Lyft goes for comfort
Lyft has unveiled a new class of service called Extra Comfort, while phasing out its higher-end Lux and Preferred rides. Extra Comfort looks to be a slightly upgraded ride, featuring newer vehicles and the ability to customize options like temperature, "quiet time" or help with baggage. Extra Comfort goes head to head with Uber's own Comfort rides, but Lyft's version at first boasted a minimum driver rating of 4.85 or greater. (However, the Lyft app has since quietly stopped touting that perk). We tried Lyft Extra Comfort to and from the airport this month, traveling with an infant car seat. Both times we received rides in newer SUVs with excellent 5.0-star drivers and no major issues. The rides between south Minneapolis and MSP (and vice versa) were $31.84 and $30.35, plus tips.
Simon Peter Groebner
Hong Kong 'Frozen'
Hong Kong Disneyland has opened its first "Frozen"-themed attraction, with thousands of eager visitors — some dressed like characters from the film — turning up to experience the new rides. The new land features landscapes and characters from the wildly popular animated film and two new rides. It is part of a $60 billion expansion of Disney parks and cruises planned over a decade. With China reopening after the pandemic, the new attraction is meant to be a "game changer" for a theme park that has run losses for years. Disney plans to launch a "Frozen"-themed Kingdom of Arendelle at Disneyland Paris, slated to open in either 2024 or 2025.
Associated Press
Kids ski free
At more than 21 Colorado ski resorts, kids of various ages can ski free. For example, kids under 5 always ski free at Arapahoe, Aspen, Snowmass and Loveland. Steamboat's Kids Ski Free and Grandkids Ski Free programs enable children 12 and younger to ski free the same number of days as their parent or grandparent with the purchase of a five-day-or-more adult lift ticket. The CSCUSA Ski Passport gives skiers and snowboarders in grades three through six the opportunity to explore 20 Colorado Ski Country USA ski areas. At $65, it gives parents an easy way to hit the slopes
FamilyTravel.com
Swift boat
A Taylor Swift-themed cruise is setting sail in 2024. The fan-sponsored event organized by Marvelous Mouse Travels will take Swifties on a Royal Caribbean cruise sailing from Port of Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. According to a post by event organizers in the cruise's Facebook group, because of limited capacity they are operating on a waitlist model. The five-day/four-night cruise departs on Oct. 21 from Miami aboard Allure of the Seas. Prices were advertised from $1,573 to $1,967. Taylor Swift is not affiliated with the cruise so it is unlikely that she will attend. However, she is performing for three nights at the Hard Rock Stadium from Oct. 18-20.
Tribune News Services
