California Dreaming – One Mom’s Whine
Dreaming and planning are two totally different things. I’ve spent a lot of time dreaming of making a trip to California to visit Disneyland. Now I’ve moved on to the planning stage and am realizing how 
little I know about where to start!
My first decision is what airport to fly into. I think I’ve narrowed it down to Orange County. I’ll be flying from Atlanta and the best rates seem to be flying into Orange County. There are also good shuttle options to get me from the airport to Disneyland from Orange County.
So my next decision will be about where to stay. This would be an easy decision if money were no object, but that’s not the case! So I continue my dreaming about staying in the Disneyland castle while I look for options that fit my budget!
With Gayle as my Captain I know it’s going to be an adventure!
Now to decide how many days I need to spend in each park. I go to Walt Disney World several times a year, so I know exactly what I can pack into a day there. My one visit to Disneyland was only three hours long and I only visited Disneyland, we didn’t have time to do Disney’s California Adventure park. It may be a long time before I’m able to make the trip to California again, so I want to try and see EVERYTHING while I’m there. Luckily I have a Disneyland pro to help me plan my park visits. Gayle has been going to Disneyland almost her entire life, so I’ll be leaving a lot of this part of the planning in her capable hands!
Of course I’m dreaming of all the different food options at Disneyland! No Disney trip is complete without trying new foods and new places to eat them! I’ll have to be sure and plan enough days to fit in all the yummy treats Disneyland has to offer! 
I’m hoping to see some of the unique overlays Disneyland has during the holidays each year. The Haunted Mansion overlay with The Nightmare Before Christmas is what I’m looking forward to the most! Space Mountain and It’s a Small World are high on this list as well! Fantasmic is performed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and is my absolute favorite park show, but the Disneyland version is different and I can’t wait to see it! 
There are so many “must see” items on my list! I may have to accept the fact that another visit will have to be in my plans for 2018!
