The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pinball wizards have a home in Delray Beach
Forty years ago, a person could go into a serious quarter deficit in a place like the Silverball Museum in Delray Beach.
With 88 pinball machines as well as two dozen arcade games, the attraction has been attracting the flipperobsessed since it opened in 2016.
Nowadays, though, you just pay a flat fee and it’s free play.
For $25, you could pull back and let her rip all day long, or just play for 30 minutes for $7.50 or one hour for $10. There are $15 afternoon and evening passes as well.
So you don’t have to throw your back out lugging around a pocketful of quarters while you try your hand at Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure. There’s also pinball games for “Rocky,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “The Addams Family.”
For music fans, try the Elvis, Guns ‘n Roses or Ted Nugent pinball machines. And there’s not one but two KISS pinball games, one in English and one in German. Also, don’t get starstruck by the Elton John-inspired Captain Fantastic.
The 1970s are well represented with games for daredevil Evel Knievel, TV show “Charlie’s Angels,” and boxer Muhammad Ali. There’s a slew from earlier decades as well.
For those who like joysticks and pixels, classic games include Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Asteroids, Frogger, Missile Command, Space Invaders 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday; 11-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 19 NE 3rd Ave., Delray Beach. 561-266-3294, silverballmuseum.com/ delray-beach and even Tank.
And yes, there’s skee ball too.
But the star is the pinball machine, which surprisingly has the ability to suck in not only the crowds that grew up on such entertainment, but also the younger minds of Generation Swipe.
The 9,000-square-foot Delray Beach location is the second for Pinball Museum, which opened its first in Asbury Park, N.J., in 2009.
Owner Rob Ilvento has pinball machines dating back decades with several machines from the 1950s and 1960s, with a few from this side of the millennium around as well.
While the site has TVs, you better not count on hearing anything over the din of flippers flipping. It’s loud in there, but there are free ear plugs for those who want them.
Also on site is boardwalk food fare, including pizza, hot dogs, wings, tenders and funnel cakes.
A more refined menu offers things like lobster rolls, shrimp cocktail, hummus platters, crab cakes and even kale salad with poppy seed dressing.
There’s also beer, wine and $5 bottomless soda.
Report: Awareness of travel agents low
The travel agent community faces an uphill battle when it comes to public awareness of agents, according to a new ASTA report on 2017 travel trends.
The report, released May 2, found that 42 percent of people surveyed had no opinion at all about agents while only a combined 14 percent felt strongly, favorably or unfavorably about them.
On the other hand, 80 percent of people who have used an agent within the past five years had a favorable view of them.
These and other findings were based on extensive field research, including customized focus groups and surveys from earlier this year. A total of 1,500 Americans responded to the questions, including 1,200 millennials and Gen X’ers (ages 25 to 51) along with 300 baby boomers (ages 52 to 70).
Digging deeper, the report found that favorable impressions of agents along with satisfaction rates over their performance have increased within the past 10 years.
According to the report, the agent’s role has changed: They are no longer simply bookers of travel; they are travel advisers who create custom experiences and provide exclusive perks.
Disney World to test robot shuttles
Walt Disney World in Florida appears poised to launch the highest-profile commercial deployment of driverless passenger vehicles to date, testing a fleet of driverless shuttles that could cart passengers through parking lots and around its theme parks.
According to sources with direct knowledge of Disney’s plans, Walt Disney Co. is in late-stage negotiations with at least two manufacturers of autonomous shuttles _ Local Motors, based in Phoenix, and Navya, based in Paris. It’s unclear whether contracts would go to both or just one of the companies.
The sources, who asked not be identified to avoid offending Disney, said the company plans a pilot program this year to transport employees in the electricdrive robot vehicles. If that goes well, they said, the shuttles would begin transporting park visitors sometime next year.
Qatar offers free hotel stays
Qatar Airways is so convinced travelers will love Doha, the airline is offering free hotel stays for transit passengers who opt to spend the night.
In partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority, OR QTA, Qatar Airways has rolled out the Plus Qatar campaign, which gives passengers the opportunity to experience Doha first-hand. Throughout the summer, the airline will provide one free night at a local four- or five-star hotel for customers en route to destinations beyond the capital. If travelers wish to stay a second night in Doha, that’s OK too. The second night can be arranged for a mere $50 booking fee. The free stopover program comes on the heels of a new Transit Visa program introduced last November, which provides free transit visas to passengers of all nationalities who have layovers of at least five hours and no more than 96 hours between flights at Hamad International Airport.