WHAT’S NEW


theme parks


Anaheim is home to the original Disney and close to Knott’s Berry Farm, which started out as a roadside fruit stall and evolved into a popular theme park with


rollercoasters and renowned fried chicken. So most visitors come primarily for family-friendly fun.


Disneyland’s Star Wars:


Galaxy’s Edge opened with a fanfare and fireworks in June 2019. Queuing for the


Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride is almost as exciting as piloting the spaceship, which is just as well, since the lines have been predictably long since it opened. Patrolling storm troopers, holograms, android factories and sound effects help the time pass more quickly.


Pixar Pier debuted at


Disney California Adventure Park in summer 2018,


replacing Paradise Pier. This area of the park is designed


for strolling, grazing at various restaurants and meeting


characters from T oy Story and


The Incredibles. Its attractions include the Incredicoaster and an area inspired by the film Inside Out.


Back at Knott’s Berry


Farm, the newest attraction is HangTime, a steel rollercoaster that twists,


turns, ducks and dives. The journey features a beyond-


vertical drop and belly-flipping suspensions, so it’s not one for nervous riders.


Center Street Promenade for the Thursday farmers’ market. Workers in business attire, jackets slung over shoulders, mingle with flip-flop-wearing holidaymakers.


PACKING A PUNCH The nearby Packing District, a cluster of redeveloped (and still redeveloping) downtown factories, has become a popular hangout and dining destination. It would be easy to spend a day grazing around Anaheim Packing House, a Sunkist citrus-packing plant that stood empty for decades. The bright-white building has been elegantly restored into a hall with stalls selling lemonade, ramen and Indian street food. The layout invites people to linger: broad steps between levels are littered with colourful cushions and there are outdoor areas for lounging. Across the street, The Make Building – a former marmalade factory – is home to Jav’s BBQ restaurant, urban winery Pali Wine Co, Unsung Brewing Co and an outdoor area with seats made from wheelbarrows. Green spaces have been woven into downtown’s


fabric. Farmers Park, for example, has a grassy lawn with deckchairs and a garden used to grow produce for Cultivation Kitchen. Modern Times Beer is opening a site here too, with taproom, gardens and even an outdoor pool.


86 30 JANUARY 2020


33The cultural and culinary offerings of the revitalised downtown can complement a Disney holiday


OLD FAVOURITES These launches are helping to drive foot traffic to more established attractions such as Muzeo, a free cultural centre featuring rotating exhibitions – past shows have included Downton Abbey costumes and a bold collection of Chicano art. A permanent display in the 1908 Carnegie Library


building traces the city’s history, including early Bavarian settlers, alongside displays of Anaheim art. “It’s important to us that people can come in and see work by local artists,” says Muzeo’s chief executive, Bill Bailor.


Visitor numbers are rising, he adds, as more people become aware of the charms of downtown – or that there even is a downtown. And this isn’t about competing with the theme parks. The cultural and culinary offerings


travelweekly.co.uk


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