New live Mickey and the Magical Map show to open at Disneyland on 5/25

Dazzling New Live Show ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Opens May 25 in Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland Park

From Disneyland News

Beginning Saturday, May 25, Mickey Mouse will embark on a series of amazing adventures through the magical powers of a sorcerer’s map in “Mickey and the Magical Map,” the all-new live show coming to the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park.

Check out the Easter Bunny Hop at Disneyland through March 31

From the Disney Parks blog/by Erin Glover, Manager, Social Media and Print, Disneyland Resort

As Thomas Smith told us last week, “Limited Time Magic” has put a little spring in our step this week with special Easter celebrations at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, through March 31. Today, I’m hopping to share some of the fun we’ve been having here at the Disneyland Resort with you.

Iron Man 3 exhibit coming to Disneyland’s Innoventions on April 13

From the Disney Parks blog/ by Erin Glover, Manager, Social Media and Print, Disneyland Resort 

Attention Iron Man fans! To celebrate the upcoming release of “Iron Man 3,” opening in theaters May 3, an exciting new exhibit is coming to Innoventions at Disneyland park in California – featuring actual set pieces from the film!

Beginning April 13, Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries will give Disneyland park guests the chance to see Tony Stark’s Hall of Armor, featuring Iron Man suits Mark I-VII – the same suits featured in “Iron Man 3.”

Disneyland must pay $8K to disabled man who was trapped on “It’s a Small World”

“Jose Martinez won one for a lot of people today: A federal judge awarded the California man $8,000 in damages from Disneyland, after he had to sit in the “goodbye room”of the “It’s A Small World” ride for 30 minutes, while park officials repaired it,” according to NPR.

Martinez, who suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 16, became stuck on the ride on Nov. 27, 2009, and filed an official lawsuit in 2011. He suffers from chronic problems with diabetes, hypertension, and anxiety disorder, according to court records, as reported by CBS, which also reported that:

Cal/OSHA fines Disney Studios after man dies on Lone Ranger set

“State regulators have fined a producer of the upcoming Walt Disney Studios movie “The Lone Ranger” more than $60,000, citing numerous safety violations in connection with a crew member who died at a movie ranch in Acton,” according to the L.A. Times.

A welder/water safety expert named Mike Bridger died on the L.A. movie set Friday while working inside a large water tank. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that it appeared Bridger suffered a heart attack. 

Taft Union High School student saves a toddler at Disneyland, with CPR

An 18-year-old from Taft, Calif. is being credited with saving the life of a toddler at Disneyland. Sara Jewell performed CPR on a 1-year -old girl after she heard the child’s mother screaming for help, according to ABC News.

Jewell told the Taft Midway Driller what happened:

Is Disneyland considering adding a new Star Wars land?

Disney obviously rakes in plenty of profit from its movies, but the company also collects a fortune from merchandising and its fabled theme parks. Now that it lays claim to the entireStar Wars franchise, there’s little doubt Disney will leverage the brand both in and out of the theater. In fact, it’s already gauging interest for a potential Star Wars attraction at Disneyland. A new survey being distributed to some of Disney’s most dedicated park visitors — those who hold an Annual Pass — asks participants to rate their familiarity with the Star Wars universe. That includes characters, places, and story arcs across feature films, books, and video games. Disney is even getting a bit granular, with one question asking “what is the name of the microscopic life-forms that dwell within all living beings in the Star Wars universe?” (Source: TheVerge.com)

Did Diaz have it coming? The OCDA cleared the cop who shot him

From the New Anaheim blog

The Orange County District Attorney released a letter today clearing Anaheim police officer Nick Bennallack, who shot and killed a gang member, Manuel Diaz last summer – an event that triggered riots in the shadow of Disneyland.

The finding by the DA set off a firestorm of complaints on news and social media – mainly asserting that there was no way the DA was going to find Bennallack guilty.

But let’s take a step back here for a moment.  Why would a cop go to all the trouble of becoming a cop just to blow his career by shooting some unarmed gang banger in the back?  Remember that most cops join the police force for the pay and benefits, and because they can be cops without having a college degree.  And cops get to retire young, with huge pensions. So why blow all of that over some pelon?

Gene Autry Way – Curt Pringle’s Folly

Rush Hour on Gene Autry Way

From the OC Politics Blog

About five years ago when he was the Mayor of Anaheim, Curt Pringle dreamed of a regional transportation center for his city — a place they named ARTIC which would be the Orange County station for the equally dreamy California High-Speed Rail system which would be zipping through town on its way to San Diego, or charging northward to LA’s Union Station (over, under or through some of the densest urban residential housing in California) and onto San Francisco and Sacramento.

The Mayor-for-hire, as he was known at Friends for Fullerton Future, or Master of the Universe as he was tagged last year at the union-funded Voice of OC, didn’t stop with just a $184 million train station that would partly be paid for by OCTA’s Measure M where Board Member Pringle sat for years.  From concocted ridership projections, he fantasized that Disney patrons would be coming to ARTIC by the millions, but still needed to be transported to the Mouse’s cash registers Main Gate, miles away from the bullet train, and on the wrong side of the 5 Freeway.  Since Walt Disney already had a world-famous one, Pringle announced in 2007 that he needed a MONORAIL for the Disney visitors.  From his January State-of-the-City speech:

Are Disneyland’s fireworks worth the noise and nuisance?

“Disneyland Park has offered a fireworks show every summer since 1956. At first, fireworks fuses were lit by hand, but by the 1960s an electronic system launched the shells, the shows carefully synchronized to music. By 2000, the fireworks had become far more elaborate, with Tinker Bell and Dumbo flying overhead. To reduce noise and pollution, Disney patented an air launch pyrotechnics system, which was put to use in 2004. Disney later opened the patent on the system so that others could enjoy the benefits of “greener” pyrotechnics,” according to Disneyland’s website.

“The loud noise torments some of the neighbors, forcing them to put thick windows to block the noise or move away from the city. After many complaints to the city of Anaheim, there seems no way out,” according to the Magical Theme Park blog.