Two Southern California theme parks are offering free tickets to firefighters and other first responders as a way to say thank you for their work in combating the deadly and destructive wildfires that ravaged the area for the last month.

Universal Studios Hollywood announced their "First Responder Heroes Ticket Offer" on Jan. 31. 

"To thank those who assisted our community, all eligible active U.S.-based first responders can enjoy one complimentary general admission ticket and a 50% savings on up to three additional tickets, now through April 10, 2025," said the park's website.

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The offer is available to "eligible active U.S. based first responders at either a public or private agency/entity," including paramedics/emergency medical technicians, firefighters, police officers/Sherriff's deputies, and National Guard members, said Universal Studios Hollywood. 

"The selfless dedication and tireless resilience exhibited by the first responders in response to combating the L.A. wildfires has been nothing short of extraordinary and we are very grateful to these unsung heroes for their courage during this difficult time," Scott Strobl, the executive vice president and general manager of Universal Studios Hollywood said in a statement. 

Strobl continued, "When these first responders are ready for a much needed break, we look forward to welcoming them to our theme park."

Tickets can only be picked up in person and first responders must show a "valid government-issued photo ID and valid employee ID card for qualifying first responder occupation," said Universal Studios Hollywood.

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On Feb. 7, Disneyland announced a similar offer for local first responders, calling it the "Heroes Ticket." The "Heroes Ticket" is two free one-day "park hopper" tickets, which include entry to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. 

"We are inspired by the endless dedication and contributions of the heroes who battled the fires that took place in the LA area, and our gratitude for their service is immeasurable," said Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, in a statement released by Disneyland. 

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"We hope these heroes can enjoy a memorable day with a loved one at our parks, because they certainly deserve it," said Potrock. 

The Heroes Ticket is available for "eligible California firefighters as well as eligible Los Angeles-based law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians who helped combat the LA fires in January 2025," said the release from Disneyland. "The Heroes Ticket will also be available to eligible individuals from other departments that provided mutual aid assistance." 

The complementary tickets will be valid Mondays through Thursdays from May 5 through Aug. 7, 2025, said Disneyland, and will require a theme park reservation. 

Additional information will be sent to eligible fire, police, and sheriff departments in April, said the press release. 

The building that formerly housed the "Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser" at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will be repurposed as office space, the company confirmed to local Orlando media.

Reports began swirling at the end of January that the building for the shuttered hotel would get new life as an office space, multiple sources reported.

Disney confirmed to WESH 2, an Orlando outlet, that its "Imagineering" department would be taking up residence in the space and that the move had been in the works since October.

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It is unclear when the renovation work will begin or when the employees will move into the space.

"Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative engine that designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide, and oversees the creative aspects of Disney games, merchandise product development, and publishing businesses," said Disney's website. 

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was a two-night experience that was akin to a traditional cruise. 

Guests on the Galactic Starcruiser were immersed in a story that played out during their stay.

The 100-room hotel opened in March 2022, after many delays. 

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In May 2023, Disney announced that the Starcruiser would take its final "voyage" at the end of September. 

The Galactic Starcruiser was praised for its storytelling and experience, but faced criticism over its price structure.

Rates for a two-person "cabin" on the Starcruiser started at nearly $5,000. 

A four-person cabin was $6,000, FOX Business previously reported. 

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In addition to two nights in the hotel room, the rate included entertainment, meals and an "excursion" to Disney's Hollywood Studios. 

After the announced closure, Star Wars fans were hopeful that the building would remain as an attraction in some form. 

In a June 2023 interview with travel website The Points Guy, Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, said that "something will happen" with the building, but remained mum on what that would entail. 

About six months later, in Jan. 2024, a permit for "general construction" at the site of the former hotel was filed by Disney. 

A Florida Democratic Party official is accused of possessing videos of children being sexually abused by adults and attempting to arrange a meet-up with an undercover cop posing as the father of a nine-year-old potential victim, prosecutors said.

The post Police: Florida Democratic Party Official Sent Child Pornography, Tried to Meet 9-Year-Old Boy for Sex appeared first on Breitbart.

An elderly Orlando, Florida, woman was allegedly "violently robbed" of her lottery winnings right after she picked them up from a convenience store, with surveillance footage showing the terrifying moment the suspect attacked her.

The post Watch: Florida Man Appears to Violently Rob Elderly Woman of Lottery Winnings appeared first on Breitbart.

A former Disney World Resort employee has pleaded guilty to hacking into one of the company's computer systems and removing life-saving allergy information from restaurant menus. 

Michael Scheuer was fired on June 13, 2024 for his alleged misconduct. He worked as a menu production manager, and his termination was considered "contentious and…not considered to be amicable," according to a federal court complaint.

Scheuer has pleaded guilty to knowingly transmitting a program, information, code, and command and intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft, according to a Jan. 10 court plea agreement. 

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Scheuer's attorney, David Haas, said his client "is prepared to accept responsibility for his conduct."

"Unfortunately, he has mental health issues that were exacerbated when Disney fired him upon his return from paternity leave," he added. "No one was ever at risk of injury and he is deeply remorseful for what happened."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Disney. 

Federal prosecutors said Scheuer, who they called a "threat actor," was responsible for the creation and distribution of all restaurant menus for the company, including the digital menus. None of the changes made it on to the printed or digital versions of the menus, but they did result in $150,000 in damages, the company said, according to a complaint. 

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"Namely, the threat actor manipulated the allergen information on menus by adding information to some allergen notifications that indicated certain menu items were safe for individuals with peanut allergies, when in fact they could be deadly to those with peanut allergies," the complaint states. 

The allergen alterations focused on peanut, tree nut, shellfish and milk allergens, prosecutors said. 

"More specifically, the threat actor added notations to menu items indicating they were safe for people with specific allergies, which has potentially fatal consequences depending on the severity of the customers’ allergies," prosecutors said. "It is believed these menus were identified and isolated by Company A prior to being shipped out to restaurants and were not distributed further."

In addition, Scheuer also added profanity and changed the pricing of some items on the menus, Fox Orlando reported. He also allegedly sent multiple log-in requests, which prevented more than a dozen employees from being able to access their accounts and systems. 

He also changed fonts and caused some pages to be blank. In particular, Scheuer made changes to information about wines to replace geographic regions with the locations of "recent mass shootings," and embedded "a swastika" on menus, the filing says.

When questioned by investigators, he said he was being framed to cover up the conditions under which he was terminated, the complaint said. 

He faces up to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.  

Surrounded by loved ones, retired U.S. Army Col. William "Bill" A. Connelly, 100, was honored at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando on Friday evening during a flag retreat ceremony. 

Connelly stood tall and proud as he saluted the flag that had been risen from half-staff in honor of the late former President Jimmy Carter before being lowered and folded to be given to him. 

Afterward, Disney cast members lined up to shake Connelly's hand. Something unfamiliar happened next, when park visitors also lined up to thank him for his service.

Connelly said he felt "great" after the ceremony. The veteran and his family are not only Disney fans who have been to the parks and on a Disney cruise, but his son-in-law is a Disney cast member. 

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When asked what his secret is to a long life, Connelly said, "Having happy people around you."

Connelly, originally from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was drafted into the Army when he was 18. He served with the 115th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and fought in the battle on D-Day at Omaha Beach, Normandy, according to a biography shared by his family.

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The Army allowed him to finish high school, go to college where he was in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, earn his bachelor of arts degree and re-enlist in the Army as an officer. 

He was involved in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II, which included the landing at Normandy. He spent 27 years in the military, and was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in a Combat Zone. 

Most of Connelly's Army life was spent working with the Counterintelligence Corps. He is the father of three daughters, a grandfather of six, a great-grandfather of six and became a centenarian on Saturday.

Connelly's wife of 63 years, Jean, passed away in 2016.

The WWII veteran cracked some jokes while speaking with Fox News Digital, and his humility shined through when he said his service in the military was "nothing special."

The daily flag retreat ceremony tradition in Main Street, USA, town square dates back to the park's opening day on Oct. 1, 1971. It features the pledge of allegiance, the singing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"The ceremony is a tribute—a thank you to veterans for their service, sacrifice and dedication to protecting our country," Disney World's website reads. 

More stories about Disney saluting military service heroes can be found here.