Parks tips

Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps.

Walt Disney Corporation CEO Bob Iger is optimistic about the future of Disney theme parks, even as he announced his company was cutting 7,000 jobs from its workforce, reorganizing and slashing $5.5 billion in costs during Wednesday’s first quarter earnings call. 

Walt Disney Corporation on Monday dismissed the idea of building miniparks in the U.S., saying the media company would instead spend on its major theme parks and cruise ships.

Like at every noteworthy speakeasy, it started with a knock.

It seems everyone wants to experience the happiest place on Earth.

Hurricane Hilary is now a Category 1 hurricane currently on track to hit Southern California on Sunday. Hilary is expected to hit California as a tropical storm and could cause flooding and other damage in much of the Southwestern United States. If that happens, it will be the first tropical storm to hit California since 1939.

I have been visiting Disney World for 30 years and planning trips with MEI Travel for 11 years. There are plenty of pricey park purchases that you can bring from home or find a local Walmart or Publix before your vacation. 

When I think of Utah, I think of national parks. In addition to well-known Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon make up the “Mighty Five” – a must for many hikers’ bucket lists.

Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.

Visiting at night and taking free public transportation are just two of the ways the National Park Service is encouraging visitors to go green.

Disney parks' restaurant reservation system just got a bit more seamless.

There's a reason Michigan state parks—and their national park, lakeshore, and recreation area siblings—are so popular when the weather warms up. To imagine the perfect Midwestern summer is to imagine hiking under a canopy of pines, skipping rocks across sparkling blue lakes, and craning your neck skyward with the hope of seeing a shooting star. In other words: everything that makes Michigan’s five national parks and 103 state parks and recreation areas so special. 

When the new Tron coaster opened at Disney World's Magic Kingdom back in April, theme-park reporter Madison Blancafor, couldn't wait for her chance to ride the high-speed coaster, based on the popular sci-fi franchise.

Paul Reubens was an actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. But he also played a beloved role at Disney theme parks.

I'm a major Disney Parks fan who lives close to Walt Disney World Resort and writes about theme parks for a living. I'm also a mom who has been taking her kids to Disney for over a decade. This means when people I know — from family members to random Facebook acquaintances — plan a Disney World trip, they usually reach out to me for tips to make it run smoothly.

Few visitors to Kenya can resist the siren call of its top wildlife-watching area, the Maasai Mara. Its sweeping grasslands ­— blonde and close-cropped in the dry season, green and earthy after rain — stretch for hundreds of miles. Famous for big cats and the drama of the Great Migration, this is the kind of place where a budding interest in all things safari can develop into an addiction.

The chance to spot a bear, bison, or bald eagle in the wild is one of the major reasons travelers visit the United States’ 63 national parks. You might assume that a megafauna mecca like Yellowstone National Park would offer the best odds of seeing multiple animals. 

The U.S. National Park Service recently proposed doubling entry fees at the 17 most-popular parks, and one park is now considering creating a reservations system for visitors, the Associated Press reports.

When the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) proposed drastic hikes to admission fees last fall, the reaction was swift and negative. It seems the NPS heard what people will saying.

Don’t look now, but you’ve been bushwhacked by Mickey and Goofy.

I wasn’t always a Disney person. Anyone who knew me in my twenties or thirties knows this. I mean, sure, I knew other people might enjoy traveling with Disney, but it definitely wasn’t for me. I liked hiking, trekking, camping; not crowds, not theme park rides, not Disney.