The Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts updated the Disability Access Service programs on Tuesday, April 9 that offer assistance to theme park visitors with developmental disabilities like autism and other neurodivergent disorders.

The changes go into effect May 20 at the Walt Disney World resort and June 18 at the Disneyland resort with the goal of limiting the Disability Access Service program to only guests who require the services, according to Disneyland officials.

ALSO SEE: First look at Avatar themed land proposed for Disneyland

Disneyland spells out the dire penalties for lying during the Disability Access Service registration process under the Frequently Asked Questions section of the updated DAS page on the theme park’s website.

If caught, DAS cheats will be permanently barred from the Disneyland and Disney World resorts and all daily tickets and annual passes will be forfeited without refund, according to the DAS websites for both parks.

How would Disneyland catch a disability fraud?

Disneyland doesn’t say, but Disney cast members would likely be the first line of defense backed up by the digital trail left by using the Disneyland app for Lightning Lane access. There are also security cameras covering virtually every corner of the park and security guards monitoring suspicious activity.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland closes 4 attractions during busy spring season

In 2023, Disney World cracked down on third party tour guides selling unauthorized services including Genie+ and Disability Access Service, according to the Disney Tourist Blog. The unaffiliated tour guides who serve as in-park escorts have been stopped by Disney World managers, issued trespassing notices by local police and indefinitely banned from the Florida theme park resort, according to the Disney Tourist Blog.

Tales of DAS abuse and tips for cheating the system are rampant on social media.

Twitter user Wildest Ride recounted how friends use false claims of Irritable Bowel Syndrome to fraudulently acquire Disability Access Service passes at Disney theme parks.

“Obviously not a large sample size, but of the four people I know who have a DAS pass, 3 of them claim it’s because they have IBS — which they told me personally they don’t, they just don’t want to wait in line,” Wildest Ride wrote on Twitter. “Seems like anything to prevent abusing ADA is a win for everyone.”

The Disability Access Service has become the most widely requested service at the Disneyland and Disney World resorts with the volume of guest usage more than tripling over the last five years, according to Disneyland officials. Disneyland and Disney World are taking steps to preserve the DAS program now because the trend is only expected to continue.

The Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts updated the Disability Access Service programs on Tuesday, April 9 that offer assistance to theme park visitors with developmental disabilities like autism and other neurodivergent disorders.

The changes go into effect May 20 at the Walt Disney World resort and June 18 at the Disneyland resort with the goal of limiting the Disability Access Service program to only guests who require the services, according to Disneyland officials.

ALSO SEE: First look at Avatar themed land proposed for Disneyland

All of Disneyland’s accessibility options will not be available to all guests with disabilities, according to Disneyland officials. Disneyland hopes a wide suite of options will offer solutions for everyone.

The Disability Access Service has become the most widely requested service at the Disneyland and Disney World resorts with the volume of guest usage more than tripling over the last five years, according to Disneyland officials. Disneyland is taking steps to preserve the DAS program now because the trend is only expected to continue.

DAS is intended for Disneyland visitors with a developmental disability like autism who are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time. DAS visitors get a return time through the Disneyland mobile app comparable to the current standby wait time for an attraction.

ALSO SEE: See early Disneyland ride concepts that never got built

Disney will continue to operate DAS on both coasts and partner with Inspire Health Alliance on the implementation of the updated programs. During the interview process, Disneyland visitors seeking DAS will be asked about their life experiences but not their disabilities. The program update will require everyone who has an existing DAS pass to reapply.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland closes 4 attractions during busy spring season

The sheer number of DAS users today are overwhelming the limited capacity of Disneyland’s infrastructure and bogging down the whole system, leading to backups in the Genie+ Lightning Lane queues shared by DAS guests, according to Disneyland officials. The increased volume of DAS users means longer wait times for guests with disabilities and those who have paid for Genie+ — defeating the purpose of the shorter lines for both groups.

On June 18, Disneyland will move the DAS processing center from guest relations inside the parks to new disability services windows at the ticket booths on the esplanade between the parks. For now, DAS processing will remain at the guest relations desks at Disneyland City Hall and Disney California Adventure’s Chamber of Commerce through June 17.

Visitors who do not qualify for DAS will be directed to other options like Rider Switch passes, Stroller as a Wheelchair tags, Location Return Time passes for older non-ADA compliant queues, wheelchair transfer options, handheld devices for the visually impaired and sign language interpreters.

DAS validation will be good for the length of the daily ticket type or for 120 days for annual passholders.

DAS use has exploded in recent years in part because more people have become aware of the service. Social media hacks have exploited DAS as a free way to avoid paying for the Genie+ line-cutting service and have led to abuses.

The updated Disneyland disability services website highlights rules that limit the number of people who can use a single DAS pass, requirements that the visitor who registers for DAS must ride the attraction and penalties for making untrue statements when registering for DAS.

Tickets for the Pride Nite events go on sale Tuesday, April 9 for Magic Key annual passholders and Thursday, April 11 for the general public. Ticket sales start both days no earlier than 9 a.m.

The Pride Nite events will be held on June 18 and 20 at Disneyland.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland closes 4 attractions during busy spring season

Entertainment will include a Welcome Pride cavalcade with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Clarabelle in rainbow outfits, Pride Nite fireworks, the Pride Nite Dance Club along the Rivers of America, the Ohana Dance Party in Tomorrowland and Country Line Dancing in the Golden Horseshoe.

The 2023 Pride Nites were the first time Disneyland had hosted an official LGBTQ special event. Unofficial Gay Days Anaheim mix-in events with theme park meet-ups, trivia games, scavenger hunts and parties have been a regular fixture at Disneyland for more than two decades.

The 2023 Pride Nite featured more than 30 Disney characters along with a pair of openly gay superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Phastos from “Eternals” and America Chavez from “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

ALSO SEE: See early Disneyland ride concepts that never got built

The Pride Nite photo op locations throughout the park included the Rainbow Steps on Main Street USA, the Rainbow Crosswalk in Fantasyland and Rainbow Ridge in Frontierland.

Disneyland has already hosted two After Dark events in 2024 — the returning Sweethearts’ Nite and the new Disney Channel Nite. The always popular Star Wars Nite events return on select nights between April 16 and May 9 at Disneyland.

All of the Disneyland After Dark events feature specialty themed entertainment, character meet-and-greets, photo op backdrops, food and drinks, collectible merchandise, commemorative keepsakes and unlimited PhotoPass digital downloads along with select rides and shows.

Pre-party mix-in starts at 6 p.m. each night with the private event running from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. each evening. No theme park reservations are required to attend the separate-admission events. Parking is not included.

What kills most?

We can buy the drug that kills more Americans than any other at the grocery store. Legally. Every day of the week.

While overdose deaths from fentanyl and its sinister cousins have seized the spotlight for years — some 112,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023 — alcohol-related diseases kill many, many more people — 178,000 Americans every year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

In California, a record-breaking 11,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2022. But nearly twice that many — 19,335 — die from alcohol-related diseases every year in the Golden State, according to a recent number crunch by the California Department of Public Health.

There are medications that can help treat alcohol use disorder. They’re not fabulous, experts at the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s annual conference said, but they’re a tool in the toolbox that can help address the most widespread and pernicious addiction in America.

“Everything right now is opioids, and it’s great we’re trying to prevent overdoses, but alcohol is not gone. Alcohol causes more related deaths than opioid overdoses,” said Dr. Julio Meza, director of UCLA’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship, who we chatted with before the conference began.

“Before 2020, the main reasons for a liver transplant at UCLA were Hepatitis C, tumors and then alcohol. Now at UCLA, the main reason for a liver transplant is alcohol.”

General practitioners! Family doctors! Talk to your patients about their drinking. More addiction treatment from front-line physicians is critical.

As a founding partner of the PlumpJack Group, the wine, food and hospitality company that includes three Napa Valley wineries, we hope you’ll take this to heart, Gov. Newsom.

What is treatment?

Ask folks on the street what addiction treatment is and they’ll say “detox” or “AA.”

Detox is not treatment. Twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are not treatment.

Detox is designed to remove drugs from the system — best done under the watchful eye of medical professionals, unlike how it’s often done in California, sometimes to tragic results. But that’s only the first tiny step. Research has found that some 90% of folks who detox from opioids use again within five days. Overdoses and death are too often the aftermath.

There are several excellent medications for opioid use disorder that dramatically reduce cravings and subsequent use. But in California, nearly half of treatment centers don’t use them, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. And only 1 in 5 people diagnosed with opioid use disorder take these medications.

That’s insane! Please fix this! Ensure that the folks we’re trying to help through Proposition 1 (and, really, everywhere else) have access to life-saving medications from the get-go, and for as long as they need them, which might be forever.

If you want to be cold about it, that could save money in the long run. A decade ago, about one of every nine acute care patients at UCSF were substance users, said Dr. Marlene Martín, associate professor of clinical medicine at UCSF. Today, that’s about one of every three.

And please, don’t mistake sobriety for recovery, the experts cautioned. While the peer support of AA and other 12-step programs can be absolutely essential, they are not in and of themselves recovery. Sobriety is a step on what’s often a life-long road. The 30-60-90-day treatment model so prevalent now — largely because that’s what insurance will pay for — has it all wrong.

Serious as a heart attack

We need to stop treating addiction like a heart attack and start treating it more like diabetes, the ASAM experts said.

“Addiction treatment is set up on an acute care model. It works really well for acute conditions, where you go for treatment and are ‘cured.’ This is what we’ve done in addiction for a long time,” Dr. Elizabeth M. Salisbury-Afshar of the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, told her colleagues.

But chronic conditions like diabetes — and addiction — are not cured in the ER. They require long-term management and, often, life-long medication.

“The way we determine success is by a urine test. Positive or negative. Acute care model. It doesn’t work for chronic conditions,” she said as her colleagues erupted in applause.

Insistence on abstinence

Folks who’ve had long-term success on methadone lose privileges, and have their medication reduced, if they raise a glass of chardonnay to toast a grandson’s graduation. This, too, is nuts.

Harm reduction efforts — clean needle exchanges, fentanyl test strip distribution, supervised consumption sites (a nicer way to say safe injection sites, which might be more palatable in a presidential campaign) – are often gateways to treatment, the experts said.

But a punitive mindset – which sees users as criminals – dictates punishment rather than compassion. It’s important to remember that folks who turn to substances to cope have often endured terrible trauma – and the more trauma they endured as children, the more likely they are to use, SAMHSA has found.

Homeless people — the people Prop. 1 is supposed to help and house — have high rates of addiction, SAMHSA found.

This is where harm reduction comes in. “Meet them where they are, work like hell to get them somewhere better,” said Dr. Corey Waller, chief medical officer at BrightView Health.

Alas, Gov. Newsom, you vetoed a major harm reduction bill — allowing safe injection pilot sites in Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco — in 2022, even though you said you were “very open” to the idea as a candidate in 2018. In your veto message, you worried that supervised sites might “induce a world of unintended consequences.”

One might argue that’s precisely what our present approach has done.

Legally, those ballots should have been counted, barring a problem like a ballot envelope signature not matching what’s on file.

But they weren’t tallied because registrars of voters in these counties received the ballots after March 12 — the final day that on-time mail-in ballots could be accepted.

While Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties processed more than 3 million primary votes, ballots postmarked on time but arriving too late — however few — pose a challenge for California elections that rely heavily on ballots mailed to every registered voter.

“While this amount may not make any difference in the election results, it certainly makes a difference to the integrity of the process,” Robert Tyler of the Murrieta-based law firm Advocates For Faith & Freedom said via email.

In a Thursday, April 4, letter, Tyler demanded that Riverside County halt certification of its primary results on the belief that 5,000 ballots remained to be counted. Those ballots weren’t valid because they were postmarked after Election Day, according to Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco.

Chapman University political science professor Fred Smoller said: “All election procedures have their shortcomings. I hope this one gets fixed prior to the next election.”

Hoping to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, California starting in 2020 required all registered voters, whether or not they voted by mail, to get a mail-in ballot to use if they so choose.

By law, ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to seven days after the election must be counted. It’s one reason why California election results take days, if not weeks, to be finalized.

Most Californians vote by mail, with 88% mailing in their ballots for the 2022 general election, according to the secretary of state.

According to Riverside County, 31 mail-in ballots postmarked on time arrived eight days after the election or later.

In Orange County, 70 postmarked-on-time ballots arrived too late to be counted, with 61 arriving March 13, three arriving March 14 and six arriving March 15, according to that county’s registrar.

In San Bernardino County, three ballots arrived between March 13 and March 15 that were postmarked on Election Day, according to elections office spokesperson Melissa Eickman. Information for similar ballots in Los Angeles County was not available as of Monday afternoon, April 8.

Officials in Orange and Riverside counties said they weren’t sure why the ballots arrived late.

“We can only process ballots as they arrive,” Riverside County registrar spokesperson Elizabeth Florer said via a text message. “We cannot speculate as to why a ballot may take longer to arrive in our office.”

U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Duke Gonzales did not provide an explanation for why the ballots arrived late.

In an emailed statement, he said the service “is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail” and is “committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when public policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system.”

Gonzales also shared election mail reports from 2020 and 2022. According to those reports, 99.89% of 2020 ballots and 99.93% of 2022 ballots nationwide were delivered within seven days.

“We employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots,” Gonzales said.

California allows voters to track their ballots online to ensure they are received and counted and receive texts or emails when their ballot status changes. Voters can sign up for the service at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.

Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel, who is part of an ad hoc committee studying election issues in her county, said via email that she was concerned about the late-arriving ballots.

“I plan to ask the registrar of voters staff to work with the U.S. Postal Service to find solutions so this does not happen in future elections,” Spiegel said via email.

Her colleague, Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, said via email that the county “is also at the mercy of the Postal Service to deliver the ballots within the legal (counting) window.”

“As I recall, dealing with late arriving or past due mail-in ballots is nothing new,” Jeffries said. “It’s just that everything tied to elections is now under a microscope to make sure that election laws are being adhered to.”

He added he “can’t help but wonder” why the 31 voters in his county whose ballots arrived too late to be counted “didn’t make it on time. That’s something that maybe only the Postal Service can offer some insight on.”

“The takeaway from this might be don’t wait until the last day to mail your ballot,” Jeffries said. “Stay ahead of your government!”

Staff Writer Hanna Kang contributed to this report.

The Incredicoaster, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will temporarily close in mid-April or early May as part of Disneyland’s standard refurbishment schedule.

ALSO SEE: See early Disneyland ride concepts that never got built

The four new attraction closures join the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and “Fantasmic” that were already shuttered for refurbishment.

The timing of the attraction closures coincide with the two-month-long Star Wars event that started Friday, April 5 at Disneyland and Pixar Fest that kicks off April 26 at Disney California Adventure.

The Incredicoaster in Pixar Pier will go down Monday, April 8 through April 18 for a seasonal refurbishment.

ALSO SEE: First look at Avatar themed land proposed for Disneyland

The Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster will close three times on slower weekdays — April 15-18, April 22-25 and April 29 to May 2.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh will close on May 1 as part of the larger closure of Critter Country while work continues on the transformation of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. A reopening date has not yet been set for the Pooh dark ride.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will close on April 16 with no reopening date set. The venerable Disneyland Audio-Animatronics show will remain closed at least through May 20.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland to convert Autopia cars from gas to electric

The Haunted Mansion closed in January for an extended renovation of the outdoor queue area that will add a new accessibility elevator for wheelchair users exiting the ride and a new retail shop at the attraction’s exit. Disneyland has not announced a reopening date for the popular haunted house dark ride.

The latest temporary closures don’t include Splash Mountain — which is undergoing a yearlong conversion into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Critter Country log flume ride is scheduled to reopen with a new “Princess and the Frog” theme in fall or winter 2024.

“Fantasmic” will return on May 24 after a yearlong hiatus following an inferno that engulfed the show’s audio-animatronic fire-breathing dragon.

Also not on the temporarily “out of order” list are several attractions that never returned following the yearlong pandemic closure that shuttered Disneyland and DCA.

Disneyland’s Star Wars Launch Bay and DCA’s Blue Sky Cellar are being used for Imagination Campus — an educational travel workshop that teaches students about the arts and sciences used in Disney theme parks.

The Magic Eye Theater in Tomorrowland remains dark with no upcoming show in the works.

DCA’s Hyperion Theater in Hollywood Land briefly returned for a two-month run of “Rogers: The Musical” before closing again with nothing planned for the 2,000-seat Broadway caliber venue.

The Fantasyland Theatre no longer has regularly scheduled shows after the “Tale of the Lion King” ended its run in January.

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse at the end, as Southern California’s were able to see the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse at the 50% coverage for Southern California’s were able to see the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  People look through their solar glasses at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  People look through a telescope at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Kids look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Belen Aguirre uses her eclipse glasses to take a phone photo during an eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Chou family checks out a partial solar eclipse during a viewing event at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Gemma Jones, 5, gets help closing one eye as she looks through a telescope at a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kids look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Students and staff at Oxford Academy in Cypress catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People look through a telescope and their solar glasses during a solar eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California had a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Laguna Woods residents watch the partial solar eclipse through special glasses at a viewing party put on by the Astronomy Club on Monday, April 8, 2024. More than 200 people attended the party. (Photo by Mark Rabinowitch)

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  Laguna Woods residents watch the partial solar eclipse through special glasses at a viewing party put on by the Astronomy Club on Monday, April 8, 2024. More than 200 people attended the party. (Photo by Mark Rabinowitch)

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  Left: Shadow Hills Elementary School students watch the solar eclipse in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. Approximately 50 perecent of the sun was covered by the moon while totality was seen from Matazlan, Mexico through Texas and the midwest and out through Maine. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Right: The total eclipse of the sun in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  Riva Karki, 14, a 9th-grade student at Oxford Academy in Cypress, takes a picture with her classmates during the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Phto by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  People check out exhibits at the planetarium during an eclipse viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kids check out a partial solar eclipse during a viewing at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA on Monday, April 8, 2024. Southern California saw a partial eclipse with a little over 50% coverage. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse, a woman brings her parrot as Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Know as the Great American Eclipse starts for Southern California’s were able to see 50% coverage of the moon crossing the sun at the Griffith Park Observatory Monday. Los Angeles CA/USA. April 8, 2024. The next solar eclipse in the USA won’t happen for 20 years till August 12, 2045. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Iyan Syeed-Miller, 17, a member of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, assists people in viewing the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Scott Haas, 52, with his son, Tom, 10, sit together as they gaze at the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study hosted a solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  A student from Willard Elementary School views the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Children from the Willard Children Center gaze at the solar eclipse during the Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Allison Drake, 17, a member of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, checks a telescope during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Students from Willard Elementary School view the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Ariana Craig, a teacher at Willard Elementary Schoo, views the solar eclipse during Pasadena Unified School District’s Center for Independent Study solar eclipse viewing party for students from various schools and programs at its Wilson campus in Pasadena on Monday, April 8, 2024. While California was not in the path of totality, viewers in Pasadena and the rest of the state saw a partial blocking on the sun. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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  Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, shows students how to wear solar glasses before the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Cristina Reyes, a fifth grade teacher at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana, passes out solar glasses to students Monday, April 8, 2024, before the solar eclipse. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The moon’s shadow is cast down from a sunspotter device during the solar eclipse at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  A student at Shadow Hills Elementary School in Fontana points towards the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Third grade students at Fontana’s Shadow Hills Elementary School Melody Velasco, Corinna Chavez and Giancarlo Hernandez Herrera, all 9, cast the moon’s shadow onto paper using a solar pinhole viewing card as they watch the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  The solar eclipse begins in Fontana on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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  Students and staff at Oxford Academy in Cypress catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Katie Kuznik and her dog Mila attended the viewing party. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Sydney Sun and Larrows Fang both international exchange students from China take in the eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Woody Anderson and Sarah Jordan view the eclipse beaming down on the ground. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Perry Bush from Los Angeles takes in the eclipse.(Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Light filtering through a tree shows the eclipse in Manhattan Beach. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Teresa kalassen attended the viewing party. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. International exchange student from China Sydney Sun views the eclipse in from of a mural of the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Cassie and Marissa look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Manhattan Beach Library was handing out solar eclipse glasses (while supplies lasted), and hosted a family-friendly viewing event of the solar eclipse. Katie Kuznik and her dog Mila attended the event. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)

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  Carboard with pinholes provided by the Physics and Astronomy Departments of CSULB allowed people to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Cathryn McCormick uses a telescope provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People gathered glasses and information from the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  The Garibay family views the solar eclipse through glasses, from the campus of CSULB in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Jacob Teran uses a uses glasses over his iPhone lens to take photos of the solar eclipse on campus at SCULB in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  People look to the sky with glasses provided by the Physics and Astronomy Department of CSULB to view the solar eclipse on campus in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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  Leo and Frances Lopez view the solar eclipse in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  A view of the eclipse after 11 am from Simi Valley on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  Clouds threaten to block out the total eclipse in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, creates crescent-shaped beams of light between the shadows of palm fronds on a sidewalk in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, projects crescent-shaped beams of light through the leaves on a tree in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The sun, partially blocked by the moon, projects crescent-shaped beams of light through pin holes in a piece of paper in Rialto during a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Photo by Eric Vilchis, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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  The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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  The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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  The sun begins to be obscured be the moon as closed pass overhead in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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  The sun begins to be obscured be the moon as closed pass overhead in Austin, Texas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Cloud cover over the Texas partially blocked the view but the eclipse was still visible in many areas. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The sun and the moon slow danced their way across the clear Southern California sky on Monday, April 8, for more than two hours performing a stunning astronomical show, complete with the requisite mood lighting and graceful movement.

From Orange County to the Inland Empire to L.A., the stars of this show didn’t go full-on ‘total’ tango, like they did across much of the United States. But for the thousands who gathered outdoors at local universities, schools, libraries, neighborhoods and parks in the region, the Great American Solar Eclipse, more of a foxtrot, was no less a show to behold.

A moment of a lifetime.

The sun and the moon were right on time, about 10:06 a.m. as they began their galactic show. The eclipse in the Southern California sky peaked around 11:12 a.m. and concluded at 12:22 p.m., at which point the moon and the sun took a bow and went back to being their normal selves.

• See photos: Total solar eclipse sweeps across North America

By then their delicate dance had darkened much of North America and left millions in awe. The eclipse’s “path of totality,” the band where the sun is completely blocked from view, cut diagonally across the continent, delighting U.S. viewers from Texas to Maine. All told, the totality passed over 13 U.S. states, and at least a partial eclipse will be visible from all 50, within eyeshot of 99% of the U.S. population.

Millions put on their special glasses, or looked through homemade pinhole cameras as things went dark across much of the U.S., and a little bit darker in Southern California, where we saw a sun nearly 50% covered by the moon.

In Southern California, that might not have been enough for some folks to notice anything at all. But the event was not lost on thousands of gazers, united by the sun-moon dance in the sky.

“It just felt like something you should witness at least once in your life,” said Madeleine Lees, a high school senior and a leader of Pasadena High School’s Astronomy Club, which gathered under the open sky at the district’s Center for Independent Study to experience the celestial phenomenon firsthand.

• Also see: Solar Eclipse 2024: What the total eclipse looked like across North America

Lees was busy explaining the phenomenon to younger students. Some children likened the eclipse to Pac-Man, while others saw it as resembling an orange moon.

“I was asking if they had questions, and one of them was like, ‘why is this happening,’ and I was trying to explain the orbits,” she said. “Some of them were just happy to be outside.”

At the center, there were activity tables for elementary students featuring eclipse-related activities, such as moon phases with Oreo cookies and drawing the sun and the moon on black pieces of papers, said Scott Phelps, a physics mentor/teacher.

The air was filled with themed music, including songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Dilan Diaz, a geography major at Cal State Long Beach, was on his way to the library to start studying until he stumbled upon the large crowd.

He saw his friend Josiah Diaz, a fourth year communications and theory major, and decided to join them for an stress-relieving breather before going to the library.

“There was just a crowd of people (that were) smiling, and that just attracts more people to jump and be giddy,” Dilan Diaz said.

• Solar Eclipse 2024: What Southern California should know as things go dark(er)

That unity was not lost on Joel Zinn, assistant professor at Cal State Long Beach’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, who hosted a viewing party on the campus’s upper quad.

“This is a really great opportunity for me as a scientist to engage with the public,” Zinn said, as he instructed everyone what to see, what to look out for while warning people not to burn their corneas by looking at the sun directly without eclipse glasses.

The glasses were a ubiquitous sight at Caltech, in Pasadena, where hundreds of people, ranging from families to science enthusiasts, gathered at the institution’s athletic field outside the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics Monday morning.

Many came prepared with solar viewing glasses, comfortable blankets, and umbrellas, eagerly awaiting the celestial spectacle.

At precisely 11:13 am, the moment of maximum eclipse, a surge of excitement swept through the crowd assembled at Caltech as skywatchers cheered and applauded beneath the partially obscured sun.A

Organizers said they were expecting 400 people, but many more came.

For many, it was a chance to look back.

Arwen Bobyk, a filmmaker from Pasadena, brought Fawn, her six-year-old chihuahua to the Caltech viewing event.

Bobyk remembered being a child living in British Columbia, Canada, when there was a full solar eclipse.

“It’s funny because it’s one of the really strong memories of my childhood, was going outside of school in the playground and using the glasses and seeing the eclipse,” she said. “So I hadn’t thought of it for a long time, but I was thinking about that.”

In the Inland Empire, a couple hours into their school day, elementary students across Fontana got hands-on lessons in solar patterns as the eclipse began shortly after 10 a.m.

Fontana Unified provided solar eclipse viewing kits to its 30 elementary schools, including Shadow Hills Elementary, where students gathered outside their classrooms Monday.

Astronomers often deem a full solar eclipse an epic “coincidence,” a rare alignment of celestial bodies.

For this one, it is estimated that 31.6 million people in the U.S. lived in the totality’s path, and many others traveled for the chance to see day become night for four and a half minutes.

And that they did.

In some parts of the country, where the eclipse was total, the experience was surreal, lowering temperatures, drawing thousands for four minutes in darkness as the moon completely blocked out the sun, save the outline of its stunning corona.

In New Hampshire, Holly Randall said experiencing the eclipse had been beyond her expectations.

“I didn’t expect to cry when I saw it,” she said, as tears ran down her face.

It had made her think about fundamental aspects of the universe.

“The power of the sun, and life,” she said. “And us, humankind, here on this planet, and how grateful we can be to have this energy source.”

There were tears. There were cheers.

This particular eclipse was unique because the sun was more active than during the last one, in 2017. Plus, it was longer, offering a chance to view the corona and other features, such as solar flares, sun spots and prominences.

Folks, a total solar eclipse won’t happen again in North America until LeBron James is pushing 60 years old (he’ll likely still be playing ball). And if all goes well, we will have sent our first people to Mars.

That’s why even a look at even a partial eclipse was pretty cool for many youngsters.

“We get to learn more about the eclipse, and it was really cool to see it, because I don’t think the next one is going to happen for another 20 years,” said Margaret Matthews, an astronomy club member and a senior at Pasadena High School.

Usually, the sun is a bit player in our day – behind the scenes, so to speak, shining the light, but never with the “light” shined on it. Monday was different, Zinn said last week as he geared up for the eclipse.

On Monday, the sun was the star of the show, he said.

City Editors Ryan Carter and Jessica Keating contributed to this article.

Nguyen, 32 years old and a Southern California native, is set to be the first woman of Vietnamese descent in space.

It’s a lifelong dream of hers — traveling to space, becoming an astronaut — but it’s one that was put on hold after she was sexually assaulted in 2013 while studying national security and astrophysics at Harvard University. She discovered then that seeking justice was an arduous and antiquated process, and as she puts it, she had to choose between that justice and her dream.

Justice, making life on earth a better place, won out.

Nguyen got legislation passed in Congress that preserves the rights of sexual assault survivors — mainly through maintaining the preservation of and survivors’ access to rape kits — and in 2014 founded Rise, a nonprofit that works with state legislatures to implement similar rights for survivors. Two members of Congress, including former Rep. Mimi Walters from Orange County, nominated her for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, and she was selected as one of Time’s 2022 Women of the Year.

Now, nearly eight years since Congress passed that “Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights” — and unanimously at that — the nonprofit Space for Humanity said it is sponsoring her on an upcoming trip to space on a Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle.

“As somebody whose dreams have always been to go to space but were deferred and delayed — like so many people, so many women, especially, who encounter gender-based violence — for me, learning that I could have this opportunity meant justice in a way,” said Nguyen.

It’s a trip that celebrates her heritage — she’ll be the first Vietnamese woman and first Southeast Asian woman to fly in space — and it honors her survivor status, she said.

“I chose to delay those dreams to fight for these rights, and I’m still able to hold onto that identity of the person who I was before I was hurt,” said said.

Space for Humanity is a group that “sends thoughtfully selected, impact-driven individuals of any walk of life to space to experience the ‘overview effect,’ a cognitive shift brought on by viewing the Earth from space,” according to its website.

The idea for its Citizen Astronaut Program, the group says, is to encourage those it sends on spaceflights to use that unique experience to better the world upon return.

“Amanda’s novel voyage will represent a much-overdue, shining example to countless others,” Space for Humanity executive director Antonio Peronace said in a statement. “As an organization committed to democratizing space and making it accessible to all the world’s citizens, we’re proud that Amanda and her journey represent the strength, passion and brilliance we want to continue to launch to new heights.”

Nguyen was born and raised in Corona, spending all her weekends in Orange County’s Little Saigon, a community that she says is a microcosm of immigrant resilience and determination.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without that,” she said. “I’m just so grateful for the community I was able to grow up in in Southern California. There are clear skies in Southern California and looking up at them is helping me make my way to them to touch the sky.”

Both of her parents are refugees from Vietnam, her mom by fleeing by boat.

“As boat refugees, my family looked to the stars to guide their way to freedom,” Nguyen says in a video announcing her trip.

“Mom, you swam so I can fly. You crossed the ocean so I could touch the sky,” she adds in Vietnamese.

Some details — like who she’ll be traveling with and the date — are not yet public, but Nguyen is preparing by chatting with other female astronauts, dubbed the “space sisters,” and collecting their advice. The preparation is physical, too, training, for example, how to eat lunch in a microgravity environment.

And she’s found her activism and space travel go hand-in-hand.

She taught herself box breathing techniques — hold four, breathe four in, hold four, breathe four out — when she found herself in situations that could be triggering or scary, like testifying before the U.S. Senate. And those techniques have carried over as she trains and tests in a hyperbaric chamber at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences

“Innovation lies at the edge of different disciplines and being able to combine them in different ways,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen looks up at the sky, knowing it can take up to a few million years for those photons to reach her sight. It’s humbling, she notes, knowing just how short of a time humans are on earth.

But it also instills a sense of gratitude, she says, “that I am able to be conscious and make choices and have the agency to fight for the things I believe in.”

And that’s a message she wants to give to younger girls interested in STEM careers: “Go for it. You don’t have to feel like you are qualified enough to just really go for it. You are already enough, and your dreams really do matter. Even if they seem impossible, just shoot for it.”

The annual Season of the Force event returned Friday, April 5 and will run through June 2 at the Anaheim theme park with a new Star Tours destination in Tomorrowland, a fireworks show with a galactic soundtrack in Galaxy’s Edge, the return of Hyperspace Mountain, new Star Wars character appearances plus specialty themed food and merchandise.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland gears up for 3 different Star Wars fireworks shows

For a limited time, every Star Tours voyage will include one old destination followed by a new trip to Seatos — or at least the skies above the Star Wars planet of red forests and vast oceans.

The new scene opens with the parting of some ominous storm clouds. Accidental pilot and perpetual know-it-all C-3PO explains the new planetary destination and the pod of space whales heading our way.

The Purrgil space whales on the Star Wars planet of Seatos are both beautiful and terrifying as the massive beasts roll through the sky like the next foes in a Godzilla movie.

ALSO SEE: First look at Avatar themed land proposed for Disneyland

Star Tours riders weave among the Purrgils’ fins and tentacles before Togruta rebel Ahsoka Tano pops up on the screen of the Starspeeder 3000 to warn us of incoming fighters.

With Ahsoka’s help, our Starspeeder successfully fends off the fighters and barely avoids flying into the gaping mouth of a Purrgil. A celebratory barrel roll completes the mission before we make the leap to hyperspace and relative safety.

The Purrgils were seen during an episode of the “Ahsoka” live-action Disney+ television series that served as an inspiration for the new Star Tours scene.

“It always starts by going through the scripts on the shows with the filmmakers,” Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Creative Executive Tom Fitzgerald said. “I’m looking for what would make a good sequence. The Purrgil being such a cool new creature seemed like a natural. That feels like something that would be very different from the other sequences and a lot of fun.”

ALSO SEE: See early Disneyland ride concepts that never got built

In between planets, a new transmission comes into the Starspeeder from Cassian Andor or Din Djarin. While the message from Andor is suitably stern and anxious, the transmission from the Mandalorian is playful and silly thanks to the antics of Grogu — better known as Baby Yoda. Without ruining the gag, let’s just say a 3D floating frog is at the center of a lot of laughs.

Over in Galaxy’s Edge, there will be a few new Star Wars additions as well during the Season of the Force.

Force-sensitive Mandalorian Sabine Wren joins the walk-around characters in Galaxy’s Edge. The Jedi trainee will pose for photos and talk with visitors about her storylines in “Star Wars Rebels” and “Ahsoka” as well as her reasons for being on Batuu — the Star Wars planetary setting at Disneyland.

The adorable BDX droids that made a test run in October are back during Season of the Force making appearances throughout Galaxy’s Edge. The free-moving Audio-Animatronics are truly a marvel to watch as they scan the crowd for bounty hunters, wiggle their antennas, nod their heads and dance to the delight of the audience.

The BDX droids finally pay off Imagineering’s long-time promise of having droids roam through Galaxy’s Edge. Appearances of the duck-like droids will be scheduled but seemingly random — so ask a Disney cast member for help in seeing the performances.

The annual Star Wars event continues to grow in size and scope. What started out as an unofficial annual celebration on May the Fourth of all things Star Wars has evolved into an eight-week tribute to the 1970s sci-fi epic space opera.

Doubling in length from 2023’s month-long fest, the 2024 Season of the Force runs for a month on either side of May 4 — the unofficial holiday of the epic saga.

Dubbed the “A-G requirements,” the courses represent more than what’s needed for a high school diploma but they’re a bare minimum for both of California’s public university systems. Think of them as keys to a golden door that students must pass through before they can be accepted or rejected by California’s best public universities.

Currently, the A-G list includes at least two years of history, four years of English, three years of math, two years of science, two years of a world language, a year of performing or visual arts, and one year of a college-prep (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or a dual-credit) course. What’s more, a grade of “C” or higher is required for any of those classes to count.

But even in an era when federal data shows workers with a college degree earn at least $1 million more than a non-college degree worker over a typical lifetime, barely half the kids graduating from California high schools are qualified to apply to a four-year state school.

In the last academic year, 51.7% of high school seniors statewide graduated with a transcript that would allow them to apply to a Cal State or UC school, according to data released in January by the California Department of Education. In Orange County the qualification rate was slightly higher, 57%.

The numbers haven’t changed much in recent years. In the 2016-’17 academic year, 49.5% of graduates statewide left high school with transcripts that might get them into a Cal State or UC school.

In one sense, those numbers might be appropriate.

As part of the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960 — which was aimed at making sure good college degrees in California would be priced low enough for everyone to get one — the state determined that the UC system would serve the top 12.5% of all high school graduates and the Cal State system would be available for the top 33%. By those measures, state high schools seem to be meeting the bar.

Also, the A-G list (and college prep work in general) isn’t always a final say. Both the UC and Cal State systems carve out exceptions, offering admission to some students (which the UC system outlines as students who may have been homeschooled or studied under extreme circumstances) who do not meet all of the course requirements.

There’s also the prospect of getting into a four-year school after attending two years of community college, though that’s not always a smooth path to getting a bachelors degree. A 2021 study found that only 2.5% of community college students in California transferred to a Cal State or UC school after two years, and about a quarter (23%) made the jump after four years.

And even then — if a student passes all the courses required to apply to the respective university systems — there is a strong chance of rejection, though that varies depending on where you’re applying.

During the 2022-23 cycle, the overall acceptance rate for the 10 UC schools was 40.7%, ranging from a low of 8.8% at UCLA to a high of 88.3% at UC Merced. The 23 Cal State schools had a higher overall acceptance rate, 80.2%, ranging from one in three (33%) getting in at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to nearly every applicant (97%) getting in at Cal State Fresno.

There’s yet another factor at play: How many high school students actually want to go to college?

A Gallup poll from 2021 found that only about 41% of Americans age 18 to 29 say a college degree is “very important,” down from 74% who said that six years earlier. Likewise, the percentage of jobs that require a college degree was 44% in 2021, down from 51% in 2017. Meanwhile, companies as varied as Apple, Hilton Hotels and Tesla have started to interview applicants whether they have a four-year degree or not.

Still, a solid majority of high school seniors (61% in the last academic year) plan to get a four-year degree. And federal data shows that not only do college grads still earn more than their non-degreed peers, they’re also less likely to be laid off in recessions and less vulnerable to changes in technology.

All of which is why many educators believe the wide variance in availability and popularity of A-G college prep courses — sometimes even at schools within the same district — is unfair.

“The disparity in A-G course offerings is a reminder of the enduring educational inequities that continue to affect students’ futures,” said Nancy Watkins, director of the educational doctorate program at Cal State Fullerton.

“This gap not only limits the ability of students from underprivileged backgrounds to apply to universities, particularly within the UC system, but also perpetuates a cycle of educational and economic disparity.”

Winners and losers

Data shows that money is a driving factor in determining whether a student earns a college degree. The numbers also show that kids in wealthier neighborhoods have better access to the A-G courses and the golden door, while kids in lower-income neighborhoods often have far less access.

Surprisingly, neither world — higher income students or lower income students — is currently producing a huge number of college grads.

Last year, the Public Policy Institute of California projected that only about 40% of wealthy and middle-income ninth graders would eventually go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. That’s about twice the rate (21%) projected for lower-income students.

“Although the state has made enormous progress, more work is needed to improve student success at key transition points, including high school graduation, college enrollment, transfer, and college completion,” wrote the study’s four authors, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh and Hans Johnson.

“If current enrollment and completion rates continue, most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree.”

But the path to that starts with the A-G course availability and popularity. In Orange County, that can vary wildly from school to school.

Consider: At Corona del Mar High, which is fed by students from higher-income neighborhoods in Newport Beach and Newport Coast, 80% of graduates last June had transcripts that would let them apply to a UC or Cal State school, one of the highest rates in Orange County. At Estancia High, a school in the same district (Newport Mesa Unified) that is fed by many lower-income neighborhoods in central Costa Mesa, the college prep rate was among the lowest in the county, just 35.8%.

“We really had to push hard to make sure he got the classes and the grades. Most of his friends weren’t into it,” said Enola Hernandez, a Costa Mesa resident who said her son, now 21, is studying business at Cal State Sacramento after graduating from Estancia High three years ago.

“I think the teachers all tried hard (at Estancia) to get the kids who were interested in college to apply, but it didn’t feel like the norm for everybody,” she added. “I bet it did at other schools.”

A spokesperson for Newport Mesa Unified, Annette Franco, said the district’s A-G offerings represent “just one of the many options available to our students as they navigate their educational journey. We are proud of our district’s commitment to offering a diverse array of educational opportunities, including our comprehensive A-G courses.”

But money isn’t always an overwhelming hurdle, and many schools and districts in Orange County appear to be punching above their weight in terms of prepping high schoolers for college.

At the Alternative Middle College High School, part of Santa Ana Unified School District, 98.9% of graduating seniors last June had transcripts to apply to Cal State or UC schools. That was true even though 72% of the students there are eligible for free or reduced lunches, a measure commonly used by educators to track income.

How did they do it? Students are enrolled at Santa Ana College as well as high school. They see college is attainable.

Another success story is in Garden Grove Unified. The district is on the lower-end of the county, income wise, with a high percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. But at La Quinta High — where more than eight in ten students qualify as lower-income — 73% of graduates left with college prep transcripts.

Ditto for Anaheim High School in the Anaheim Union High School District. Most of its graduating class qualified for free/reduced lunch, yet 68% of those students met the college prep requirements.

How important, really?

Many school officials in Orange County said A-G courses are not the be-all and end-all of education.

Franco, at Newport Mesa Unified, said her district provides a “broad spectrum of programs” for a student population that has a broad spectrum of goals and needs.

“Whether students choose to pursue career and technical education, participate in dual enrollment programs or engage in community service initiatives, our goal is to equip them with the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world,” she said.

Capistrano Unified feels much the same way. “A-G completion is not the only criteria for admission like it used to be,” said spokesperson Ryan Burris, who noted that a great many students who finish the gateway courses still get rejected when they apply to the state’s two university systems.

“College and career readiness is also taking on a higher profile. So school districts like ours are also making larger investments in these areas to support students on their next steps after graduation,” Burris said.

“We are partnering with Saddleback College with programs already in place – and looking to expand opportunities for our students. Some of the opportunities are how students could get dual credit while in high school.”

Do both well

Watkins, the education expert at CSU Fullerton, agrees that both are important. But preparing all students for college, and the doors a degree can open, is a matter of basic fairness.

She offers up a bulleted list of how to do that.

• At individual school sites, administrators can make these courses budget priorities despite fiscal constraints. That might involve creative scheduling, online courses or sharing resources among different schools.

• Striking partnerships with local colleges and universities can be key. A review by Southern California News Group found that low-income schools with “dual enrollment” — meaning high school students who can also take community college classes — fared better at meeting those higher education requirements than did others.

• Partnerships with organizations that offer tutoring, mentorship and summer bridge programs can help, as would better family outreach and access to school counselors so students can plan early for college applications.

• Up at the district level, officials could conduct regular audits to track disparities in the offerings across schools — and send resources to the schools that need it most.

• They could also streamline the process for developing and approving new A-G courses, especially for courses offered online or through dual enrollment with community colleges.

• And up at the state level, there should be a collaboration between districts, colleges and universities, businesses and community organizations to expand opportunities for student internships and apprenticeships.

“Ultimately, reversing this trend is about ensuring that all students have the opportunity to attend college and affirming the value of diverse educational pathways,” Watkins said. “We must improve access and reimagine how we prepare students for life beyond high school.”

This means that school districts and community members need to make clear to kids that a four-year college isn’t the only pathway.

“We just want people to be successful in their lives,” Watkins said. “Districts can help prepare all students for success in our changing world, regardless of their socioeconomic background.”