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IN
ORANGE COUNTY
Anaheim
MEANS Disney
AND A LOT MORE
Orange
County lies to the South of of Los Angeles is the home of
Huntington and Laguana Beach and it is best known for Aneheim where
the whole idea of theme parks took off at Knott's Berry Farm and
Disneyland.
Disneyland
was the first of Walt Disney’s parks and as new attractions come
on line some
old favorites disappear. I was there when
the
‘Light
Magic Night-time Extravaganza.’ replaced the then 20 year old ‘Main
Street Electric Light Parade’
When it
comes to parades the  Disney people are brilliant.
We
sat on the kerb
in the warm sun and joined the youngsters in their Mickey Mouse ear
hats. We waved and cheered as Mickey and
Minnie drove by. As the dancers stomped along, a
little boy beside me looked up at a girl clad in feathers and a
bright yellow beak and breathed "That’s awe-sum"
I had
to agree.
As to the
rides old favourites still draw the crowds and I enjoyed the
paddle-boat trip into Tom Sawyer Country. In the evening there was a
spectacular fireworks and light show in which scenes from Fantasia
were projected on dancing fountains and we witnessed a pirate raid
in which Peter Pan battled with Captain Hook on a full size sailing
galleon.
Thirty-eight
million visitors a year are attracted to Anaheim and one popular ‘sight’
is the
Crystal Cathedral at Garden Grove. It is a Dutch Reform Church and
had humble beginnings in the roof top cafe of a ‘drive in’
cinema. The enormous glass structure can be seen for miles around
and services, which are televised and broadcast world wide.
The ‘drive
in’ connection continues, in the parking lot there is an area
reserved for those who want to follow the Sunday service in their
cars. They can listen on their radios while they watch a giant TV
screen.
After
taking a picture I boarded the tour bus and on reading our drivers
‘name tag’ I found
that she was called Kathleen Miracle. I’m sure there’s a line
somewhere about a miracle getting me to church!
After
chatting to some locals we managed to get invited along to watch
some baseball .The teams
that were being mentioned had me thinking that I was heading for a
big time game, but the ‘Dodgers’, ‘White Socks’ and ‘Rockies’
involved were junior school teams. We sat on the benches with all
the Moms yelling encouragement, "Good ‘eye,’..go ...Let’s
go, Angels, lets go,...." It was great fun, the smell of
burgers and hot dogs filled the air, the sun beat down on a true
American Sunday morning as in corner of a field little four or five
years old complete with uniforms and skip caps, wielded bats almost
as big as themselves.
 Knott’s
Berry Farm is the first major theme park and opened back in 1932.
It has it’s
share of white knuckle rides and I watched from a tranquil boat trip
as braver souls hurtled skywards on ‘Montzumas Revenge.’
It was
a 45 mph boomerang style roller coaster and I would have been on it
but the queues were too long, believe me!
In the
same general area you can find ‘Wild Bill’s’ where for about £20
you can enjoy a Wild West
style show with food. If you want your dining to be a little more
sophisticated then the answer might be an evening cruise on board
one of the Hornblower cruise boats. There the meal and voyage will
set you back about £35.
At Newport Beach we boarded ‘The
Entertainer.’
The sound of music from Jewish wedding reception on
the deck below drifted up as we cruised down the channel. Real
estate seemed to fill every bit of shoreline. Obviously if you’ve
got the money you get the view. The Captain came up to meet the 
passengers, he had half a yard of gold braid on his arm Together we looked
out to Shark Island that once belonged to James Cagney and passed
the sail boat The Wild Goose which was once owned by John
Wayne. It was a pleasant way to end our visit with the breeze from
the ocean and white sails billowing on the horizon.
Factfile
Information and brochures on Anaheim
001 714 999
8999.
If you plan only to visit the theme parks you can
manage without a car. There is a half hourly service to the Disneyland
area from Los Angeles Airport
(return fares: Adults £14, children £ 9.)
All the major holiday brochures will feature the
Anahein Disneyland Hotels. These are next to the Theme park. If you
are on a fly-drive holiday there are small hotels with rooms
available and usually car parking is free. This is an
important consideration, as at the big hotels, parking can be an
extra $10 a day, and $4 more if you have valet parking .
At Knotts Berry
Farm
6th
ANNUAL EASTER EGGMAZEMENT,
March 31- April 22, 2001
Back by popular demand is Snoopy's Easter EggMazement. Wow!
All kids (ages 3-11) will receive Easter Beagle Boppers. Our
annual family celebration includes mazes elaborately themed to
Spring and the Easter holiday. Kids have never had more fun
getting lost with the Peanuts Gang! An all-new Peanuts
Sidewalk Theatre Show featuring the Peanuts Gang will
celebrate springtime fun through song and dance
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