Best Anaheim Shopping

This certified farmers market features more than 50 vendors of fruits, nuts and vegetables. The weekly event also offers arts-and-crafts booths hawking such finds as jewelry, sarongs and Peruvian and Guatemalan crafts. Stroll the street and enjoy the free entertainment and sample delish street fare like French crepes, Korean barbecue and, of course, Kettle Korn. Held every Thursday from noon to 7PM throughout the year, weather permitting.

Mickey Mouse ears and princess paraphernalia may be a given, but there’s more than just Disney merchandise to purchase on a spree through Anaheim’s best shopping. Most of the retail outlets you’ll find in the Anaheim area cater to tourists enjoying a little time away from the park. However, serious shoppers can head to nearby South Coast Plaza, which is easily the best mall in Orange County, if not Southern California.

Located just outside the park gates, this colorful (and commercial) outdoor shopping promenade is teeming with Disneyland-goers from around the globe, as well as local O.C. surfer dudes. Boutique stores like Anne Geddes and Palace 4 Paws are mixed in with big-name chains like Sephora and Quiksilver. Of course, there’s a World of Disney store, so you can purchase all the Disney souvenirs you managed to resist inside the park. Be sure to park in the Downtown Disney lot, as it’s free with for three hours (or five with validation).

It’s easy to make a day of it on a shopping spree at Orange County’s finest retail center. Anchored by department stores Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Ave., Macy’s, Macy’s Men Store and Sears, this mega-mall is packed with more than 280 boutiques that run the gamut from such standards as H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch and The Gap, to high-end boutiques like Chanel, Christian Louboutin and De Beers. While your wallet may not be able to accommodate purchases at some of the mall’s fanciest merchants, this is a great place for browsing, and the people-watching is outstanding.