Disneyland performers who help bring Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and other beloved characters to life have chosen to unionize following a three-day vote.

Disney has received a key approval to expand its Southern California theme parks in its first push to make major changes to its iconic Disneyland in decades.

Workers who help bring Disneyland’s beloved characters to life say they've collected enough signatures to support their push for a union.

Disney is seeking approval from local officials to expand its California theme park offerings over the next four decades.

A group of Disneyland performers in California are considering joining a union.

Disneyland’s fire-breathing animatronic dragon burst into flames during the popular “Fantasmic” show.

A lawsuit claims Disneyland employees snickered at a disabled woman struggling to get off a Jungle Cruise boat before she fell and broke a leg, leading to her death months later.

The Walt Disney Co. is making several changes at its domestic theme parks in order to improve the public perception of its business.

It’s perhaps one of the last things that guests at Walt Disney World have been waiting to see return: an up-close moment, picture or autograph with Mickey Mouse and other popular characters.

This week’s new entertainment releases include new music from producer and multiinstrumentalist Jack Antonoff and Billie Eilish, whose upcoming “Happier Than Ever” is the second studio album from the 19-year-old superstar.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has celebrated the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions in the nation's most populated state.

Walt Disney World could approach full capacity by the end of the year, Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Chapek said during the JPMorgan 49th Annual Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Monday.

Disneyland has reopened in Southern California.

Disneyland has reopened after a 13-month closure.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)LONDON — Ireland has given out half a million coronavirus vaccinations about two months after the first inoculation. Evidence suggests this variant can spread more easily than most currently circulating strains of the coronavirus, health officials say. State health officials urge people to maintain precautions, particularly during spring break and Easter gatherings, as the state tries to ramp up vaccinations. Sri Lanka has so far received 1 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in neighboring India, which donated half of the doses. The Missoulian reported Friday that in Missoula County, Granite Pharmacy has enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all 2,000 county teachers.

Amusement parks also will be permitted to reopen in counties that have fallen from the state's purple tier — the most restrictive — to the red tier. The move followed a week of milestones, with California ramping up vaccinations for the poorest neighborhoods, counties reopening more businesses and Gov. Outdoor sports will be limited to 100 people in the purple tier but will increase up to 67% in the yellow tier. Teams and event organizers can only sell tickets regionally in the purple tier. No concessions will be allowed in the purple tier, while in others, concession sales will only be available at seats.

Disney officials said in a statement that extra hand sanitizers were being placed throughout its four parks and more than two dozen hotels. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)ORLANDO, Fla. – Looking to buy an annual pass at Disneyland Resort? The California theme park resort said last week that it's ending its passholder program. Disney officials would not say how many people hold these passes or how much the move will cost the company, adding it would begin issuing pro-rated refunds to eligible passholders. The Florida resort implemented a moratorium on new annual passes last summer, though it will honor those from existing passholders.

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)BEIJING — China says it is now treating more than 1,000 people for COVID-19 as numbers of cases continue to surge in the country’s north. ___AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has distributed more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. State health officials say Texas had more than 14,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and its death toll has passed 30,000. ___COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will now allow medical students, retired nurses and other qualified professionals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. ___MADRID — Spain reported 35,878 confirmed coronavirus cases and 201 new deaths from the coronavirus.

But following industry criticism of the proposed rules, state health officials said no announcement was coming Friday as negotiations continue. Amusement park leaders saw a draft of the new rules Thursday and urged state officials to change them, said Erin Guerrero, executive director of the California Attractions and Parks Association. A Disney official said there have been no major reported outbreaks in Florida associated with the company’s theme parks and declined to say whether any cases have occurred there. Ian Henderson, a spokesman for Steel’s office, said county health officials have worked closely with Disney to prepare for the reopening of its parks. ___Taxin reported from Orange County, California.

Ron DeSantis expressed concern during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to hurt small businesses and may disrupt commercial real estate even after it’s over. “People are going to look and say, ‘Gee, do I need this expensive downtown office space?’” DeSantis said. The special school board meeting began Monday, but the final vote was delayed by more than 18 hours of public comment. The school board said it does not need a quorum during public comment. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth-largest school district in the United States, comprised of 392 schools, 345,000 students and more than 40,000 employees.

(AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)HONOLULU -- Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the city plans to allow some activities that were shut down last month to control the spread of the coronavirus to resume under new guidelines. Gary Herbert will increase pandemic restrictions in two Utah cities as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the state. The county accounted for 42% of the state’s cases despite having only 20% of state’s population. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate and other coronavirus restrictions poses a possible disruption to his reelection campaign. But the real toll is thought to be much higher, in part because many COVID-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes, especially early on, before widespread testing.

It’s transformation central at Disney Parks in the U.S., as Disney officially announced that it has big plans for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. MORE: Petition calls for Disney Parks to change theme of Splash MountainIf you haven’t heard of the film, you’re not alone. If you’re unfamiliar with Splash Mountain, here’s a little background. Splash Mountain follows happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit as he looks for his “laughing place.” All the while, Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of Br’er Rabbit. “Many adults and children ride this attraction because it brings back childhood memories,” the “Keep Splash Mountain” petition said.

If you’re like us and are no longer following your quarantine diet, Disney’s favorite frozen snack can be yours to make at home. Dole Whip has become a must-eat for families and Disney fans alike. The theme parks remain closed, however, you can bring the park magic home by creating your own Dole Whip treats. There are two ways to create a Dole Whip: Dole’s recipe and Disney’s recipe. Share your Dole Whip creations with us in the comments below!

But one man in California went a step further and was lucky enough to get a birds-eye view of Disneyland Resort without pixie dust, a magic carpet or a lucky feather. Disneyland has a temporary flight restriction that restricts pilots from flying anywhere near the park, within 3,000 feet. During his flight, Muzio visited much of Orange County, which included stops at Angel Stadium, El Dorado Park and Long Beach Airport, to name a few. However, our favorite sight was that of a closed Disneyland park without a single person to be seen. While the view from above is great, anyone who’s been there would likely agree: nothing beats the view from the ground.

Disney tunes have a way of getting us out of the rut we’re in and putting a smile on our face. Each music provider has a Disney playlist filled with hundreds of songs from every Disney film known to man. Having the right playlist is an important task -- and choosing the right playlist shouldn’t be taken lightly. Everyone should have a Disney playlist saved, ready to be played at any moment. The playlist is a melting pot of classic Disney hits, Disney covers and songs you can hear when visiting a Disney theme park.

Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World resort in Florida will remain closed until further notice as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread in the United States, the company said. Disney earlier this month announced the closure of Disneyland and Walt Disney World — the only two of Disney’s eleven parks around the world that still remained open amid the global pandemic. "The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains The Walt Disney Company's top priority," the company said in its Friday statement. Last month, Bob Iger stepped down as the company’s CEO, naming Bob Chapek as his replacement, whose previous role was chairman of Disney Parks. The company has urged its domestic employees at Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Television, ESPN and at its direct-to-consumer, parks and products divisions to work from home amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Tuxyso via Wikimedia Commons(CNN) - A Los Angeles County resident visited Disneyland last week while infected with measles, health officials said late Tuesday, potentially exposing hundreds of other people to the highly contagious disease. The individual went to Starbucks at 3006 S. Spulveda Boulevard in West Los Angeles early on the morning on Oct. 16 before going to Disneyland from 9.15 a.m. onwards, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement. Measles can spread through coughing and sneezing and can live for up to two hours in the air where an infected person coughs or sneezes. "Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know have it. There have been 19 measles cases among Los Angeles County residents in 2019.

Megan Fox and her family added some magic to their weekend with a visit to Disneyland. #disneyland," Fox jokingly captioned the images of her costumed kids, which show Journey dressed as a dinosaur while Bodhi sports what appears to be a skeleton bodysuit. "But I sound so similar, and the sentiments that I'm expressing are similar. Two things: I am eccentric, [but] sometimes I'm surprised at how eccentric I am. I'm also surprised at how deep I always was even as a young, young kid.

After his recent legal troubles, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, headed to the Happiest Place on Earth. The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star took his 1-year-old daughter, Ariana, to Disneyland on Saturday, just hours after a protective order against him from his on-again, off-again girlfriend and his daughter's mother, Jen Harley, was lifted, ET can confirm. That order followed Ortiz-Magro's Oct. 4 arrest following an alleged physical altercation with Harley. In a statement to ET following the alleged incident, the reality star's attorney, Scott E. Leemon, said, "The reporting of the alleged incident relating to Ronnie Magro yesterday is based upon pure speculation and innuendo. RELATED CONTENT: Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Arrested for Alleged Domestic Violence: What We Know Embed Code RestartRonnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley Are 'Over for Good' After His Recent Arrest, Source SaysRonnie Ortiz-Magro Tasered and Arrested for Alleged Domestic ViolenceRonnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley Reportedly Call It Quits Again

It was a sad scene, and it's been like that most of the summer as Disneyland became the latest casualty of the Hong Kong protests. The pro-democracy protests have been raging since June, and have hit Hong Kong's economy hard. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong International Airport saw 12.4% fewer passengers in August compared to the same time last year. For Afaizul Ashari, a tourist from Malaysia, this was his second visit to Hong Kong's Disneyland. Photos on social media and local media showed similar scenes of near-empty rides and streets in Ocean Park, Hong Kong's other theme park.

ANAHEIM, California (CNN) - A lot of things have changed at Disneyland since 1985. In August 2019, the park honored visitor Richardson's free entry pass from 1985. The mom of two first visited Disneyland in 1985 when she was 14 years old. In 1985, admission tickets cost $16.50. These days, the most basic single day admission ticket costs $90.

But we should keep chatting about the party anyway, because this is truly next-level. So, the event is hosted by Oogie Boogie, of the 1993 Tim Burton movie, along with some other choice Disney villains. Twenty exciting nights are on the table to choose from -- and Disney warns, this is expected to sell out fast. Its a nighttime spectacular exclusive to Oogie Boogie Bash. A few days, including Oct. 31, already appeared to be sold out.

Britney Spears spent some family time in the happiest place on Earth! Also in the post was a video of the group getting on a ride, a shot of Walt Disney and a pic of Britney's sons at a restaurant. It's been a busy few weeks for Spears' family! Watch the video below for more on the Spears family. RELATED CONTENT:Jamie Lynn Spears Shares Video of Sister Britney's Kids Enjoying a 'Cousins Vacation'Jamie Lynn Spears Shares Photo of Britney's Sons All Grown UpBritney Spears Gushes Over 'Hot' Boyfriend Sam Asghari: 'I Can't Believe I Wake Up Every Morning to This Man'

ORLANDO, Fla. - Universal Orlando officials said Thursday that the resort is doubling in size with plans for an "epic" fourth theme park, but they offered almost no information on when the new park will open, what it will hold or how much they are spending. The announcement is the latest salvo in the war for dominance between Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando in America's theme park capital. Despite the lack of details, officials with the theme park resort promised the new park would be epic. The fourth park will be the biggest investment the Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business, Robert said. pic.twitter.com/zmacNkTkbJ Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) August 1, 2019Copyright 2019 The Associated Press.

CNN image(CNN) - The Walt Disney Co. strongly disputed allegations from family heiress Abigail Disney, who said she found workers struggling when she recently visited Disneyland undercover. Abigail Disney, in an interview with Yahoo, said Disneyland workers told her they are forced to sift through "other people's garbage" for food, and they are struggling to stay happy. Abigail Disney said she went to Disneyland incognito to observe worker conditions and was "so livid" at what she saw. In a statement, the company told CNN Business that Abigail Disney's account is "particularly egregious" hyperbole. "We strongly disagree with this characterization of our employees and their experience at Disney."

Disneyland calls itself "The Happiest Place on Earth," but family heiress Abigail Disney said she found workers struggling when she recently visited the park undercover. (CNN) - Disneyland calls itself "The Happiest Place on Earth," but family heiress Abigail Disney said she found workers struggling when she recently visited the park undercover. In an interview with Yahoo this week, Abigail Disney said she decided to check out Disneyland's worker conditions after a worker sent her a Facebook message. Abigail Disney has frequently spoken out about Iger's salary. In May, Abigail Disney addressed Congress on Capitol Hill.