The Orange County Register reports that a man in his 30s or 40s has jumped to his death from the 14th floor of the Disneyland Hotel’s Wonder Tower, in Anaheim, CA. The cause of death is apparently a suicide, but the man’s identity has not been released as yet. 

Shortly after 11 a.m., police were called to investigate a possible suicide at 1150 Magic Way, said Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez. The man, who has not been identified, jumped from a balcony in the hotel’s south tower onto a parking lot, Martinez said. Photo credit - Rod Veal, Orange County Register

Since we’re on the subject and there’s nothing more to say about the suicide, there’s a few tidbits more of news from Disneyland, including an expansion plan with more rides, theme park land and hotel rooms, according to Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier, brought to via Sonya Smith, OC Register. Disney plans to add a Tinker Bell attraction at Disneyland in October, 253 rooms to the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and new rides and themed lands to Disney’s California Adventure. At some point, Disney might add a third theme park on 88 acres of land next to Disneyland and possibly operate two hotels proposed for the Anaheim GardenWalk, Grier told a crowd of about 150 at an Orange County Forum event Wednesday. “We had great success with the 50th anniversary (of Disneyland),” Grier said. “Now it’s about how we keep that momentum going.”

Expansions aside, the question of whether the Disney magic is strong enough to overcome threats of a soft economy, $4-a-gallon gas and rising food prices is the subject of Peter Sander’s article in the Wall Street Journal. So far, Disney’s domestic theme parks and resorts have held up surprisingly well, owing partly to an influx of international visitors taking advantage of the dollar’s prolonged weakness…. analysts say the company has done a good job of offering vacation packages and room rates at a variety of price points, which will likely keep enticing visitors to travel to a Disney property. But last Monday, in step with its competitors to help offset the rising cost of fuel, the Disney Cruise Line announced a new surcharge for passengers making cruise reservations.

Posted on May 3rd, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News