Guide to SoCal

You may have heard of CompanyD.  It’s a store in Anaheim that Disney uses as a discount souvenir clearinghouse when it needs to make room on the shelves at stores inside the Disneyland Resort for new merchandise.  Unfortunately, CompanyD is only open to Disneyland Resort Cast Members and their guests.  But don’t worry, we’ve got an insider tip for you…

The “other” outlet that Disney uses is called the Disney Character Warehouse and is located just 10 minutes north of Disneyland in Fullerton, CA.

The Disney Character Warehouse is open to the public.  This location receives many of the same items that the Cast Member exclusive store receives and is discounted just as heavily.

The discounts are deep and the merchandise is often straight from the Disneyland Resort.  If you’re in town to visit the Resort, I highly recommend you stop by and see what they have before you buy an overpriced souvenir from Disneyland. 

If nothing else, you can usually find items for a couple of dollars that will make the kids happy.  Try finding something inside Disneyland that cheap.

Disney Character Warehouse 

243 Orangefair Mall
Fullerton, CA 92832

(714) 870-9363

Need a break on a hot crowded day at Disneyland?  Check out Innoventions.

This is an interactive exhibit inside the building that used to be used for America Sings.  There are various computer and video game kiosks setup for kids to play along with some fun interactive exhibits to enjoy.

The building is kept extra cool (for the equipment) and is pretty roomy (2-story).  What’s more, there’s never a line.

With all the activities to keep the kids engaged, it’s a great place to spend 30 minutes or so in the un-crowded air conditioning to re-charge.

When you’re there, make sure you check out the floor projection games upstairs.  It’s a video game projected on the floor that reacts to your movement.  There’s a whack-a-mole game, soccer game, and other games of the sort.  It’s something that you won’t find anywhere else.

110 E Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton - (714) 526-6801

The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant in Fullerton is easily one of my favorite family restaurants.  The food is great and affordable and the environment is uniuqe and family friendly.

Don’t let the name fool you, Spaghetti isn’t the only thing on the menu.  Spaghetti is certainly the specialty of the house (I highly recommend the Manager’s Favorite with Marinara and Mizithra Cheese), but a wide range of traditional Italian dishes are also offered (Lasagna, Chicken Parmigiana, Fettuccini, etc). 

All of the dishes are as good as any fine italian restaurant.  Expect to pay around $9-10 per person.  This price is very reasonable considering it includes a drink, all you can eat fresh bread, soup or salad, and the famous Old Spaghetti Factory Spumoni ice cream for dessert.

The value you get for your money alone is enough of a reason to visit, but my true reason for rating this Fullerton restaurant so high is the atmosphere. 

The restaurant is located about 10 minutes North of Disneyland off of Harbor Blvd directly adjacent to the Fullerton train station (they are located in the same parking lot).  While wating for a table, my kids love to walk over to the station platform (accessible from the restaurant sidewalk) and watch the trains and passengers come and go. 

The train theme is carried into the restaurant itself.  Inside one of the dining rooms is a real train car converted with dining tables inside.  From some tables in the restaurant, you can watch the trains pulling into the Fullerton station through a large window.

Adding to the family friendliness of the Old Spaghetti Factory are the wood floors and casual dining setup.  You won’t find any cloth napkins or table linens.

Please share your opinion of the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant by commenting on this post.