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dcsh
11-01-2008, 08:14 PM
I am looking for suggestions as to where to take two teenage girls to go shopping near Disneyland. We have a car so we will be able to drive. Thanks

Bytebear
11-01-2008, 08:23 PM
You have several choices. The top three on my list would be South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Irvine Spectrun in Irvine and Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

http://www.southcoastplaza.com/
http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/
http://www.shopfashionisland.com/

potzbie
11-01-2008, 08:24 PM
North of DL on Harbor Blvd. is the Orangefair Marketplace mall, where the Disney Character outlet store is.

South of DL on Harbor Blvd. is the ordinary big box chain stores. My map shows no named mall as such, but there are consecutive blocks of the ordinary major stores.

AnotherJenny
11-01-2008, 08:30 PM
There were some pretty good answers about a month ago:
http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=115037

Yelp also has a pretty good section on shopping centers:
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=&find_loc=anaheim%2C+ca&rpp=10&cflt=shoppingcenters

You might have to fiddle with the starting location a bit.

tod
11-01-2008, 09:11 PM
You might have to fiddle with the starting location a bit.

Disneyland is at 1313 Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim.

--t

Shinku
11-01-2008, 09:25 PM
You have several choices. The top three on my list would be South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Irvine Spectrun in Irvine and Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Agree, but with one difference: The block at orange. It's pretty close and has a Hilo Hattie's. South coast is expensive, though, be forewarned (but it's oh-so-nice to stroll through Tiffany's :p)

kelli1rose
11-01-2008, 09:35 PM
The Brea Mall is 15 minutes North on the 57 freeway, and is a pretty typical mall. The Block at Orange is cool for an outdoor mall. The Main Place Mall is close by also, right off the 22 freeway at Main St. It is close to where the 5 Freeway and the 22 freeway cross. Hopefully, you will enjoy Disneyland and your shopping!

Darkbeer
11-01-2008, 10:32 PM
The two closest are Downtown Disney and the new Anaheim GardenWalk.

Then is the Block of Orange and Westplace Main Place Mall.

I place I like, the corner of Harbor and Orangethorpe, about 3 miles north of the DLR.

Pretty much strip malls, but you have the Disney's Character Warehouse that is the park outlet store, a Costco, a Target, a Henry's Market and a few other discount outlet type stores. Plus some great places to eat including In-n-Out Burger and Sonic.

cstephens
11-01-2008, 10:51 PM
I'd say that for two teenage girls, and you have a car, the Block at Orange is your best bet.

adriennek
11-02-2008, 08:36 AM
You have several choices. The top three on my list would be South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Irvine Spectrun in Irvine

http://www.southcoastplaza.com/
http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/

My vote would be Bytebear's list slightly modified. ;)

South Coast Plaza can be expensive but they have regular stores, too. Main Place at Santa Ana is a lot closer but I think that South Coast is funner because it's fun to see the other stuff there. It's a big mall with two "sides" to it. There's a lot of really good food at SCP, too.

It's all about the food, you know...

Adrienne

Bytebear
11-02-2008, 10:43 AM
I thought about including the Block because Hilo Hattie's is pretty cool, but it tends to have a lot more rowdy kids, I think because it has the skate park. The three malls I chose seem to be ideal for teenage girls.

CindyR
11-02-2008, 12:32 PM
I would suggest Brea Mall, South Coast Plaza Mall or the Irvine Spectrum. The Irvine Spectrum is pretty standard fair but also has a really nice selection of restaurants and a movie theater and Dave and Buster's which is a restaurant/arcade, so that's a nice choice if you're looking to be entertained in addition to shopping, and it's an outside mall.

South Coast Plaza is nice but expensive, but there are also normal stores to shop at so even if you don't plan on spending a lot, you can still browse the high-end stores which is fun, and shop at the standard stores. Brea Mall is your typical mall and is fairly close. I would suggest you check the stores at each mall and then decide from there.

bennette
11-02-2008, 02:10 PM
Can I ask how long your trip is? We are annual passholders and so go all the time. My teenage girls and their friends have never found any reason to go beyond Disneyland and Downtown Disney to spend all their money (given the opportunity they would buy much more). Malls are everywhere; Disneyland is not. Also, Disney excels at merchandising. I can't imagine anyone asking to go the mall, at least not after they get to the park.

disneynut
11-02-2008, 02:32 PM
I don't know where they are from, but coming from what used to be a small town, I understand why a couple of teenage girls would want to go to a shopping mall in a larger city with more stores even when they are at Disneyland.

When I was in high school, there wasn't much choice in our town for fashion. My parents used to drive me to San Francisco for school clothes shopping. For me, it wouldn't have been a matter of not having enough to do in Disneyland. It would have been the chance to get clothes that weren't Levis.

YMMV and I may be completely off but that would have been why I'd have been looking for a mall in high school.

bennette
11-02-2008, 03:24 PM
Well, guessing at small town issues, here is my two cents.

Main Place at Santa Ana is close but very average. You'd can do better and if you have the time, you should.

The Block at Orange is fairly teen friendly and more flashy. I do like Hilo Hattie's and the Sak's Fifth Avenue outlet is a favorite of mine. As another poster has said, it gets rowdy at night. It's in a pretty congested urban area and yes, there is a skate park but IMO, part of the rowdiness can be attributed to the fact that the Block is directly across from the Orange County services including family courts, an emergency home for foster children, juvenile hall, and Theo Lacy men's prison (and the animal pound). I'm the proud parent of two kids who spent time in that emergency home but it's a fairly regimented place (it has to be). Kids who don't get placed out quickly sometimes go AWOL and/or the home takes them on field trips to the Block. The majority are great kids but they are bored, they have no money, and they've been cooped up--like teenagers on steroids. Also, on visitation days at the prison or the juvenile hall, there is some spillover. I know I'm biased and I've spent a lot of time in this area on unhappy tasks--the large crowds are a sign that many people like this mall just fine as is. But in general, I just don't enjoy shopping here. Too crowded and too loud.

South Coast Plaza is a little further away but is a world class mall. (Not just Tiffany's, but the world's busiest Tiffany's! and Escada!; Prada!; Armani!; the Nordstrom teen section is quite good, too) Bring plenty of cash; retreat to the Sear's and McDonald's if you need a reality check.

All the teens we know seem to prefer the Spectrum at Irvine which is the furthest away from Disneyland. It doesn't do it for me but it is an absolute teen magnet and quite large. Plenty of teen-friendly stores and an adult will have plenty to do.

If you would really like to experience an alternate reality, there is Fashion Island at Newport Beach. It is a beautiful outdoor shopping experience (I just can't call it a mall) right up from PCH. It's probably out of the reach of most shopper's pocketbooks but if you want to see the maximum number of pocket dogs per square inch or someone wearing a fur coat to the movies, this is your place!

DizneyMommy
11-03-2008, 02:54 PM
I was a teenager in OC not all that long ago (I WISH) and I always did, and still do, prefer South Coast Plaza over every other mall in OC. I do like Fashion Island, but not much there for teens. Brea is nice as well, maybe a hair closer than South Coast, but I think it's a toss up.

South Coast Plaza is busy enough you could spend a whole day there - it is actually 2 malls plus another shopping center across the street (walking distance) with movie theaters and more restaurants.