Gabrielle Russon

Armed at Disney World: More tourists caught with concealed guns during pandemic

June 16, 2021 at 1:06 p.m.

Planning to go to a firing range later, Mustafa Alameen, an Iraqi immigrant, said he forgot he had 100 rounds of ammunition and a handgun in an otherwise empty stroller...

South Florida man arrested for spitting at Disney World security guard over mask rules

March 15, 2021 at 8:29 p.m.

A 51-year-old Palm Beach man was charged with a felony after he was accused of spitting at a Disney World security guard who asked him to put on his mask,...

Attendees dance after watching former President Donald Trump speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021.

Disney World workers get spit on, yelled at, and pushed trying to enforce COVID safety rules

March 15, 2021 at 4:30 p.m.

A security guard reminded a guest to put on his mask before he walked into Disney World's Contemporary Resort near the Magic Kingdom last month. "I'm a guest," argued the...

The entrance to SeaWorld Orlando, Friday, March 13, 2020. SeaWorld Entertainment announced Friday they would close their SeaWorld and affiliated parks on Sunday, through the end of the month, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The closures include Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island, SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

SeaWorld begins concerts again, helping the park move a step closer to economic recovery, CEO says

February 8, 2021 at 6:57 p.m.

It might feel like a strange new world. The hot ticket to see a theme park concert, nearly one year into the pandemic? It's not Disney or Universal. It's SeaWorld....

Guests walk on Main Street, U.S.A., in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Disney Co. announced Tuesday they are laying off 28,000 employees in the U.S. due to the downturn in visitors to their parks and resorts caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

4,000 more Walt Disney Co. employees are losing their jobs

November 28, 2020 at 6:43 p.m.

On the day before Thanksgiving, the Walt Disney Co. revealed 4,000 more layoffs are coming, bringing the total number of announced layoffs to 32,000 across the company. At least 18,000...

The Main Street Philharmonic marching band performs in the Magic Kingdom on Sept. 30. That day, Walt Disney Co. announced they are laying off 28,000 employees in the U.S. due to the downturn in visitors to their parks and resorts caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Walt Disney World crowds are historically low, but ride wait times grow, expert says

October 6, 2020 at 6:53 p.m.

Gone are those days in July when it was just you and Cinderella Castle at Disney World — and hardly anybody else. The parks felt eerily empty when turnstiles began...

FILE - In this Saturday, July 11, 2020, file photo, guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Two weeks after reopening, workers at Disney World are praising the company for the safety protocols that have been implemented to protect against the new coronavirus. But questions remain about whether it will matter to paying guests of Disney World and its crosstown rivals, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)

Walt Disney Co. is laying off 28,000 U.S. employees

September 30, 2020 at 2:43 p.m.

Stricken by the coronavirus pandemic, Walt Disney Co. revealed Tuesday it is laying off 28,000 U.S. employees, including some at Walt Disney World. Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, said...

Tigger entertains guests wearing masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on July 11.

Orlando man charged with hitting Disney security guard in fight over COVID-19 mask rule

August 27, 2020 at 7:35 p.m.

An Orlando man struck an Epcot security guard when he was reminded to follow the theme park's mask rules, an Orange County sheriff's report says, the first known crime report...

Guests ride the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster on July 16 at Hollywood Studios.

Disney World annual passholders feel slighted as theme parks navigate COVID-19 pandemic

August 12, 2020 at 3:08 a.m.

Calling Disney World to cancel her annual pass was almost as nightmarish as navigating the state's overwhelmed unemployment benefits system this year. Jen Vargas says she was on hold for...

A view of Main Street USA during the official re-opening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2020. Disney opened two Florida parks, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, Saturday with limited capacity and safety protocols in place in response to the coronavirus pandenmic. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Disney reopens as a different world with masks, social distancing and light crowds

July 12, 2020 at 12:04 p.m.

Gary Semel's hands trembled in anticipation of the moment he had awaited for four months. Finally, he could kneel down in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World to...

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