Error message Name We welcome thoughtful comments from readers. Please comply with our guidelines .

A U.S. Coast Guard boat goes by Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, in San Francisco. Alcatraz Island, which is part of the U.S. National Parks Service, is closed to visitors due to government shutdown.
On the San Francisco waterfront Tuesday afternoon, dozens of visitors who had booked tours of Alcatraz Island and its iconic shuttered federal penitentiary stood in line to get refunds from tour operator Alcatraz Cruises, as the government shutdown closed all national parks.
It s a disgrace, disney world cruises fumed John Ravn , 60 years old, a radio and television technician who was part of a group of 35 tourists from Denmark. If this had happened in our country, we would have fired the whole government.
disney world cruises Annie Larsen , the group s tour leader, said at least Mr. Ravn and his countrymen had visited Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite and other western disney world cruises national parks during a two-week stay ending this week. She said another Danish group of 45 visitors scheduled to arrive Saturday may not be so lucky.
Error message Name We welcome thoughtful comments from readers. Please comply with our guidelines . Our blogs do not require the use of your real name. Comment Comments (3 of 3) View all Comments 1:05 pm October 2, 2013 Alyssa wrote :
We spent over 18 hours on a plane to visit Alcatraz and the Statue of Liberty only to be informed today that both of these American icons are closed for the public. It is pathetic! Very disappointed!!
Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940 , the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital s comings and goings in a series of newsy, and sometimes even gossipy, disney world cruises items. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses disney world cruises at what s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is the collective disney world cruises product of the Journal s Washington bureau. Write to us at washwire@wsj.com .
Content engaging our readers now, with additional prominence accorded if the story is rapidly gaining attention. Our WSJ algorithm comprises 30% page views, 20% Facebook, 20% Twitter, 20% email shares and 10% comments.