TRAVEL: Explorethe cities outside of Disney

Sure, you can take a Disney vacation, but explore the cities beyond the gates, too

W hen you vacation at the Disney resorts in Florida or California, every moment of every day can be filled with Disney-related activities. You can go to a Disney theme park. You can shop at the Disney retail centers, eat at Disney restaurants or hire a Disney babysitter so you can dance the night away at a Disney club. You can pay for everything with the wristband you get at check-in, which is also your hotel room key and your ticket to the theme parks. This vacation by immersion is affectionately known among fans as the Disney Bubble.

But what if you want to burst out of that bubble? What if, unlike the rest of your group, you’d be happier if you never entered “The Happiest Place on Earth?”

If you stay at the resorts in Orlando or Anaheim, can you have fun without lining the pockets of Mickey’s ill-fitting red shorts? We sent a couple of reporters to find out.

Provided by Visit Anaheim The atrium at Anaheim Packing District, an upscale shopping center in the California city’s downtown.

Provided by The Fifth A table full of cocktails and snacks at the Fifth, a rooftop bar and restaurant in Anaheim, Calif., with a prime view of Disneyland’s nightly fireworks.

Jim Webster, The Washington Post The Winter Garden Heritage Museum includes artifacts and replicas of the Florida city’s agricultural history, including vintage produce labels.