Results tagged “disneyland”

         

LAist first saw artist Emi Motokawa's yarn creations at at the Japanese American National Museum in the exhibit "Kokeshi: From Folk Art to Art Toy". Motokawa calls her giant crocheted kokeshi dolls 'Krokeshi'. She also makes smaller versions of the dolls that are available at the JANM museum store, The Reform School, Nucleus in Alhambra, Black Market on Sawtelle, Flicka on Larchmont, and The Flock Shop in Chinatown.

La Palma's Chelsea Krueger is getting ready for her Quinceanera, and like any young lady gearing up to party with her friends and family, she's looking forward to her dream day of gathering to celebrate with her friends and family.

This is going to get old fast. In response to Barack Obama's big "State of the Union" like speech last night, the Republicans, via Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, had sharp criticisms of the President and stimulus bill including trying to reduce the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas to "bridge to nowhere" levels:

The It’s a Small World attraction has Disneyland’s most annoying song, yes, but also its most enlightened message. Originally created by Disney artist Mary Blair for the 1964 World’s Fair, the ride partnered with UNICEF to make a statement about shared humanity using images of doll children around the world. Created at the height of the Cold War, it was refreshingly free of both political posturing and Disney product placement. But no more. Today, Disneyland unveiled an updated version of It’s a Small World.

      

Here at LAist we love freebies as much as anyone. We like to give you the heads up about free breakfast, free cupcakes, free tickets and more. So when we heard that Disneyland was giving free tickets on your birthday, we thought the least we could do was go check it out.

13-year-old Brandon Zucker was found dead yesterday at home in Anaheim. In 2000, the then-4-year-old made headlines when he was pinned beneath the Roger Rabbit ride at Disneyland. As a result of the accident, he "suffered a torn liver, spleen and diaphragm, a collapsed left lung and a fractured pelvis," according to the LA Times. Zucker's accident left him brain damaged and he was in "a medically induced coma," says the Press-Telegram. Reports of the incident say the boy was trapped beneath his car and dragged for 5 minutes before the ride stopped and employees responded, prompting Disneyland to revise their emergency policy later that year. His family sued Disneyland and settled in 2002. Zucker spent most of his childhood in various care facilities. "An autopsy this morning failed to determine the cause of death, which is pending further tests."

...at least it did yesterday, when, according to cbs2.com, "a reaction of chemicals in a basement laundry in one of three towers at the Disneyland Hotel," necessitated the Hazmat team to make a trip to Mickey's hideaway late Monday afternoon. The smell that was produced was likened to chlorine, and although no guests were evacuated, employees near the affected area were, and one "security guard complained of dizziness but refused transportation to a hospital." The area was then ventilated, and hotel operations remained as expected in the Happiest Place on Earth.

The four men who play Captain Jack Sparrow from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise were told it was time to walk the plank, so to speak, when they lost their Disneyland jobs recently. So why did the Mouse cut the swashbucklers loose?

Pumpkin, the turkey pardoned by President Bush on Wednesday in Washington DC, was honored as the grand marshal at Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day Parade today in Anaheim. He, along with Pecan--the backup turkey--will now be part of the park's holiday display of live reindeer. After that, the two will retire to Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland.

The sales tax hike proposed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday raised more than just some eyebrows around the Southland, as the plan includes taxing things that were previously un-taxed, including amusement park admission tickets. The tax on entry to places like Disneyland would begin on March 1, 2009 if the proposal is to go through, and the folks at the mighty Mouse are mad:

“We oppose the Governor’s proposed theme park tax because it unfairly targets the tourism industry and may deter new visitors to the Golden State at a time we need them most,” said resort spokeswoman Lisa Haines in an e-mail statement. “This tax is not worth the risk to an industry that is a proven job creator and economic engine for California’s growth.”

        

When visiting the pumpkin carver at Disneyland, we caught their Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, display. The festival celebrates the reunion of dead relatives with their families. Disneyland commemorates the holiday with a display of skeletons and flowers set up near Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland.

            

Big Thunder Ranch has been transformed into a country Halloween celebration complete with a display of amazing pumpkin carvings Disney style. Happy Halloween!

This Monrovia man was arrested last week at Disneyland following a five-day crime spree that began on September 19th. After carjackings, home-invasion robberies and an attempted murder, the 27-year-old Anthony Hislar visited Disneyland with a couple of people before his arrest just outside the park (was he there rewarding himself or something?). LA County Sheriff's tipped off the Anaheim Police saying that Hislar was at the park. Police found him leaving the park and followed him from there.

Disney wants you to spend your birthday money at their parks next year so they're letting you in for free in 2009. You've just got to prove your birthday with a valid ID. And for those who are annual pass holders, then you get a FastPass which lets you cruise to near the beginning of the line. Maybe street artist Banksy will visit again after installing his Guantanamo Bay piece (video) a couple years ago.

A Quick Look at the History of the Cost of a Trip to Anaheim's Disneyland

A man leaped to his death from a 14th-floor balcony at the Disneyland Hotel this morning. "He went out on the balcony and intentionally leapt,'' said Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez, all but confirming the apparent suicide of a businessman in his 30's or 40's, around 11 a.m. outside the the Disneyland Hotel's Wonder Tower. ( -- OC Register).

Critter Country is a breath of fresh county air in the hectic, fast-paced park life. Unfortunately, bucolic is sometimes mistaken for backwards. Many people consider Critter Country to be a "hillbilly" neighborhood inhabited by evil foxes and bears with droopy drawers. The boundaries between Frontierland and Critter Country are somewhat blurry, and Critter Country is often considered the red-headed step-child of Frontierland. The influx of a younger, hipper crowd in recent years from The Hundred Acre Wood has contributed to gentrification in the once-sleepy country berg.

• For those who thought oil spills only happened when big tankers in Alaska collided with icebergs, may I point you to the South Bay? Crews were busy Saturday cleaning up about 5,500 gallons of oil that spilled into the wetlands area around Machado Lake. The oil apparently overflowed from an oil-and-water separator at the Cooper & Brain Oil Co. field near PCH at the 110 Freeway. You might remember Machado Lake as the former home of Reggie, the beloved alligator who now lives at the zoo. Good thing, because I've never heard of a black alligator before.
• A mysterious crash in Sherman Oaks early Saturday left one person dead that CHP officials said might have been a burglar being chased by the people whose homes he allegedly robbed. The motorist died when he skidded into a concrete wall on the Sepulveda Boulevard offramp after being chased by the CHP. Four others were hurt.
• For the first time in its history, the SWAT training unit has accepted a woman into its program. Jennifer Grasso, 36, is one of 13 officers selected for the department's 12-week training school, which starts Monday. Congratulations, Grasso. Just remember what Tom Hanks advised another female who was competing in a man's world: there's no crying in SWAT school.
• According to Paid Content, pop culture-focused social media site Buzznet has acquired indie-music blog Stereogum for $5 million. What this means for the future of Stereogum is unclear, but its owners are reportedly staying on to run the site. Now that's what I call indie.
• A change for Disneyland's It's a Small World ride are reportedly in the works. Disney apparently plans to add its name-brand characters to the anonymous cast that currently populates the ride. It has caused a huge uproar among the original artist's family. There is something so poetic about controversy at the so called Happiest Place on Earth.
• Jazz lovers in Long Beach are praising a judge's decision to open the Backstage jazz and blues supper club. An apartment owner had sought an injunction to halt construction, saying the music would force tenants to move. Noise studies did not bore out the owner's claims as the judge kind of blue jazz owners away with his decision.
• Add cantaloupe's to the list of food items being recalled. On Friday, Dole asked consumers not to buy or eat their beige melons picked in Honduras for fear that they were contaminated with salmonella.
• Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he will not pay his California baristas more than $100 million in tips a San Diego judge said is owed to them after several employees sued the company. Schultz said there is no money to be refunded from the tips that are usually shared with shift supervisors. Last year, Starbucks was named the 16th best company to work for. Hundreds of disgruntled employees might disagree.
  Continue reading "Extra, Extra: We're Not in Alaska Anymore"

Last year, my boyfriend and I wanted to go somewhere fun but romantic but local for our New Years Eve. We had just gotten back from a major trip to Belize, so we weren't in the mood for anything that would stretch our brains or require too much planning. Disneyland seemed like the best choice -- an easy drive (holiday traffic), mindless amusement, and maybe we'd get in a nice dinner at one of the park's restaurants. Excellent!

Daily Show devotees will remember a recent episode in which special correspondent Rob Riggle was sent to Anaheim to report on a local dispute pitting a coalition of Anaheim business owners and residents against the almighty Disney over an affordable housing initiative in the Resort District (which the company firmly opposes). Allegations of possible gang-related violence, mugging, drug-dealing (and even fellatio) abounded in the hilarious report as Riggle questioned a befuddled Councilwoman Lorri Galloway...

In order to have a red carpet premiere of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean cash cow, Disneyland will be kicking everyone out of their kingdom tomorrow night at 5pm so that they can celebrate with their VIPs the fact that they were able to make billions off three films based on a cheesy ride. The third film in the trilogy is debuting at the park because it is based on one of its...

We've been bombarded with ill-conceived, soulless and zombie-like statements out of Washington over the past 24 hours. None more insulting and ridiculous than an unnamed Defense official comparing Baghdad to L.A.:"You do it neighborhood by neighborhood," said the Defense official. "Think of L.A. Let's say we take West Hollywood and gate it off. Or Anaheim. Or central Los Angeles. You control that area first and work out from there." Who is and how can an...

#31 We originally thought the bad Floridian was the employee in the Tigger suit but now we are leaning toward putting blame on the suspicious family. A pox on both their trailers....

10. More Foods Taste Good - If you try it, you'll like it. Mom was right. 9. Shorter Lines At Disneyland - When you're bigger, they seem shorter. And you're tall enough to ride everything. 8. R Rated Movies - Not to mention other places with an age minimum. 7. Naptime - Once dreaded, now our friend. 6. Reaching The Top Shelf - We can reach what's on the top shelf. If not, we...

- In a new book, Gay LA, two authors discover that "more gay-oriented organizations have been founded in Los Angeles than in any other city in the world" - SF Gate - Former LA news anchor Jim Lampley accused of felony domestic abuse in San Diego - AP - Pamela Anderson demands that her next boyfriend be an editor of a city-based blog - UPI - Blonde chick from Lost divorces after just six...

In a move certain to wind up the tails of many a fan of The Mouse, Disneyland announced that they they are temporarily replacing the onboard soundtracks to both the Space Mountain and California Screamin' roller coasters with remixed versions of songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Disneyland asserts "rock fans’ dreams will come true as Rockin’ Both Parks provides new special effects and soundtracks specifically remixed to heighten every twist, turn, rise...

I'm a total sucker for aerial photography, especially images of my immediate surroundings. Call it aerial narcissism, if you will. The Thomas Guide is my Bible while I'm on the road, but what to do when I'm chained to my computer? Fortunately, online mapping technology has advanced miles beyond what it used to be even a couple of years ago. The standard road maps are usually accompanied by satellite imagery that allow the user...

While we were driving around the country we noticed that people rarely take tours of their own city. When we were in Chicago we had a hard time finding a local who had been up the Sears Tower, when we were in NYC we didn't meet anyone who had been up the Statue of Liberty, however when we were in Memphis we couldn't find anyone who hadn't been in Graceland. If one were to...

While all news, Disney, points towards the impending death of Disneyland's Tom Sawyer's Island, we got a chance to scale Expedition Everest at Disney World's Animal Kingdom (okay, we rode it five times in a row). Theme Park Insider calls it original; we call it competition for Matterhorn. And what's better? Matterhorn is classic, but Expedition Everest kicks snow with Yeti's pee in its face. Beyond this point of reading, we warn there are...

Graffiti artist Banksy, who most recently was in the news for getting a disturbing sculpture into Disneyland, as well as his work that trashed Paris Hilton's new cd, is in town causing trouble guaranteed to make pretty much everyone who passes it smile. This week the LA Weekly spotlights the controversial artist in a Q & A about his new collection of thought-provoking art that literally hits the streets of LA. Here's an excerpt:...