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As far as Disney princesses go, I’ve always been partial to Belle. So it was particularly upsetting, in a time when Disney hysteria is peaking surrounding the current “Beauty and the Beast” revival, to find out that Disney theme parks have a strict rule against guests over the age of 14 wearing costumes. This is nothing new. In retrospect, it makes total sense — professional Belle would definitely be intimidated if I came around wearing a yellow ball gown and showed her up in front of her adoring fans....

It’s not quite the kind of bite that visitors to Bran Castle — better known as Dracula’s castle — in Romania might expect, but it does come with a profound effect. On Friday, the castle announced that it’s kicking off a COVID-19 vaccination marathon, offering visitors free doses every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in May without an appointment. The castle, located in the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, hopes to lure more travelers with shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, calling it “another kind of sting....

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to land a job as cabin crew onboard one of the world’s best airlines, here’s your chance to find out. Emirates is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including cabin crew members who will be based in Dubai. To be considered, applicants need to be at least 21 years old, have a high school education, be fluent in English, and have at least one year of experience in either customer service or hospitality....

Don’t say they didn’t warn you. Along with the scenic hiking trails in Hawaii come inherent risks, be it flash-flood warnings, hazardous cliffs, or falling debris, among other dangers. Despite signage indicating that areas are closed, many still venture beyond the warnings and find themselves in precarious situations. To emphasize the importance of adhering to warnings, a proposed bill is making its way through the Hawaii state senate that would require those hikers who disobey signs to pay for their own rescues, CNN reports....

As live theater performances return in various ways around the world, whether it’s New York with its pop-up shows or the careful measures that allowed Disney’s Frozen to open in Australia, one theater in Japan has taken innovation to the next level. The dance company Tsuki Akarino Ido Gekijyo, which means moonlight mobile theater in Japanese, built a circular stage with 30 seats, each in an individual compartment separated by wooden panels....

Have you ever boarded a flight, walked past the passengers in first class, and wished you were sitting in their seats? We’ve all been there. Fortunately, there are ways to live the high life at the front of the plane — without having to pay up for the expensive tickets. Here, we break down how to score free upgrades on domestic and international flights, plus bust some common myths about the process....

Planning a family vacation? Families who are trying to be cost-efficient will have to battle one dreaded aspect of traveling with a group: basic economy tickets often don’t include the ability to choose your own seat. To help families navigate their rights — and avoid extra fees or a hectic in-flight scenario — the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently released guidelines regarding family seating on planes. Each airline has its own specific policies regarding family seating....

Ellie Hollander has seen Meals on Wheels America through crises before. She joined in 2013, when the federal budget sequestration forced cuts to the organization. But the nonprofit — whose 100,000 staff members and 2 million volunteers feed vulnerable seniors and those with limited mobility — has never been faced with a challenge quite like this one. The COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect storm. Food insecurity spiked across the country. Making deliveries became a challenge due to social distancing requirements....

Finding the perfect fall getaway is good, but finding one for only $20 is even better. Between now and Aug. 6, you can book a JetBlue flight for as low as $20 for a one-way ticket. The Fall Flash Sale applies to the airline’s Blue Basic airfare (economy), for the most part. Most of the lowest airfare is for Sunday to Wednesday travel, any time between Sept. 8, 2020, and Feb....

A 42-year-old man was arrested after quarantining on what used to be known as Discovery Island in Disney World, which is currently closed. When Richard McGuire was discovered last week, he told police “that it looked like a tropical paradise,” according to The Associated Press. He had been camping on the island for three or four days and had planned to stay one week. McGuire said he didn’t hear deputies searching for him by air, land, and sea because he was asleep in a building on the island....

Get a taste of Italy with a new line of limited-edition Nutella jars, which feature images of 30 sweet spots around the country where the hazelnut cocoa spread originated. To fulfill the hunger for wanderlust during the global pandemic, Nutella partnered with the Italian National Agency for Tourism (Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo, or ENIT) to create a “Ti Amo Italia” (I love you, Italy) line of labels, which hit shelves on Oct....

As drive-ins become more popular in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Paris is coming up with an even more unique way to enjoy the cinema while social distancing. Let’s call it: a float-in. According to Time Out, Paris is putting up the city’s first-ever Cinéma sur l’Eau (Cinema on the Water) on the Canal de l’Ourcq on July 18 at 7:30 p.m. local time. The cinema will offer 38 red-and-white electric boats for up to 150 people to sit in and enjoy a movie on the water....

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the deadline for travelers to obtain a REAL ID once again due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Protecting the health, safety, and security of our communities is our top priority,” Department Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement on Tuesday. “As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card....

The tropical resorts of the South Pacific just might define what it means to be a romantic hotel. In fact, is there anything that screams “honeymoon” more than overwater bungalows, clear blue water, and powdery white sand? All the more impressive, then, that with so much beauty and luxury on offer in the region, these five properties stood out for discerning Travel + Leisure readers. Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more....

Royal Caribbean was forced to postpone some July sailings and push back its June volunteer test cruise after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19, the company’s president and CEO announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening. The positive cases were discovered during routine testing of crew onboard the brand-new Odyssey of the Seas, wrote Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO. Of the eight people who tested positive, six were asymptomatic and two had mild symptoms....

2020 is the year of all things virtual from work meetings and festivals to weddings and baby showers, so why would our holiday celebrations be any different? This Christmas, you can’t drag anyone to the mall for a photo opp with Santa, but that doesn’t mean the kiddos have to forego their face time with good ol’ Saint Nick. Courtesy of Santa’s Club Santa’s Club, a new online company, is now offering three types of virtual experiences where children can meet Mr....

This sprawling metropolis — Shanghai is China’s most populous city — is known for the Bund, its sparkling waterfront; top-notch public transportation; and, in the eyes of Travel + Leisure readers, three amazing hotels. Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more....

The color experts at Sherwin-Williams have unveiled their next choice for color of the year. Their 2021 selection, the company said, is meant to bring “warmth and comfort” right when we need it most. We’ll get right to the good part: The company shared its 2021 color selection is Urbane Bronze, an earthy warm brown meets grey meets a little hint of dark green (think fall foliage, a wooded forest, river rock beds, and every other place in Mother Nature that brings you peace)....

If the pandemic taught us one thing about pop culture, it’s that people seriously love some juicy reality TV. Luckily for us all, the raunchy reality dating show Love Island is back on CBS. Though it may not inspire the singletons amongst us to want to get back out into the dating scene, it can at the very least inspire some future travels. That’s thanks to the fact that the contestants of the hit show all get to stay in some seriously swanky villas while attempting to couple up and stay on the island long enough to win a cash prize....

If you’re looking to score a new suitcase or travel bag before your next trip, we suggest heading over to eBags. The travel-focused retailer has dropped a major sale where nearly everything on the website is marked down by 20 percent. Prices have been slashed on basically every type of luggage imaginable, including spinner suitcases, weekender bags, rolling garment bags, and more. So if you’re looking for a certain type of travel-ready bag, you’re likely to find it for a fraction of its original price right now....