Anaheim and Disneyland

[socaldisneygal]

Beach wise I perfer Laguna, we will drive farther for it just because it is really nice and the city is great to walk around. If you don't visit So Cal often, and have time, San Diego Wild Animal park is a lot of fun.

[CelestialImperium]

Go to Tijuana and eat 3 tacos for a dollar and inhale all the smog you can in LA...I love so cal :]

[Exprmnt626]

Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles. 'Nuff said.

--nick--

[TiaDalmaFan]

Originally Posted by Exprmnt626

Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles. 'Nuff said.

--nick--

There's one in Anaheim now?

[brigeet]

I'd say Laguna Beach is your best bet for a pleasant time. Laguna is a gorgeous beach. It started as an artist colony. Now it has a relaxed vibe but it'll probably be kind of busy in August since people on vacation visit. You never know how parking will be, sometimes it's easy to find a spot, other times you need your patience. Bring quarters for parking. Nowadays it's 25 cents for 15 minutes I think. Park near the main beach. Sometimes we'll just park in the residential area if we don't mind walking and free parking. There is a map and info at http://www.lagunabeachinfo.org
There are lots of great places to eat. Just walk around, look at menus and pick which place sounds best. There are lots of restaurants right on PCH. If you go up the hill there is Madison Square Garden & Cafe (a cafe in a garden setting, very relaxing, where the locals go) and the Cottage are across from Las Brisas (fancy Mexican food place with a great view of the Pacific). Down the hill there are lots of other places to eat. If you walk far enough south (or you might need to drive), there is a nice restaurant called The Beach House that is right on the water. They have good breakfasts. Also the Surf and Sand Hotel is a very fancy hotel with a nice restaurant in it overlooking the beach. I enjoy both of those restaurants with my mom. Now, back to the main beach area: there are lots of cute little beach shops. There are small art galleries. There is a nice art museum on PCH next to Las Brisas. You can wander up and down the little streets perpendicular to PCH. Or you can just sit at a bench and people watch. There is an ice cream shop and coffee shops. On the beach side of PCH, there is a great walk way parallel to the beach. From the main beach, go north on the walkway (up some stairs, zig zag through rose garden) up to a gazebo (by Las Brisas) and further north. It's just a nice, pleasant walk! Also the Sawdust Art Festival will be going on in Laguna in August. I haven't been to it in years, but everyone who goes seems to like it. http://www.sawdustartfestival.com/ As usual, I vote for Laguna!

[knittingknerd]

One more thing about Laguna, my favorite resturaunt of all time! Royal Hawaiian! I completely forgot about that! It's fairly reasonable prices, decent drink prices, they have a thing where you get a whole meal with your food. Like you order the teryaki chicken you get a soup, salad, chicken, a baked potato side, and dessert! And the best part? You are eating in the Tiki Room!

[DisneyIPresume]

Originally Posted by mistyisjafo

There is traffic here all the time. Depends on the time of day you drive. For example if you drive to Newport Beach or Huntington, if you leave before 3pm you should miss the worst of the traffice but other wise you'll get trapped in what we call "SOUTH COUNTY".

The OC is HUGE. We don't have "main" streets except for the one that runs down the center of Disneyland.

O, and the OC fair is going on this month. Good time to go but busy and usually hot. Be prepared to spend a lot.

Actually out of the 50+ counties in California, Orange County is one of the smallest in area. I forget where it ranks but it is definitely in the top 10 as far as area is concerned, and you can easily drive from the northernmost part of the county to the sounthernmost part within 45 minutes - 1 hour.

This all being stated, however, Orange County ranks as the 2nd highest as far as population! And therein lies your traffic problems. I live in Newport Beach and on the worst traffic days it doesn't take me more than an hour to get to the DLR. It normally takes me just 20 minutes. If you are savvy with maps you can take surface streets entirely to the DLR. On days when I know traffic on the freeway is heavy I sometimes take Harbor Blvd. all the way north to the park which takes about 35 minutes from Newport.

(And there is a Main Street in Huntington Beach and in Santa Ana, and believe it or not, in Irvine) But none of these hold a candle to Disneyland's!

[alldaymd]

Anaheim is a very small city. If you want to enjoy orange county there are a few things you could do. Many of which the forum has already stated.

1. South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa - get your walking shoes goin, its a hughe mall.
2. The Block. Right around the corner in Garden Grove on Chaptman. Out door mall that is fairly new. Very fun.
3. Newport mall - close to the beach. High in mall

4. Tuns of resturants on Harbor. The street also takes you to downtown Anaheim.
5. Hit an angels game. Tickets are very cheep.

6. Drive all the way down Harbor to Newport. Turn Left on the One where you will see Metered parking. Sometimes the people living in Condo's will give you quaters so you can stay longer. The beach is very nice and quiet. Very nice waves there

7. Make a right on the PC One you will run into the shops in Newport.
Great seafood resturants there so they say.

8. Have fun and take a light jacket at night. It can get chilly on the beach.

[brigeet]

Originally Posted by alldaymd

6. Drive all the way down Harbor to Newport. Turn Left on the One where you will see Metered parking. Sometimes the people living in Condo's will give you quaters so you can stay longer. The beach is very nice and quiet. Very nice waves there

That's a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure where you're saying to turn left though. During rush hour and when I first learned to drive, I wouldn't go on the freeway so I'd just drive all the way up Harbor to get to Disneyland from Costa Mesa. If you start at Disneyland and drive south on Harbor, after about a half hour Harbor ends and you hit Newport Boulevard. Just make a slight right turn, drive down Newport Blvd and you can go straight onto the Peninsula. There are good restaurants there and the beach of course. I enjoy the Harbor Cruise. I take my dog. It's fun to see the rich people's houses and the sea lions. http://www.funzoneboats.com/ There is a fun zone area there that is supposedly going to be torn down soon. It's just arcades, an old dark ride, and bumper cars. It's old fashioned fun. I guess it all comes down to your taste and what exactly you're looking for.

[arieldca]

Hello,
Thanks for your answers.I'd like to know a few things about the South coast plaza mall.Is it safe to go there for two french women during the day and is it possible to get a taxi or get a store to call a taxi to get back to your hotel?Is it a nice mall worth seeing?Is the mall far from disneyland or huntington beach?Is the beach at huntington beach nice?Has anyone ever stayed at the hyatt regency hotel in hungtington beach and how was it?
I'm sorry for all these questions but I am so lost about the OC.
Thanks

[XterraceEmp]

Its been a while since I've been to South Coast Plaza, but I believe its one of the largest if not largest mall in OC. It should be plenty safe for two French women, as for the taxis I cannot comment. I'd say rental car is the better route.

There is Knotts, Wax Museum, Medevial Times in Buena Park. Someone mentioned Wild Rivers in Irvine, but I would recommend Raging Waters in San Dimas. Its not too far away from Anaheim and has a better choice of water slide I think.


As for beaches I would say Little Corona, Newport and Huntington. Huntington has a Main St. which has some shops and restaurants. Its not very long or extensive, mainly beach wear and surf/skate stuff. However a nice beer or drink with a view of the beach is nice.

[arieldca]

Thanks.

I can't drive yet so we can't rent a car since none of us can drive lol I know it sucks but I am learning.

[Disneyland Daddy]

Originally Posted by DisneyIPresume

As far as shopping is concerned Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza by far are the best places to go for what you are looking for.

Absolutely! Also, some nice shopping in Laguna Beach off of Broadway and PCH - lots of little shops. Nice stuff.

[brigeet]

Originally Posted by arieldca

Hello,
Thanks for your answers.I'd like to know a few things about the South coast plaza mall.Is it safe to go there for two french women during the day and is it possible to get a taxi or get a store to call a taxi to get back to your hotel?Is it a nice mall worth seeing?Is the mall far from disneyland or huntington beach?Is the beach at huntington beach nice?Has anyone ever stayed at the hyatt regency hotel in hungtington beach and how was it?
I'm sorry for all these questions but I am so lost about the OC.
Thanks

I am replying late, but I live right next to South Coast Plaza. It is a very safe mall. It is huge. There are also many restaurants and movie theaters across the street from the mall. I walk to the mall at night and feel safe. As for a taxi, you can find the concierge in the mall (first floor near the carousel) and ask them to call you a taxi. Very nice people work at the concierge. Some hotels around here have shuttles that go to South Coast Plaza too.

Depending on traffic, Disneyland is 15-30 minutes North of South Coast Plaza. Huntington Beach is also 15-30 minutes away, but in a different direction. I have not stayed at the Hyatt Regency in HB but have heard positive things about it.

[TiaDalmaFan]

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http://www.southcoastplaza.com/

There is a shuttle, sponsored by SCP, that goes from the Disneyland area to South Coast Plaza. It costs $13 for adults over 15.

Taxi service, however, is also available, from California Yellow Cab. http://www.cayellow.com/

There is also Anaheim Yellow Cab Company, which has been around for more than 50 years - http://www.yellowcab.com/

Huntington Beach is very nice, especially in the vicinity of the Huntington Beach Pier. http://www.surfcityusa.com/ (Lots of photos here)



That's a Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier. Great food and a fun atmosphere! Here's their site: http://www.rubys.com/


I hope you have a lot of fun during your trip!