Call it Faux-bama. Or perhaps Robobama. After a long renovation, the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom reopens this Saturday, July 4, and inside is a new guest: an Audio-Animatronic version of President Barack Obama.

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Disney Imagineer John Cutry programs an Audio-Animatronics figure of President Barack Obama (Courtesy Disney)

One photo, in the Orlando Sentinel, shows the Obama-bot with a serious, determined face and two hands extended slightly, palms facing up. The expression and body language seems to be saying, "What are you gonna do?" or perhaps "Slap me ten!"

With the unveiling, Disney will have on display life-sized animated figures of every U.S. president. Lincoln's gives the entire Gettysburg Address. The Audio-Animatronic Bill Clinton poses with his fist raised, thumb slightly up in his famed "I feel your pain" position.

Read more about Disney World in the July/August issue's Ask Trip Coach.

Would you accept "barstool-style" seating in exchange for a cheaper plane ticket? That's the question China's Spring Airlines is considering. The low-cost carrier has more demand for its flights than it has planes, says Britain's Sky News.

The company president says the new plan would be "like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water." The company needs to get approval from regulators first, adding that government officials have been positive so far.

Back in 2003, aircraft manufacturer Airbus researched the idea of "standing-room seats" but abandoned the idea, says The New York Times

Click the image to launch the slide show. (Courtesy Ketchie/myBudgetTravel)

We asked, and you came through with spectacular photos from U.S. national parks, including this shot of Glacier National Park from myBT member Ketchie.

See the slide show.

Inspired? We've also got practical advice to help you get outdoors: National Parks (Minus the Crowds) maps out itineraries for four popular parks. Try planning your visit around one of this summer's free admission weekends, and browse our national park deals.

It's not so easy to open a sleek boutique hotel these days in Manhattan, where room occupancy is down and practically everything's on sale. The new MAve Hotel has taken note and trimmed rates to lure guests.

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(Courtesy of Sonheim Photography)

The 72 rooms have modern graphic art, 32" HDTVs, H20 bath products, and velour bathrobes. Wi-Fi is included, as is breakfast—and that's no stale roll and weak coffee, as a hotel rep pointed out to me. Artisanal, a nearby French bistro with its own cheese caves, supplies three kinds of cheeses, four breads, and same-day roasted coffee beans.

The MAve, which rhymes with "wave" and references Madison Avenue, got its name by popular online vote. It's a few blocks north of the landmark Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, where you can brave the Shake Shack's notoriously long lines. 62 Madison Ave., near 27th St., 212/532-7373, themavehotel.com, a part of the Desires Hotels collection.

MORE NYC HOTEL COVERAGE
The stylish Ace Hotel opens, with rates from $99

New York City: A gem of a hotel

A cool new hotel for under $100 is adding rooms

New York City hotels at a price that's right

Europe has one of the best safety records in the world when it comes to airplanes. Its safety rules are considered the gold standard by many. Yet many airlines based outside of Europe operate below essential safety levels. Member states of the European Union (E.U.) ban these airlines from operating in their countries.

In case you're curious, the E.U. has posted a PDF file naming the airlines blacklisted in Europe. You'll only encounter most of these airlines if you're flying in developing countries such as Gabon and the Kyrgyz Republic.

The good news? No airline based in North America is on the list.

The most disturbing detail? European experts don't think that Indonesia, a large country with a growing middle-class, adequately monitors the safety of its planes. No airline from Indonesia is considered safe enough to fly into E.U. countries.

Ready for a bit of gallows humor? One of the airlines on the blacklist is "Safe Air," based in the (not so) Democratic Republic of Congo.

The United States has not come up with its own blacklist.

America's birthday falls conveniently on a Saturday this year (or perhaps inconveniently, if this means you won't get a day off from work). A great way to celebrate the big day is to head to the 33rd annual Harborfest in Norfolk, Va., which takes place at the newly revamped Town Point Park over three days, July 3–5.

One of the highlights of Harborfest is the annual Parade of Sail, when a large group of sailboats, tugs, motorboats, and, the highlight, several tall ships make their way along the Elizabeth River, arriving at the downtown harbor at noon. This year's Parade of Sail will feature the Brazilian Cisne Branco and the Pride of Baltimore II, which celebrates the early-19th-century Baltimore clippers, ships built for speed and small cargoes that were a key element in the U.S. Navy in the War of 1812. The ships will be open for tours after the parade. (Ship fans should also make sure to check out the USS Wisconsin—or, as her crew called her, the Wisky—at the maritime museum Nauticus, a short walk from Town Point Park.)

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The fireworks at last year's Harborfest celebration (Courtesy Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau)

The seven-acre Town Point Park, which hosts the weekend's events, has recently been updated—thousands of new shrubs and flowers have been planted, and new lighting has been installed to improve visibility and safety (and minimize energy use). The park is also a free Wi-Fi zone, a very welcome feature.

Harborfest events, most of which are free, take place on Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Plan on crowds: Nearly half a million people are expected to show up over the course of the weekend.

RELATED
My Hometown: Norfolk, Va.

Toned employees of Air New Zealand shed their clothes in favor of body-painted uniforms for a safety video that surely caught passengers' attention when it debuted yesterday. Here's what they saw (strategic editing and seat belt placement keep this video office appropriate).

The cheeky safety video comes on the heels of a "nothing to hide" ad campaign the airline launched in May to highlight their policy of including all fees, even for baggage and onboard drinks, in their listed prices. The commercial has already been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube. You can see outtakes from both the video and commercial on Air New Zealand's dedicated website.

Last year, Delta caused a stir with a safety video narrated by "Deltalina," a flight attendant with an uncanny resemblance to Angelina Jolie.

If you've seen any creative airplane videos, don't be shy—share them below.

At Budget Travel, we love the authentic—you know, the stuff that locals like most about their hometowns. Well, here's a tip for finding out just that about all sorts of great towns around the U.S.

Before I visit a city or decent-sized town, I check to see if the place has an alternative weekly newspaper. If it does, chances are the paper puts together an annual "Best Of" edition, in which locals vote for their favorite places to eat, drink, hang out, sightsee, and more. Many of these polls give you a mix of quirky and practical info rarely found in guidebooks—like the best barber to talk politics with, the best art gallery for people who hate art, best free happy-hour crockpot (all from the Seattle Weekly, by the way). These lists can also be revealing about what an area does (and doesn't) do well: If, for example, Chili's is voted in as the best Mexican restaurant (or even in the top three), chances are the region isn't a hot bed of Mexican cuisine.

Finding these "Best Of" polls is generally as simple as a Google search, though if you're having trouble, Wikipedia has a handy list of alternative weeklies to get you started. But hey, the info doesn't have to come from an alt weekly. Some mainstream newspapers also round up great tips; San Diego's Union-Tribune is one such example.

Below are a few "Best Of" samples. Some are 2008 editions, but you get the idea. Look for new polls to be released later this summer—not to mention Budget Travel's ongoing Eat Like a Local series and our new My Town back page.

• Asheville, N.C.
• Austin
• Burlington, Vt.
• Charlottesville, Va.
• Denver
• Memphis
• Phoenix
• San Diego
• Santa Fe, N.M.
• Seattle

Put in that vacation request! The sooner you can take off, the more you'll save during Intrepid Travel's one-day sale, June 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.

Select July departures are reduced by 60 percent, while those in August are 30 percent off, and any other Intrepid package for travel through December 31, 2009, is 15 percent off. Pull up their website or get ready to call 800/970-7299 and supply the booking code 3132. Procrastinators will likely be disappointed as some of these trips have only four spots left.

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Machu Picchu, Peru (Courtesy lindacroteau/myBudgetTravel)

As we've previously noted, Intrepid is friendly to solo travelers and pairs an individual with a roommate instead of charging a single supplement.

Some fine print: The discounts don't apply to Intrepid Travel's additional local payments, typically a few hundred dollars that are due on arrival and go toward incidental expenses and local guides. For instance, the Peru package comes out to $964 per person: $664 (sale price) plus a local payment of $300. Also be prepared to pay in full for trips booked at 60 or 30 percent off.

If you can't act fast enough for this one-day sale, bookmark Intrepid Travel's promotions page; trips departing within three months are regularly listed at 20 percent off.

(Courtesy tleonard1/Flickr)

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Reports are still streaming in about fans building impromptu shrines and tributes to Michael Jackson worldwide, including at spots in London, where Jackson was scheduled to perform a sold-out 50-concert set. And I don't know about you, but it seemed all I heard this weekend was the King of Pop's greatest hits, spilling out of apartment windows and car sunroofs.

But I'm curious: Where will Jackson's ultimate shrine be, the mecca of his famous (and often infamous) career? Elvis has his Graceland, and there's speculation that Michael Jackson could have the same kind of touristy, pilgrimage-like following.

Will it be Gary, Indiana, the place of his birth? The mayor sure hopes so, as an influx of tourism would help the ailing steel town.

Or will it be the Motown museum in Detroit, where the Jackson 5 recorded their first songs?

What about creepy Neverland Ranch in California? Roger Brooks, the CEO of Destination Development International, was quoted in an AP article saying, "It was his place as an adult. It was his vision that built the place from the ground up."

We'd also throw NYC's Apollo Theater into the ring. Jackson performed there in 1967 at an amateur night with his brothers (and won).

As was everything with the King of Pop, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

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(Courtesy Dennis58/myBudgetTravel)

In the past year, rental car companies have sold more than 400,000 vehicles in the used car market, creating an artificial scarcity. They're now able to jack up prices to pretty much whatever they want. The New York Times Practical Travel columnist Michelle Higgins has the scoop:

In May, the average rate for a weekly airport rental of a compact car booked seven days in advance was $346, up a whopping 73 percent compared with $199.65 for the same month last year, according to the Abrams Consulting Group, based in Purchase, N.Y., which tracks rental rates.

So what is a traveler to do?

(Courtesy altea/myBudgetTravel)

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A few of our favorite links from around the 'net this week.

Airfares: Analysts say summer prices may have hit bottom. So if you've been on the fence, book now. [USA Today]

10 international menu mistakes that'll crack you up. [Tripbase]

Amsterdam: A new display at the van Gogh museum features the artist's letters to his younger brother. [Jaunted]

A new study by Harvard and MIT shows that "Travel Broadens the Mind." [World Hum]

The Appalachian Trail, experiencing a bit of celebrity these days, is a classic American trek.
[Gadling]

Google takes baby steps into travel. [Tech Crunch]

For more travel blogs, go to Alltop.

The largest seller of hotel rooms, Expedia, is having its largest-ever sale. Rates up to 60 percent off in major destinations. Book by June 30; travel through July 30, 2009. Plus, use your MasterCard to book and receive at least $100 in coupons for future travel. Details at Expedia.

(Courtesy kworth30/Flickr)

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We've been asking top guidebook writers for their alternatives to iconic attractions. Today's writer is Anna Brooke, author of Frommer's Paris Day by Day and Frommer's Provence & the Riviera Day by Day.

Her recommended alternative to the Eiffel Tower is…

…Montparnasse Tower

The Eiffel Tower may be the quintessential symbol of Paris. But for magnificent views of Paris that actually include Gustave Eiffel's engineering feat, check out La Tour Montparnasse, France's tallest skyscraper.

From the 59th floor terrace, or the 56th floor restaurant, the panoramas astound. It costs €10.50 (about $14.50) adult admission to get to the top, compared to €13 ($18) for the Eiffel top platform visit, and the lines are significantly shorter.

For the next year or two, it will remain Paris' only inner-city skyscraper, a controversial 1970s building often criticized for its lack of aestheticism. But you're there for the views of the skyline and of the Eiffel Tower from its viewing platform—not to praise the building itself.

Tip: Best visited after dark when the Eiffel Tower sparkles (for about 10 minutes, every hour on the hour).

Now don't get us wrong. We're suckers for the Eiffel Tower, too. And neither Anna Brooke nor Frommer's is criticizing anyone who might want to go to the top of the famous icon. All we're trying to do here is recognize that lesser known attractions may have their own appeal, too.

For tour info for the Eiffel Tower, see its official website.

Better than Stonehenge?

Better than Florence's Duomo?

(Courtesy judyannemt/myBudgetTravel)

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An amazing deal on a cruise was nabbed by Budget Travel blog reader Maureen of Mission Viejo, Calif.

She scored a 30-day South American cruise from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro leaving on Nov. 22, 2009. Her obstructed ocean view cabin was only $1,697. After you include government taxes and mandatory gratuities, it figures out to be only $74 a day per person!

That's about a third cheaper than the list price. Maureen says:

Right now the current brochure for the cruise we are taking states a balcony fare from $2,979, add $197 govt.fees/taxes plus $330 tips ($11 per day added on by Princess per person). The math for this trip figures out to be $110 a day for a balcony room.

Even more impressive, Maureen is paying about 59 percent less per day for her upcoming cruise than the last Princess cruise she took (staying in a comparable berth). Consider that Maureen went on a 10-day eastern Caribbean cruise with Princess this past January and paid $1,730 per person for a balcony (no fuel charges). Adding the $110 for taxes and tips that trip came to $184 a day.

We asked her how she got the deal, to see if we could pick up some pointers: