On Monday, Visit Anaheim hosted several key Melbourne based trade and media partners for a quintessentially Melbourne themed event. Hosted by Visit Anaheim Australian representative, Michael Cassis, as well as visiting International Tourism Manager, Michael Young, the two “M&M’s” put on a delicious breakfast and coffee appreciation class for 25 of the destinations key wholesale, retail and media partners.
Hosted at Melbourne’s iconic ST. ALi Coffee Roasters in South Melbourne, the Visit Anaheim team were joined by the local Melbourne based Disneyland Resort in California team, along with visiting Anaheim based businesses including the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, the Best Western Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim, Citadel Outlets and Karmel Transfers/Extreme Tours – all of whom are regular visitors to Australia due to the strong business the market delivers.
The partners enjoyed a delicious “Aussie” style breakfast, mimosas, and coffee, whilst the Visit Anaheim team shared updates about the destination. Key takeaways included the recent refurbishments that have taken place at both the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, and the Best Western Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim, and the continued success of the Shop Until You Drop Off at LAX VIP tour to Citadel Outlets, no doubt driven by the fact that shopping remains the no. 1 activity for Australian travellers to the USA.
The Disneyland Resort in California team also shared information about the recently opened Pixar Place Hotel – a complete rebrand and refurbishment of the former Paradise Pier Hotel, and the exciting celebrations ahead this year at the Disneyland Resort including Pixar Fest, which will return for the first time since 2018. The festival is one of many including the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival – which kicks off March 1, and Season of the Force, which will lightspeed into Disneyland Park on April 5. Pixar Fest will run from April 26 to August 4.
Also joining the Visit Anaheim breakfast were Ronnie Collins – Senior Vice President of Sales & Services for Visit Anaheim, and James Robinson – Convention Sales Director for Visit Anaheim, who were in town to participate in AIME. As the home to the largest convention centre on the West Coast of the USA, and hundreds of hotels with extensive conference and event space, the MICE market continues to be the second biggest driver of visitation to Anaheim. With increased flight capacity starting to drive down flight costs, the Visit Anaheim team are confident that the Australian MICE market could pose a strong opportunity in 2024 and beyond.
During the breakfast, Ronnie took the time to highlight what is shaping up to be a very exciting few years ahead for Anaheim and Southern California. Highlights include Disneyland Resort and the City Of Anaheim finalising plans and approvals for a significant expansion to the Disneyland Resort known as Disneyland Forward, along with the exciting OCVIBE Waterfront development that will start to open from 2026. This new entertainment precinct will finally mean Anaheim can once again live up to its namesake, with the word “Anaheim” meaning home by the river in German. 
Ronnie also highlighted an action-packed events calendar over the years ahead that will complement Anaheim’s already robust sporting calendar. As the home to the Los Angeles-Anaheim Angels Baseball team, and the famous Anaheim Ducks Ice Hockey team, the destination is a sporting hotspot for tourists looking to take in America’s favourite pastimes during their travels. But over the years ahead, Southern California will also host some of the worlds biggest sporting events including the 2026 World Cup, and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“Anaheim has always been one of the most visited US mainland destinations for Australian travellers,” commented Visit Anaheim’s local representative Michael Cassis. “But much like Disneyland Resort, which continues to grow and evolve, Anaheim itself is constantly changing, offering more than ever to all traveller types. Whilst we’ve always held a soft spot in the hearts of Australian families, we’re seeing strong growth from the luxury and youth categories propelled by our recent high-end hotel openings, our growing rooftop bar, tiki bar, speakeasy and craft beer scene, and the influx of new IP at the Disneyland Resort including Marvel and Star Wars. So it’s little surprise that we have one of the longest average lengths of stay to any location in mainland America, with many Australian travellers using Anaheim as the perfect base for their entire Southern California stay. A message we’re re-enforcing this year with our new 7 Days in Anaheim messaging.”
The Visit Anaheim team are highlighting this message across the Visit USA Roadshow taking place this week in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. And a new webinar will launch soon on the Visit Anaheim local Australian website http://www.visitanaheim.org/au-resources.
The team also know the best way for agents to learn about Anaheim is to experience it for themselves. So this year, they’re encouraging agents to come Visit Anaheim themselves. Agents travelling and tagging #aussiesinanaheim on social media, may be treated to some prizes and gifts over the year ahead.
