Tuesday, February 2, 2016

A world of tears.

ANAHEIM (AP)--Disney officials have confirmed that the popular "It's a Small World" attraction at Disneyland will remain closed indefinitely pending completion of an investigation into what has been alternately referred to as "an act of vandalism" and "a doll-caused disaster."

"We are glad this occurred after hours and no one was hurt, but we still do not have a clear idea of what happened," said Margot Scrump, spokeswoman for the entertainment giant at a press conference Monday, two days after an explosion and gunfire rattled the famous family ride. "There seems to have been a problem with some of the dolls, but what we've seen doesn't make any sense."


According to leaked reports from Disneyland employees, two explosions were heard from within the ride at approximately 1:05 Saturday morning by security guards on the park grounds. That was followed by several bursts of gunfire. Police were alerted, and within minutes the Small World attraction was cordoned off. But no people were found within the structure, and surveillance video showed no unknown people anywhere in the park.

Scrump added, "The primary damage appeared to have been in the African room, where vandals apparently strapped some kind of explosives on two Middle Eastern dolls, which then detonated in the midst of some Nigerian dolls, destroying all the dolls in the room. We suspect someone had set this up hours earlier, although no remote or timing device has been located."

More curious were the gunshots, which "blew the faces off" dolls in the European scene and the Finale. "Guns were discovered, both near dolls that were not originally set in those scenes," added Scrump. "There was also mangling of several female dolls in the European room. Someone has been playing with our dolls."

Anaheim police and federal investigators had no comment on the active investigation, although one source with the Orange County Sheriff's Department said what happened in the beloved brotherhood-based ride was "bizarre" and "inexplicable" and "totally unforeseeable."

"We think this is a possible act of racial animosity expressed with the attraction's figurines," said Deputy Knute Loess, "possibly by some white hate group. Our position is that it is impossible that there could be anything but white prejudice causing such harm to the lovely harmony expressed in this attraction."

Scrump agrees, adding, "This seems to be an act of hatred of some kind, and hatred, discrimination, and lack of respect is the antithesis of 'It's a Small World' and Disney itself. It's not who we are."

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