Jacob Passy

New York

Travel Reporter at The Wall Street Journal

Travel reporter for @WSJ. Formerly @MarketWatch. Alum of @TuftsUniversity & @newmarkjschool. Views are mine. He/him.

Articles

Muppets Superfans Hold a Funeral

2 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

One woman dressed for a wake. Another showed off a tattoo she got to commemorate the occasion. A group gathered with battery-operated candles to sing in a makeshift vigil. They were outside Muppet*Vision 3D, an attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida devoted to Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the Muppets crew. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Muppets Superfans Hold a Funeral

2 weeks ago | fnlondon.com | Jacob Passy

Muppets Superfans Hold a FuneralClosure of Disney attraction brought a steady stream of mourners who wanted one last look at Kermit and his crew; ‘I was all cried out’ Published June 13, 2025 at 5:30 AM ET One woman dressed for a wake. Another showed off a tattoo she got to commemorate the occasion. A group gathered with battery-operated candles to sing in a makeshift vigil.
Toward Universal Travel Miles for Frequent Fliers and Hotel Enthusiasts

2 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

Rewards programs are evolving as airlines and hotels explore one-point-fits-all systemsTraveling in this day and age means accumulating hoards of points and miles, earned and valued at different rates. Spending them means navigating multiple loyalty accounts. What if there were an easier way: Imagine if one currency could be used across all your travel-loyalty programs—a kind of eurozone for points and miles.
Everyone’s Celebrating a Play About Mary Todd Lincoln-Except Her Impersonators

3 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

Within the community of hobbyists who impersonate Abraham and Mary, her depiction in popular culture is a sore subject. Marys say they carry the burden of both her bulky outfits and a long history of indignities and misconceptions about her mental state. “She is easily the butt of jokes,” said Laura Keyes, a 42-year-old library director from Peoria, Ill.
Everyone’s Celebrating a Play About Mary Todd Lincoln-Except Her Impersonators

3 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

The former first lady’s biggest fans say people don’t get her, and the Broadway hit ‘Oh, Mary!’ isn’t exactly helping the causeMembers of the Association of Lincoln Presenters, including Laura Keyes in the burgundy dress, gather for a group portrait in front of an Abraham Lincoln statue in Courthouse Square in Dayton, Ohio. Mary Todd Lincoln is killing it on Broadway.
Want to Pass On All Those Frequent-Flier Miles to Heirs? It’s Tricky

3 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

Yet with some planning, there are workarounds. Sharing frequent-flier login credentials with loved ones will often let them use the points for their own travel—that is, until the airline is informed of the account holder’s death. Some airlines, including United, JetBlue and Frontier, allow a set number of people—in most cases, just family members—to pool miles to get to reward tickets faster.
Want to Pass On All Those Frequent-Flier Miles to Heirs? It’s Tricky

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Jacob Passy

Members of the Michigan House and Senate on Tuesday took up a set of mirrored proposals to establish incentives to produce more “sustainable aviation …
Newark Airfares Will Be a Steal This Summer, United CEO Says

4 weeks ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

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Le parc d'attractions à 7 milliards de dollars d'Universal met Disney au défi

1 month ago | lopinion.fr | Jacob Passy

ORLANDO, Floride — Ce fut une expérience tout droit sortie d’un monde légendaire : avoir la chance de rencontrer un dragon.
Universal’s $7 Billion Theme Park Sparks Arms Race With Disney

1 month ago | wsj.com | Jacob Passy

Toothless is the first theme-park character guests can interact with and touch that is animatronic, like the realistic robotic figures often used in rides and other attractions. Another dragon flies above the park via drone. Riding a carousel feels like floating among the night sky’s constellations. Flying on a magic elevator alongside Harry Potter to escape a charging Erumpent, a magical creature that resembles a rhinoceros, is stomach churning.