Anaheim/Orange County Editorial

Anaheim/Orange County – It’s So California!

There are six regions in the United States named Orange County, but all eyes are on Orange County, California as the center of fun, the center of attraction, the center of style and the center of attention.  Now recognized as “The OC,” this world-class visitor destination features a casually sophisticated lifestyle and a newfound celebrity status.

Located in the center of Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego, Orange County spans 798 square miles and includes 42 miles (67.5 km) of scenic coastline and 34 cities, each with distinctive personalities.  The region’s warm sunshine, swaying palm trees and friendly atmosphere create a relaxed lifestyle where shorts, sandals and sunglasses are always in season.  The average temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) year-round, and 70 percent of the days are bright and sunny.  In April, the average daily high temperature is 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius), and the average precipitation is 0.66 inches (16.8 millimeters).

Anaheim/Orange County is known throughout the world as the home of Disneyland®, the original Disney theme park built by Walt Disney in 1955.  Today, the area continues to be a global trendsetter, from internationally syndicated television shows, such as The O.C., depicting life in the area, to the county’s pioneering entrepreneurs in the surf apparel, sportswear, biomedical, aeronautical and theme park industries.  Orange County is also recognized for its booming tourism industry, attracting more than 45 million visitors from all over the world each year.

The hub of Orange County’s tourism industry is the city of Anaheim, a vibrant metropolitan area with a reputation for fun and exceptional hospitality.  Anaheim is a top business and leisure destination, featuring thrilling professional sports teams, including Major League Baseball’s Angels and the U.S. Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team; The Platinum Triangle, a new urban, mixed-use development; the Anaheim Resort™ district; and more than 150 hotel properties and nearly 20,000 rooms.

The 1,100-acre Anaheim Resort district, which completed a $5.5 billion transformation in 2000, encompasses the Anaheim Convention Center - the West Coast’s largest convention center, and the Disneyland® Resort.  The urban resort district is filled with palm tree-lined boulevards, lush landscaping and a convenient visitor transportation system – the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART).  Downtown Disney® district and the new Anaheim GardenWalk, slated to open in Fall 2007, are the Resort’s premier dining, shopping and entertainment centers.

Beyond Anaheim, Orange County also boasts an impressive collection of world-class shopping destinations, trendy restaurants, sexy nightlife, unique arts and culture centers, inviting beaches, exciting professional sports, championship golf courses, luxurious spas, posh resorts, classic family attractions, and approximately 500 hotel properties with an inventory of nearly 55,000 rooms.

From couture fashion, outstanding performing arts and mouth-watering California cuisine, to the golf courses where Tiger Woods perfected his game and the largest small craft harbor in the United States, there is something in Anaheim/Orange County for every enthusiast, whether stylish, cultured, sporty or indulgent.

Experience the embodiment of the “California dream” in the premier Southern California hotspot – Anaheim/Orange County.  It’s So California!