Beyond the Obvious in Anaheim: Local plans that skip the parks
Curious about what you'll do when you live in Anaheim? If you like the idea of chasing thrills at theme parks, getting artsy in craft beer taprooms, and are daring enough to try surfing at nearby beaches, Anaheim might just be your next address! This list of fun things to do will take you from Magic Kingdom to Main Street and give you a solid taste of Anaheim's laid back California energy.
Jessica, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jessica is a born and raised Angeleno who has spent 30 years bouncing between East LA, the Westside, and the Valley, usually with a trunk full of boxes and a strong opinion about neighborhoods. She moved eight times between 2013 and 2023 and genuinely loves it, especially the decluttering part and the chance to reinvent herself with each new move. A former teacher of eight years, she has taught everyone from pre K kids learning their ABCs to high schoolers stressing over college essays. She loves California for the beaches, sunshine, hidden lakes, and hikes that feel like they belong in another state entirely. Her guilty pleasure is the Custard Front Drive donut from Donut Friend, she road trips whenever possible, and she is slowly working through a bucket list of every national park. She lives with two bonded cats, Marty the black cat and Jelly the tabby. At Snappy Scout, Jessica edits California guides with deep local instincts built over decades of real CA living.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Will You Do in Anaheim?
From weekend adventures to iconic road trips, here's how locals spend their time off.
On a Saturday with perfect weather
Battling tourist hordes at Disneyland like it's your job
When the gals come to town for the weekend
Packing Stadium for Angels baseball and overpriced wine
Dude hangout
Honda Center to catch the Ducks slash some ice
Rainy dreary day
Indoor mall crawling at Anaheim GardenWalk's climate controlled paradise
Family-oriented
The Mouse's kingdom for a magical day that costs more than you’d expect
In need of a selfie
Sleeping Beauty Castle with 400 strangers in your frame
You have to see this
Disneyland fireworks that make grown adults weep into churros
On a budget
Free people watching outside the parks beats admission prices
For sports fans
Angel Stadium where Trout used to make magic happen
After 2am
IHOP on Harbor because everything else closed hours ago
For a nearby weekend getaway
Laguna Beach is calling just 30 minutes down PCH
To avoid the crowds
Yorba Regional Park where locals can get some peace
My Favorite Local Spot in Anaheim
This is by no means a hidden secret, but Mama Cozza’s is worth the hype. They’ve been open since the 60s and have seen all of Anaheim’s changes, but there recipes are virtually untouched. For a cheesy fix, I recommend the white pizza and the scallops and linguini are so buttery!
— Jessica Montes
California Local Expert
Ready to See If Anaheim Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Anaheim guide for the bigger picture.