Looking back at the Roger Rabbit ride accident that badly hurt a 4-year old

Brandon Zucker was 4 years old when he tumbled out of a vehicle on the Roger Rabbit ride at Disneyland in 2000. The details are gruesome; it’s enough to say that Brandon’s little body was cramped into a position that didn’t allow him to breathe for several minutes, along with other injuries. He was left severely brain-damaged, unable to speak, walk or interact in meaningful ways, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Former Disney machinist faces an additional charge of molesting a 7-year old girl

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release
For Immediate Release, Case # 13WF1859: July 2, 2013

FORMER AMUSEMENT PARK WORKER PREVIOUSLY CHARGED WITH SEX CRIMES AGAINST YOUNG GIRL RELATIVE FACES ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 7-YEAR-OLD FAMILY FRIEND

*The OCDA is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims

WESTMINSTER– Additional charges have been filed against a man for sexually assaulting the 7-year-old daughter of a family friend. The defendant was previously charged with sexually assaulting a female child relative. Bryan William Anast, 45, Corona, was charged today for Jane Doe #2 with two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 with a sentencing enhancement for sex crimes against multiple victims. He was previously charged for Jane Doe #1 with three felony counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and three felony counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14. Anast is also charged with one felony count of possession and control of child pornography. If convicted on all counts, he now faces a maximum sentence of 78 years to life in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. The defendant is being held on $1 million bail and is expected to be arraigned on the new charges today, July 2, 2013, in Department W-1, West Justice Center, Westminster. The time is to be determined.

Disney dry ice bomber freed by an Orange County Superior Court Judge

Superior Court Judge Nicholas S. Thompson ordered the man who set off two dry ice bombs at Disney’s Toon Town, 22-year-old Christian Barnes, released on his own recognizance today, according to CBS News.

His bail had previously been set at $1 million dollars.  No one was hurt by the dry ice bombs.

Cast member arrested for setting off dry ice bomb at Disneyland

City of Anaheim Police Department, John Welter, Chief of Police
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2013
Released by Sgt. Bob Dunn, Contact at 714-497-6330

Subject: Suspect Arrested in Dry Ice Incident at Disneyland

Late on May 28, 2013, Anaheim Police Detectives identified and arrested a Disneyland outdoor vending cast member, Christian Barnes, 22, of Long Beach in connection with this incident. He was booked at the Anaheim Police Department on suspicion of possessing a destructive device (18740 CPC) and he is being held on one million dollars bail.

Was the dry ice bomb at Disney’s Toon Town an act of terror?

A dry ice bomb exploded in a trash can at Disneyland’s Toon Town on Tuesday night, at about 5:30 pm.  The Anaheim Police Department sent officers to examine the debris and guests were evacuated from that part of the park.

The dry ice appeared to have been placed in a plastic bottle that was left in a trash can. The explosion was confined to the can, according to the Anaheim Police Department, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

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?

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.

Why did an Anaheim undercover cop run over a Disneyland cast member?

Disney cast member run over by undercover cop

“A Disney cast member is in the hospital after being struck by the vehicle of an undercover cop as she was leaving the park,” according to KTLA.

The accident happened at around 10 pm, on Monday night.  A cast member witnessed the accident and reported in a comment on the KTLA article that “This was not a u turn. This is NOT the victims fault. The driver was turning left from magic way onto Disneyland drive and hit her while she was in the crosswalk. I am the witness and I was feet from her in the crosswalk myself. Please report the news correctly. The officer is at fault!”

A look at Knott’s Berry Farm’s restaurants’ food safety record

Picture Courtesy of the Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant’s Facebook Page

A few weeks ago we took a look at the health inspection record of Disney’s top restaurants – and it was somewhat shocking.  Even the new hard to get into Carthay Circle restaurant, at California Adventures, had two major food safety violations when it was inspected on Nov. 29, 2012.

Now it’s time to have a look at the food safety record of the restaurants and eateries at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Let’s see if they’re any better…and keep in mind the fact that Orange County’s Supervisors chose a few years ago not to use letter-grade health ratings at our restaurants, which is why you will never know how bad a restaurant really is unless you click here and look up their food safety inspection records.

And what better place to start our food safety review of Knott’s than their famous Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant! They were inspected by the Orange County Health Care Agency on August 22, 2012, and here is what those intrepid inspectors found:

Could Knott’s Berry Farm have prevented their stagecoach accident?

“Three Knott’s Berry Farm visitors sustained minor injuries on Sunday, Dec. 30, when a stagecoach they were riding in tipped over after one of its wheels detached,” according to ABC News.

Knott’s issued a press statement about the incident, where they disclosed that: “At approximately 1:25 pm on December 30 the left rear wheel detached from one of Knott’s Berry Farm’s stagecoaches with 14 passengers on board, causing the coach to tip to its side. Three guests were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. The ride will be closed until further notice. Guest safety is Knott’s number one priority.”