5 “Must Do” 2012 WonderCon Activities

Although this year’s WonderCon is shaping up to be one of the biggest
yet, the Anaheim area itself is home to a number of complimentary
experiences that will fill your nights and additional days with fun.
Even though I live within 30 minutes of the convention center, I have
a room in Anaheim from Thursday-Sunday, so that I can take advantage
of each minute. Simply, there won’t be enough time to take in
everything that the show and surrounding area will offer. So, what
else is there to do outside of the show? Well, I’m going to skip spots
that are abundantly obvious like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm
(although both are great). Even reomving these items, there are still
too many to list. That being said, here are a few of my
favorites:

1. Shop for vintage toys and comics at the corner of Beach and Ball:
One of my favorite spots in all of Southern California is the
unassuming corner of Beach Boulevard and Ball Road in Anaheim. Here
you’ll find Beach Ball Comics, Bray’s Toy Mine, My-D Pins and
Collectibles, and Kelly’s Toy Stop. If you’ve seen pictures of my
house on Twitter, you know there is little I enjoy more than
collecting toys and comics and many of my favorite finds have come
from this little corner of goodness. If you have any interest in toys
from the 60’s and up, this is must-stop spot. Hours are limited at
some of these stores, so I’d suggest making this an afternoon stop.

2. Eat at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant: Just a few miles
from the corner of Beach and Ball is the world famous Mrs. Knott’s
Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Many will tell you that if there is one
meal that must be had in all of Anaheim, it is the famous fried
chicken at this legendary local. Surrounded by several unique shops,
this stop makes for a fun couple of hours. A major suggestion on this
stop is to make sure to go during off-peak hours. If you try to show
up for dinner at 6PM, you can expect at least an hour wait. That being
said, the wait is part of the experience and definitely worth it.
(www.knotts.com)

3. See the life-size heroes at Phat Collectibles: One of the best
displays of comic and toy fun in the U.S. is right down the street
from the convention center at 1201 S. Euclid Street. You’ll know the
store by the painting of Spidey hanging outside the door and once you
walk in you’ll see much more than life-size Avengers. Taking the place
of a defunct video store, Phat’s moved from the corner of Beach and
Ball to grow into this very large location. They have tons of comics
and toys, but thier gallery of museum-like statues is one of the most
unique facets of the store. (www.phatcollectibles.com)

4. See a movie at UltraLuxe Anaheim Cinemas at GardenWalk: Even if
UltraLuxe wasn’t having a special deal for WonderCon attendees, this
theater would be worth some of your valuable WonderCon time. That
being said, UltraLuxe is wisely capitalizing on con buzz and is
offering a special deal of $6 tickets for convention attendees. This
is a great deal for any theater, but when you see the facilities here,
you’ll understand how big of a deal this really is.
(http://www.ultrastarmovies.com/ultraluxe-movie-theaters.asp)

5. Explore the free corners of Disney: Although Disneyland is an
adventure unto itself, some of the best fun of Disney can be found for
free in their hotels and in Downtown Disney. The list of offerings is
too long to list here, but some of my favorites include exploring the
old pictures and collectibles in the Disneyland Hotel, shopping at the
Lego Store, and eating at ESPN Zone. Make sure to fit some time in
your WonderCon schedule to explore the many corners of this sliver of
the Disney Empire. (www.disneyland.disney.go.com)

So, these are some of my suggestions, but I’m curious what are you
looking forward to outside the convention center walls? Post here or
tweet me: @The_Con_Fluence