Jaunted

Tags: Laid-Off Travel / Macy's / Walt Disney World / Las Vegas / → All Tags

Macy's Employees: Buy Something, Sorry We Didn't

Are you one of the casualties of the hurtin' economy? We're here to help with Laid-Off Travel, a new series on where to go when you don't have somewhere to go from 9 to 5.

Macy's announced this week they would be trimming 7,000 jobs and 11 stores from its operations throughout the country, citing a recession-induced slowdown in sales. While there won't be a Lehman Brothers-style mass exodus, unhappy former retail-sector workers everywhere need a break -- why don't you try:

Kingdom: Magic Kingdom, that is. Walt Disney World's three-nights-free Orlando resort deal is blowin' up our sister blog HotelChatter (though you have to buy four nights to get three free). We're waffling between the kitschy Pop Century Resort and the un-Floridian Polynesian.

Ka-ching!: We would never recommend spending all your severance at the tables, but a little chunk might be fun. For a more solid investment, try a little retail therapy at the luxury boutiques that can no longer afford to turn you away. Today we pulled a $368 flight/hotel deal for this weekend that would put you on the Strip (albeit in the slightly less splash Stratosphere, Circus Circus or Riviera).

Keuka?!: If your personal unpaid indefinite vacation happened to catch you in NYC, maybe you need a few days to focus on something besides the CNN news ticker -- like brushing up on your wine-tasting skills. The Keuka Lake Wine Trail, starring seven wineries along one of the less well known Finger Lakes in upstate New York, will put the fire back in ya.

Related Stories:
· Macy's to cut 7,000 jobs [LA Times]
· Stay Three Nights Free at Disney World Resorts [HC]
· Keuka Lake Wineries [Keukawinetrail.com]
· Wine Travel: Rooster Hill Vineyards [Jaunted]
· Laid-Off Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Marjie]

Tags: Thanksgiving / Macy's / Videos / Travel News / → All Tags

Macy's Parade Was Best Ever, Say Our Internet Overlords

There are no words for our delight. While Macy's played it mostly safe with its new balloons for the 2008 Thanksgiving Day parade, adding a Smurf, Horton the Who and Buzz Lightyear, the Cartoon Network float appealed to those of us who live in the series of tubes by having the set of "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" interrupted by... Rick Astley. That's right, Macy's Rickrolled the world.

Whether the reference was caught by a majority of the over three million people lining the parade route in New York was not recorded. But if they didn't enjoy that, there was always Miley Cyrus on the "Bolt!" float, numbers from last summer's park production of "Hair" and "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta. The Energizer Bunny led the parade but peeled away at the end, that wascally wabbit.

Philadelphia's parade was led by TV foodie Rachel Ray but concluded with a visit from Santa Claus, who was cheered on by crowds bearing noisemakers IKEA passed out before the show. And Detroiters saw a resurgence in their parade tradition of papier-mache costumes known as Big Heads, with over 120 marchers decked out in historical or celebrity noggins to walk the parade route.

Related Stories:
· Thanksgiving Parade Offers a Fun Distraction [Detroit Free Press]
· Santa Brings End in Oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade [WFMZ]
· Boosters Push Love for City, Parade [Metro Mode]