A Guide to Orange County Theme Parks

That's right folks, "The happiest place on earth" is located in the Orange County city of Anaheim. Disneyland, Walt Disney's original theme park, is a place to explore all the whimsy and fantasy of Disney tradition. The best time to avoid the huge crowds is during the week or in the off-seasons Winter and Fall months. However, it's during the holiday season or the warmer summer and spring months that the biggest and best special events take place. Check out this guide about how to avoid spending your whole Disney trip standing in line.

Located just across from Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure creates a Disney vision the Golden State, Hollywood Backlot, and Paradise Pier. With many of the attractions are part of the Disney-Pixar partnership and a focus on the more modern Disney movies, you can absolutely expect a different experience at Disney's California Adventure. Check out this guide for more information on making the most of your visit.

This is the original Orange County water park, located in Irvine, adjacent to Irvine Meadows. With 40 rides, Wild Rivers is arguably the best water park in Southern California. There isn’t much shade to speak of, and during peek Summer season, you could spend up to an hour standing in line for some of the park’s most popular rides. On the other hand, those lines are avoidable by arriving early and riding the most popular rides first. Wild Rivers is opens late May through late September with limited hours during the Spring and Fall months. (Note: Wild Rivers was unable to renew its lease with the Irvine Company and is closing down at the end of the 2011 Summer season)