According to a AAA Northern California survey released Thursday, the collective good mood and extra money most Californians appear to have this holiday season will mean packed roads, airplanes, and even boats.

AAA says that they expect over 12.1 million Californians to travel over the next two weeks, which is, they say, a 3.2% increase over last year's holidays.

Of those, 11 million of us will be driving to our destinations, a 3.4% uptick. Air travel is expected to rise by .5%, and boat and train travel are both expected to rise by 4.9% this holiday.

The cause for the overall increase in travel? "A combination of consumer optimism, lower gas prices, an increase in disposable income, and better scheduling," says AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris.

"This year the holidays land on a Thursday, creating a holiday travel season that is one day longer than a year ago and the longest since 2008. This makes travel scheduling for the period between Christmas and New Year's more flexible," Harris says.

In addition, gas prices in Northern California have plummeted, with an average price per gallon of $2.94 as of December 15. That's about a quarter less than what it was a month ago. And it's expected to keep dropping, Harris predicted, saying that "consumers can expect to see the price at the pump tick even lower as we approach the New Year.”

Of course, Harris warns, more people traveling means higher costs for hotels and car rentals (so much for that disposable income...) so keep that in mind if planning a last minute jaunt.

And remember, if you leave California: according to AAA nearly one-third of the US population is expected to travel 50 miles or more over the holidays. That's 98 million people you're fighting your way through to get to your middle seat in economy. Maybe the best way to hang onto your optimism and extra dough is to stay right here?