Disneyland

All Disney theme parks in the U.S., including Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park, will soon require that youngsters entering the parks be accompanied by someone at least 14 years old. The new admission policy takes effect March 23. Disney officials said the change was not made in response to a particular incident. Disney's admission policy has varied from park to park and Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the company decided to adopt a consistent policy throughout its theme parks.

In perhaps the worst-kept secret in theme park history, the Disneyland Paris resort has finally admitted that the long-rumored Ratatouille trackless dark ride will open in 2014. Photos: Ratatouille dark ride at Disneyland Paris Conspicuously under construction for more than a year and rumored since 2009 or earlier, the new attraction will be based on the Oscar-winning Disney/Pixar film that tells the tale of a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. With an estimated budget of  $150 million, the new attraction at the Walt Disney Studios theme park in France is expected to feature trackless ride vehicles with 3-D projections and special effects.

The princess predicament is a problem as old as Disneyland. Moms want a picture of their little girls with a Disney princess while Dads and their bored boys squirm at the very notion of waiting 45 minutes for a photo op. Disneyland seems to have found a happy medium with the new Fantasy Faire , ushering the ladies through a conga line of princess meet-and-greets while the guys pass the time with a slapstick comedy designed to entertain the...

The brief announcement that Disney plans to add a Marvel-themed land to Hong Kong Disneyland in 2017 raises a host of questions: Will Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men be getting their own rides? When will the Marvel characters be coming to Anaheim, Paris, Tokyo or Shanghai? And why, of all places, Hong Kong? Many of the most basic questions remain unanswered, in part because the announcement was made by a Hong Kong government official rather than Disney.

Like the clang of the trolley car bell, the smell of baking fudge and the turn-of-the-century architecture, the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet is part of the fabric of Disneyland's Main Street USA. As part of a yearlong Limited Time Magic marketing campaign, the turn of the century inspired Dapper Dans will be performing songs this week by boy bands from the 1990s to today at Disneyland and Florida's Magic Kingdom. Billing themselves as the "original boy band," the Dapper Dans will sing a medley of "Bye Bye Bye" by 'N Sync , " What Makes You Beautiful " by One Direction and " Rock Your Body " from Justin Timberlake's post-boy-band solo debut.

Universal Studios Hollywood offers rides based on movies about rampaging dinosaurs, robot aliens, a 30-foot-tall gorilla and a green ogre with a sidekick donkey. Next up: a ride based on a movie about a super villain and three orphan girls. The theme park confirmed that it plans to open a ride based on the 2010 animated film "Despicable Me. " But it is too soon to release details, a spokeswoman for the park said. Universal Studio's sister park in Florida, Universal Studios Orlando, opened "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem" last year.

It took seven years and a little help from Toy Story and Grizzly Gulch, but Hong Kong Disneyland has finally broken into the black. The theme park, which opened in 2005 amid much fanfare and hopes of cashing in on the rising middle-class in mainland China, said Monday that it posted its first annual profit in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 29. The earnings of $14.1 million reversed a loss of $30.6 million in the prior 12-month period. Revenue jumped 18% to $550.7 million as attendance rose 13% from the prior year to a record 6.7 million visitors.

Mickey Mouse will serve as a mischievous tour guide on a musical journey through a magical map in a new stage show coming May 25 to Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre. "Mickey and the Magical Map" casts the title character in his classic role of sorcerer's apprentice from "Fantasia" in a 25-minute musical featuring songs from half a dozen Disney animated films. Spoiler alert: What follows is a fairly detailed summary of the show. For those who wish to be surprised when the musical opens at the renovated outdoor amphitheater, consider yourself forewarned.

In this week's episode of "The Real Princesses of Disneyland," Aladdin has his eye on Sleeping Beauty, Ariel calls Cinderella an old hag and Snow White is jealous of Tiana's new line of designer tiaras. The new Fantasy Faire enchanted village opening at Disneyland on March 12 will bring together all the Disney princesses -- old and new -- under one roof in what sounds like an ABC reality show waiting to happen. What do you get when hot-headed Merida, bookworm Belle, stubborn-minded Jasmine, free-spirited Pocahontas and fair-haired Rapunzel move into their "enchanting new home for the princesses" at Disneyland?

Anyone taking the kids to Disneyland this spring should consider this Travelzoo hotel offer within walking distance of the Anaheim theme park. A room for four costs $119 for a night or $219 for two nights - and that includes free parking and breakfast. The deal: The Travelzoo deal really suits families with kids who don't want to spend a fortune on a hotel room but do want to stay close to the park. It's good at the Anabella Hotel (1030 W. Katella Ave.), which is within walking distance of Disneyland.