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.

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.

A 45-foot prop dragon part of Disneyland’s ‘Fantasmic’ performance caught fire Saturday evening.

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.

Imagineers at Disney unveiled new details about the redesign of their popular Splash Mountain ride at both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

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.

Disney World and Disneyland announced that they will require masks indoors again starting at the end of July, according to the company’s website.

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.

California will offer six “dream vacation” incentives to spur more people to get coronavirus vaccinations.

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.

(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.

Houston native Nikkolas Smith is paying tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman with a new mural at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. The mural displayed in the Downtown Disney District pictures Boseman who played T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther” and a children’s hospital patient wearing the hero’s mask, both doing the Wakanda salute. “To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman,” Smith said. “I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way.”The art installation is titled “King Chad" in the late actor’s honor. What do you think about the mural?

(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.

Bullied at school for his dwarfism, 9-year-old Quaden Bayles sobs uncontrollably in the back of his mother's car -- saying to the camera: "Give me a knife, I want to kill myself." His mother, Yarraka Bayles, from the Australian state of Queensland, posted the heartbreaking Facebook Live video this week to raise awareness of the impact of bullying. "This is what bullying does," she said in the video. Among them is Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who posted a video message to Twitter telling Bayles: "No matter what, you've got a friend in me." "Let's show Quaden and others that there is good in the world and they are worthy of it."

Disney fans looking to party with Mickey, Minnie and the rest of the gang in California could have to pay more than $200 per ticket. Disney Parks on Wednesday revised its demand-based pricing structure for its California theme parks. Disney now offers five pricing tiers, up from three. Going forward, a solo "hopper" ticket, which allows guests to visit both Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure Park in one day, will cost between $159 and $209, Disney told CNN Business in an emailed statement. Two- to five-day hopper ticket prices now range from $290 to $415, the company said.