Halloween Time may have just kicked off at the Disneyland Resort, but that doesn’t mean the magic makers aren’t prepping for the holiday season, too. Not only can park goers expect plenty of festive food, music, entertainment and decor, but Disney is offering a brand new, limited-capacity event!
Disney Merriest Nites brings Mickey Mouse and his friends together for six themed parties all rolled into one throughout Disneyland on five select nights in November and December. Access to the nights requires a separate ticket, but will give you after-hours access to select attractions, entertainment and all with limited capacity.
As part of the festivities, Mickey Mouse kicks off the party on Main Street, U.S.A. with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and friends. Head to New Orleans Square to see Princess Tiana’s bayou-inspired celebration, and you’ll find Miguel from Coco over in Frontierland.
The three remaining celebrations involve Lilo & Stitch in Adventureland, Elsa in Fantasyland with lots of winter vibes and Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland. Each party features themed photo backdrops, character sightings and festive food and drink.
Guests will be able to hop on attractions with far fewer crowds, especially taking advantage of the dressed up “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday, in addition to a special viewing of “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade.
For the evening, park guests can also take advantage of unlimited Disney Photopass digital downloads!
Disney Merriest Nites will take place on Nov. 11, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 9. You can purchase beginning Sept. 14, at approximately 9 a.m. on Disneyland.com and the Disneyland app.
If Airbnb’s record night of 4 million guests is any indication, the travel industry is bouncing back. Now the vacation rental company has dropped the top travel trends of Labor Day weekend and the fall. From long weekend stays to fall getaways, read on for all the details!
When the company compared seasonal data from 2019 with this year, weekend trips with families were up 70%. For the upcoming holiday weekend, which officially signals the end of summer in the U.S., many of the trips booked are seven nights or longer. Some of the top destinations for Labor Day:
Anchorage, AK
Kansas City, MO
Philadelphia, PA
Mexico City, Mexico
Kenai Peninsula, AK
East Bay, CA
Seattle, WA
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santa Fe, NM
Greensboro, NC
Of course, Labor Day doesn’t mean that travel is over for the year. Travelers continue to be quite interested in fall trips, with a particular interest in mid-sized cities and larger cities that show off the season’s beauty. The list of top spots for the fall getaways:
New York, NY
Chicago, IL
Boston, MA
Washington, DC
Cincinnati, OH
Charlotte, NC
Minneapolis, MN
Southern Maine
Berkshires, MA
Denver, CO
Newport, RI
Safe travel continues to be the top priority , which is why Airbnb made more than 100 upgrades across its entire service, including an emphasis on flexible searches. Wherever you’re headed this fall, stay healthy and enjoy making memories with your family!
Time to fall in love with a new collection! Joanna Gaines’ ever-popular Hearth & Hand line just dropped a myriad of new products at Target. Starting at under $4, it’s an affordable way to do a little seasonal redecorating.
If it’s time to go a bit bigger, check out the Shaker Dining Bench with Curved Back for a statement piece in the kitchen. It seats two people, it’s made of wood and it’s $199.99. Or grab one of the new cozy blankets just in time for chilly nights. The Color Block Stripe Throw Blanket adds a pop of pizazz and comes in three different combinations!
For even more design inspo, Joanna Gaines personally curated a list of her favorite products in the collection. Happy browsing!
Outdoor movies and drive-in theaters enjoyed a boom this past year as families sought safe, entertainment venues and the trend continues! There has never been a more perfect time for outdoor and drive-in movies and we found new and jazzed-up options for the summer. So load the family in the car, pack the soda, popcorn and boxed candy and get ready for an unforgettable evening under the stars!
San Francisco
Thrive City Cinema Nights
The Warriors host cinema nights on San Francisco's only outdoor LED board every Saturday night this summer. With the screen measuring 74 feet wide by 42 feet tall and with nearly 2.2 million pixels, it will be a brilliant night under the sun and stars!
7/17 – Crazy Rich Asians – PG13 7/24 – Pixar Pick, Inside Out or Toy Story (Audience Social Vote) 7/31 – Grease – PG 8/7 – Black Panther – PG13 8/14 – Wedding Planner or Sister Act (Audience Social Vote) 8/21 – Yesterday – PG13 8/28 – Harry Potter – PG
This drive-in theater is known for its nightly double features but is currently showing doubles only on certain days, so check the website for details. With Tuesday Family Fun night and adult admission at $5.75, this drive-in is sure to become a family favorite—double features or not! Event details
Starlight Movies in the Park, Alameda
Pre-movie games and crafts start off the evening at the Alameda Multi-Purpose field with snacks available for purchase, benefitting the Alameda Youth Committee and Teen programs. Don’t forget to pre-register then all that is left to do is to have a gorgeous night under the starlight! July 30th - Tom and Jerry Sept 10th - Raya and the Last Dragon
The city’s annual summer Picnic Flix Movie series boasts a number of well-loved family movies so be sure to catch one—or several! July 2 Grease July 9 Abominable July 16 Moana July 23 Secret Life of Pets 2 July 30 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Aug 6 Onward
Emerald Glen Park 4201 Central Pkwy, Dublin Event details
Movie Nights in Berkeley
Join friends, family and neighbors for free movie nights this summer and fall at the following local parks:
August 6, 8:15pm: Smallfoot James Kenney Park, 1720 8th Street
August 20, 8pm: Lady and the Tramp Ohlone Park Baseball Field (Hearst and Sacramento)
September 10, 7:30pm: Soul Grove Park, 1730 Oregon
September 24, 7:15pm: Madagascar 3 Glendale La Loma Park, 1310 La Loma Avenue
The garage top at Lesher Center for the Arts welcomes you for a movie night out! Enjoy family favorites with your friends, neighbors and family; check schedule for show times.
~ Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 8:00 PM Disney's Moana(PG)
~ Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 8:00 PM Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (PG-13)
~ Saturday, September 4, 2021 at 8:00 PM Disney's Tangled (PG)
~ Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 8:00 PM Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13)
~ Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 7:15 PM Disney's Coco (PG)
~ Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 7:15 PM Disney's Hocus Pocus (PG)
The gorgeous arts center welcomes families for two movie nights this summer. Pre-order a snack pack along with your tickets to be enjoyed on site! July 25th Ghostbusters July 30th Coco
15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga
Coyote Point Movie Nights
Gather friends and family, pack a picnic and join CuriOdyssey for a fun-filled summer evening during Coyote Point Movie Nights in July, August, September and October at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo. Watch your favorite movies, experiment with fun CuriOdyssey science experiments, play creatively with San Mateo County Libraries and learn more about the San Mateo County Parks Foundation. Movies begin thirty minutes after sunset, the last Saturday of each month, activities will open one hour before the movie begins. Reserve tickets in advance. 7/31 Raya and the Last Dragon 8/28 The Croods 2: A New Age 9/25: Soul 10/30: Cruella
San Jose Downtown Association brings back their Starlight Cinemas with free, family-friendly movies in St. James Park. Pre-movie activities and food and drink for purchase are available one hour before showtime.
July 21 Up July 28 The Perfect Game Aug 4 Raya and the Last Dragon Aug 11 Karate Kid
Similar to its sister drive-in at the Concord location, Family Nights on Tuesdays brings the adult admission ticket down to $5.75, leaving you with more budget for snacks and sodas and more importantly, the title Hero of the Week. Recent family favorites include Peter Rabbit 2 and Boss Baby.
Santa Clara county hosts free movie nights on select Friday nights this summer and early Fall.
Friday, July 16 8:30pm at Reed & Grant Sports Park, 750 Reed St. Sandlot - RSVP on Eventbrite Friday, August 13 at Central Park, 969 Kiely Blvd. Abominable Friday, September 17 at Live Oak Park, 641 Moreland Way Luca Friday, October 15 at Maywood Park, 3360 Cabrillo Ave. Trolls World Tour
Redwood City is playing double featured movies on Thursday nights at the Courthouse Square. Bring a blanket and pick up take out from nearby restaurants for a perfect evening out.
Thursday, August 12: 6pm Brave, 8:30pm Minari
Thursday, August 19: 8pm
Feeling Through (19 mins)
Massive by Tony Gapastione (5 mins)
8:30pm Wonder Woman
Thursday, August 26: 6pm How to Train Your Dragon, 8:30 pm A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Thursday, Sept. 2: 8pm
Napo (16 min)
The Dublin House by Krystina Jackson (3 mins)
8:30pm Jumanji: The Next Level
Marin
Lark Drive-In Movies Under the Stars, Corte Madera
Warm nights mean cool movies at the Lark! Family classics such as Sixteen Candles, Return of the Jedi, A Hard Day’s Night, Back to the Future, and Jungle Book are showing this summer and the Lark can comfortably accommodate 100 cars meaning there's more than enough room for everyone.
The Village at Corte Madera 1961 Redwood Hwy North parking lot across the street from Nordstrom
A new partnership with Charles Krug winery has upped the ante on drive-ins at this theater! Pre-movie charcuterie plates and wine are available for purchase to enjoy on the lawn before hopping in your car for the night’s feature. It's truly a win-win situation when both the kids and adults are happy!
After a long year of sticking close to home, families are starting to dust off their travel clothes, pack up their cars and hit the open road in search of family fun somewhere other than their backyard. If you’re on the hunt for a little bit of adventure and are excited to explore somewhere new with your family, Springfield, Missouri might just be the ideal destination for your next family trip!
Springfield, known as the gateway to the great outdoors by both travelers and locals alike, is a well-loved destination for those seeking easy access to both indoor and outdoor recreation and a wide variety of family-friendly attractions and experiences.
Right now, families can save big on a trip to Springfield! From April 1- June 27, visitors who spend at least two nights in a hotel, spend time at three attractions in Springfield and enjoy a meal or a drink at three different Springfield establishments are eligible for a free night of accommodations in Springfield!
One of the city’s most popular destinations is the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. As you walk through the aquarium, you’ll enjoy exploring unique habitats filled with an expansive variety of animals and learning all about the creatures that call the aquarium home. You’ll also have the chance to learn about the role that conservation plays in improving marine habitats across the world and, if you’re lucky, get up close and personal with penguins or sharks during an encounter that your little ones will never forget!
If your family is interested in outdoor recreation, you’ll also be excited to visit the world’s first and largest Bass Pro Shop, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World—with over 500,000 square feet immersive shopping space. Your family can learn about Missouri’s native fish at one of the store’s seven intricate aquariums or visit with the turtles and alligators who live in the in-store swamp. Adults and big kids will enjoy the archery and shooting ranges while even the littlest visitors will get excited about the full-service on-site restaurant known for its delicious fudge.
Once you’ve hit up Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World for gear, you’ll have to decide between hiking, biking, paddling or floating your way through the Ozarks. With more than 90 parks in the Springfield-Greene County Parks system that feature playgrounds, pools, tennis courts, a farm, an ice arena and more, it won’t be hard to find a park with something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Opportunities to get on the water and float through the Ozarks abound and, if you book a float trip through one of the many float companies in Springfield, your guide will be able to point you in the direction of the best post-floating dinner and drink options in town!
While there’s lots of fun to be had on land and on water, nothing says adventure quite like going underground: Missouri has over 7,000 caves. Explore a former underground speakeasy or a cavernous venue for country music, and discover 200-year-old cave drawings, fossils and stunning geological formations!
No matter how you choose to spend your time in Springfield, you’ll head home already looking forward to coming back to experience more of the Ozarks!
Don’t wait to book your next trip: From April 1- June 27, visitors who spend at least two nights in a hotel, spend time at three attractions in Springfield and enjoy a meal or a drink at three different Springfield establishments are eligible for a free night of accommodations in Springfield!
Travel season officially kicks off this weekend and Airbnb just announced the top travel trends for the summer. Unsurprisingly, the outdoors are big and family travel is up, but cities are also starting to make moves again.
So where exactly are families flocking to this summer? Keep reading to find out!
The data showed a huge increase in rural travel, up from less than 10% in 2015 to 28% in the U.S. in 2021 (even higher in Canada at 43%). Bookings in the U.S. favor spots near national parks, state parks and sandy beaches. The top destinations for summer 2021:
Whitefish Mountain, MT (near Glacier National Park)
Northern Wisconsin (near Lake Superior and Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest)
Hilton Head Island, SC
Black Hills, SD (near Black Hills National Forest and Mount Rushmore)
Miramar Beach, FL
Park County, MT
Michigan Upper Peninsula (Great Lakes, Hiawatha National Forest)
Acadia National Park
After a year of isolation, families are traveling together again. Airbnb found that family travel is up from 27% of nights booked in summer 2019 to 31% in 2021. Again, rural destinations are big this year with families, making up 42% of the nights booked. And about 95% of bookings are entire homes, compared to 80% in summer 2019. The company defines family travel as any reservation that includes an infant or a child, so the numbers could be even higher than that.
Long-term stays are popular in cities this summer and the top three Airbnb long-term stay destinations in the U.S. are all cities: New York, Los Angeles and Seattle. The company is working to make travel easier than ever, with flexible destinations, matching and dates all new to the platform, as well as a slew of other upgrades.
Wherever you’re traveling this summer, it’s a safe bet that you’ll have to work a little harder to beat the crowds. But the payoff is worth it with beautiful destinations anywhere you could imagine!
Groceries comin’ in hot! Instacart just announced 30 minute grocery “Priority Delivery” in 15 of the largest cities across the U.S., helping customers get what they need ASAP. It will be available across many popular retailers including Ralph’s, Sprouts and Safeway.
Perfect for those nights where you forgot that one key dinner ingredient or the milk runs out, the new feature will display as a lightning bolt icon in the Instacart app with “Delivery within 30 minutes.” Right now it’s set to debut in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle among others, with a larger rollout to more cities in the coming month.
“We know that no two grocery shops are created equal – whether it’s a bulk buy for the week ahead or just a few ingredients for tonight’s dinner – so we’re launching new features that support the many ways people shop for their groceries today,” said Daniel Danker, Vice President of Product at Instacart. “For many customers, every minute counts when they’re in a pinch and need something in a hurry. With today’s launch of Priority Delivery, we’re redefining the ‘quick run to the store’ and bringing the grocery express lane online for customers.”
If you have slightly more planning time, Instacart will also expand the 45 and 60 minute delivery for more customers nationwide. And if you’re new to the app, it’s the leading online grocery platform in the U.S. that strives to simplify your shopping trips. You can use it with more than 600 national, regional and local retailers and it’s available to 85% of U.S. households. Consider dinner saved!
Can you believe we are already Halfway to Halloween? With the spooky season on the horizon, Walt Disney World is gearing up with a new event guaranteed to become a fan fave.
Soon you’ll be able to grab tickets to Disney After Hours BOO BASH, a ticketed experience that will take place on select nights from Aug. 10 to Oct. 31 2020. From 9 p.m. to midnight, park goers can enjoy character sightings, spooky decor, lighting, music and treats, plus special performances by the Cadaver Dans.
All guests can come in costume for this special event and stock up on plenty of candy. While everyone can come dressed up, guests older than 14 will have to skip the masks. Well, costume masks, that is. All guests will be required to wear approved face coverings during the event.
Tickets will go on sale in June. Guests of select Walt Disney Resort hotels will have an an early purchase window available to guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. For all the details, click here.
Calling all mamas (and soon-to-be mamas)! Now Spanx’s all-hosiery Bra-llelujah! Bras come in nursing bras. Baby and sleep approved, this bra bundle of joy is debuting on Spanx.com Feb. 1st.
For all nine months and beyond, Spanx’s maternity and postpartum styles will support you pre and post pregnancy. From maternity leggings to supportive postpartum panties, Spanx has every trimester (and after) covered.
Bra-llelujah! Nursing Bra ($58)
Designed with clip down cups for easy, one-handed access (we know you’re busy!)
Wrap-over detail keeps opposite cup in place while nursing
Racerback straps ensure a stay put fit
Patented all-hosiery back and no wire keeps you comfortable for long days and nights
4-way stretch fabric = perfect for fluctuation in cup size
Brushed fabric for super-soft feel against sensitive skin
Removable pads for modesty
Pad pocket allows a nursing pad to stay in place
Colors Available: Naked 2.0, Café Au Lait, Very Black
Isn’t fall just the most beautiful time of year in Boston? We think so! With November on the horizon and Halloween around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan all your fall family activities in Boston. From corn mazes to stargazing, there are tons of ideas here to your family out and exploring this fall. Which activity will be your favorite!
9. Build a bonfire and make s'mores. While you can do this anytime, there's something about those chilly nights that really make this special. Amp up your s'mores game with these unique takes on the classic treat.
16. Shop your local farmer’s market. Glossy red apples, stew-worthy root veggies and a cornucopia of squashes are waiting for you at your local farmer’s market in autumn. Get yours before the markets go on hiatus for the winter.