Navigating Anaheim for BlizzCon
You've got your BlizzCon tickets confirmed, your flight booked, and your hotel reserved -- in short, you're packed and ready to head to BlizzCon 2013. But do you know what you're doing when you get there? Preparing for a vacation isn't unlike preparing for a dungeon run: it's important to be prepared and know the lay of the land before you arrive.
At BlizzCon you'll probably be spending most of your time in the convention center or at your hotel -- but what if you want to hit up a grocery store for supplies or need to find a pharmacy? We'll help you map out convenient services that are closest to the convention floor and help you can get around while you're there.
Getting to and from the airport
The first hurdle is getting from the airport to your hotel. If you're not planning on renting a car and braving LA traffic, your best bet is a shuttle service which will take you -- with a group of others -- from the airport directly to your hotel. While you can always head out of the airport and wait for any kind of shuttle to show up -- whether you're flying into Anaheim (SNA) or Los Angeles (LAX), there will be regular shuttles to the Anaheim resort area -- booking in advance online will probably be cheaper.
Try Prime Time Shuttle (SNA or LAX) or Super Shuttle (LAX).
Navigating Anaheim
Anaheim is a tourist town that's packed with hotels and attractions -- but they aren't necessarily located within easy walking distance of one another. And while we've tried to pick out the places closest to the convention center, not everything is exactly convenient. So if you need to venture a bit beyond walking distance -- or you're just worn out from walking the BlizzCon floor all day -- you might want to consider the local bus service.
Around the resort area you'll find ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) buses making regular trips around Anaheim. If you want to go farther afield, look into Orange County Transportation Authority, which runs buses throughout the Orange County area. If you're not sure where to start, the easiest place may be Google Maps, which gives pretty good public transportation directions -- though it doesn't seem to include ART routes.
Grocery and convenience stores
If you want to save some cash by having some staples -- like snacks and drinks -- stashed in your hotel room instead of eating out all the time, you have a few options. The easiest way to do this is to hit up whatever shop is in your hotel -- though expect both a limited selection and high prices. If you want more, there are a couple of convenience stores within easy walking distance of the convention center, but actual grocery stores are a bit more than a mile away -- so you may want to look into taking a bus if you plan to stock up on drinks.
7-Eleven (0.3 miles from convention center)
611 W Katella Avenue
Open: 24 hours a day
7-Eleven (0.8 miles from convention center)
101 W Katella Avenue
Open: 24 hours a day
Food4Less (1.2 miles from convention center)
1616 W Katella Avenue
Open: 24 hours a day
Target (1.4 miles from convention center)
12100 Harbor Blvd
Open: Monday - Saturday, 8AM - 11PM; Sunday, 8AM - 10PM
Drug stores
If you're looking for a drug store, options are equally far afield -- however, there's a CVS and a Walgreens that are a straight shot down Katella Avenue.
CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles from convention center)
1676 W Katella Avenue
Open: 24 hours a day
Walgreens (1.5 miles from convention center)
10840 Katella Avenue
Open: 24 hours a day
Shipping
If you're loaded down with swag and want to ship some things home instead of pack them, FedEx has two locations near the convention center for easy shipping.
FedEx Office (0.4 miles from convention center)
777 W Convention Way
Anaheim Hilton
Open: Monday - Friday, 7AM - 7PM; Saturday - Sunday, 7AM - 5PM
FedEx Office (0.4 miles from convention center)
700 W Convention Way
Anaheim Marriott
Open: Monday - Friday, 7AM - 10PM; Saturday - Sunday, 9AM - 5PM
Coffee
Everyone needs a caffeine fix before the con kicks off -- so expect the two nearest Starbucks locations, in the Hilton and Marriott, to be packed before the convention starts each day. If you're in a hotel farther afield, you may be well served by getting coffee before you go to avoid the wait, even if that does mean skipping the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Starbucks (0.4 miles from convention center)
700 W Convention Way
Anaheim Marriott
Open: 6AM - 10PM
Starbucks (0.4 miles from convention center)
777 W Convention Way
Anaheim Hilton
Open: 6AM - 9PM
24-hour eats
Though a lot of businesses around the convention center have generous hours -- to better catch tourists coming and going from nearby Disneyland -- not all of them will be open when you want them to be. Fortunately, there's a Denny's or IHOP on nearly every corner -- just remember that the locations nearest the convention center will often be packed with your fellow BlizzCon attendees, which can mean crowds and long lines.
IHOP (0.3 miles from convention center)
1840 S Harbor Blvd
Denny's (0.6 miles from convention center)
1610 S Harbor Blvd
Denny's (0.6 miles from convention center)
1168 W Katella Ave
IHOP (0.7 miles from convention center)
1560 S Harbor Blvd
Denny's (0.8 miles from convention center)
2080 S Harbor Blvd
Looking for more food alternatives? Download the Yelp app on to your smartphone before you leave -- it makes it easy to peruse nearby eats by what's open at any hour.
