Holiday fare
According to Hopper data compiled exclusively for Bloomberg, domestic holiday flights will be down about 9% from last year, though prices will fluctuate city by city. Round-trip airfare from major U.S. cities to destinations such as Orlando, for instance, are down 19% and will cost $396 per ticket around Christmas, compared with $491 during the same period last year. Flying into Las Vegas over the break will cost $341 a seat this year, vs. $420 last year. Prices for international flights, however, are trending upward. Christmastime airfare from the U.S. to Asia is up 20% year over year. In Europe, prices are roughly 16% more expensive than at Christmas 2022.
Bloomberg News
‘Stranger’ Orlando
Dungeons & Dragons-loving geek-hero Eddie Munson rocks out on the roof of his trailer in all his long-haired glory, while Dustin Henderson raises a nail-spiked trash can lid to shield against a swarm of demobats. Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” blasts from unseen speakers, and the eerie scarlet glow of the Upside Down bathes every surface. Fans of the fourth season of “Stranger Things” will immediately recognize the scene inside the show’s atmospheric new haunted house at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. The “Stranger Things” house features detailed sets and production-quality costumes, offering a stroll through the Hawkins lab and encounters with the grotesque Vecna. Hollywood Horror Nights runs on select nights through Nov. 4; tickets start at $79.99. A similar attraction is running at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Tampa Bay Times
Adults-only island
For those seeking a little serenity from the family-friendly fun found all over Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamas island Perfect Day at CocoCay, the cruise line has carved out a new space just for adults that will open in January. The area called Hideaway Beach will be devoid of children. The space has its own private beach and lagoon, two pools, seven food and drink locations, 20 cabanas, a live DJ and VIP experiences. Prices start at $39-$89 per person depending on sail date with the 20 cabanas available for an additional rate. The opening coincides with the arrival of what will be the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, that begins sailing from Miami.
Orlando Sentinel
National park falls
A 61-year-old woman died recently after falling off a steep cliff along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, the National Park Service said. Nancy Sampson, from Greer, S.C., was with her husband when she fell from the Glassmine Falls Overlook, per a news release. The Glassmine Falls Overlook, which doesn’t allow public access beyond its viewing spot, has a view of a tall, skinny waterfall. Seven visitors across six parks suffered fatal falls between January and July, according to NPS data. In August, a California woman fell to her death at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Two men from Texas suffered injuries after falling that same weekend.
Washington Post