Top Theme Parks (Songquan Deng / Alamy) Millions of visitors to the world's most popular theme parks agree: these rides, shows, and costumed characters are worth the waits. Four decades after opening - and transforming Orlando - the Magic Kingdom is still the No. 1 most popular theme park, working its pixie-dust charm on more than 17 million annual visitors. Yet Mickey Mouse has some recent competition: the rising star of the theme-park industry is an English boy with round...

(Leif Parsons) Translating easily between cash, frequent-flier miles, and loyalty-program points would require something like the travel version of the Rosetta stone—and, unfortunately, we haven’t found it just yet. But there are a few ways to judge whether you’re getting a good deal.First, let’s tackle the question of how much your miles are really worth. Earning 50,000 miles would take more than 11 round-trip flights from Atlanta to Seattle. You can also buy 50,000 Delta SkyMiles for $1,750 (a rate...

United Airlines, which has a base in Chicago, above, had the worst on-time rate. US Airways had the best on-time rate for a network carrier. (Getty Images) NEW YORK — The number of long delays in July involving planes stuck on airport tarmacs was more than the previous eight months combined, the government said Monday. Twenty eight planes were stuck on the ground at U.S. airports for more than three hours that month, the height of the summer travel season....

(Sara Gray) T+L explores the unexpected pleasures of returning to a summer vacation place year after year—in this case, Maine.The Piper Cub buzzes back into view, flying just 200 feet over the waves, its red-lettered banner unfurled behind. All afternoon it’s been crisscrossing the cloudless sky. Every day, the same plane, same offer: Ken’s Maine Clambake – $19.95. When I first started coming here, the price was $8.99. Back then I could read it without my glasses.Each time the plane...

A Vintage Shopping Adventure (Diana Bier Portobello Road / Alamy) When William Faulkner remarked that the past is not dead, that, in fact, it’s not even past, he didn’t go far enough. I am walking down Portobello Road and the evidence of the past is glowing, vibrating, bouncing all around me: frames and fountain pens, toys and tortoiseshell, watches and walking sticks, pewter and perfume bottles—something for every collector’s taste including my own, which runs to, among other things, Victorian...

The Spirit of Summer Camp With Grown-Up Style (Courtesy of Primland) Remember when summer was endless? It smelled like pine needles and roasting marshmallows and felt like a splash of icy fresh lake water. Well, you can recapture those sensations at new bungalow cottages in Maine—without roughing it and without chintzy florals.Hidden Pond’s cottages are part of a cool breed that prove an authentic, carefree vacation is still possible and can be even better than you remember, thanks to sophisticated...

Hot New Hotels (Courtesy of W St. Petersburg) Miami has something new to buzz about thanks to rocker Lenny Kravitz, nightlife guru Sam Nazarian, chef José Andrés, and starchitect Philippe Starck, the celebrity dream team behind SLS South Beach—one of 2012’s biggest hotel openings.Every year Travel + Leisure readers vote on their favorite hotels in the World’s Best Awards survey. Now it’s the editors’ turn. We’ve opened up our little black book to reveal up-and-coming properties like SLS South Beach...

Sample the Best Italian Food this Side of the Atlantic (Jeff Kauck) “There are two kinds of people in the world,” chef Mario Batali said recently at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, “those who are Italian, and those who wish they were Italian.”No wonder: Italian restaurants across America are raising the bar. Think of all the Neapolitan pizzerias opened in the past decade, the focus on handmade pastas and authentic ingredients, and hip concepts like Torrisi Italian...

The Newest Travel-Inspiring Sites (David Davis Photoproductions / Alamy) Germany’s Bayreuth Opera House isn’t exactly a household name, but you’ll be hearing more about it and for good reason. This opulent 18th-century theater has been singled out by UNESCO—and will host events celebrating the 200th birthday of composer Richard Wagner in 2013.Every summer, UNESCO names new cultural and natural wonders to its World Heritage List for their outstanding universal value. It’s a way to raise awareness of the preservation of...

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- An optimistic forecast has inn owners expecting brisk business when leaf peepers visit the Northeast this fall, with some hoping to recoup losses from last year after images of Tropical Storm Irene swallowing up bridges and roads scared visitors away from Vermont and other affected areas. The Woodstock Inn & Resort had to cancel reservations for all of September last year due to flood damage. After multimillion-dollar renovations, it's quickly filling up for the five-week season and...

Baggage fees contributed $2.7 billion in added revenue to airlines last year, and more fees are likely to be added, a new government report concludes. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy, according to a new government report. The airline industry is still in transition after a tumultuous decade...

(Ken Canning) A leaf-peeper's guide to the top spots for fall foliage travel Nothing – not sweaters, not the smell of fireplaces, not pumpkin patches, and not apple picking – says "fall" like the blazing red, glimmering gold, and burnt-orange leaves that cover trees and crunch underfoot during the autumn months. Whether you're practically a professional leaf-peeper or just a casual enthusiast, you'll need to know where to take in the season's splendor. Lucky for you, we've scouted out the...