Awards for worst toilets, beaches, and souvenirs

To the magic-makers at Disney, Being bargain hunters, we've loved 2009's "What Will You Celebrate?" campaign. After all, free admission on a person's birthday to your Florida and California theme parks is what budget travel is all about. And getting to act like a little kid certainly takes the sting out of turning another year older! Which is why we urge you to please extend this program into 2010. You've extended campaigns like this before. (The "Year of a Million Dreams" was supposed to end in 2007, and you took it through 2008.) Sure, we're cautiously optimistic that the worst of the recession will be over by next year. But we also know that a lot families will continue to struggle. During hardship, every little bit of sunshine helps. Walt knew that better than anyone. So we hope you'll extend the free-admission-on-your-birthday promotion to next year. Because there's a little bit of Peter Pan in all of us! Sincerely, Your dearest fans at Budget Travel RELATED Budget Travel's 2009 guide to the Disney parks Our Disney coverage on our blog

Back in 1609, intrepid French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed on Isle La Motte, Vt., in what is now Lake Champlain, on the northwestern edge of Vermont. Très bon, Sam! To celebrate the quadricentenial of Lake Champlain's discovery, Vermont is throwing a yearlong party. Over the summer, there are tons of festivals, shipwreck tours, and historical events scheduled, one of which is happening this weekend. This Friday and Saturday, Isle La Motte, an island in the northern part of the lake, will host the Samuel de Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration. When Champlain landed on the island, it was the first time he came to shore in Vermont. The nautical-themed event will host the schooner Lois McClure, a full-scale replica of an 1862 sailing boat. It's a classic example of a boat designed to sail on the lake—and with the masts removed, it can travel though the Champlain Canal. The schooner will be open for free tours on both days, and on Saturday, there will be a flotilla (a lake parade). Local boats will circumnavigate the island as a ceremonial welcome to the Lois McClure, followed by a barbecue, plus free ice cream from Ben & Jerry's (a homestate company), carriage rides, and live music by folk musicians. And you never know—Champ, the lake's mysterious, Loch Ness-like creature—might even make an appearance. Isle La Motte is accessible by bridge, about seven miles from South Alburg, Vt. Check out celebratechamplain.org for more events, scheduled throughout 2009. Also happening this weekend is the kick-off of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra's summer tour and the Winooski Riverwalk Festival.

We've been asking top guidebook writers for their tips on alternatives to well known tourist attractions. Today's expert is Robert Landon, author of Lonely Planet Florence Encounter, 1st edition. In Florence, Italy, the dome of the Duomo (or Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore) is a wonder to behold, but the interior may not be worth the wait, since the art inside has been largely stripped away and stored in the adjacent museum. Instead, head to the recently refurbished Santa Maria Novella, which sums up three centuries of Florentine art, such as Gothic frescoes, Giotto's rather gruesome imagining of the crucifix, the revolutionary, early Renaissance facade by Alberti, and the spectacular High Renaissance cycle of frescoes by Ghirlandaio documenting the life of the Virgin Mary as if she were a Renaissance patrician. (For hours, visit the official Santa Maria Novella website.) The benefit? Real art in its real setting with a much lower entrance fee (about $8 for Santa Maria Novella, versus about $11 to climb the Duomo plus about $5.60 (€4) to tour its Baptistery and about $8.50 to enter its museum where most of the artwork now resides). Both churches are free to visit for worship, of course. Tip: Visit Santa Maria Novella's cloisters museum early in the morning, and you may just have the precious, early Renaissance frescoes of Paolo Uccello in the Green Cloister all to yourself. The cloister gets its name from Uccello's earthy green tones. His seething version of Noah and the Flood remains both beautiful and disturbing after nearly six centuries. You'll find the entrance tucked away on a small courtyard to the left as you are facing the church's main facade. Pay €5 for this perk. Have your hotel call in advance to check if reservations are necessary, given the church's shifting schedule of activities. Now don't get us wrong. Neither Robert Landon nor Lonely Planet are dismissing any attraction that's rightfully famous. Everyone agrees you can have fantastic experiences at well known attractions. All we're trying to do here is recognize that—under some circumstances and for certain types of travelers—lesser known attractions may have their own appeal, offering comparable experiences. For example, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is an architectural wonder, given that is has the largest masonry (brick) dome ever built. (The story of its construction is fascinatingly recounted in Brunelleschi's Dome.) Florence's cathedral for centuries, this was also the burial ground for many famous local citizens. A garish new facade was added to the building in the 1800s. Its Baptistery is an artistic treasure, worth a look, too. If you decide not to pay the high fees to see these sites, you may want to tour the museum dedicated to them both (and containing many of the works that used to hang in them): Museo dell' Opera del Duomo for tickets of about $8.40 (€6). Among its key exhibits: Ghiberti's original panels for the door of the Baptistery and a Pietà by Michelangelo. What do you think? Sound off below. (Thanks to Jason and Kate for catching an editing error regarding the photo used in the original version.) EARLIER Better than Buckingham Palace? Better than Stonehenge?

Who doesn't love a little Free Willy? The bard, we mean, not the whale. New York City's Shakespeare in Central Park may be the most famous operation offering free Shakespearean drama, tragedy, and comedy, but it's hardly the only option. We've rounded up a dozen theater companies putting on plays around the U.S. this summer. All are free, though some require you to get tickets—most notably, in New York City, where there are strict rules for picking up free tickets on the day of performance. Most, however, are very casual, set in city parks where it's cool if you want to lounge on a blanket and bring your kids, the dog, even a bottle of wine. Make a free night of it during your travels this summer. • Cleveland • Iowa (multiple locations) • Long Island, N.Y. (schedule TBA) • Louisville, Ky. • Minneapolis and St. Paul • Montana (multiple locations) • New York City • Omaha • Portland, Maine • Portland, Ore. • San Francisco • Saratoga, Calif. • Seattle