Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary: Here’s a look at the park then and now

Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary: Here’s a look at the park then and now
Disneyland is now the world’s second-most visited park despite a rocky first day 70 years ago. (AP)
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Updated 17 July 2025
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Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary: Here’s a look at the park then and now

Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary: Here’s a look at the park then and now
  • It revolutionized amusement parks with immersive attractions and an emphasis on storytelling
  • Disneyland is now the world’s second-most visited park despite a rocky first day 70 years ago

Disneyland is celebrating 70 years of being “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

The summerlong festivities in southern California include the opening of “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” a show featuring a lifelike animatronic of the company’s founder that debuts Thursday and also marks Disneyland’s official anniversary.

Walt Disney’s vision of creating a getaway for families revolutionized the amusement park industry with immersive attractions featuring robotic figures and holographs, and shows and characters appealing to children.

The park’s emphasis on storytelling and attention to detail is still evident today in theme parks across the world.

Disneyland now ranks as the world’s second-most visited theme park, closely behind Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Florida, which opened in 1971. According to the Themed Entertainment Association, Disneyland drew more than 17 million people in 2023, bouncing back from an unprecedented 13-month closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The park was built on what was once orange groves in Anaheim, just outside Los Angeles. It opened on July 17, 1955 — a year that also saw Ray Kroc start his first McDonald’s restaurant and Jim Henson introduce his original version of Kermit the Frog.

Disneyland’s first day was famously a disaster, all broadcast on a live television special. The park opened just a year after its groundbreaking and simply wasn’t ready for its big day.

Attractions broke down, there weren’t enough restrooms, food and drinks were in short supply, traffic backed up for miles and the shoes of the first guests sank into freshly paved asphalt.

Among the original rides still around today are the Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan’s Flight and Jungle Cruise.

The cost to get in that first year was $1 for adults and 50 cents for children, although tickets for most rides were an additional 10 to 50 cents.

Today, a one-day ticket starts at more than $100 and on some days can double that.

Over the years, the park has hosted US presidents, kings and queens, and countless celebrities. A few even got their start at Disneyland — actor Kevin Costner was a skipper on the Jungle Cruise and comedian Steve Martin worked at a magic shop where he learned about being a performer.

The Walt Disney Co. now has six resorts with a dozen theme parks worldwide. The parks have become one of its most successful and important business segments.

The resort in Anaheim now includes Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney, a shopping and entertainment district.

While Disneyland still features many of the touches Walt Disney oversaw himself, the original park is ever-evolving, sometimes to the dismay of its loyal fans.

Some of the moves have been made to keep up with a changing society, while others have been made to introduce more thrilling attractions with the latest technology to keep up with competitors.

Just last year, Disney received approval to expand its Southern California theme parks. A new parking structure and transit hub are the first steps in its plans to open more space for new attractions.


Stressed UK teens seek influencers’ help for exams success

Stressed UK teens seek influencers’ help for exams success
Updated 55 min 1 sec ago
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Stressed UK teens seek influencers’ help for exams success

Stressed UK teens seek influencers’ help for exams success
  • Former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year’s exam questions
  • But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much on online advice

LONDON: Posing as a fortune teller on his YouTube channel, former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year’s exam questions.

He is among online study influencers gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success.

But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much on online advice.

Malik posts videos on TikTok and YouTube forecasting questions on classic English literature for the UK GCSE school exam taken at 16.

Last year “I predicted the entire paper,” he says on his popular “Mr Everything English” channel.

Malik, who says he is a former assistant head teacher, notes that he is just making an “educated guess,” but educators remain concerned.

“If you are a 15- or 16- year-old doing your GCSEs and you’ve got somebody in your phone who’s telling you ‘this is what the English exam is going to be about’... that is so appealing,” said Sarah Brownsword, an assistant professor in education at the University of East Anglia.

After British pupils sat their exams in May, some complained that Malik’s predictions were wrong.

“Never listening to you again bro,” one wrote, while others said they were “cooked” (done for) and would have to work in a fast food restaurant.

With GCSE results set to be released on August 21, one exam board, AQA, has warned of “increasing reliance on certain online revision channels.”

“Clearly this is an important source of revision and support for students,” it said.

But the examiners want “your interpretation of the texts you have studied, not some stranger’s views on social media.”

Students are overloaded, school leaders say.

“With so much content to cover and revise in every subject it can be completely overwhelming,” Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the school leaders’ union NAHT, told AFP.

“And so it is unsurprising that young people are looking for anything to help them to cope.”

Malik, whose prediction video has been viewed on YouTube 290,000 times, did not respond to a request for comment.

Brownsword praised TikTok, where she posts grammar videos for student teachers, saying: “You can learn about anything and watch videos about absolutely anything.”

Teachers have always flagged questions that could come up, she said, but predicting exam questions online is “really tricky.”

“But I think there’s a real difference between doing that and doing it on such a scale, when you’ve got thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers online.”

Other content creators defended such videos, however.

“Those kinds of videos were never to mislead,” said Tilly Taylor, a university student posting TikTok videos with candid revision advice to 100,000 followers.

“I make it very clear in my videos that these are predictions,” based on past papers and examiners’ reports, said Taylor, who appeals to younger viewers with her fashionable eye makeup.

Other content creators sell predicted papers “all the time,” Taylor said, but “I don’t think it’s right.”

Other educational influencers were more in favor.

“If you’re marketing it as a predicted paper, that’s completely fine... you just can’t say guaranteed paper,” said Ishaan Bhimjiyani, 20, who has over 400,000 TikTok followers.

He promoted a site offering an English predicted paper for £1.99 ($2.70) with a “history of 60-70 percent accuracy.”

Predicted papers allow you to “check whether you’re actually prepared for the exam,” said Jen, a creator and former teacher who posts as Primrose Kitten and declined to give her surname.

Her site charges £4.99 for an English predicted paper and includes a video on phrasing to score top marks.

Bhimjiyani, who went to a private school, started posting on TikTok at 16, saying he was “documenting my journey, posting about how I revise.”

“And then it kind of took off.”

He founded an educational influencer agency, Tap Lab, that now represents over 100 bloggers in their mid-teens to mid-20s.

Influencers earn most from paid promotions – for recruiters or beauty or technology brands – which must be labelled as such, he said.

Bhimjiyani made £5,000 with his first such video. Taylor said she recently promoted student accommodation.

No one explained “how do you actually revise,” Taylor said of her school years. So she turned to YouTube for ideas.

“I wanted to help someone like myself,” she said, “who couldn’t necessarily afford to go to private school or have private tuition.”


World’s first humanoid robot games begin in China

World’s first humanoid robot games begin in China
Updated 15 August 2025
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World’s first humanoid robot games begin in China

World’s first humanoid robot games begin in China
  • Over 500 androids alternated between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-meter hurdles to kung fu

BEIJING: The world’s first-ever humanoid robot games began Friday in Beijing, with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-meter hurdles to kung fu.

Hundreds of robotics teams from 16 countries are going for gold at the Chinese capital’s National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The games include traditional sports like athletics and basketball, as well as practical tasks such as medicine categorization and cleaning.

“I believe in the next 10 years or so, robots will be basically at the same level as humans,” enthusiastic 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan told AFP.

Human athletes might not be quaking in their boots just yet.

At one of the first events on Friday morning, five-aside football, 10 robots the size of seven-year-olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse.

However, in a 1500-meter race, domestic champion Unitree’s humanoids stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing their rivals.

The fastest robot AFP witnessed finished in 6:29:37, a far cry from the human men’s world record of 3:26:00.

One mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator. The robot remained standing, while the human was knocked flat, though did not appear to be injured.

Robot competitions have been held for decades, but the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games is the first to focus specifically on robots that resemble human bodies, organizers said.

The Chinese government has poured support into robotics hoping to lead the industry.

Beijing has put humanoids in the “center of their national strategy,” the International Federation of Robotics wrote in a paper on Thursday.

“The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology,” it added.

Authorities are working to raise awareness of the sector across society.

Cui Han, accompanying her 10-year-old, told AFP that her son’s school had organized and paid for the trip to the Games.

“I hope it will encourage him to learn more about these new technologies,” she said.

In March, China announced plans for a one-trillion-yuan fund to support technology startups, including those in robotics and AI.

The country is already the world’s largest market for industrial robots, official statistics show, and in April, Beijing held what organizers dubbed the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon.

Chen, the spectator, told AFP he was about to begin studying automation at university.

“Coming here can cultivate my passion for this field,” he said. “My favorite is the boxing, because... it requires a lot of agility and I can really see how the robots have improved from before.”

Meanwhile, at the kung fu competition area, a pint-sized robot resembling one from the popular Transformer series attempted to execute a move, but fell flat on its front.

It spun around on the floor as it struggled to get back up, the crowd happily cheering.


Keep your furry friends cool for the summer

Keep your furry friends cool for the summer
Updated 14 August 2025
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Keep your furry friends cool for the summer

Keep your furry friends cool for the summer
  • From frozen treats to cool-down measures, ways to keep your cat or dog safe as temperatures soar

RIYADH: If you think you can barely stand the scorching summer heat, think about how your pets feel.

The hot months can be a brutal time for stray animals and house pets. Normal body temperature ranges for dogs and cats are higher than for human beings, making them prone to overheating, dehydration, and paw pad burns from hot surfaces.

Arab News spoke to a few pet care centers for their top summer care tips.

Keep pets out of dangerous heat

Albanderey Aloyeadi, CEO Saudi Animal Welfare Society (Refq), said they campaign against leaving pets outdoors or in cars.

Humane World for Animals also advises never to leave your pets in a parked car because temperatures inside a vehicle can rapidly rise to dangerous levels.

Pawsers operates with an emphasis on raising animal awareness in the Kingdom through working with multiple community led groups. (Supplied: Pawsers Pet Care)

Temperatures inside a parked car can rise by almost 11 degrees Celcius within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“During the summer, we make a concerted effort to spread awareness in the community about the dangers of heat for animals,” Aloyeadi said.

This includes educational campaigns on proper hydration and sheltering.

Helping strays

Operationally, Refq increases monitoring of stray animals in urban areas in the summer to make sure they have access to clean water and shade.

They also partner with community members to designate safe feeding zones that help Refq track, feed, and protect stray animals more efficiently.

The Refq mobile app, a volunteer-driven platform, enables users to report animal abuse or neglect, locate animals in need, and facilitate adoptions, operating in collaboration with government agencies.

Adjust routines for cooler hours

“A good rule of thumb is if you can’t place your hand on the pavement outside, then neither can your pet,” said Pawsers Pet Care founder Ali Alriyahi.

Located in Alkhobar and Riyadh, they are a “one-stop shop” for all your pets’ needs.

When the weather starts to heat up, Pawsers employees are careful not to allow their pets outside if the temperature reaches above 32 C, especially if the humidity is high. They limit playtime to indoor activities where a controlled air conditioning unit and circulation system maintains optimal temperature and air quality conditions for the pets.

Outdoor time at Pawsers is during the very early mornings and late evenings and will last only about five minutes, depending on the heat index.

Through their outreach programs, Pawsers has found homes for thousands of abandoned and/or injured cats and dogs, also offering subsidized and discounted prices in services for strays and rescue animals.

Hydration is key

Chez Ayah, a full-service pet center in Riyadh, is known for its individualized approach to dog services.

Founder and owner Ayah Al-Bokhari said: “We’ve added indoor enrichment, supervised pool sessions and — most importantly — a lot of melon. Seriously, a lot of melon. It’s hydrating, safe, and the dogs love it.”

In the summer, Chez Ayah adjusts the entire routine to prioritize cooler hours, starting as early as 5:30 a.m. before the sun rises.

Their in-house park is additionally equipped with more than 10 outdoor AC units and large shaded areas for comfort.

“Every dog’s routine is customized based on their temperament, energy level, and needs,” Al-Bokhari added.

In addition to daycare and pet center services, there are best practices for pet owners to adopt in their homes in the summer, as well as for pedestrians to practice when coming across a stray on the street.

Pawsers operates with an emphasis on raising animal awareness in the Kingdom through working with multiple community led groups. (Supplied: Pawsers Pet Care)

Be mindful of humidity

It is important to watch out for high humidity levels, especially if you live on the coast, because it reduces the ability of an animal to cool itself.

Limit exercise on hot days and provide shade and water (preferably ice water) when taking your pets out for a walk.

Home cooling hacks

Make “pupsicles” by freezing pet-safe treats.

Use cooling wraps, vests, or mats soaked in cold water.

Don’t shave your pet’s fur — it insulates from heat and sun.

Provide shaded areas or ventilated rooms indoors.

Avoid leaving pets in enclosed spaces such as dog houses, which trap heat.

Very old, very young, overweight, inactive pets, and pets with heart or respiratory diseases are more prone to heat strokes. (Supplied: Pawsers Pet Care)

Know the signs of heat stroke

Be mindful for signs of heat stroke, which include heavy panting, glazed eyes, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, fever, excessive thirst, unresponsiveness and inactivity, dizziness, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizures, and unconsciousness.

Very old, very young, overweight, inactive pets, and pets with heart or respiratory diseases are more prone to heat strokes.

Certain breeds of cats and dogs, such as pugs and shih tzus who have short muzzles, will find it harder to breathe in the heat.

With temperatures regularly soaring above 40 C in Saudi summers, pet owners have to take extra measures to keep animals safe.

A national network of cooling and hydration stations for animals could be a valuable initiative, giving pets and strays a place to drink and cool off with minimal disruption.



 


McDonald’s Japan’s Pokemon card Happy Meals promotion comes to an unhappy end

McDonald’s Japan’s Pokemon card Happy Meals promotion comes to an unhappy end
Updated 13 August 2025
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McDonald’s Japan’s Pokemon card Happy Meals promotion comes to an unhappy end

McDonald’s Japan’s Pokemon card Happy Meals promotion comes to an unhappy end

TOKYO: Fast-food chain McDonald’s Japan has canceled a Happy Meal campaign that came with coveted Pokemon cards, apologizing after resellers rushed to buy the meals and then discarded the food, leaving trash outside stores.

The meals, called Happy Sets in Japan, were meant for children. They came with a toy, such as a tiny plastic Pikachu, and a Pokemon card. They sold out in a day, according to Japanese media reports.

Mounds of wasted food were found near the stores.

“We do not believe in abandoning and discarding food. This situation goes against our longtime philosophy that we have cherished as a restaurant to ‘offer a fun dining experience for children and families.’ We sincerely accept that our preparations had not been adequate,” the company said in a statement Monday.

McDonald’s said it was working on ways to prevent such a situation from happening again, such as limiting the number of meals each person can buy and ending online orders. It said it might deny service to customers who fail to abide by the rules.

“We vow to return to the basics of what lies behind the Happy Set, which is about helping to bring smiles to families so we can contribute to the wholesome development of the hearts and bodies of children, who are our future,” the company said.

Collecting Pokemon cards is popular among adults and children in many places, with the most popular cards selling for $1,000 or more.

Unusually large crowds were seen flocking to McDonald’s stores when the meals with Pokemon cards went on sale. The cards were later being resold for up to tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of dollars) online.

McDonald’s has been selling Happy Meals for more than 40 years. In Japan, they usually sell for 510 yen ($3.40).


Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place

Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place
Updated 13 August 2025
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Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place

Gulf tourists say Polish mountain town is a cool place
  • Thousands of Gulf residents spending their summer vacation in Zakopane, a resort known for its ski lifts and hiking trails, where historic wooden houses mix with modern hotels

ZAKOPANE: Saudi photographer Fahad Alayyash gazed over the Alpine-like panorama of the Tatras, Poland’s highest mountain range — and a surprising new hotspot for Arab tourists.

The 38-year-old is among thousands of Gulf residents spending their summer vacation in Zakopane, a resort known for its ski lifts and hiking trails, where historic wooden houses mix with modern hotels.

“We’ve completely taken over the place,” Alayyash said while standing on Gubalowka, a peak overlooking Zakopane, where dozens of visitors drink coffee, shop for souvenirs and enjoy the view.

Zakopane, located in southern Poland, has become a major summer draw for holidaymakers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with up to seven daily flights from the region at nearby Krakow Airport.

The boom started with a Saudi travel agency representative, said Agata Wojtowicz, head of the Tatra chamber of commerce.

She said the official came to Zakopane to scout for a new destination with a direct connection to the Gulf and “was astonished” by the town.

Flydubai launched the first Dubai-Krakow connection in 2018 and Emiratis are now coming in droves — helped by their visa-free access to the European Union.

Last year they were Poland’s fastest-growing tourist group, according to the tourism ministry, with numbers 66 percent higher than in 2023.

Manal Alanazy, a 45-year-old educational technology professor at King Saud University, said Zakopane is well-known among Saudis.

“When I told my dad and my brother that I’m going to Poland, my brother didn’t like it. He said: ‘It’s all Gulf people there,’” she told AFP.

Zakopane uses social media to attract Gulf tourists who have created “a snowball effect” of growing interest, said Wojtowicz.

Over the past three years, Arab influencers have been invited on promotional visits, according to Grzegorz Biedron, chairman of its tourism organization.

Both Alanazy and Abdullah Alotaibi, a 30-year-old Kuwaiti ship captain, learnt about Zakopane from X.

“I saw on Twitter (X) a thread about Zakopane, and how it treats all people the same, and there is no racism about religions, so I liked it and I came,” said Alotaibi.

Arab tourists cite the feeling of safety as one of Zakopane’s key assets.

“It was dark and I was walking... I’m like, ‘You’re not in Poland, you’re in one of the Gulf countries. Just look. Nothing will happen,’” said Alanazy.

For Zakopane’s business owners, the Gulf clientele has been a blessing.

“This year, around two-thirds are Arabs,” Anna Stoch-El Einen, who owns a kebab restaurant and souvenir shop, said of her customers.

“We have very few Polish tourists in the region, perhaps because of the weather,” she added.

The hospitality industry has adapted fast to the preferences of Middle East visitors.

Stoch-El Einen offers menus in Polish and Arabic, and has a “halal” certificate displayed over the counter.

“We also make sure that we have a halal menu,” said Wiktor Wrobel, CEO of the region’s Nosalowy hotel group.

Arab customers constitute up to 30 percent of all summer guests at his five-star hotel in Zakopane.

City mayor Lukasz Filipowicz told AFP “local entrepreneurs are very happy about the presence of tourists from the Middle East.”

He said the biggest challenge was the difference in driving cultures, with visitors often breaking parking and entry laws.

“Every municipal police patrol is equipped with a handbook in Arabic... so that tourists from the Middle East can understand and comply with the applicable regulations,” Filipowicz said.

The day is rainy, but the drizzle did not deter Gulf visitors escaping the infernal summer heat in their home region. Temperatures sometimes top 50C in the Gulf, whereas Polish summers are generally mild.

Alanazy initially wanted to vacation in Paris.

“I canceled because the heatwave hit the European countries,” she told AFP, adding that “the weather is perfect” in Zakopane.

Wrobel said climate change is a reason behind the surge in Zakopane’s popularity.

“The respite that visitors from Arab countries are looking for cannot be found in Italy or Spain, where temperatures have also risen significantly,” he told AFP.

Hanka Krzeptowska-Marusarz, whose family runs a guesthouse in Zakopane, recalled seeing a Kuwaiti in full Islamic attire as she stood in a meadow, arms spread out, soaked in torrential rain.

“I thought it was beautiful,” she said.