Tag Archives: Travel & Tourism

US could demand five-year social media history from tourists before allowing entry

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Tourists from Europe and other regions could be asked to provide a five-year social media history before given entry to the United States, according to a new proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection service (CBP). The new rule would affect visitors from countries who normally enjoy relatively easy entry to the US via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

The new proposal cites an executive order issued by President Trump from January titled "Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats." In his first year in office, Trump has been hyper-focused on strengthening US borders and reducing what he calls illegal immigration. 

The US state department will conduct "online presence" reviews for applicants and their dependents and require privacy settings on social media profiles to be made "public." Applicants must list all the social media handles they've used over the last five years and if any information is omitted, it could lead to the denial of current and future visas. The CBP didn't say what information they were looking for or what could be disqualifying. 

On top of the social media information, CBP may require applicant's telephone numbers and email addresses used over the last five and 10 years respectively, along with information about family members. 

The new conditions are liable to increase ESTA wait times and drastically boost the cost of enforcing it. The CPB's document suggests that an additional 5,598,115 man-hours would be required per year, or around 3,000 full-time jobs plus all the costs that entails. Right now, the ESTA application costs $40, allows people to visit the US for 90 days at a time and is valid for a two-year period. 

The mandatory social media reporting and other requirements could discourage travelers. Some Australian tourists who were coming to the US for the upcoming World Cup have now said that they've abandoned those plans, according to The Guardian, with one person calling the new rules "horrifying."

However, when asked if the proposal could lead to a tourism decline in the US, Trump said he wasn't concerned. "No. We're doing so well," he told a reporter. "We want to make sure we're not letting the wrong people come enter our country." 

The CPB emphasized that the new conditions were only a proposal for now. "Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States [currently]," a spokesperson told the BBC. "This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe." 

If implemented, the rule would affect people from 40 countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan. The largest number of tourists to the US come from Canada and Mexico, accounting for nearly half of the total — however, visitors with passports from those two countries don't require a visa or ESTA approval. Travel to the US was down three percent this year compared to 2024 as of August 2025, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/us-could-demand-five-year-social-media-history-from-tourists-before-allowing-entry-102751243.html?src=rss

Uber is installing kiosks for booking rides without the mobile app

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Uber is rolling out kiosks for travelers to book rideshares without using the mobile app. The company is pitching the service as a convenience for international travelers who may not have a data plan, but it could also be a lifesaver if your phone runs out of juice and you don't have a way to recharge it. A passenger can use the kiosk to enter their destination and desired ride type, then will receive a printed receipt with the details about their booked ride. The first kiosk will debut in Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, but Uber said it would have additional locations in airports, hotels and ports over the coming months. 

In airport situations, these kiosks make Uber even more of a direct competitor to traditional taxis. With the removal of the app, the kiosk can essentially stand in as the dispatcher and a passenger can decide how to travel based on their preferences (or on wait times) for a rideshare versus a yellow cab.

Uber also used LaGuardia as the starting point for its shuttle bus service in New York, with $18 rides between the airport and Manhattan transit hubs in October 2024; it later rolled out the shuttles to John F. Kennedy Airport in March 2025. Today, Uber said it is bringing the shuttle bus option to Newark Liberty International Airport, so all major NYC airports now have access to the service.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-is-installing-kiosks-for-booking-rides-without-the-mobile-app-220904106.html?src=rss

Disney teases an Olaf robot for its parks

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Disney has unveiled a new animatronic in the form of Olaf, the carrot-nosed snowman from the Frozen series of films. The robotic character will roam the streets of the upcoming World of Frozen (coming soon to Adventure World at Disneyland Paris) and make "limited-time special appearances at World of Frozen at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort," Disney wrote on its parks blog. 

Olaf, seen in prototype form in a 30-minute Disney video, can walk on his little snowball legs, emote realistically and speak with visitors. During the video, Disney Imagineering Paris exec Michel Den Dulk removes and replaces the robot's nose and arm, something park visitors will also be able to do. 

To help make Olaf look authentic and toon-like in his movements, the Imagineering team used AI reinforcement learning. That allowed them to teach the robot how to walk and perform "graceful" motions in far less time than it would have taken to program it manually, Disney said. The fact that Olaf has a soft, snow-like exterior also let them "fully articulate his mouth, eyes, and removable carrot nose and arms." 

The timing of the announcement is pretty wild considering that Defunctland, the amusement park history site, just released a four-hour YouTube documentary about the broken promise of Disney's animatronics. The main point was that Disney has announced many such characters but only shows them off at a few special events before shoving them away, Westworld basement-style, never to be seen again. 

A few examples of those are the Wall-E robot in the aughts and, more recently, Groot and Star Wars droids. Those served mainly as marketing pieces for Disney, as they only appeared in the parks for specific tests and then disappeared. Disney even made a robot called Big Dino that was 13 feet tall and weighed 11,000 pounds — though it's probably best that one wasn't roaming around the parks greeting visitors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-teases-an-olaf-robot-for-its-parks-151017739.html?src=rss

Uber’s ‘Send a Ride’ feature makes it easier to pay someone else’s fare

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In anticipation of what's expected to be a more hectic than usual season of holiday travel, Uber is adding a collection of new gifting and ridesharing features to its app. The most convenient of the new features is "Send a Ride," a way to purchase Uber rides for someone else.

Send a Ride lets you cover the cost of a ride directly from the Uber app, making it possible to pay for something like an airport pickup in advance. Uber says you'll be able to set a number of rides and a spending limit in the app (like two rides for up to $50 each) and then the app will generate a link that you can share with whomever you want to receive the rides. When they click the link, credit will automatically be added to their account and applied to their next trip.

For anyone whose winter travel includes skiing and snowboarding, Uber Ski is a new seasonal ride option Uber is adding that lets you book a ride to and from "nearly 40 of the top mountains across North America and Europe." When you select Uber Ski in the app, you can reserve an UberXL for up to two guests with gear or an UberXXL for up to four guests with gear. Uber also says it will sell the Epic Pass, a ticket that gets you access to Vail Resorts, directly through the Uber app. 

If you're figuring out your own ride home from the airport, Uber is also expanding its Uber Share for Airports option that lets you split a ride home with people heading in the same general direction. Uber Share is now available at over 50 airports worldwide, including new additions John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia AirPort and Orlando International Airport.

Finally, starting in December, Uber will let you add a free video message from stars like Megan Thee Stallion, the Jonas Brothers or Tracee Ellis Ross to any Uber Eats order you send as a gift. The videos don't sound like they'll be personalized like a video from Cameo, but whoever you send the gift to will be able to choose their own delivery time so they're available when their gift arrives.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/ubers-send-a-ride-feature-makes-it-easier-to-pay-someone-elses-fare-130000110.html?src=rss

Airbnb tests letting users order groceries through Instacart

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Airbnb is testing a service in which guests can order groceries through Instacart, as reported by Bloomberg. This may not sound like a big deal at first, because guests can already use any grocery app during their stay to stock the house up with snacks. However, this service can be accessed by customers before their stay.

This means that folks can prepare for, say, a barbecue or similar event ahead of time. I can see this being pretty dang useful around certain holidays. This duty falls to the hosts, who will have to actually put the groceries away.

Airbnb will give hosts $25 for every completed order, so long as they tuck the food away before the guests arrive. Guests can, of course, order groceries through Instacart during their stay, though they'll have to put them away on their own. Customers will be allowed to place an Instacart order up to three weeks before their stay.

This pilot program begins on January 5 and Airbnb will be testing it for three months to see how guests and hosts react. It'll be open to "select hosts" throughout the US in areas like Phoenix, Orlando and Los Angeles.

This is just the latest unique integration for Airbnb. The platform teamed up with ChargePoint last year to offer hosts discounts on EV chargers. This is an effort to entice hosts to install chargers on the premises.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/airbnb-tests-letting-users-order-groceries-through-instacart-161340408.html?src=rss

The first permanent Pokémon theme park opens in February 2026

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PokéPark Kanto, the first permanent Pokémon theme park, will open its doors on February 5, 2026. Previous Pokémon parks and attractions existed in the past, but they were only open for a limited time. PokéPark Kanto will be located inside the Yomiuriland amusement park in Tokyo, Japan and will require an add-on pass to enter. Visitors will have to go through a “Pokémon Research Lab” building, which serves as the gateway to the park’s two sections: Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town

The Pokémon Forest is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a stretch of land with hills, paths with tall grass, rocky trails and tunnels where visitors will see Pokémon in their natural habitats. The Pokémon statues are posed to show that they’re engaging in various activities, such as battling or playing with friends.

Meanwhile, Sedge Town is the town center where visitors will find the Pokémon Center and Poké Mart, which sounds like a place where they can buy some refreshments. In addition to the main attractions, PokéPark Kanto will feature Pika Pika Paradise, a ride featuring over 30 electric-type Pokémon. There’s also Vee Vee Voyage, a carousel featuring carriages pulled by Ponyta and Rapidash, as well as balloons where visitors can ride with Eevee.

We’ve yet to see actual photos of the park, but the trailer below will give you a glimpse of what you can expect.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-first-permanent-pokemon-theme-park-opens-in-february-2026-012228856.html?src=rss

Uber’s new XXL rides will have extra room for your big-ass suitcase

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Uber is rolling out some new features for the holiday travel season. On Wednesday, it announced a new, super-duper-sized option with extra trunk space for airport travel. In addition, there will be a third shuttle route for NYC travelers.

UberXXL is the company’s new extra-spacious rideshare option. These airport-only rides offer more trunk space and plenty of “comfortable” seating room “for you and your group.” Uber says pricing for the new jumbo-sized service will fall somewhere between UberXL and Uber Black. Upfront pricing will be available in the app.

The service is launching at 40 airports in the US and Canada, including New York’s Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark. Other participating UberXXL airports include (among others) LAX, SFO, Reagan National, O’Hare, DFW, Miami and Atlanta. It will be available at over 60 airports globally.

Two Uber app screenshots show the new Flight Capture feature and airport rideshares.
Uber

Holiday travelers will also have new ways to save a few bucks on their trips this year. UberX Share is launching at eight US airports and two international ones. The service lets you book a trip with “just one other airport traveler” to save up to 25 percent compared to UberX fares. The company says the cheaper rates will apply even if you aren’t matched with a random stranger.

UberX Share for flights will launch at Austin, Denver, Newark, Dulles, Miami, New Orleans and Phoenix airports.

Uber Reserve, the company’s schedule-ahead feature, is adding Flight Capture, which lets you enter your flight info and schedule your trip around it. The app will recommend the best time to leave and ask if you want to adjust your drop-off if your flight is delayed. In addition, Uber Reserve will now give you the option of adding multiple stops when setting up your ride.

After launching in New York City last month, Uber Shuttle has added an extra stop to and from LaGuardia. The $18 shuttle service, which lets you save some money on its preset routes, will now include a third stop at the World Trade Center site at 198 Fulton St. It joins the previous two shuttle pickup and drop-off points: Midtown Manhattan (with stops at Port Authority Terminal and Grand Central) and Penn Station.

Finally, the Uber app for iPhone has added a widget that could shave a few seconds off the time it takes to schedule a pickup. Starting today, the iOS app has a new Home Screen widget that lets you request a ride “in as little as two taps.” You can check the App Store for the update today. The company added a ride-tracking Live Activities feature last year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/ubers-new-xxl-rides-will-have-extra-room-for-your-big-ass-suitcase-110027241.html?src=rss

Super Nintendo World Orlando opens next May

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The Super Nintendo World theme park in Orlando is nearly ready for visitors. Universal Orlando Resort just announced that the Mario-friendly attraction will open its doors on May 22, 2025. That gives you over six months to find the perfect Goomba costume to wear on opening day.

This is the third Nintendo theme park throughout the world, as the Orlando location joins pre-existing parks in Los Angeles and Japan. If the layout looks anything like the other two parks, you should expect a large interactive area to explore, special themed rides and, of course, all kinds of Nintendo-adjacent dining and shopping. The original Japanese park just got a nifty Donkey Kong Country area, and Nintendo confirmed earlier this year that it would come to Orlando as well.

This is part of a larger expansion of Universal Resort Orlando, called Universal Epic Universe. This includes five areas to explore. There’s the aforementioned Super Nintendo World, but this expansion will also host the pre-existing Harry Potter attraction.

The area will be home to a theme park based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise and another based on the Dark Universe franchise. That last one is pretty odd to me, being as how the Dark Universe franchise peaked with a few middling horror films in the 2010s. Most of the planned films in this shared cinematic universe were scrapped after 2017’s The Mummy crashed and burned. 

Finally, there’s Celestial Park. This looks to be a standard amusement park with a slight sci-fi bent. There are space-themed roller coasters and the like.

Correction, October 18 2024, 8:45AM ET: This story originally stated that it wasn't clear if the Donkey Kong Country attraction was coming to Orlando. Nintendo had announced that it would be in the Orlando park earlier this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/super-nintendo-world-orlando-opens-next-may-164506895.html?src=rss

Uber is reportedly exploring an Expedia takeover

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Uber is reportedly exploring the idea of purchasing Expedia, one of the largest travel booking companies in the world, according to the Financial Times. Expedia, which is valued at $20 billion and which reported its highest-ever annual revenue in 2023, will be the company's biggest acquisition, if the deal does indeed push through. The Times says it's very early days, however, and Uber hasn't even made a formal offer for the travel company yet. It's still in the process of studying the implications of acquiring Expedia and has, over the past months, worked with advisers to figure out whether the deal is feasible and how it would be structured. 

The company's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, may have to sit out deal discussions, seeing as he used to be CEO of Expedia before he was hired by the ride-hailing service in 2017. He's still in its Board of Directors, as well. It doesn't sound like Khosrowshahi was the one who suggested the potential purchase, though — in its report, the Times said the idea was "broached by a third party."

Uber has had plans to become a wider travel booking platform for a while now. Khosrowshahi said he wanted Uber to be the "Amazon of transportation" from the time he joined the company. Since then, the ride-hailing service has added train, bus and flight bookings in some markets, and it has also made several large acquisitions. It purchased online food delivery service Postmates for $2.65 billion and alcohol delivery service Drizly for $1.1 billion before shutting it down three years later. The company also teamed up with Waymo and Cruise to offer autonomous rides in certain markets. As the Times notes, Uber became profitable for the first time in 2023 due to a renewed demand for rides and food delivery and could be a in a good position to acquire a company as big as Expedia. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uber-is-reportedly-exploring-an-expedia-takeover-120038754.html?src=rss

Airbnb now lets hosts hire other hosts to manage properties

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Hosting a property on Airbnb is no longer a simple process. Customers can be finicky, ideal pricing can change on a dime, markets can become flooded and earnings can be difficult to track. The platform’s trying to simplify matters by introducing the Co-Host Network, which allows hosts to hire other hosts to manage properties.

Here’s how it works. Property owners can peruse the network for other hosts and scoop them up into a loving embrace of hospitality. The hired hosts can help with just about anything, including setting up listings, selecting prices and availability, cleaning, maintenance and guest management. It’s a disruption of the blazing-hot “building superintendent” industry.

The app in action.
Airbnb

These hosts for hire must be highly rated and local, with Airbnb saying it has only included hosts with a rating of at least 4.8 and a minimum of ten hosted stays. The would-be co-hosts/employees can set their own service rates on a profile page. The company says it has onboarded over 10,000 people so far, in countries like Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico and the US.

“One of the requests that we had from hosts is that they would really love to be able to find professional, high-quality co-hosts with a great track record in their area whom they can trust. And they can really be completely hands-off,” Judson Coplan, VP of Product Marketing at Airbnb, said to TechCrunch.

While this feature should be a boon for actual people who just need a little bit of help, the phrase “completely hands-off” gives me pause. It seems like it could easily be used by gigantic real estate monoliths that own hundreds and hundreds of properties across the platform.

This isn’t a bad thing, per se, as these mega-hosts are generally considered to be a reliable option for guests. However, this certainly doesn’t help the public perception that Airbnb and its ilk participate in the hollowing out of neighborhoods, turning them into ghost towns. There is, after all, a housing crisis across the country.

In any event, this could be a decent way for some people to make a few extra bucks. Airbnb introduced other stuff besides the Co-Host Network, including a feature for hosts to check out similar listings in an area. As for guests, there’s a new welcome tour in the app for first time users, updated search filters, local payment options and more.

The platform has been busy lately. Earlier this year, Airbnb started a program to provide discounts on EV chargers for hosts. It also now allows the app to display smart lock codes to guests.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/airbnb-now-lets-hosts-hire-other-hosts-to-manage-properties-153748730.html?src=rss