Much more than Mickey Mouse

So You've done Disney and think it's time to go? Wrong. There's plenty to keep the family occupied that's more in tune with reality. All are accessible from the Anaheim Resort and can be done in a day.

* Stroke a shark. Yep. Californians have a whole new attitude to those predators at the top of the food chain and seem to be forgiving them for misdemeanours in which a few people lost their lives.

At Long Beach, a 30-minute drive from Anaheim, the Aquarium of the Pacific has opened a shark lagoon where 150 sharks happily swim in shallow water, enticing you to put your hand in and stroke them. One youngster told me it was just like touching a velvet sock. Hmm.

You can also get close to seals and sealions, sea turtles, puffins, otters, seahorses, bizarre creatures called sea dragons, jellies and rays.

Tip: The day I was there it was crawling with school parties and the noise was atrocious. Leave your visit until after lunch.

* Visit the Queen Mary, the luxurious former ocean liner that has been retained in all its art-deco glory and is now a floating hotel. It's a short walk from the aquarium.

I tagged along on a World War II-themed tour and heard fascinating facts about its time as a troop ship. Apparently, Bing Crosby was so sea-sick while crossing the Atlantic that he spent the journey lying on sacks of potatoes, getting up only to vomit (hopefully avoiding the potatoes).

* Spend a day at Legoland California, 30 minutes south of Anaheim. The theme park offers everything from Duplo for the littlies to robot-building for the older kids.

It's also an adventure park, and yes, it has rides, 50 of them, including three roller coasters (not made out of Lego), a breathtaking Lego-Racers 4-D movie, a fairytale brook, safari trek and child-sized town that allows kids to drive and skipper a boat.

The heart of the park is Miniland, which has stunning recreations of American landmarks. Although Miniland is a look-but-don't-touch area, there are lots of buttons to press which make the vehicles come to life, the New Orleans band march and the squirrels move in Central Park.

* Get soaked by a killer whale at Seaworld in San Diego, about 90 minutes south of Anaheim. It was awesome to watch the beauty and grace of killer whale Shamu and his mate as they performed with their keepers. The first 16 rows of the auditorium are the splash zone, and are an obvious magnet for kids wanting to get wet.

You can wade into the water to touch and feed the dolphins and whales. It also has sharks, penguins, a polar bear, seals, otters and even a Cirque de la Mer acrobatic show.

You'll easily fill a day here, but make time to see the baby killer whale. Mother and baby are inseparable and there's only a pane of glass between you and these gentle giants. Mesmerising.

* Go shopping. Orange County has a wealth of shopping malls, fashion outlets and entertainment centres. Fashion Island at Newport Beach (30 minutes from Anaheim) is at the higher end of the scale, with branches of Macys and Bloomingdales.

Carlsbad (not far from Legoland) is an outlet mall a bit like Dressmart that has DKNY, Gap, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and more.

The Block at Orange is an entertainment centre that combines shops, restaurants, cafes and movie theatres. Shopping shuttles can take you to some of the centres from your hotel in the Anaheim Resort.

* Go to a beach. The coast is less than 30 minutes away. Upmarket Newport Beach is home to many celebrities, so a harbour cruise is a great way to ogle million-dollar homes.

Laguna Beach is an arts and crafts centre and Huntington Beach is Surf City, USA, where everyone looks like they have stepped off the Baywatch set.

* Go to church, specifically the Crystal Cathedral, hailed as the most spectacular religious edifice in the world. At 39m high, it's a beacon in the middle of Anaheim and is worth the short walk to gaze in awe.

* Patrice Gaffaney flew to Los Angeles courtesy of Air New Zealand and was a guest of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.

Aquarium of the Pacific

Queen Mary

Legoland

Seaworld

The Block at Orange

Fashion Island

Crystal Cathedral