Sun, fun and theme parks – what more could you want in a destination? But in Anaheim, California, there is more – much more – for travellers of all ages, with all budgets and preferences. In this week’s Take 5, we sit down with Kathy Abrams, Director, Tourism Development of Visit Anaheim, who shares with us selling tips for travel advisors, new offerings that all travellers will love, and top recommendations for things to see and do beyond California’s famed theme parks.
Image courtesy of Visit Anaheim
1..How do Canadians get to Anaheim?
“Anaheim’s central location in Southern California makes it easily accessible from numerous airports like LAX, SNA, LGB, and ONT. The closest airport to Anaheim is John Wayne Airport (SNA) which is only 19 kms from the Anaheim Resort. What’s great is that Canadians can fly into SNA with direct flights from Calgary with WestJet and from Vancouver with Air Canada. John Wayne Airport makes traveling to Anaheim easy with its proximity and transportation options and was even ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among large airports in the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.”
2. Who should travel advisors sell the destination to?
“The best part about selling Anaheim is that it is great for a variety of travellers – from families, to couples, to friends looking for a fun getaway. Anaheim has a wide variety of hotel accommodations like family-friendly hotels, upscale luxury accommodations and more. Families will enjoy creating lifelong memories at our theme parks including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and Knott’s Berry Farm. Those looking for nightlife fun can enjoy the views from one of our rooftop bars or enjoy local hot spots like our hidden speakeasies, live music venues, and craft breweries. Also, sports fans can watch their favourite hockey team play at Honda Center or catch a baseball game at Angel Stadium – both venues just minutes from the Anaheim Resort.”
3. What would you suggest as something to do outside of the theme parks?
“One tip is to space out theme park days to allow time to rest and relax before heading back for a full day. Guests can visit Anaheim GardenWalk and channel their inner pilot at Flight Deck where guests can experience flying a fighter jet in one of their simulators or make their own rug at 528 Entertainment. Downtown Anaheim is also a great place to visit for some delicious eats at the Anaheim Packing House and on Center Street Promenade. Another option is for guests to take a day trip to Catalina Island or to one of the beach cities in Orange County.”
4. What’s new in the pipeline for 2025? What are you most excited about?
“There are so many things to be excited for in 2025. The Disneyland Resort will be celebrating its 70th anniversary with a special celebration that starts May 16. With this comes so many things to look forward to like a new nighttime spectacular ‘World of Color Happiness!’ that will take place in Disney California Adventure Park and ‘Walt Disney – A Magical Life’ that will make its debut at Disneyland Park featuring the first ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney, and so much more.”
5. How do travel advisors learn more about the destination and to stay up-to-date on new offerings?
“Travel agents can check out our website for updates and inspiration for their clients at visitanaheim.org. We also have a resources page just for Canadian travel agents available at visitanaheim.org/ca-resources . Here, we have tools for travel professionals like our Anaheim Specialist destination training, itinerary ideas, blogs, a digital version of our guide and more.”
For more information go to www.visitanaheim.org.
Image courtesy of Visit Anaheim
