel agents.”
The chart is also annotated with special information about specific lines. For example, Cunard – “Stocked in-cabin mini-bar and butler service for Queens Grill guests only. Liquor and wine from mini-bar will be replenished with a charge to guest’s accounts at their request. All standard items replenished daily. QG butler service includes in-room party coordination.” Disney – “Specialty drinks limited to complimentary soft drinks in dining rooms and 24/7 drink station. Specialty coffees available to concierge guests on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Butler service is included for Concierge guests on all ships.”
 This chart is a service to all cruisers, whether on ships large or small. Please reference the All-Inclusive Chart before planning your next cruise. The chart will be constantly revised as cruise lines change and/or upgrade their amenities programs.

5 Free Things To Do In New Orleans On Your Next Visit

Contributed by Stacey Plaisance/AP

The ferry boat, bottom right, crosses the Mississippi from downtown New Orleans, seen in background, to Algiers Point, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. A boat ride is one of the best ways to get a look at the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River's daily parade of river barges, steamships and cruise ships. The Algiers Point ferry, which has been in operation since the early 1800s, is free to pedestrians. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

It's expensive to be a tourist in a town that's hosting two of the biggest events of the new year - Mardi Gras and the NFL Super Bowl - but New Orleans has plenty of free things to do.
The nearly 300-year-old French city has walkable neighborhoods and scenic public parks dotted with centuries-old oak trees draped in Spanish moss, along with a free ferry and historic market.
MARDI GRAS AND BOURBON STREET
New Orleans is perhaps best-known for hosting one of the biggest free parties in the world: Mardi Gras. The Carnival season includes parades with costumed riders, marching bands and decorated floats, but it only lasts a few weeks. But visitors can get a taste of the madness and revelry of Carnival any time of year on Bourbon Street, the city's most famous thoroughfare, where scantily-clad women beckon patrons from strip club doorways and beads are flung from balconies to revelers down below year-round. It's also a hot spot for live music, which spills out onto the street from clubs with doors and windows flung open. Bourbon Street is also the one place where a costume can be flaunted any time of year.
JACKSON SQUARE
Artists painting on canvas, clowns making balloon animals, street performers and jazz musicians are among the free entertainment to be found in Jackson Square, a one-block section of the French Quarter anchored by a lush green space with benches set amid gardens and grand oak trees. The square is bordered by pedestrian-only walkways with restaurants, storefronts and upper-level balconies boasting decorative ironwork. Benches allow visitors to take in the architecture of the square's historic buildings, including the Cabildo and Pontalba Apartments, believed to be among the oldest apartment buildings in the country.
Visitors are also welcome at St. Louis Cathedral, a place of worship for Catholics since the 1720s. Its towering white facade with three steeples fronts the Mississippi River. Inside are religious mosaics, colorful stained glass and a small gift shop. Masses are held daily and free concerts are held regularly, http://www.jackson-square.com/ and http://stlouiscathedral.org/ .
CITY PARK
City Park is the largest green space in New Orleans with more than 1,300 acres of gardens, lagoons and walking trails set amid centuries-old oak trees draped in Spanish moss and filled with birds, http://neworleanscitypark.com/.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is located in the park, and while there's a fee to enter the museum, just beyond the museum are dozens of art objects you can see for free in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The sculptures, valued at more than $25 million, can be viewed in a relaxing setting that includes meandering footpaths, pedestrian bridges and reflecting lagoons. Among the artists represented are Antoine Bourdelle, Gaston Lachaise, Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, Barbara Hepworth and Seymour Lipton.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FERRY
A boat ride is one of the best ways to get a look at the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River's daily parade of river barges, steamships and cruise ships. The Algiers Point ferry, which has been in operation since the early 1800s, is free to pedestrians. It runs every 30 minutes between the landing at the foot of Canal Street near the Aquarium of the Americas and the historic Algiers Point neighborhood directly across the river from the French Quarter.
Algiers Point, established in 1719, boasts a trove of historic Victorian-style homes, magnolia tree-lined streets with several parks, cafes, historic churches and bars with live music. But perhaps its best feature is an unobstructed view of the city skyline and river traffic, from enormous cargo vessels to the city's iconic Natchez paddlewheel boat. Visitors can also enjoy a free self-guided tour of the Algiers Point neighborhood with the help of an online brochure from the Algiers Historical Society, http://www.algiershistoricalsociety.org/walking-tours.html .
FRENCH MARKET
The smell of sweet pralines and freshly-brewed coffee wafts through the air of the New Orleans French Market. The centuries-old commercial hub stretches for several city blocks along the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter and includes Cafe du Monde, home of the deep-fried, sugar-coated beignet, a popular New Orleans pastry. The market is a mix of open-air retail spaces dotted with produce stands and enclosed stores carrying specialty clothing and jewelry. It's an ideal destination for window-shopping and people-watching.
Visitors can watch candy-makers mix up batches of pralines, a New Orleans treat made with brown sugar and pecans, or stop by an open-air flea market where eye-catching jewelry, accessories and handmade crafts are sold. Newer vendor spaces have ceiling fans and full kitchens where cooks prepare meals using fresh Louisiana produce and seafood. The French Market dates to 1791 and was originally the site of a Native American trading post. European immigrants traded there, as did African-Americans selling coffee, pralines and calas, a rice fritter popular in 19th century New Orleans. Choctaw Indians from north of Lake Pontchartrain sold herbs, spices and handmade crafts. Many such items are sold in the market today, http://www.frenchmarket.org/ .

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