Pink Bicycle
Your travel inspiration for today: a pink bike in the old section of Munster, Germany, where bikes outnumber people.
Image copyright Charlyn Keating Chisholm, licensed to About.com.
Gingerbread Carousel
Your travel inspiration for today: the gingerbread carousel at Disney's Beach Club Resort.
Image courtesy WALT DISNEY COMPANY
Girls on the Beach
Your travel inspiration for today: girls on the beach at the Viva Wyndham Tangerine on the Dominican Republic's amber coast.
Image courtesy Holly Reich
Travel Inspiration: The Playboy Pool
This week, a daily photo to inspire you to plan your next trip. Today: the Playboy pool at the Palms Las Vegas.
Image courtesy Palms Las Vegas
How to Complain at a Hotel
Frightened by all the hotel horror stories out there? What if it happens to you? Even in the best hotels with the most competent staff, things go wrong. Stuff breaks, misunderstandings happen, bugs appear. What do you do?
Complaining at a hotel so that you get results is not difficult to master. It does take the three P's: patience, persistence, and politeness. Learning what to complain about, who to direct your complaints to, how to say it and what to expect will go a long way toward getting satisfaction for your complaints. Learn how to complain at a hotel (and get results!)
Image courtesy Charlyn Keating Chisholm
Worried About Bed Bugs?
Polls say a majority (80 percent) of travelers worry about bed bugs, while only eight percent have actually come across them. So, it's statistically much more likely that you'll experience one of the other common guest complaints, like an uncomfortable bed, a dirty room, rude or indifferent staff or a worn-out room. What do these nasty little creatures give travelers nightmares?
Just the thought of tiny bugs crawling over you, sucking your blood while you sleep, might be bad enough. But these pests hitch a ride home in your luggage, and once they take up residence in your home, refuse to leave. Learn how to recognize and avoid bed bugs and see what bed bug bites look like.
Update: This Friday, The Dr. Oz Show takes on the subject of bedbugs. Expert entomologist Louis Sorkin and exterminator Richard Cooper will be guests on the show.
Don't Check That Bag
Are you like me, one of the lucky ones who gets to brave the airports and fly for the Thanksgiving holiday? Yikes. This year I'm doing it with two small children, including a very active 2-year-old. The last thing I want to do when I arrive at my destination is wait around at baggage claim for suitcases that may or may not appear. A couple of years ago I vowed not to check luggage anymore. I had to learn a few new tricks, but I got a lot of time (and sanity) back. That was before many airlines started charging fees for checked baggage, so it's even more important now. Before you pack for your Thanksgiving pilgrimage, pick up some tips on packing without checking luggage.
Image copyright Getty Images
Fun Without Smiles in Disneyland Paris
From the beginning of the Disneyland Paris Resort, back when it was called Eurodisney, I'd heard about the cultural differences, specifically how French castmembers had to be coached to smile at guests. I couldn't leave Paris without taking a day trip to see for myself how the land of the Mouse translated overseas.
My sister and brother-in-law, both big Disney fans, came along. The surreal metro ride from Paris to Marne-la-Vallée, which takes about 40 minutes (RER A for about 6.5 Euros), was my first clue about how different the experience would be. Far from the jovial we're-all-on-vacation atmosphere of the monorails and buses at the east and west coast U.S. Disney parks, it seemed people had left their souls back in Paris. Even the children wore somber faces.
Once we arrived, the atmosphere lightened considerably. The park was beautifully landscaped, and a uniformed band pumped out a tune. We headed first to Walt Disney Studios Park, where the extremely cool Crush's Coaster topped my list of rides to experience. The first ride of the day, and we were greeted by a smiling cast member: so far, so good. We hopped on a car for four and my brother-in-law foolishly pulled down his safety bar.
Apparently you're not supposed to do that, since it causes the safety bars for the rest of us to be released and reset. The castmember smiled broadly as he called my quiet, unassuming brother-in-law a "mean and stupid person" a few times in a charming French accent. To be sure, the whole incident put big smiles on our faces for the rest of the day. Really, for years to come, as we tried to imagine castmembers in Disney World insulting guests. Surreal? Definitely.
Of course, it wasn't all play for me. I toured the grand Disneyland Hotel, which reminded me of the Grand Floridian at Disney World. The hotel sits directly over the entrance to the Disneyland Park, a nice touch. Three other hotels are situated around a lake, on the other side of a compact Downtown Disney area, called Disney Village. Worth a visit? If you're a Disney fan, you betcha. Just be prepared for some culture shock.
Image courtesy Disney
What A View! Balcony at Disney's Bay Lake Tower
How's this for a view from your room? Disney's Bay Lake Tower, right next to the Contemporary Resort, is so close to the Magic Kingdom that we could watch the fireworks from our balcony. We could even hear the crowds oo'ing and ah'ing when the show was over.
The smallest room type, the studio, was perfect for our family of four with two small children. We shared a Queen bed while the kids bunked in the pull-out sleeper sofa. A small kitchenette had a mini-fridge for milk, water and snacks, and having a microwave came in handy.
Crossing to the Contemporary Resort via the skybridge was a novelty as well as a convenience, and we had a wide selection of restaurants over there, from the casual and quick Contempo Cafe to the fabulous rooftop California Grill, where they squeezed us in at the sushi bar with no reservations. We even got up early to dine with Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the gang at Chef Mickey's.
The location of Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary Resort really can't be beat - they're the only resorts that are connected to the Magic Kingdom with a walkway. It's about a ten minute walk. Avoiding the monorail and buses is a big benefit on crowded nights when the entire park empties out after the fireworks are over - we loved taking the short walk back to our room.
Image copyright Charlyn Keating Chisholm, licensed to About.com.
Christmas in Disney World
The Christmas season has officially started at Disney World. Tonight is the first night of the fantastic Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a specially-ticketed event at the Magic Kingdom that runs on select nights through the end of the year. Party guests are treated to shorter-than-usual lines for major attractions, the Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, hot cocoa and cookies, and "snow" flurries on Main Street.
Disney runs several parties throughout the year, including Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a favorite of my family's. Even the grownups get to trick-or-treat at that one, and the sight of the headless horseman galloping ahead of the big Halloween parade always sends chills up my spine.
This week, I'll take you to Disneyland Paris, where you can actually stay inside the Magic Kingdom park. I'll also take you to Bay Lake Tower, the newest resort in Disney World that puts you as close to the magic as you can get without staying in Cinderella's Castle.
Image courtesy Walt Disney Company