What to Do in Anaheim with Your Family

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Visit Anaheim. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s no secret that we LOVE to Visit Anaheim but I admit to sticking to our “usual” places when we’re in town. I wanted to explore more amazing things that this city has to offer so I planned a trip where we could try all new places to stay, eat and play! There are many more things to do with your family in Anaheim but this is a great start. From the Anaheim Packing District (which is really cool if you’ve never been), to several craft breweries and your pick of sporting events, Anaheim has a wide variety of fun things for families to fit in on their vacations or go out specifically to check out. Whether you’re driving in from around Southern California, Phoenix or even farther, there are a lot of great options for families.

Stay:

There is no shortage of hotel options in Anaheim! Whether you want to stay close to the action or be a quick drive away, you’ll definitely have your choice. On our most recent trip we stayed at the Anaheim Portofino Inn and Suites. They offer kid suites which can sleep up to 6 for larger families and have bunk beds which are a HUGE benefit if you have two older boys like we do! It is within walking distance to the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim GardenWalk, Downtown Disney and Disneyland.

Eat:

You could try a new restaurant every time you visited Anaheim and still never get to them all.

• Old Town Orange is a charming shopping/dining destination. We checked out The Filling Station Cafe which is a converted gas station serving good American classics. Many people we talked to loved this place and we can see why! This is a great place to start the day whether or not you’re leaving time to explore Old Town Orange.
• Downtown Disney has many options in itself. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen is a new favorite of ours. Fantastic food, fun ambiance and live music on the weekends. A mint julep is a “must have” for kids and parents while we can’t walk away without taking some beignets!
• If you’re shopping at the Outlets at Orange you can eat at any number of great places. We were surprised at the dining area in the Dave & Busters there – so chic!
• The Center Street Promenade is a “new to us” area that I can’t WAIT to go back to! They have several new restaurants and spots to check out. We had a quick breakfast at the super charming Gypsy Den Cafe and loved walking around the area before Jared went off to work and the boys and I went off to finish our exploring.
• One of SEVERAL great breweries in the area is Noble Ale Works. It’s a microbrewery near the Honda Center and home of the world’s best IPA (World Beer Cup 2016). It’s a pre-game favorite for baseball and hockey.
• Medieval Times is a super fun spot to grab a great dinner and entertainment. The whole family LOVES Medieval Times, from the kids to the grandparents. Cheering on your knight, eating without utensils and a night of tournament action made this one of our favorite nights on our last trip! It also goes into the “entertainment” category for sure!

Adventure / Play / Entertain:

• The boys’ absolute favorite thing to do in Anaheim by far is Vans Skatepark at the Outlets at Orange. They had lessons with Devin (who is absolutely amazing by the way) and I couldn’t get the smiles off their faces if I tried. Both of my boys are SO different when it comes to sports and their instructor was awesome with both of them. Even if you don’t have time for a lesson (which are reasonably priced in my opinion for what you get) it’s a great place to watch the skaters and get some shopping in. We will definitely be back and the boys are already asking for another lesson! The skatepark has several areas and just needs to be seen – so pop in when you’re there!
• Dave & Busters – while the shoppers are shopping at the Outlets at Orange, the rest of the family can get some game time in at Dave & Busters!
• Discovery Cube – if you’re like us, you’ve driven by the big cube off the 5 freeway more times that you can count. We have never been before and now I’m regretting that! The boys had a blast at 12 and 14 and would have really loved it when they were younger as well. Their Dino Quest area is so much fun and you even get to hunt for fossils. The science of hockey was especially fun since we were planning on attending a hockey game. There is a lot to explore here and some really unique and fun interactive exhibits. Stop driving by and definitely check out the Discovery Cube!
• ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney – even if you’re not eating or watching a game you can play the arcade games upstairs! They are inexpensive, fun and the best part is your kids can redeem their “tickets” in an automated vending machine! The boys and I had a ton of fun working off our lunch here.
• Sports – no matter when you’re visiting there’s a good chance you can catch a game. We took the boys to their first hockey game at the Honda Center to catch the Ducks playing the Coyotes. They had SO much fun. Actually we are already looking at tickets to see another! Even if you’re not a big hockey fan, the Honda Center is a great spot to catch a game because the parking is easy and the stadium such a fun spot.

There’s also the obvious ocean, you can take the train down to San Clemente for more seaside fun and drive to a number of southern California cities. We fell in love with Anaheim just a little bit more on this last trip and can’t wait to find more to share with you.

Check out Visit Anaheim and Visit Anaheim on Instagram for more ideas and inspiration. I’m keeping a list of things I see from them to do next time we’re out!

What’s your favorite thing to do in Anaheim?!