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☆ We stayed in a 'Toy Story'-themed hotel for $280 a night. Our small room was a great value with tons of awesome details.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Amanda Adler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort allows guests to feel like they are stepping into a larger-than-life land of toys, without the larger-than-life prices that can come with staying on Disney property. This spring, my family of three checked in to the 595-room hotel, which is located near Bay Station on the Tokyo Disney Resort Line, the resort's dedicated monorail line. Our room was cozy but comfortable and only cost about $280 a night — a steal compared to American Disney hotels that can cost twice as much. Although this has caused turmoil in the markets, it may be good news for American travelers looking to save even more cash. At any cost, this themed hotel that opened in 2022 was a fun place to spend a few nights and offered superior access to Tokyo Disneyland.

Organizations: Service, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney, Business, American Disney Locations: Tokyo, Bay, American

☆ Man Behind California Forever, Silicon Valley's City of the Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Hugh Langley | Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

He sees California Forever. And if he can't undo the damage, there may never be a California Forever. California Forever may be a subdivision, but it's precisely the kind of subdivision America needs right now. But here's the thing: California Forever may be a subdivision, but it's precisely the kind of subdivision America needs right now. Places like California Forever aren't being opposed by the people who are desperate for a place to live.

Persons: Jan Sramek's, Goldman Sachs, Sramek, Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, Marc Andreessen —, They've, Christie Hemm, Peter Thiel, Jan Sramek, Jan, Thiel, Goldman, CheatSheet, Sramek's, hadn't, Jonas Rave, who's, —, Guy Saidenberg, Evernote, Marc Andreessen, Jane Jacobs, He's, he'd, Robert Moses, growth.y Christie Hemm, Flannery, Bronson Johnson, David George, Andreessen Horowitz, Marilyn Farley, Farley, Solano County's, Kathleen Threlfall, Bill Mortimore, California Forever's, Jessica Christian, he's, Lyle Lanley, Solano, Sam Houston, weren't, Gabriel Metcalf, You've, John Garamendi, Garamendi, isn't, they'll, latte, Christie, Travis, I've, aren't, They're Organizations: Silicon, California, BI Development, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, Party, Rising Star, Facebook, York, Sramek's, BI Sramek, Google, American, Planners, Sacramento -, Travis Air Force Base, Area, titans, Farmers, councilwoman, California Forever, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Air Force, Flannery Associates, Disney, San Francisco, Vallejo Naval, Historical Museum, Rep, BI, Solano, Sierra, Goldman Locations: San Francisco, It's, Sramek, California, Rio Vista, Solano County, Napa, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, America, London, Zurich, England, Czech Republic, Dřevohostice, York, British, Eastern Europe, Cambridge, Bay Area, Hayes Valley, America's cutest, Atlanta, Phoenix, Copenhagen, Barcelona, New York, Sacramento - San Joaquin, San Francisco Bay, Lake Tahoe, Toledo , Ohio, Silicon, Google's, Toronto, Big Tech, China, Calif, Springfield, Vallejo, He's, Atherton, Foreverville, Fairfield, Austin, Solano, Valley, Europe

☆ Musk's Boring Company screwed up a Las Vegas dig, causing a public transit system to shut down temporarily: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk's the Boring Company is in the process of expanding its tunnel system under Las Vegas. Fortune reported the company mistakenly exposed the base of pillars that support the Vegas monorail. The monorail was temporarily shut down and the company was issued violations, Fortune reported. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The Boring Company opened a 1.7-mile tunnel project in 2021 to transport passengers beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center in Teslas.

Persons: Elon, Fortune, —, Elon Musk Organizations: Boring, Las Vegas, Service, Company, Elon, Vegas, Fortune, The Boring Company, Vegas Convention, Business Locations: Las, Las Vegas, Clark County, Teslas, Vegas

☆ Backdrops from viral Willy Wonka-inspired experience go on sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The disastrous Willy Wonka-inspired experience held in Glasgow, Scotland, last month has already been immortalized in an endless stream of meme-orabilia that will forever live on a corner of the internet. “He has a workshop underneath the venue that hosted the Willy Wonka experience and… the day after everything blew up, he was just at the bins and saw all this stuff lying there,” Kasparis told CNN Wednesday. Despite having a starting price of £10 ($13), the three backdrops have already fetched 48 bids on Ebay, including a highest one of £760 ($973) as of Wednesday morning. “I’m anticipating getting into four figures,” Kasparis said, “which is what I’m hoping for.”As of Wednesday morning, the backdrops had received 48 bids. Frustrated with that gap between the advertising and reality, families attending the experience became so angry that the police were called, and the event was eventually canceled.

Persons: Willy Wonka, Michael Kasparis, “, ” Kasparis, ‘ I’ll Organizations: CNN, Ebay, Monorail, Aid, ”, Glasgow Children’s Hospital, Labour Party Locations: Glasgow, Scotland

☆ I'm a travel planner who's been to Disney World over 40 times. Here are 13 things I always do at the parks.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Kari Becker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I grew up going to Disney parks every year, and now I help plan vacations there for a living. I loved organizing Disney vacations so much that I even became a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels, specializing in Disney destinations. Expedition Everest is my favorite ride on the propertyI can't get enough of Expedition Everest, from the theming in the line to the exhilarating ride up the mountain. We always make a point to properly experience Magic Kingdom at nightEverything is even more magical when it's all lit up. It's such a nostalgic part of Disney for me, and my boys love to ride it as much as I do.

Persons: —, I've, you'll, Kari Becker, benedict, Nemo, we're, there's Organizations: Disney, Service, Dole, Floridian, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, Animal, Magic, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Epcot, Contemporary, Yacht Locations: Florida, Magic

☆ 5 mistakes tourists make in Las Vegas, from a local who was born and raised there
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Emma Kershaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Keila Misdom, a TikTok influencer and exotic dancer, was born and raised in Las Vegas and has worked as a stripper in the city for eight years. Not venturing away from the Las Vegas StripThe Bellagio Hotel's nightly water fountain show is seen among the lights of other casinos on the Las Vegas strip. George Rose/Getty ImagesThe nearly 4-1/2-mile-long Las Vegas Strip is often the first place that tourists head to due to its many hotels, bars, restaurants, and attractions. Buying full-price tickets for a showFrom artist residencies to the iconic Cirque du Soleil performances, there are plenty of shows to see in Las Vegas. Here, patrons can order drinks and admire the sweeping views of Las Vegas without a 30-minute time restriction.

Persons: —, Keila, she's, George Rose, Misdom, Kobby Dagan Organizations: Service, Business, Las Vegas, Park MGM, Bellagio, Las, Bazaar, Fremont Locations: Vegas , Nevada, Las Vegas, Vegas, Fremont, Downtown, Casino Royale, It's

☆ Dubai penthouse sells for record $136 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A five-bedroom penthouse covering almost 22,000 square feet has sold in Dubai for 500 million UAE dirhams — just over $136 million — setting a new record for one of the world’s busiest luxury real estate markets. Record salesThe previous record for a penthouse sale in Dubai dates back just a few months, when an apartment occupying the top floor of the Marsa Al Arab Hotel sold for 420 million UAE dirhams (about $114 million). According to Provident Estate, the penthouse at Como Residences is the third most expensive in the world, after Penthouse D at One Hyde Park in London, priced at $237 million, and the Odeon Tower Penthouse in Monaco, priced at $440 million. Shutterstock Palm Jumeirah also boasts the first monorail in the Middle East, which opened in April 2009, and connects the Palm to Dubai's mainland. But when it comes to the asking price for a penthouse, the view is one of the key drivers.

Persons: CNN —, Nahkeel, Karim Sahib, Giuseppe Cacace, Shutterstock, Kamran Jebreili, ”, Chris Boswell, he’s, ” Boswell, “, it’s Organizations: CNN, UAE dirhams —, Jumeirah, Provident Estate, Marsa Al Arab, UAE, Como Residences, Penthouse, Dubai Marina, Getty, Burj Locations: Dubai, Como, Marsa, Hyde, London, Monaco, Burj Al Arab, Burj, Eastern Europe, Dubai's, Nakheel, AFP, Karim, Burj Al, United States, Italy, France

☆ I went to Las Vegas for the first time. Here are 6 things that were worth it and one I'd skip next time.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Cheyenne M. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Vegas is one of the best cities I've ever attended a convention in. There were great community vibes at the Vegas TwitchCon. Gabe Ginsberg/Getty ImagesA large chunk of my trip was spent attending TwitchCon Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Beyond this year's TwitchCon, the Las Vegas Convention Center hosts several events throughout the year, from tradeshows to concerts. The venue is also home to the Vegas Loop, where I rode in a Tesla to other parts of the center via the neon-lit tunnels.

Persons: Gabe Ginsberg, Twitch, Espe Symone, Nicki Mirage Organizations: Vegas, TwitchCon Las, Las Vegas Convention, Las Vegas Convention Center Locations: TwitchCon Las Vegas, tradeshows, Vegas

☆ China launches first cross-sea bullet train line near Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A bullet train speeds during its debut near a railway station in Shanghai January 28, 2007. A bullet train departed from Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian province Thursday morning, setting up the opening of the 277-km (172-mile) Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou railway, Xinhua reported. China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Ltd designed the railway project. China recently announced details of its plan to turn Fujian into a zone for integrated development with Taiwan, which sits opposite the province. Separately, earlier this week China unveiled its first commercial suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.

Persons: Aly Song, Bernard Orr, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China State Railway Group Co, China Railway Siyuan Survey, Design, China Daily, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, CHINA, Rights BEIJING, China, Fujian, Taiwan Strait, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Xinhua, Taiwan, Wuhan, Hubei province, Beijing

☆ 8 of the world’s best new theme parks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Peppa Pig Theme Park, FloridaFlorida's Peppa Pig Theme Park opened in 2022. Peppa Pig Theme ParkThe world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opened last year in Winter Haven, Florida, and has been delighting children with wholesome fun ever since. Look out for another Peppa Pig Theme Park, opening in Dallas, Texas, next year. Peppa Pig Theme Park. Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park, MalaysiaMalaysia's Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park offers 26 attractions across nine themed areas.

Persons: we’re, Katmandu, Kilgore Goode, Kyle Grillot, Peach’s, Mount Beanpole, Mario, Bowser, Bowser Jr, Tomohiro Ohsumi, Miyazaki’s, There’s, LEGOLAND, gil, Aquaverse, there’s, Chang, Potato’s, Grandad, Wynter, ” Organizations: CNN, Northern, Columbia Pictures, Super Nintendo, California Mario Kart, Universal Studios Hollywood, Bloomberg, Universal Studios Japan, Mushroom Kingdom, Toadstool, Nintendo, Universal City Plaza, Universal, Ghibli, Ghibli Park, South Korea LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND, Thailand Columbia Pictures, Columbia, Lotte, Adventure, South Korea Lotte, Adventure Busan Lotte, Tinker, Potato’s Showtime, Genting, Andromeda Base, Plaza, Genting SkyWorlds Locations: Japan, Thailand, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, Nepal, Av, Alemania, California, Bowser’s, Mount, Universal City , CA, Nagoya, Nagakute, Aichi, Korea, South Korea, York, Legoland, LEGOLAND Korea, Chuncheon, Seoul, Gangwon, Asia, Pattaya, Bangkok, Transylvania, Chon, Adventure Busan, Tinker Falls, “ Queen, “, Busan, Florida, Winter Haven , Florida, Dallas , Texas, Wynter Haven , Florida, Malaysia, Resorts, Kuala Lumpur, Rio, Liberty Lane, Central Park, Genting, Genting Highlands, Pahang

Ron DeSantis to disqualify the judge overseeing the company's lawsuit accusing the governor and his allies of political retaliation. Attorneys for DeSantis had argued that Judge Mark Walker should recuse himself from the lawsuit over his comments in two separate cases that referenced the clash between the governor and the entertainment giant. Disney's lawsuit alleges that DeSantis "orchestrated at every step" a campaign to punish the company for speaking out against a Florida bill limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. The effort to remove Walker as the judge in Disney's civil case in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, came days before DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Walker was nominated to serve as judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama.

☆ Tesla vs. BYD: Here's why one fund manager prefers the Buffett-backed automaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In an era defined by the need to tackle climate change, electric vehicles are seen as an increasingly important part of the solution. For Philip Ripman, portfolio manager at Storebrand Asset Management, one global EV automaker stands out: China's BYD — not Elon Musk's Tesla . Public transport operator Nobina already operates over 300 BYD electric buses across multiple Nordic cities. Affordable and high-end vehicles Another reason Ripman favors BYD over Tesla is the former's broader range of vehicles. On Tesla, Ripman expressed some concern over CEO Musk's distractions and their potential impact on the automaker's stock price.

☆ DeSantis wants an Obama-appointed judge disqualified from Disney's free speech lawsuit over past remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis says judge in free speech lawsuit involving Disney should be thrown out. The lawsuit alleges DeSantis violated Disney's right to free speech by retaliating for its criticism of the "Don't Say Gay" bill. DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor. DeSantis ′ attorney filed a motion in federal court in Tallahassee on Friday seeking to disqualify U.S. District Judge Mark Walker from overseeing the lawsuit filed by Disney last month. Disney filed the First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis and the Disney-appointed board last month in federal court in Tallahassee, and it landed in Walker's court.

☆ Disney scraps plans for new Florida campus, mass employee relocation amid DeSantis feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Disney has abandoned plans to open up a new employee campus in Lake Nona, Florida, amid rising tensions with the state's governor. "This was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it is the right one," D'Amaro told employees. Many Disney employees balked at the company's relocation plans when they were first announced in July 2021 by former CEO Bob Chapek. Disney's announcement comes amid a bitter feud between the company and Florida Gov. The special district has allowed the entertainment giant to effectively self-govern its Orlando parks' operations for decades.

☆ Iger hammers Florida 'retaliation' on Disney's earnings call
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney Company isn't the only business in Florida that operates within a special district, CEO Bob Iger reminded investors Wednesday. "The case that we filed last month made our position and the facts very clear," he said during an earnings call. Disney's amended lawsuit also noted that Florida's Republican-led Legislature passed legislation last week targeting Walt Disney World's monorail system. He said the company is the largest taxpayer in central Florida, having paid more than $1.1 billion in state and local taxes last year. "So this is plainly a matter of retaliation while the rest of the Florida special districts continue operating basically as they were."

☆ Weird and wonderful trains that break the rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Here’s a selection of unusual railways that break the rules in order to reach the places other trains can’t roll. The single rails carrying the trains are supported by a series of 486 steel portals weighing almost 20,000 tonnes in total. It is the oldest continuously operating pier railway in the world. Six miles of the route are along a rural railway line, with the rest in bus mode. Katoomba Scenic Railway, AustraliaNot far from the wonderful city of Sydney is a railway experience unlike anything else in the world.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville, May 1, 2023. Ron DeSantis, accusing the Republican leader of doubling down on his "retribution campaign" against the company by signing legislation to void Disney's development deals in Orlando. Disney's amended lawsuit also noted that Florida's Republican-led legislature passed legislation last week targeting Walt Disney World's monorail system. On Friday, the final day of the state's 2023 legislative session, DeSantis signed a bill that included language effectively targeting Disney's development contracts. Linda Stewart, a Democrat representing Florida's 13th Senate district and a staunch critic of DeSantis' actions against Disney, called the feud between DeSantis and Disney "insane" and laid blame with her Republican counterparts.

Disney says the contracts were crafted to help lock in its long-term development plans amid escalating tension with DeSantis and his allies. "This feud between DeSantis and Disney is insane," Linda Stewart, a Democrat who represents Florida's 13th Senate district, told CNBC. Disney sued DeSantis and the board members last week, alleging a campaign of political retaliation led by the governor. In addition to voiding the development deals, the Florida Legislature passed a measure that would have the state transportation department conduct inspections of Walt Disney World's monorails. Earlier this month, the state education board approved an expansion of the classroom bill that kicked off the feud with Disney.

☆ Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emi Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Opened last December, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport has 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Haneda International Airport Terminal 3. Tokyo has also announced plans to receive up to 60 million overseas visitors to the country by 2030. And as inbound tourism recovers, Haneda – which has been crowned the world’s most punctual mega-airport – hopes to ride that wave. Developers want to expand those routes to greater swathes of Japan as part of broader plans to help revitalize the country’s regions, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of the Haneda Airport Garden. Tou explained that visitors to the multipurpose complex can already get a taste of what Japan offers.

☆ The Florida legislature swoops in to try to help DeSantis wrestle power back from Disney World
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The GOP-controlled legislature introduced an amendment to take away Disney's control over its land. Ron DeSantis seize back control of the board that oversees Walt Disney World's special tax district. The amendment aims to nullify Disney's actions from February, in which the mega-corporation stealthily rendered toothless a board DeSantis appointed to make decisions about its land. At that time, DeSantis said, the group would also work separately to void the Disney loophole that stripped them of their power. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

☆ Inside the Rise and Fall of Kittyhawk, Larry Page's Failed Flying Car Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Killing off projects had become something of a tradition at Kittyhawk, the secretive flying-car startup launched by the Google cofounder Larry Page. Larry Page has used his Google money to found a series of flying car companies with one common goal: "to free the world of traffic." "When Bloomberg did their original exposé, that's when urban air mobility became a thing," a former Kittyhawk employee recalled. Everyone thought: If Larry Page is in this space, there must be something here." Interpreting "Larry-isms" or "learning to speak Larry" were essential skills for any Kittyhawk employee who wanted to retain their sanity.

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