Anaheim, California, is braced for a landmark year ahead with new openings and fun happenings for the whole family, whilst new ground transportation links make the city more easily accessible for visitors than ever before to use as a base for exploring Orange County and beyond.
Visitor numbers from Down Under are set to rise with new and returning airline routes, a stellar event line-up is led by Disneyland Resort celebrations for Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder, the Honda Center celebrates 30 years, and new luxury hotels enhance the city’s accommodation portfolio.
New & Resuming Airlines Routes
Greater flight availability between Australia and LAX continues with more than 45 direct options per week available including:
- United Airlines relaunching daily services last month between Melbourne to LAX;
- United also offers flights from Sydney to LAX daily;
- Delta increased its frequency last month for flights between Sydney and LAX, now operating 10 flights per week on its flagship Airbus 350-900 aircraft;
- American Airlines and Qantas also offer daily services from Sydney, with Qantas also offering services from Brisbane and Melbourne direct to Los Angeles as well;
- Plus, for those who are looking for a stopover along the way, there’s also services available with Air New Zealand, Fiji Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines offering stopovers in New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii respectively.
Hotel News
3 AAA Four Diamond Luxury Hotels outside of the Disneyland Resort opened during the pandemic, all with rooftop restaurants & bars to take in the views of Orange County and fireworks from Anaheim’s theme parks.
- The Westin, Anaheim Resort: located directly across the street from the Disneyland Resort and walking distance to the Anaheim Convention Center, the Westin is known for being a haven of wellness. Guests can enjoy the stunning views of the Disney fireworks display from the premium view rooms on weekends, as well as from RISE – the rooftop lounge.
- JW Marriott Anaheim Resort: The first JW Marriott to open in Orange County, bringing a new level of luxury to Anaheim. JW Marriott prides themselves on infusing modern art with augmented reality and providing seed to table culinary offerings for their restaurants with fresh produce and herbs from their beautiful gardens.
- Viv Hotel, Anaheim: The Viv was acquired by Marriott as a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in August of 2022 and underwent a huge re-branding. The Viv has the only “adults only” rooftop pool in Anaheim along with a new Spanish restaurant, Top of the V, with stunning views of the California sunset.
3 New Hotels located in the nearby city of Garden Grove are expected to break ground in 2023:
- Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort will be a new AAA Four Diamond Hotel featuring 600+ rooms, retail, dining, and entertainment spaces including a resort pool.
- Le Meridien by Marriott will have a 400+ hotel room tower.
- 4-star Kimpton boutique Hotel will be one of the largest in the nation with 200+ rooms.
Attractions
OCMA exterior, credit Visit Anaheim
- Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA): OCMA moved to their new permanent home located on the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus in the neighbouring city of Costa Mesa in October 2022—designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Studio. OCMA will continue to champion the transformative possibilities of art with 10 years of free admission.
- Mickey’s Toontown Re-Opens: Mickey’s beloved Toontown will re-open at the Disneyland Resort on 8 March 2023 with all new interactive play areas, including CenTOONial Park, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard and Donald’s Duck Pond. Guests can also look forward to reimagined attractions, such as Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, Goofy’s House and Donald’s Boat, as well as returning favorites such as Mickey’s House, Minnie’s House and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
- ocV!BE: ocV!BE will be a mixed-use community with Honda Center and ARTIC Center as the anchor. The community will consist of 2 new hotels, residential living spaces, office spaces, new indoor and outdoor amphitheaters, countless dining and retail spaces, a new food hall, a wellness park, and a sports complex all to be completed by 2028 where Anaheim will host the Men’s Volleyball Olympic games. The project is scheduled to break ground in early 2023 and is sure to become a new epicentre for locals and tourists alike in the years ahead.
Events and Anniversaries
Honda Center celebrates 30 years, credit Visit Anaheim
- Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder: The Walt Disney Company is celebrating 100 years of wonder with special events, experiences, and limited-time offerings at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. There will be two all-new nighttime spectaculars, never before seen parades, special food offerings and more! The celebration will take place throughout the resort all year long.
- Honda Center’s 30th Anniversary: Honda Center home to the Anaheim Ducks hockey team and entertainment hub is celebrating their 30th anniversary with new food offerings at their concession stands, restaurants and suites as well as the food trucks at Puck Drop Patio. Honda Center has also introduced mobile ordering, to avoid the lines and give guests more time to
enjoy the games. - Anaheim’s Fall Festival & Halloween Parade Anniversary: First led by Babe Ruth in 1924, this annual pageant attracted 150,000 spectators and was televised across Southern California at the height of its popularity. Now, a new generation has taken up the mantle of organising, float-building, and performing the parade route, uniting all tourists and locals alike. Don’t miss the near century old festivities as well as the must see “Doggie Costume Contest & Pawrade.”
Anaheim Transportation Network
FRAN, credit Visit Anaheim
- FRAN: In partnership with the Anaheim Transportation Network and the City of Anaheim, Free Rides Around the Neighborhood (FRAN) connects neighborhoods to offer local on-demand, transportation options using a micro-transit fleet of electric vehicles. Ride for free throughout Downtown Anaheim to visit places like the Historic Packing District, Carnegie Plaza, and the Anaheim Packing District. Hail a ride at the nearest FRAN stop or request a ride using the recently launched A-Way WeGo App.
- EVE Launching Soon: The Anaheim Transportation Network is launching “Everyone Ventures Everywhere” (EVE), a direct transportation connection to and from the Anaheim Resort area to John Wayne Airport using an on-demand, reservation-based system. This will be a luxury fleet of fully electric vehicles, the first of its kind in California. Reservations will be made on the A-Way WeGo App.
- Anaheim LAX Link Launching Soon: Anaheim will also be unveiling a daily, scheduled, nonstop airport service in luxury vehicles between LAX and the Anaheim ARTIC. Guests can expect modern executive-style mini-buses with comfortable individual leather seats, electronic device outlets, plenty of legroom, luggage storage and professional chauffeurs focused on customer safety and comfort. Reservations will be required and can easily be made on anaheimlaxlink.com.
For more information about Anaheim, see www.visitanaheim.org.
