🎯 The plan at a glance
Fly to (closest)
SNA ~15 min
Cheapest Delta (SNA/BUR)
$1,015 / $885
Big event
D23 · Aug 14–16
Base
Resort District
📌 Two hard constraints: land midday Aug 12 (do stuff that afternoon), and be home at a reasonable hour Aug 17 so you sleep before your 7 AM CNA shift Aug 18.
✅ The plan
- ✈️ Fly SNA (John Wayne) — 15 min to Anaheim, no LA traffic. Or BUR/LAX cheaper + ~45 min drive.
- 🏨 Hotel in the Anaheim Resort District — walk/ART shuttle to Disneyland + Convention Center.
- 🏰 D23 Aug 14–16 at the Convention Center + Disneyland.
- 🥾 OC trails (Crystal Cove coast, Peters Canyon) + Knott's Berry Farm nearby.
✈️ Delta OMA → Anaheim area
Live-verified. Totals for 2. 1-stop via SLC (no Delta nonstop from OMA).
| Airport | 2 ppl | To Anaheim |
|---|---|---|
| SNA (John Wayne) CLOSEST | $1,015 | ~15 min, no drive |
| BUR (Burbank) | $885 | ~45–60 min drive |
| LAX | $915 | ~45 min drive |
🎯 For Anaheim, fly SNA — it's 15 min from Disney with no LA traffic. Worth ~$100–130 over BUR/LAX to skip a long drive with luggage after D23.
🕐 Schedule fit
- Book a morning outbound Aug 12 → land midday, full afternoon at the parks.
- Book an early-afternoon return Aug 17 → home evening → sleep before your 7 AM shift Aug 18.
- All fares Basic Economy → bump to Main Classic (+$90/pp) to sit together + Zone 5 boarding.
- Pay with Delta Gold → free bag (SkyMiles #) + advances your ~$1,890 bonus.
🏨 Hotel > Airbnb — near Disney
For Anaheim it's a clear hotel call.
| Factor | Winner |
|---|---|
| Walk / ART shuttle to parks + D23 | 🏨 Hotel |
| No cleaning/service fees | 🏨 Hotel |
| Early park entry (Disney hotels) | 🏨 Hotel |
| 2 people, 5 nights | 🏨 Hotel |
| Kitchen / space for a group | 🏡 Airbnb |
📍 Stay in the Anaheim Resort District (Harbor Blvd / Katella Ave). "Good Neighbor" hotels are official Disney partners — closest + ART shuttle. Budget ~$150–300/night.
Airbnb only if you find a notably cheaper whole place with a kitchen — but you lose the shuttle + early-entry perks.
🏰 In your Aug 12–17 window
| Thing | Dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| D23 — Anaheim Convention Center | Aug 14–16 | multi-day pass |
| Disneyland / California Adventure | any day | ~$104–206/day |
| Knott's Berry Farm (Buena Park, ~10 min) | any day | ~$50–99 |
| Universal Studios (~45 min) | any day | ~$109+ |
⚠️ Disneyland needs date reservations + park-hopper decisions — book ahead, and buy tickets in advance (cheaper than gate).
🌆 Nearby (SoCal)
Beaches: Huntington / Newport (~20 min). LA/Hollywood ~45 min. Little Saigon (Westminster, ~15 min) for food. K-town LA ~40 min.
🥾 Parks & trails around Anaheim
Orange County has great trails 15–40 min from Disney. Free unless noted.
| Trail / Park | From Anaheim | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Cove State Park (coast + bluffs) ⭐ | ~30 min | $15/car |
| Peters Canyon (lake loop, popular) | ~20 min | $5/car |
| Santiago Oaks Regional Park (Orange) | ~15 min | $5/car |
| Oak Canyon Nature Center (Anaheim Hills) | ~10 min | FREE |
| Irvine Regional Park (oldest OC park) | ~20 min | $5/car |
| Black Star Canyon (waterfall, Silverado) | ~30 min | FREE |
| Holy Jim Falls (Trabuco Canyon) | ~40 min | $5 Adventure Pass |
| Aliso & Wood Canyons (Laguna) | ~35 min | $3/car |
⚠️ August heat: inland OC trails hit 90°F+ midday — go before 9 AM or evening, bring water. Coastal Crystal Cove stays cooler and gives you trail + beach in one.
⭐ Best pick
Crystal Cove State Park — bluff-top + beach trails, cooler ocean air, great photos, and you can pair a hike with the beach. The one to do if you only do one.
Bigger day-trip option: Joshua Tree National Park (~2 hrs east, $35/car) — desert/boulder landscape, but a full day and very hot in August.
🗓️ Aug 12–17 — day by day
Built around D23 (Aug 14–16) + your sleep-before-work constraint.
Wed · Aug 12 — Arrive & ease in
- ✈️ Fly out AM → land SNA ~midday → check into Resort District hotel
- 🎡 Afternoon: Downtown Disney (free to walk) + Disneyland if you want to jump in
- 🍜 Dinner: Little Saigon (Westminster, ~15 min) — killer Vietnamese food
Thu · Aug 13 — Disney day
- 🏰 Full Disneyland or California Adventure day — hit it BEFORE D23 crowds arrive
- 🎆 Stay for the nighttime show/fireworks
Fri · Aug 14 — D23 Day 1
- 🎟️ D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center (walk/ART from hotel)
- 🌙 Evening: Downtown Disney bars/food
Sat · Aug 15 — D23 Day 2 (or Knott's)
- 🎟️ More D23 — or swap for Knott's Berry Farm (Buena Park, ~10 min) if you want coasters
Sun · Aug 16 — D23 finale / beach
- 🎟️ Last D23 day — or hit the beach: Huntington / Newport (~20 min)
- 🌅 Golden-hour photos on the coast
Mon · Aug 17 — Trail + fly home
- 🌄 Morning (beat the heat): Crystal Cove State Park — bluff trail + beach, best photos
- ✈️ Early-afternoon flight → home evening → sleep before your 7 AM shift Aug 18
💰 Rough budget (2 people)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Flights (SNA, Main Classic) | $1,015 | $1,100 |
| Hotel (Resort District, 5 nights) | $750 | $1,500 |
| Rental car (or rideshare) | $250 | $450 |
| D23 + park tickets (2) | $400 | $900 |
| Food / extras | $500 | $1,000 |
| TOTAL | ~$2,915 | ~$4,950 |
💡 Run all of it on the Delta Gold — the trip easily clears your remaining ~$1,890 bonus spend → 50k+ miles.
📅 Key dates
| Aug 12 (Wed) | Fly out AM → SNA midday → parks |
| Aug 14–16 | D23 + Disneyland |
| Aug 17 (Mon) | Home evening → rest |
| Aug 18 (Tue) | CNA shift 7 AM–7:30 PM |