Off 1-5 in Anaheim, 25 miles South East of Los Angeles. The booming aerospace industry certainly played its part, but another contributor to Orange County’s incredible growth was Disneyland (www.disneyland.disney.go.com) – the mother of all theme parks and self proclaimed ‘Happiest Place of Earth’. Opened in 1955 and transformed a patch of bean fields into the greatest tourist attraction ever known. The dense jungle of over-priced hotels and restaurants that surround Disneyland are proof of the enduring popularity of the park, which has been visited by more than 300 million people. Yet, provided you choose the right time-a mid-week day between mid-September and mid-June is recommended – you can enjoy Disneyland without enduring its notoriously long lines.

Should the admission fee seem extortionate, remember that it does entitle you to go on every ride in the park as many times as you want to – be it a spine-jolting space trip based on the Star Wars film, a death-defying ride on the runaway train of Thunder Mountain Railroad, being tickled by the spooks of the Haunted Mansion or casting off with the Pirates of the Caribbean (to mention but a few of the attractions). Most first-timers are surprised to find Disneyland is much less the glorified children’s’ playground than is commonly believed, and that it holds plenty that is designed – through technical innovation or clever psychology – to appeal to adults.