When you think of Anaheim, you likely associate it with the Disneyland Resort. We all know I have. Realistically I didn’t know much of the city beyond the resort and the immediate streets nearby. The In & Out Burger on the other side of I-5 is really the furthest I’d go beyond the borders of the Happiest Place on Earth.
However, all of that has changed. Back when Walt Disney developed Disneyland, he said that not only did he want the whole thing surrounded by a train, but that he wanted a “berm” about 10 feet high to keep the outside world out of his park. Recently, I was invited by Visit Anaheim to head to the city Walt chose and explore everything beyond this “berm” (hey, that’s a great title!), learning more of what the city has to offer.
The one catch: I wouldn’t be going into Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure. What I thought would be a trying experience, especially since hotels I stayed at literally overlooked the parks, proved to be far easier than I thought as I was entertained by other things I had no idea even existed because of my tunnel vision when visiting in the past.
Short version of the story, I’m swayed. Before, I would plan a trip to Disneyland and allow for full coverage of the parks and Downtown Disney, maybe going to Knott’s Berry Farm or Universal Studios Hollywood, but not stopping anywhere in between. Now, future trips will allow for visits to newfound special places like the Anaheim Packing District and even more time in the nearby Anaheim Gardenwalk as opposed to treating it as a shortcut from nearby hotels when walking to the Esplanade.
In this new series, I hope to show you more of what I experienced, including popular spots and hidden treasures found around Anaheim. I’ll also show you ways to get around the city, as the future is bright for the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) System.
I learned a lot about the history of some of these locations, which I plan to share, as well as the city of Anaheim itself. From a time Before Walt Disney discovered the orange grove that became Disneyland, that is. Did you know that it wasn’t JUST oranges being harvested in town? I also plan on going in depth looking at some of the things I’ve seen, including Muzeo, the Anaheim Farmers Market, Packing District, and more and even some of the secrets that lie within. One of those secrets has even won me over and has me planning to spend a lot of time there in the future. But what is it? I guess you’ll have to stay tuned!