Canadian World Traveller Winter 2019-20 Issue

12
Visit Dana Point
California Dreaming in Anaheim
by Jennifer Merrick
What is it about California that
attracts dreamers? Take
Anaheim, for example. Located
about an hour south of Los Angeles, this
region’s landscape and sunny climate has
ignited utopian fantasies throughout its history.
In 1857, German immigrants purchased
land with the ambitious aim of a co-operative
wine-making venture. In 1876, Polish aristocrats
and artists packed up their belongings,
books and jewels and journeyed here to live
out their romanticized notions of returning to
nature.
“What wild dreams we dreamt,” wrote
actress Helena Modrzejewska in her memoir.
“I was to give up the stage and live in the
midst of nature…under the blue skies of
California.”
Unlike the successful German wine-makers,
the commune quickly dissolved. Almost a
century later, one of America’s most famous
visionaries, Walt Disney, purchased 160
acres of land in the area with the idea of
building “The Happiest Place on Earth”.
Disneyland opened its doors in 1955, and
visitors have been coming in droves ever
since. In 2018, Anaheim welcomed a staggering
24.4 million visitors, who came to fulfill
their own dreams. And there are plenty of
ways to do that for every generation of the
family.
Fly the Millennium Falcon
Star Wars Galaxy Edge opened last May at
Disneyland (and in Orlando in August) to
rave reviews. Whether you’re a diehard fan
or are just vaguely familiar with the Han Solo
and Chewbacca crowd, you’ll be impressed
with this recreation of the Black Spire
Outpost. The flagship attraction to their new
expansion is the life-sized replica of the
Millennium Falcon, which takes visitors on an
interactive, intergalactic smuggling mission.
Other cool experiences include drinking blue
milk, building a custom lightsaber and
assembling a droid.
Immerse yourself in the magic of movies
It’s worth the hour drive to see your favourite
films come to life on a grand scale at
Universal Studios, Hollywood. For
Potterheads, there’s the Wizarding World of
Harry Potter, where you can wander the
laneways of Hogsmeade amidst the snowcovered
buildings and the castle itself.
Indulge your inner wizard by choosing a
wand at Ollivanders Wand Shop, sipping
butter beer at the Three Broomsticks
Restaurant or going on a 3D interactive
adventure. Harry Potter and the Forbidden
Journey sweeps you through the dark forest
and into a heart-stopping Quidditch match.
A classic attraction is the Universal Studio
Tour, which supercharges riders into a highstakes
race before catapulting into the jungle,
where King Kong himself is waiting.